Uptown Funk: How Mark Ronson Created an Instant Classic

-

00:00 Intro
00:49 Title Card
00:56 Just a Jam
01:46 Stress & Guitar
02:42 The Minneapolis Sound
03:31 Timeless
03:50 Controversies
05:02 Universal Sound
05:49 Conclusion

[aeschafer]

The fact Ronson and Mars built a song from various pieces of other music that has existed in the past, and were then sued for plagiarism by a band called Collage, is my favourite thing about this whole story.

[watermelonhelmet]

Just a point: If one band says the song is almost indistinguishable from theirs, and another says it's 80% of their track, and another says they copied the rhythm from their track... well, maybe they should sue each other first.

[qwertyzxaszc]

In the late 70’s and early 80’s a lot of “funk” songs sounded like this. It was a ubiquitous sound if you were listening to black radio back in the day. Uptown Funk feels like a homage to it.
When I first listened to the song, I knew exactly what it was, and ALL the bands it took inspiration from. Including The Gap Band and The Time.

[thejimmymeister]

It's the same thing as All I Want For Christmas Is You. It's manufactured to sound familiar by cobbling together what we've already heard. As far as pop songwriting and production go, it's a masterpiece. Past that, I guess it boils down to personal taste.

[pajodcastmedia]

"The song was a fresh, nostalgic take that dominated an already crowded pop environment."

Your voice is a fresh nostalgic take that is dominating an already crowded video community. Keep up the good work my dude!

[blinski]

For me from the start Uptown Funk was a nice mix of 'Oops Upside Your Head' by Gap Band, 'My House' by Mary Jane Girls and of course 'Jungle Love' by Morris Day. The tropes of 80's electric funk are so well blended I cannot be mad at Mars and Ronson of the heavy usage of borrowed elements. The whole 2016 Bruno Mars album, '24K Magic', is one big tribute to 80's urban music: electro funk, R&B, powerful soul ballads, new jack swing, it's all there, and most of the songs sound like they were recorded between 1983 and 1989.

[ryanjamesbarr]

I like how you mentioned that “Uptown Funk” is a song you’ve always known. “Mr. Brightside” is another song that comes to mind that everyone has always known

[ectoplasmicentity]

I stopped listening to pop music in 1999 but when this played at the gym I really wanted to know the artist because this song is awesome!

[francoisabeast]

So we just gonna ignore the fact that he has 8 videos in 3 months and has 51k subscribers.


Not hating just really impressed

[asharma]

One of the best songs made in my lifetime. This one will never get old. People will get tired of it, I’m tired of it. But is undeniably a great song

[zeenabrown]

I feel like this song laid the formulaic groundwork for Silk Sonic. that whole album feels classic and familiar, in a good way

[mr.selfdestruct]

gap band should be aware that "oops upside your head" is identical to the "funk get ready to roll" choir funkadelic used to do in the seventies

[smithy]

Great channel mate. I don't think there's a better example of quality over quantity

[elmonster]

He took the best parts of old funk and combined modern music into it and it's absolutely perfect. The artists who sued him should be proud, but some royalties are good too. ;)

[kennet]

The horn section reminds me of Michael Jackson's "Jam" (1991).

[Howiesgirl]

I really do hope that if I live another 25 years (I'll be 80!), I'll still hear this song on the "oldies" radio station. And I hope that I'll still remember all the lyrics too!

[jaymepereiranunes]

copy one source = plagiarism . copy dozens of sources = research :D

[guitarmexikanguy]

One thing is to be influenced, other thing is using parts of songs to craft your own

[TamTam-sixh]

And now It's Billboard's Song of the Decade

[vassa]

Hey guys I'm Peter from Hamilton Ontario Canada and 47 years old and totally dig uptown funk lol hopefully I said that right. Love the song and think it'll be around for awhile