Motown leaves lasting impact on music, culture

If you think of some of the most memorable songs from the twentieth century, there’s a good chance one of the tunes that comes to mind is the product of Motown — a record label based in Detroit that was a powerhouse of hits in the 1960s and 1970s.

Motown musicians, all of whom were Black performers, are often regarded as some of the most influential artists, with impacts felt in virtually every genre today.

The history of Black music in America begins long before Motown got its start in 1959. As soon as the first Africans arrived in North America, a culture was already emerging, explained Michigan State University assistant professor of music theory Richard Desinord.

“(Enslaved people) were told not to express themselves, so they would go off in private and do the things that they wanted to do,” Desinord said. “That’s where you start to see the beginnings of African American music.”

Jazz is often thought of as the genre that kick-started Black music in America, but Desinord explained that ragtime, blues and spirituals paved the way for its success — and all of these genres evolved from hundreds of years of Black art.

“They all come from traditions,” Desinord said. “It really does start on the plantation.”

The movement of thousands of African Americans from the southern United States to northern cities in the 1920s, paired with the technological advances throughout the following decades, allowed African American culture to become more widespread, Desinord explained. White audiences were exposed to the art that was being cultivated within Black communities, and, upon noticing its appeal, started to take it for themselves. 

“If you have something that’s fun and new, of course people will gravitate towards it,” Desinord said. “There was a pop music formula, and (white musicians) were able to chug out hits that way. But it was still kind of watered down.”

This was around the time that Motown was established, changing the popular music landscape by giving a major platform to Black artists. Desinord said Motown followed the same formula that white musicians had, but it had a more genuine feel to it. 

“What these Motown artists did was put Blackness back into Black music,” Desinord said. 

Vocal performance junior Tyrell Harris said that Motown artists had a unique flair in their performances, something that inspires him in his own music. Patti LaBelle, one of his favorites, was known for her powerful vocals and lively stage presence.

“Every time Patti performed, she made it a goal to outdo her previous performances,” Harris said. “I really appreciate the vocalism back then. It’s inspiring how young these artists were, and a lot of them didn’t get a formal (musical) education.”

For East Lansing based artist Phoenix Miranda, Marvin Gaye and his song “What’s Going On?” are meaningful products from Motown that inspired her on her own musical journey.

“There’s so many fusions of sounds, like jazz and soul, but also the message is so good,” Miranda said. “It’s a perfect balance of a beautiful sound that lands lightly on the ears with words that cut.”

Miranda explained the importance of looking to Motown and the Black artists that came before her because they have paved the way for her to be able to express herself authentically through the music that she creates.

“I’m just thankful to be a part of this lineage because our people have gone through the unimaginable in this country,” Miranda said. “For Black artists to be able to impact the arts so much is telling of their resilience to still create and put ideas into a space where they weren’t getting much back.”

Even though Black artists have been in the spotlight for decades, many still struggle with being outcast in the industry. Miranda said that she was often the only Black student in the music programs she participated in growing up. Additionally, a lot of Black music can be put into categories that do not make sense.

“There are songs that are labeled as R&B that you listen to and say, ‘is that really R&B?'” Miranda said. “Or there might be a country song that doesn’t get labeled as country because the artist is Black.”

Despite the ways in which Black art can be kept in boxes, Desinord and Miranda both said that Black influences are alive and well in every aspect of American life, and recognizing that fact is vital in understanding how diverse our nation’s cultural blueprint really is.

“Black music has had influences on every genre that we can think of, even things that it didn’t necessarily spawn,” Desinord said. “It’s important to realize the impact that Black people have not just had on popular music, but culture, fashion, everything in America.”