Stevie Wonder: The Power Of Music

Introduction The popular entertainment of a given time period is a direct result of the political, social, and cultural climates. In particular, investigating popular culture provides historians with a window into the values and ideologies of those without a voice. Popular culture, such as music, proves to be a major influence and outlet amongst disenfranchised and minority groups, who are able to find solidarity with one another through a mutually understood message in musical expression. For the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement in the United States, music proved to be a powerful source of camaraderie and power amongst an otherwise frustrated and oppressed group of citizens. For the purposes of this paper, Stevie Wonder, a famous funk artist whose fame peaked in the 1970’s, will be the focus of an analysis of music’s power on a nation. Music has always been a large part of black pride and community within the United States. From gospel to jazz, African-Americans (like any group of persons) consistently find a sense of self within their music. For blacks surviving in an oppressive and racist America, music was an outlet in which they could safely and effectively relay their struggle not only to each other but also to the general population. According to historic scholars Eyerman and Jamison, …show more content…
One of Seymour’s strongest examples is his explanation of how the pop star Stevie Wonder assumed varied themes and concepts through his music. He argues that Wonder’s album Innervisions discussed the mini-drama of black migration to incarceration played out by the song “Living for the City.” Ultimately, Seymour believes that Wonder set the bar higher for black pop artists while taking audiences to different levels with material that engaged social issues and urged personal