American Music Awards’ 50th Anniversary Special: 8 Takeaways From a 2-Hour Crash Course in Pop Music History
Song has long gone via a bundle of adjustments for the reason that American Song Awards debuted on Feb. 19, 1974, as a fan-driven backup to the Grammy Awards. American Song Awards fiftieth Per annum Particular, a two-hour particular that aired on Sunday, Oct. 6, captured a lot of the ones adjustments in neatly curated areas and untouched performances.
Fifty years is an extended hour, in fact. Two of the 3 co-hosts of that first display (Roger Miller and Helen Reddy) are now not with us, neither is the display’s author, mythical TV manufacturer Dick Clark. The display not too long ago switched networks, from ABC to CBS, which aired this annualannually display and can wind the upcoming usual AMA broadcast in Might.
The unedited plan was once for the AMAs to debut on CBS with a usual best-of-the-past-year broadcast. Any person had the shining concept to first remind the target audience of the AMAs’ really extensive historical past prior to relaunching the display (which has been on hiatus since 2022.)
Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who was once the 3rd co-host of that first display, offered a department in this annualannually display. He was once one in every of six former AMAs hosts or co-hosts to look, at the side of Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Reba McEntire, Jimmy Kimmel and Cedric the Entertainer.
The AMAs has had a a ways longer future than maximum anticipated – and that incorporates Clark himself. In December 1973, Clark was once operating at the first AMAs. He knew a modest exposure couldn’t harm, so he discovered hour for an interview with Billboard’s Bob Kirsch which ran on web page some of the Dec. 15, 1973 factor beneath the headline “ABC-TV Slates Favorite Acts’ Awards Feb. 19.”
On the finish of the piece, Clark tried to speed the lengthy view of his fledgling display and mentioned “If this is done properly, we may have a show that will last 20 years and will finally get the general public involved in popular music awards.”
Clark underestimated the longevity of his personal settingup. Then 12 months’s AMAs would be the 51st.
American Song Awards fiftieth Per annum Particular was once produced by means of Dick Clark Productions. Michael Dempsey served as government manufacturer.
Listed below are 8 moments from the AMAs particular through which they maximum successfully advised the big-picture tale of the immense adjustments in pervasive tune within the extreme 50 years.
American Song Awards fiftieth Per annum Particular is produced by means of Dick Clark Productions. DCP is owned by means of Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Company (PMC) subsidiary and three way partnership between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the mum or dad corporate of Billboard.
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Gladys Knight Plays a Vintage
The display opened with a clip package deal from the primary display, together with Stevie Surprise taking part in “Superstition” and Gladys Knight & the Pips appearing “Midnight Train to Georgia.” Each songs had been Negative. 1 hits at the Billboard Scorching 100 in 1973 and stay top-tier classics. The display later snip to Knight appearing the tune are living, with 3 feminine supplementary singers taking the playground of Gladys’ loved Pips.
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Nation During the Years
A clip montage of nation artists who’ve gave the impression at the AMAs culminated in Kane Brown appearing a comfortable model of Alan Jackson’s 2002 crash “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” which led into his personal flow ruin “Miles on It.”
Next within the display, Brad Paisley recalled the past due Charley Pleasure, who gave him a serving to hand when Paisley was once simply 15. Paisley sang somewhat of Pleasure’s endearing 1971 signature tune “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” prior to shifting directly to his personal brandnew unmarried “Truck Still Works” – a non secular successor to his 2004 crash “Mud on the Tires.”
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Salute to Whitney Houston
EGOT recipient Jennifer Hudson venerated 22-time AMA winner Whitney Houston by means of recreating a medley Houston carried out at the 1994 AMAs, a pairing of “I Loves You, Porgy” from Porgy & Bess and her personal ruin “I Will Always Love You” from The Bodyguard. Houston’s pairing was once one of the vital artistically motivated performances in AMAs historical past and Hudson, who was once simply 12 years used on the hour, did it justice. (Hudson had additionally paid tribute to Houston at the Grammy telecast in 2012 by means of appearing “I Will Always Love You” – only one moment later Houston’s stunning demise at time 48.)
Houston grew up at the AMAs and the Grammys. Along with her 22 AMAs wins, she co-hosted the 1988 AMAs with the Bee Gees and Mick Fleetwood.
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Hip-hop Will get Its Due
The AMAs didn’t have hip-hop divisions till the sixteenth display in 1989, when DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Unutilized Prince gained favourite rap/hip-hop artist and booklet for He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper.
A clip package deal accumulated display moments with such hip-hop stars as Nicki Minaj, Publish Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, who had the most efficient order when he advised his mother “I guess all that music coming out of my bedroom paid off.”
3-time AMA winner Nelly capped the department with a medley of his biggest hits on which he was once joined by means of Chingy, J-Kwon and participants of the St. Lunatics.
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A Amusing Section on ‘Outrageous’ Moments
Lionel Richie’s catchphrase in 1985, when he hosted the display for the second one 12 months in a row, was once “Outrageous!” This annualannually display assemble a amusing department of outrageous moments, together with Vanilla Ice and Billy Ray Cyrus cutting their critics (and so they each had a bundle of them) upon accepting their awards.
(The display omitted to say a technique the AMAs earned a footnote in pop historical past. As chronicled within the fresh Netflix movie The Largest Evening in Pop, “We Are the World” was once recorded at the night time of the 1985 AMAs. That wasn’t only a twist of fate. Ken Kragen and the alternative nation hanging the recording in combination knew that almost each noteceable megastar could be in Los Angeles for the AMAs. That claims a bundle in regards to the AMAs’ status on the hour.)
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A Parade of Boy Bands
A Backstreet Boy (AJ McLean) and a member of *NSYNC (Lance Bass) offered a department at the historical past of boy bands at the AMAs. There were greater than you will have remembered, together with the ones two teams, BTS, Pristine Version, Pristine Children at the Forbid, Boyz II Males and One Course.
Okay-pop stars Stray Children capped the segment with a efficiency which integrated somewhat of the marionette-inspired choreography of *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” prominent into their very own crash “Chk Chk Boom.”
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RAYE Sings a James Brown Vintage
Symbol Credit score: Getty Singer-songwriter RAYE was once fine at the 1966 James Brown vintage “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” (She’s no longer the primary girl to accomplish the tune. Cher recorded it for her 1996 booklet It’s a Guy’s International.)
RAYE swept the Brit Awards in February. She is lately vying for a Grammy nomination for preferrred brandnew artist. If plethora Grammy electorate watched this display, she most likely received various votes.
RAYE’s efficiency adopted a retrospective on recipients of the American Song Award of Benefit, which has been offered to such greats as Brown, Bon Jovi, Johnny Money, Chuck Berry, Sting, Billy Joel and Whitney Houston.
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They’re Each Girl
The display neared its conclusion with a clip package deal of girls artists at the AMAs over time. Between them: Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson, Madonna, P!nk, Gwen Stefani, Taylor Hasty, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Tina Turner and Girl Gaga.
That was once the lead-up to a gigantic finale of Chaka Khan appearing her 1978 crash “I’m Every Woman,” sponsored by means of percussionist Sheila E. Whitney Houston coated the Ashford & Simpson tune for The Bodyguard soundtrack in 1992 and had an excellent larger crash with it, however in this night time, we venerated the originator.