LSAT 157, Section 4, RC Passage 1, Motown Records

RC Passage 1 Explanation

PASSAGE TEXT: In 1959, Hitsville, USA— the company better known as Motown Records—was founded in …

Paragraph Summaries

1. Motown Records was founded in Detroit in 1959 by Gordy. It quickly became one of the most successful record companies in the US because of his business skills and Detroit’s rich music scene.
2. Gordy used Motown’s independence to reject industry norms. For example, he didn’t need big stars to remake Motown songs, because he believed Motown’s own artists could appeal broadly.
3. Another reason for Motown’s success was Detroit’s strong public school program. It produced many talents who performed at Motown.
4. Another reason for the success was electric instruments, especially the electric bass, which helped create a distinctive new sound. Motown both contributed to and benefited from major changes in popular music.

Analysis

This is a pretty straightforward passage.

The first paragraph starts by introducing Motown and how big of a success it was.

The next three paragraphs give 3 reasons for this success:

1. Gordy’s business skills
2. Detroit’s strong music education
3. Electric instruments

That’s all you really need to track.