Baroque pop, also called baroque rock, is a mix of rock music and elements from classical music. This style became popular in the mid-1960s. Musicians wanted to create grand, orchestral sounds. It is known for using Baroque music techniques, such as complex melodies that intertwine and specific ways of combining musical notes. Instruments like harpsichords, oboes, French horns, and string quartets are often used.
Harpsichords had been used in pop music since the 1940s. In the 1960s, some music producers started using the instrument more often in their songs. Inspired by The Beatles' song "In My Life" (1965), many groups began adding Baroque and classical instruments to their music by 1966. The term "baroque rock" was first used in promotional material for the group The Left Banke. They used harpsichords and violins in their music. Their 1966 song "Walk Away Renée" is a well-known example of this style.
Baroque pop was not as popular in the 1970s because other music styles, like punk rock, disco, and hard rock, became more popular. However, some musicians still created music in this style. In the 1970s, Philadelphia soul and in the 1990s, chamber pop showed influences from Baroque pop. Chamber pop also included a less polished sound that was common in the 1990s.
Characteristics
The term "Baroque" refers to the style of European art music from about 1600 to 1750. Important composers from this time include J. S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi. Baroque pop music uses instruments similar to those from the late Baroque period or the early Classical period, which spans from 1690 to 1760. This time is known for music with balanced phrases, clear sounds, and beautiful melodies.
Baroque pop combines rock music with classical music. It often uses layered harmonies, string instruments, and brass instruments to create a grand and orchestral sound. Key features include melodies that weave together and harmony patterns that follow specific rules. This style was meant to be a more serious and mature form of rock music.
Journalist Bob Stanley refers to a specific type of Baroque pop as "English baroque," which existed between 1968 and 1973. The term "Baroque rock" may be used as another name for Baroque pop or as a separate style.
History
The Boston Globe's Matthew Guerrieri says that baroque pop began with American musicians and producers like Phil Spector and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. They used a harpsichord, a keyboard instrument, in their music. Harpsichords were common in recording studios and had been used in popular music since the 1940s. However, they became more popular in the 1960s. One of the first pop songs to use a harpsichord was "Summertime, Summertime" by the Jamies in 1958. Later examples include the Beach Boys' "I Get Around" (1964) and "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" (1965), the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (1964), and the Mamas & the Papas' "Monday, Monday" (1966). Guerrieri thinks the harpsichord was chosen for its bright, sharp sound, which matched the high-pitched music of the time.
In 1964, the English band the Zombies released "She's Not There," which Stanley says was an early example of baroque pop. He notes that the song stood out in 1964, a year with other popular songs like "You Really Got Me" and "Little Red Rooster." The Zombies' song had a quiet, simple arrangement that felt old-fashioned. Singer Colin Blunstone's clear pronunciation made the song sound even more refined.
Before baroque pop became popular, musicians like Burt Bacharach and Phil Spector combined pop music with classical elements. Music historian Andrew Grant Jackson says the era of baroque pop began with the Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire" (February 1965) and Brian Wilson's work on The Beach Boys' album Today! (March 1965). Jackson believes baroque pop and chamber pop were the same. The Yardbirds' song "For Your Love" (March 1965) helped spread the use of harpsichords in pop rock. George Martin, the Beatles' producer, along with Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson, is credited by Slate's Forrest Wickman for helping popularize baroque pop.
Bernard Gendron says that after Leonard Bernstein, an American composer, praised the Beatles, the band became famous in the "art-music world" in 1965. This happened before the Beatles released songs like "Yesterday," which used a classical string quartet. Gendron thinks the Beatles did not start the connection between their music and classical elements but instead responded to how others interpreted their work. An example is the 1965 album The Baroque Beatles Book, where their songs were reimagined in a Baroque style.
George Martin, a classically trained musician, played a harpsichord solo on the Beatles' song "In My Life," which was released in December 1965 on the album Rubber Soul. Author Joe Harrington says "In My Life" led to the rise of "baroque-rock." Producer Tommy LiPuma recalled that after the Beatles used the harpsichord sound, other producers began using it in their music.
Baroque pop started in the United Kingdom and the United States. By early 1966, after Rubber Soul, many groups began using baroque and classical instruments. Gendron called this movement "baroque rock." One example was the Rolling Stones' "Lady Jane." The use of harpsichords in pop, rock, and soul music at this time showed a desire for unusual sounds and a connection to London's fashion and psychedelic music scenes.
The Zombies' song "She's Not There," along with the popularity of British music through the Beatles, inspired New York musician Michael Brown to form the Left Banke. Stanley says the Left Banke's song "Walk Away Renée" (1966) was the first clear example of baroque pop. The term "baroque rock" was used by the band's publicists and music critics. Richie Unterberger noted that the Left Banke's music had many Baroque elements, like elegant arrangements, keyboards, and harmonies. Their next song, "Pretty Ballerina," continued this style. Guitarist Rick Brand described their lyrics as "beautiful musical whimsy" similar to 18th-century Romantic music.
Although the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966) is sometimes called baroque pop, no contemporary sources used the term "baroque" to describe the album. Instead, critics focused on its "progressive" qualities. The album's baroque style was mostly in one song, "God Only Knows," which was compared to the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" (1966) and Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (1967).
Gendron lists examples of baroque pop, including the Left Banke's "Walk Away Renée," Spanky and Our Gang's "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" (1967), the Stone Poneys' "Different Drum" (1967), the Rolling Stones' "Lady Jane" (with harpsichord and dulcimer), and the Lovin' Spoonful's "Rain on the Roof" (1966, with harpsichord-sounding guitars). Steve Smith, a music journalist, says the Moody Blues and Procol Harum were major artists in the genre. He also mentions the Beatles' "For No One," "She's Leaving Home," and "Piggies," as well as the Rolling Stones' "Ride On, Baby" and "Ruby Tuesday" as examples.
Stanley says the most successful time for music with harpsichords and string quartets was with the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This album mixed everyday lyrics with old-fashioned music styles to create a new kind of sound. In 1967, producer Mark Wirtz tried to make a baroque pop album called A Teenage Opera, but the project was not finished. However, the single "Excerpt from A Teenage Opera" reached No. 2 in the UK. At this time, the rise of psychedelic rock bands from San Francisco challenged the baroque pop style. In 1968, "English baroque" continued through songs like the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle (1968), Paul McCartney's work with the Beatles, Honeybus' "I Can't Let Maggie Go" (1968), Scott Walker's chamber pop, and Crosby, Stills & Nash's harmonies.
Baroque pop lasted into the early 1970s, as record labels used string arrangements to help unknown artists. Artists like Nick Drake and members of Honeybus used this style. The old-fashioned sound of baroque pop, with violins and classical guitar, became a subject of parody at the end of the psychedelic era. One example of a baroque pop song after its peak was the 1982 single "Golden Brown" by the Stranglers, which included a harpsichord and unusual musical timing.
In the 1990s, a style called chamber pop developed from baroque pop. It included influences from the past and focused on detailed musical arrangements.