Motown History [Online Articles]

Motown - Gerald Early (Brittanica School). A brief chronological overview of Motown Records' history, and the growing popularity of Black music trends that helped Motown rise to mainstream pop music dominance. The article begins at the 1959 founding of Motown Records by Berry Gordy Jr and continues through the label's history until its buyout by MCA Records in 1988. (U-M login required.)

Motown: The Sound that Changed America - Motown Museum. Another overview of Motown Records' history provided by the Motown Museum (which is located in "Hitsville USA," Motown's original Detroit headquarters). This article goes into particular detail on Gordy's "assembly line" method of recruiting potential artists, training them through a competitive music and choreography regimen, then releasing projects by the most promising artists on the label.

The Social and Cultural Changes that Affected the Music of Motown Records From 1959-1972 - Lindsey Baker (CSU Theses and Dissertations). An overview of Motown Records' relationship with the shifting cultural tides of the 1960s through early 1970s. Baker explains how Motown's black artists navigated the racism entrenched in American broadcasting and performance norms, and how their eventual appeal toward white audiences allowed them to perform in spaces where black performers had previously been prohibited.

Detroit, City of Cars, City of Music - Chris Quispel (Built Environment). An article that juxtaposes the development of Motown Records with the socio-political circumstances of Detroit in the 1960s, notably the Detroit race riots of 1967. The article pays specific attention to the racial tensions in Detroit, and how white Detroit audiences enthusiastically consumed Motown music made by black artists while resenting black artists themselves and their advocacy for "racial cooperation." (U-M login required).

Old School for the New School: Discussing the Importance of Motown Records in American Music History - Dr. Crystal Darcell Birdsong (LSU Doctoral Dissertations). A dissertation that explores the development of the "Motown Sound," the signature musical style of Motown Records in the 1960s. Birdsong draws a connection between Gordy's struggle to redefine modern pop music norms with the musical developments of Arnold Schoenberg and the Second Viennese School.