Popular Music

    Berry Gordy’s legendary Motown made its mark not just on the music industry, but society at large, with a sound that has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and stunning success stories of the 20th century. Music communicated and brought together a racially divided country and segregated society, around the world, touching all people of all ages and races.

    No other record company in history has exerted such an enormous influence on both the style and substance of popular music and culture.That influence is still being felt today, from pop to hip-hop. Today, Motown is not only the greatest pop music hit factory ever heard, but an institution, a state of mind, a way of life, a style, the “Sound of Young America.” The distinctive, upbeat and uplifting music brought together pop and soul, white and black, old and young, like never before and continues to this day. Regardless of race or social background, teenage girls admired Diana Ross and teenage boys pretended to be Smokey Robinson. Motown became the heartbeat of American pop music.

    Consumer demand for digital media, and the iPods to play it on, transformed Apple from a niche PC maker into a consumer electronics juggernaut. Today, Apple enjoys a stranglehold over the market for digital music players is the largest retailer of music in the United States and has evolved into one of the most powerful technology companies in the world.

    However, the story of Apple is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how digital media has transformed the business world. From file sharing to all sorts of downloadable content and new streaming services have come from the digital integration of music. Artists have their music sold on different music platforms from physical to digital and some even creating their own streaming services and products for listening to music of the same genres.