A RETROSPECTIVE OF POP-MUSIC, 1905 -1970 Unlike American popular music that has its roots in the work songs of African slaves and their typical folklore, German hit songs have their origins in traditional operetta. The term SCHLAGER (hit song) seems to have first appeared around 1870 in Austria, or more accurately in Vienna. Just as there were arias in grand opera, there were individual songs in operettas, and likewise in the popular Singspiele of that time. A successful song that hit it off with the public and so acquired a certain independence became known therefore as a hit or, in German, SCHLAGER. In the early years of hit songs it was primarily the composer who was the star. Of course at the beginning of the 20th century there were well-known singers whose fame, though limited, was due to the newly available shellac records. Sadly however, the sound quality of such recordings was not yet sufficient to capture faithfully a singer s live concert performance. So records were not at first a spring-board to great fame. The success of performers was first made possible by the introduction of radio in 1923. In the late twenties American rhythms enjoyed increasing acceptance one became more worldly. The really great breakthrough came with the talkies, which began their triumphal advance at the start of the 1930s and catapulted singer-actors, into public view. While up to this time names of composers and song-writers such as Brammer, Kollo, Grünbaum, Amberg and Raymond had been by-words of the hit scene, now those of performers such as Willy Fritsch, Heinz Maria Lins, Marlene Dietrich, Comedian Harmonists, Lilian Harvey and Hans Albers edged into the limelight. During the compilation of this edition it became clear that even in the great economic slump of the 1920s sarcastic undertones or banal nonsense verses provided some light relief that helped people get through their disastrous plight. All that changed dramatically when the National Socialists came to power. In the difficult war years established artists, when commanded from above, did not flinch from blasting disguised rallying calls into the ears of the people. But as that is part of the history of hit songs it is also included here. After the war hit songs increasingly adopted the American sound and thereby lost their German-language individuality. A short period followed in which German singers performed the original American versions, but soon foreign hits were provided with German words a procedure not always acceptable to many critical listeners. Enjoy listening again to those memorable hits and erstwhile idols or just revel in something romantic, witty and lively!!!
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