Music has gone by a variety of adjustments for the reason that American Music Awards debuted on Feb. 19, 1974, as a fan-driven different to the Grammy Awards. American Music Awards fiftieth Anniversary Particular, a two-hour particular that aired on Sunday, Oct. 6, captured lots of these adjustments in neatly curated segments and recent performances.
Fifty years is a very long time, after all. Two of the three co-hosts of that first present (Roger Miller and Helen Reddy) are now not with us, neither is the present’s creator, legendary TV producer Dick Clark. The present not too long ago switched networks, from ABC to CBS, which aired this anniversary present and can air the subsequent common AMA broadcast in Might.
The unique plan was for the AMAs to debut on CBS with a daily best-of-the-past-year broadcast. Somebody had the intense concept to first remind the viewers of the AMAs’ appreciable historical past earlier than relaunching the present (which has been on hiatus since 2022.)
Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who was the third co-host of that first present, launched a phase on this anniversary present. He was considered one of six former AMAs hosts or co-hosts to look, together with Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Reba McEntire, Jimmy Kimmel and Cedric the Entertainer.
The AMAs has had a far longer life than most anticipated – and that features Clark himself. In December 1973, Clark was engaged on the primary AMAs. He knew a little bit publicity couldn’t damage, so he discovered time for an interview with Billboard’s Bob Kirsch which ran on web page one of many Dec. 15, 1973 subject beneath the headline “ABC-TV Slates Favourite Acts’ Awards Feb. 19.”
On the finish of the piece, Clark tried to take the lengthy view of his fledgling present and mentioned “If that is completed correctly, we might have a present that may final 20 years and can lastly get most people concerned in fashionable music awards.”
Clark underestimated the longevity of his personal creation. Subsequent 12 months’s AMAs would be the 51st.
American Music Awards fiftieth Anniversary Particular was produced by Dick Clark Productions. Michael Dempsey served as government producer.
Listed here are eight moments from the AMAs particular wherein they most successfully instructed the big-picture story of the huge adjustments in fashionable music within the final 50 years.
American Music Awards fiftieth Anniversary Particular is produced by Dick Clark Productions. DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Company (PMC) subsidiary and three way partnership between PMC and Eldrige. PMC is the mother or father firm of Billboard.
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Gladys Knight Performs a Traditional
The present opened with a clip bundle from the primary present, together with Stevie Marvel taking part in “Superstition” and Gladys Knight & the Pips performing “Midnight Practice to Georgia.” Each songs have been No. 1 hits on the Billboard Sizzling 100 in 1973 and stay top-tier classics. The present then minimize to Knight performing the track dwell, with three feminine backup singers taking the place of Gladys’ beloved Pips.
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Nation By the Years
A clip montage of nation artists who’ve appeared on the AMAs culminated in Kane Brown performing a relaxed model of Alan Jackson’s 2002 hit “Drive (For Daddy Gene),” which led into his personal present smash “Miles on It.”
Later within the present, Brad Paisley recalled the late Charley Pleasure, who gave him a serving to hand when Paisley was simply 15. Paisley sang a little bit of Pleasure’s endearing 1971 signature track “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” earlier than shifting on to his personal new single “Truck Nonetheless Works” – a religious successor to his 2004 hit “Mud on the Tires.”
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Salute to Whitney Houston
EGOT recipient Jennifer Hudson honored 22-time AMA winner Whitney Houston by recreating a medley Houston carried out on the 1994 AMAs, a pairing of “I Loves You, Porgy” from Porgy & Bess and her personal smash “I Will At all times Love You” from The Bodyguard. Houston’s pairing was one of the artistically formidable performances in AMAs historical past and Hudson, who was simply 12 years previous on the time, did it justice. (Hudson had additionally paid tribute to Houston on the Grammy telecast in 2012 by performing “I Will At all times Love You” – simply someday after Houston’s stunning demise at age 48.)
Houston grew up on the AMAs and the Grammys. Along with her 22 AMAs wins, she co-hosted the 1988 AMAs with the Bee Gees and Mick Fleetwood.
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Hip-hop Will get Its Due
The AMAs didn’t have hip-hop classes till the sixteenth present in 1989, when DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Contemporary Prince received favourite rap/hip-hop artist and album for He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper.
A clip bundle collected present moments with such hip-hop stars as Nicki Minaj, Put up Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, who had one of the best line when he instructed his mother “I assume all that music popping out of my bed room paid off.”
Three-time AMA winner Nelly capped the phase with a medley of his best hits on which he was joined by Chingy, J-Kwon and members of the St. Lunatics.
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A Enjoyable Phase on ‘Outrageous’ Moments
Lionel Richie’s catchphrase in 1985, when he hosted the present for the second 12 months in a row, was “Outrageous!” This anniversary present put collectively a enjoyable phase of outrageous moments, together with Vanilla Ice and Billy Ray Cyrus blasting their critics (they usually each had a variety of them) upon accepting their awards.
(The present uncared for to say a technique the AMAs earned a footnote in pop historical past. As chronicled within the current Netflix movie The Best Evening in Pop, “We Are the World” was recorded on the evening of the 1985 AMAs. That wasn’t only a coincidence. Ken Kragen and the opposite folks placing the recording collectively knew that virtually each essential star could be in Los Angeles for the AMAs. That claims lots concerning the AMAs’ standing on the time.)
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A Parade of Boy Bands
A Backstreet Boy (AJ McLean) and a member of *NSYNC (Lance Bass) launched a phase on the historical past of boy bands on the AMAs. There have been greater than you may need remembered, together with these two teams, BTS, New Version, New Youngsters on the Block, Boyz II Males and One Course.
Ok-pop stars Stray Youngsters capped the phase with a efficiency which included a little bit of the marionette-inspired choreography of *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” main into their very own hit “Chk Chk Increase.”
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RAYE Sings a James Brown Traditional
Picture Credit score: Getty Singer-songwriter RAYE was terrific on the 1966 James Brown traditional “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” (She’s not the primary lady to carry out the track. Cher recorded it for her 1996 album It’s a Man’s World.)
RAYE swept the Brit Awards in February. She is at present vying for a Grammy nomination for greatest new artist. If sufficient Grammy voters watched this present, she in all probability gained quite a lot of votes.
RAYE’s efficiency adopted a retrospective on recipients of the American Music Award of Benefit, which has been offered to such greats as Brown, Bon Jovi, Johnny Money, Chuck Berry, Sting, Billy Joel and Whitney Houston.
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They’re Each Girl
The present neared its conclusion with a clip bundle of girls artists on the AMAs by the years. Amongst them: Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson, Madonna, P!nk, Gwen Stefani, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Tina Turner and Girl Gaga.
That was the lead-up to a giant finale of Chaka Khan performing her 1978 hit “I’m Each Girl,” backed by percussionist Sheila E. Whitney Houston lined the Ashford & Simpson track for The Bodyguard soundtrack in 1992 and had an excellent greater hit with it, however on this evening, we honored the originator.
