-
Start of the 20th Century
Operas were becoming more popular, and people were starting to see them on the weekends. -
1910's
New York City businesses paid musicians to make songs. One of the best musicians of this time was George M. Cohan who wrote about war. In 1917, Jazz was introduced to the world by a band called Dixieland. Jazz was a mix of blues and ragtime and most jazz musicans at this time were African-American. Also in this time, broadway was starting to become popular. -
1920's
The 1920's was commonly known as the Jazz Age, although this is the time where Blues got its start too. The first blues song was recorded by Mamie Smith. The song was called, "Crazy Blues". Popular artists in this time were Louis Armstrong, Mamie Smith, Benny Carter and Jelly Roll Morton. -
1930's
In the 1930's combo jazz bands were very popular! Most singers got their start through a bigger band. Singers like Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman were famous. -
1940's
In the 1940's, Pop and Country music were very popular. Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra were both big-time music artists and they were very popular. During this time, the Great Depression was still going on and musicians were finding it harder to find work. -
1950's
In the 1950's, many different styles of music were popular. R&B, Blues, Classic Pop, Country, Jazz and Rock 'n' Roll. Some popular artists of this decade are: Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Big Joe Turner and Frank Sinatra. The 50's were exciting! Lots of new music was being made and the songs that were played were very upbeat and catchy. -
The Grammys
The Grammy Awards is one of the biggest nights in music. The original name of the award was actually called the Gramophone Award. It is given by the Recording Academy to artist's who have achieved something in the music industry. This year, they were held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. -
1960's
The 1960's are best known for the British Invasion. British bands that started in the 60's were The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. Not only were British bands popular, but American bands as well! The Beach Boys were very popular as were the Monkees. Elvis was also an international rockstar and was very popular. Most music that was produced during this time was called "roots rock". Parts of folk music, blues, country and rock 'n' roll were combined to create this new style. -
1970's
During the 70's, a new trend of disco/dance music was formed! People grew tired of the fighting that happened in the 60's and decided to spend their time at dance clubs. Besides disco music, bands still wanted their songs to be about what was wrong with the world. Popular artists include Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, Queen and the Who. -
1980's
Music in the 80's was all about image. Artists often wrote songs that were about serious causes and they wanted to show the audience that they were generous. This type of music is called Charity Music. Also in the 80's, three new types of music were becoming popular. Those types are Hip-Hop, New Wave and Hair Metal. Some popular artists from this time are Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi and Janet Jackson. -
MTV
On August 1, 1981, Music Television goes live for the very first time. The purpose of this broadcast was to play music videos all day, every day so that artists could advertise their music. The first words that were said on this show were, "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll." They were spoken by one of the creators John Lack. -
1990's
During the 90's, trends from the 70's and 80's were coming back. Teen-pop and dance-pop music were in and hip-hop was very popular too. Similar to the 80's. rock music was also popular. In the 90's everyone was figuring out what type of music they liked and there wasn't just a few types anymore. The 90's was a type for experimentation. Popular artists are MC Hammer, Mariah Carey, Aerosmith, Billy Joel, Vanilla Ice and Kiss. -
2000's
During the 2000's, pop, hip hop, and R&B were the most popular genres of music. Groups like the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC and Destiny's Child were very famous too. Other famous musicians include Britney Spears, Eminem, Usher, Nelly, Beyonce, 50 Cent, Aaliyah and Alicia Keys. General music genres were branched out into smaller genres like Indie Rock. -
2010's-Now
In this decade, pop and hip hop are the most popular genres. Artists like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Adele and Kanye West were popular and still are today. Nowadays, music is used for many different things. People use music to express themselves however they want and the artists express how they feel in concerts.
