Episode 1: 80s Heartland Rock is Not Just about the Heartland
PLAY LIST
Who’ll Stop the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)
Roll Me Away by Bob Seger (1982)
Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen (1984)
Rain on the Scarecrow by John Mellencamp (1985)
You Got Lucky by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1982)
SHOW NOTES
Amy introduces the inaugural episode of For the Record: The 80s! It is kind of like the ABC “Back to School Specials” of Gen X youth; consider it a special event that will appear from time to time. Similar to its companion podcast, For the Record: The 70s, it will examine the intersection of the music, politics, and culture of…the 80s!
In this episode, Amy discusses the difficulty in defining heartland rock, which may be a reason why some people are not convinced that it is really a thing. Amy makes the case that it IS, but it cannot be defined as a regional subgenre of rock. It is easier to define as a culture, which is true for most subgenres of rock. While heartland rock was a favorite of white men — especially politically conservative white men — Amy argues that the themes are more universal than that. She profiles the music of the “Big Four” of heartland rock: Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
SOURCES
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"John Mellencamp WXRT Chicago "Scarecrow" Radio Documentary." YouTube. March 24, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHK5N10UNtA.
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