If we think about pop music of the 1960s, we are likely to think of the countless black girl bands like the Supremes and the Ronettes. They have worked their way into classic films such as Goodfellas and Jackie Brown, ensuring they are remembered as part of the cultural landscape of the 60s. The 60s were a time of political turmoil, with civil rights and gender inequality still a pressing issue, so it could be seen as a surprise that the Shirelles topped the US charts in January 1961, with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”.
Girl groups had been in the US charts since the mid 50s, but it wasn’t until 1958 when the Chantels released “Maybe” that the ‘sound’ that we think of was first heard. This style of music helped to break down barriers in music, with the groups fusing multiple genres such as black doo-wop and white pop, with elements of rock’n’roll. This appealed to a younger audience, wanting something that sounded completely different to the music of their parent’s generation. Whilst the Chantels are credited with developing this style of music, their musical development followed traditional forms, going into Latin and choir music, losing that initial spark that made them so unique in the 50s.
Not only was the development of this style of music a massive turning point for the artists themselves, but also for record labels. Motown records was owned by African-American, Berry Gordy, and when the Marvelettes, “Please Mr. Postman’ was released on his label in 1961, it became the first African American owned record label to achieve a number one song. Motown success throughout the 60s was astronomical. Thy had the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes and Smokey Robinson all signed to the label and giving them their starts in music. They also created their own sound, nicknamed the ‘Motown sound’, and were seen as pioneers of black music, producing some of the biggest soul hits of the 60s. The success of Motown and the Stax record label was copied by other record labels, who started to produce similar sounding records but with white artists, later called blue-eyed soul. Two notable examples are Dusty Springfield and Tom Jones.
Whilst the songs of this genre were incredibly popular, the groups found it difficult to consistently score hits, with over 750 girls groups achieving a charting record between 1960 and 1966. Motown Records was described as a factory, where Berry Gordy had the ability to veto songs that he didn’t think would chart and this took away creative freedom from the artists themselves. The production process back then was extremely mechanical, with each aspect of a song being done by someone else. Songwriters, singers, session musicians and producers would all work on a song individually to create a hit. It is alleged that Diana Ross was only made the face of the Supremes as she was deemed more photogenic than Florence Ballard who was the better singer.
Taking a step back, we can see how the roots of the current music industry formed. Creating an image sells a band. It is clear to see that record labels understand the buying habits of consumers and are not afraid to pull the plug on acts that don’t achieve what the label wants.
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