Soul Train
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Soul Train (1971 - 2006) was music-related television program primarily featuring performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although jazz musicians and gospel singers have also appeared. The program was created by Don Cornelius (1936 - 2012).
Yellow Magic Orchestra were featured on Soul Train in December 1980 and they brought a cover of "Tighten Up" (1968) and "Computer Game" (1978).
Influence
During the heyday of Soul Train in the 1970s and 1980s, the program was widely influential among younger black Americans, many of whom turned to it not only to hear the latest songs by well-known black artists but also for clues about the latest fashions and dance trends. Moreover, for many white Americans in that era who were not living in areas that were racially diverse, Soul Train provided a unique window into black culture. Some commentators have called Soul Train a "black American Bandstand", another long-running program with which Soul Train shares some similarities. (Cornelius, however, tended to bristle at the Bandstand comparison. )
See also
- Lists of Soul Train episodes
- Guests on Soul Train
- SOLAR Records
- American music
- Showtime at the Apollo
