The Mowtown sound is considered the pivotal player in American music because it changed the whole notion of popular songs. This music recording corporation was established in 1959 by Berry Gordy (Haider, 2019). This studio became one of the most famous music recorders in U.S. history, giving the world the songs of the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Martha and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson, and the Commodores (Haider, 2019). Although this company no longer exists as a separate entity, the music of girl bands, boy bands, and mixed bands recorded by this corporation is still popular worldwide.
Being a multiracial employer, the company made famous girl and boy bands of various backgrounds and ethnicities. For example, the girl bands of the 1960s that became popular because Mowtown recorded their songs were Martha and the Vandellas, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells, the Angels, and the Dixie Cups (Vintage Everyday, 2020). Notably, many of these groups were black, which did not prevent them from becoming extremely popular in the pre-Civil Rights Movement era. The boy bands of the 1960s were the Rolling Stones, the Surfaris, the Rascals, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, the Hollies, and the Chambers Brothers (O’Keene, 2020). The two popular mixed bands of the 1960s were the Fifth Dimension and the Archies (O’Keene, 2020). Their music, recorded by Mowtown, became like fresh air for American youth of that time because it not only brought joy but also unintentionally promoted the elimination of racial discrimination in art.
In summary, the Mowtown recoding corporation introduced many songs from the 1960s bands. Many of these recordings remain famous in modern pop culture. Black girl bands such as Martha and the Vandellas and the Dixie Cups were equally welcome in its studios as white male groups such as the Rolling Stones and the Rascals. It shows that this company not only produced high-quality products for listeners but also enabled the disappearance of racial borders in music and art.
References
Haider, A. (2019). Mowtown: The music that changed America. BBC.
O’Keene, B. (2020). 25 huge bands from the ‘60s you totally forgot existed. BestLife.
Vintage Everyday. (2020). Top 12 girl groups of the 1960s.