Music

Trought
the Ages
The 1940’s
In the 1940’s, Jazz and Blues were the most popular
genres of the time and was also known as part of the
“swing era.”’ Swing Jazz was a genre of music that
started the swing dance craze. You can learn how to
swing dance here. Artists like Frank Sinatra, Bing
Crosby, and Ella Fitzgerald were just some of the most
iconic singers that represented the time. The ‘40’s is
also the decade when some of the most classic
holiday songs came out including White Christmas by
Bing Crosby, and The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole.
The 1950’s
The 1950’s was the start of the Rock n’ Roll music
revolution. In fact, during this decade Rock n’ Roll was
inspired by music from the ‘40’s, specifically during
“the swing era”. In the ‘50’s, Elvis Presley, The King of
Rock n’ Roll, was one of the pioneers of this music
revolution. During this decade, Elivs dropped some of
the most iconic hits such as Hound Dog, All Shook Up,
and Heartbreak Hotel. Artists like Little Richard, Ray
Charles, and Chuck Berry were also leaders in this
new genre. As music grew in popularity, there was
more interest in the industry, which led to the First
Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1958. The prestigious
award show honors the music industry’s most
talented producers, songwriters, and musicians.
The 1960’s
In the early 1960’s, folk music was a significant
influence led by artists like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and
the group Peter, Paul, and Mary. In 1964, the Beatles
exploded onto the international scene, leading the
British Invasion bands like The Rolling Stones, The
Animals, and The Dave Clark Five. Eventually Folk hits
incorporated elements of rock music to create the
sub-genre Folk Rock, Hard Rock, and Psychedelic
music.

The 1970’s
The 1970’s brought on more music genres than ever
before with the rise of Funk, Soul, R&B, Pop, Hard
Rock, Soft Rock, and Disco. Not to mention, the early
stages of Hip Hop were also being formed during this
time. Artists like Led Zeppelin, The Eagles, David
Bowie, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John were just some
of the iconic stars of the decade. The ‘70’s was also a
time where music became more accessible and
affordable to fans due to the popularity of vinyl
records, and soon enough, everyone owned a record
player! Artists were also able to add more than four
songs per album because of this new technology.
The 1980’s
During the 1980’s, music started to be expressed
visually through music videos and the rise of MTV.
Genres like Hip Hop, New Wave, and Metal slowly
rose in popularity. Artists like Madonna (known as the
Queen of Pop), Michael Jackson (known as the King of
Pop), Prince, Cyndi Lauper, Janet Jackson, and
Whitney Houston were some of the most influential
artists of this unforgettable music decade.
The 1990’s
The early 1990’s had a very grunge vibe. Artists like
Nirvana broke the mold of the existing genres.
Nirvana’s songs didn’t fit into a specific genre, their
music was a combination of alternative rock, classic-
rock, and hair metal. Girl bands like The Spice Girls,
the Dixie Chicks, and the Indigo Girls encouraged
women empowerment and was reflected in ‘90’s
music. Other female artists like Sarah McLachlan,
Alanis Morissette, and Sheryl Crow topped the charts
during this time and continued to push the interest in
female music. Hip Hop and Rap became more
mainstream with iconic rappers like 2Pac, The
Notorious B.I.G., and Ice-T giving the genre more
clout. Ice-T headlined the first Lollapalooza music
festival held in 1991.
The 2000’s
In the early 2000’s the rise of the internet brought up
music sharing. This was the birth of iTunes, Napster,
and YouTube. The 2000’s was the era of boy bands,
like the Backstreet Boys and N’SYNC, along with teen
pop superstars like Britney Spears and Christina
Aguilera. R&B had a new sound with artists like
Beyonce, Usher, Alicia Keys, and Rhianna creating
contemporary R&B. Singers like Taylor Swift, Carrie
Underwood, Keith Urban, and Tim Mcgraw helped
country music become more mainstream. Rappers
like Kanye West, Jay-Z, and J. Cole began topping the
charts and competing with many of the other A-list
artists.

The 2010’s to Today

In the 2010’s pop performers like Lady Gaga, Bruno
Mars, Ed Sheeran, Adele, P!nk, Shawn Mendes,
Maroon 5, and many more iconic artists made sick
music. Music is timeless, but it has dramatically
shifted throughout the decades as it continues to give
us new sounds and new favorites. The music that
defines each decade is different and our culture
wouldn’t be the same without each and every piece of
music developed throughout history.