How Motown And The Jackson Five Embodied The Sound Of The '70s

The Motown era is synonymous with the '70s. Represented by acts like The Jackson 5, the record label unleashed a cavalcade of incredible talents, shaping the music scene of the era. Time magazine even described the signature “Motown Sound” as being composed of tambourines, blaring horns, hand-clapping, foot-slapping drum parts, driving bass lines, and beautiful interplay between the lead and their band members. 

These musical traits were a nod to the African-American culture Motown arose from. Pattin' Juba dance moves were inspired by the roll of percussive instruments and foot-slapping drum solos. 

The 1970s witnessed the rise of The Jackson 5 with tunes so catchy no-one could resist dancing to them. Critics gave them fantastic reviews, and the media were all over the teenage group. 

Thanks to Motown musicians and The Jackson 5, the '70s became a point in time when the world stopped seeing black performers as different or “exotic.”

People stopped focussing so much on racial identity and started seeing musicians for what they were capable of, talent-wise. The Jackson 5, in particular, rose above a pool of extremely talented musicians with their refreshing take on music. 

One of the '70s most popular songs was the band's “I Want You Back.” There were a lot of hits by the Jackson 5, but this one was special as it embodied Motown as a whole. The music company was often defined as producing songs where the lead singer interplays with their backup vocalists after a driving bassline gets everyone moving. 

The Jackson 5's music defined the '70s with its infectious beats, earning them international success. With every new album, critics marvelled at how the group only got better.

At this point, racial profiling in the music industry had greatly diminished. In its place came something that should’ve been there all along: a focus on pure talent rather than skin color.