Plastic soul is described as

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

that is believed to lack authenticity.

Usages

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

referenced the phrase as the name of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

1965 album ''

Rubber Soul ''Rubber Soul'' is the sixth studio album by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles. It was released on 3 December 1965 in the United Kingdom on EMI's Parlophone label, accompanied by the non-album double A-side single "We Can Work It Ou ...

'', which was inspired by the term "plastic soul". In a studio conversation taped in June 1965 after recording the first take of " I'm Down", McCartney says "Plastic soul, man. Plastic soul".

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David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

also described his own funky, soulful songs released in the early to mid-1970s as "plastic soul". These singles sold well, and Bowie became one of the few white music artists to be invited to perform on '' Soul Train''. In a 1976 ''Playboy'' interview, Bowie described his recent album '' Young Americans'' as "the definitive plastic soul record. It's the squashed remains of ethnic music as it survives in the age of

Muzak Muzak is an American brand of background music played in retail stores and other public establishments owned by Mood Media. The name ''Muzak'', a blend of music and the popular camera brand name Kodak, has been in use since 1934 and has been ...

, written and sung by a white limey." Bowie's most commercially successful album, '' Let's Dance'', released in 1983, has also been described as "plastic soul".

Notes

{{soulmusic 1960s neologisms 1960s in music 1970s in music 1980s in music British styles of music David Bowie The Beatles

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