Streaming now on Disney+
Steve Cropper
“Play it, Steve!” Immortalized with a shout-out in Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man,” 1992 Inductee Steve Cropper was one of music’s most recognized and in-demand guitarists. A founding member of Booker T. & the M.G.’s — which served as the Stax Records house band, in addition to recording on their own — he fused his passion for R&B with a unique rhythm style that set him apart from his contemporaries. Cropper co-wrote many unforgettable classics including “Knock on Wood,” “In the Midnight Hour,” and “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay”; played on nearly every Stax recording throughout the 1960s as well as serving as the label’s director of A&R; and recorded with everyone from John Lennon to John Prine, Dolly Parton to Neil Young.
Sorry Ms. Jackson: A Hip-Hop Symphony
From funk grooves and Prince’s genre-blending vision to dramatic, classical-tinged piano, Outkast turned heartbreak into art
A Rock B-Side Turned West Coast Anthem
From a 1972 Joe Cocker flip side to NYC breakers to Tupac’s West Coast classic
From CBGB’s to Hip-Hop’s Mainstream
From Blondie’s disco-punk smash to Missy Elliott’s hip-hop classic, one drum loop kept moving forward
A Mother’s Love Scored in Soul and Hip-Hop
How a 1974 Spinners ballad became the heartbeat of Tupac’s most personal anthem
From Teen Pop to Timeless Standard
From the Shirelles’ first No. 1 to Carole King’s Tapestry to hip-hop samples, one ballad kept evolving
The MJ Anthem That Took Over the Dancefloor
From Thriller’s opening spark to ’90s hip-hop remixes to Rihanna’s global club takeover
The Guitar Riff That Shaped Generations
From Stevie Nicks’ guitar hook to Destiny’s Child and Missy Elliott, one riff kept finding new life
Visit the
Museum
