20th CenturyThis era is defined from 1900 to 2000. The 20th Century music wasn't easily defined because it had its own expressive and orchestral techniques. All traditional forms of musical structure were recreated with abstract ideas. Technology became an important factor in the development of the 20th Century music with the use of electronically created sounds used as a compositional tool which was added to traditional musical instruments. Also with the introduction of computer technology, the manipulation of instruments altered the music world.
"My idea is that there is music in the air, music all around, the world is full of it and you simply take as much as you require." DID YOU KNOW?!IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE PHONOGRAPHIC DISK, RECORDS WERE MADE OUT OF METAL, HARD RUBBER, AND SHELLAC. SHELLAC WAS THE BIG THING UNTIL VINYL BECAME STANDARD MATERIAL IN 1948.
Phonograph, Vinyl Records, Cassettes, CDs and MP3Music recording has a rather complex history. The phonographic cylinder was the first recording machine of its kind. It was invented in 1877 and was extremely popular until 1915. The phonograph produced the very first recording, which was of "Mary had a Little Lamb." It was replaced by the gramophone, which used the earliest forms of vinyl, which were in fact shellac discs. Shellac was replaced with vinyl in the late 50's. The phonograph and vinyl records were the main source of music within homes until the cassette tape. Cassettes were invented in the 60's, but didn't become popular until the 80's. The sound quality of cassettes was lacking compared to vinyl. The compact disc (CD) was invented in 1965 but not released until 1982. In 1987, research on high quality, low bit-rate audio coding began. Several forms of digital sound tracks were produced over the years. Music was first recorded in MP3 files in 1999 and these files have been used ever since.
The Decades Defined"The Roaring Twenties" (20s)
"The Threadbare Thirties" (30s) "The Flying Forties" (40s) "The Nifty Fifties" (50s) "The Swingin' Sixties (60s)" "The Disco Era" (70s) "The Greedy Eighties" (80s) The Ninties (90s) |
20th Century Music
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Bluegrass
A style of acoustic music that originated in 1940, Bluegrass combines elements of country/western, gospel and blues with influence from traditional Appalachian mountain music. It is most commonly played on the mandolin, fiddle, 5-string banjo, 6-string guitar, upright bass, harmonica and electric bass. Blues An African-American art form that emerged sometime during the 1890's.. The blues are known for a wide range of emotion and musical style. This style became very popular during the 1920's Country A home-grown American art form. Country was very popular before the 1940's, influenced from folk and traditional music. After WWII, it needed to contend with rock and roll. Over the years, it transformed to include more pop and rock themes. Disco Disco is meant to be danced to, or to entice listeners At first, it was enjoyed in the 60's and 70's in nightclubs where it was mixed by Disk Jockeys. By the mid 70's, the tempo began to increase and 'funk' music was incorporated. Electronic As technology advanced, so did the music that it produced. Electronic music refers to the use of electronic instrumentation in music that was very popular in the late 70's and 80's. Monotonic vocals were most common in electronic music. Folk Any style of music which represents a community and can be sung/played by people who may or may not be trained, and with instruments available to them. In the 60's, folk music blended with mainstream pop, rock music. Hip-Hop Hip hop is a celebration of diversity. Rap is a common element of hip hop. It originated in the late 60's in "Latino and Black ghetto." Hip hop is styled depending on environment and attitude. There are several sub-genres of hip-hop including several forms of rap. |
Jazz
A type of African-American music dating back to the late 1800's. Jazz became very popular in the 1920's. It is characterized by improvisation syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm. Brass, woodwinds and piano are common in jazz. New Age A type of gentle melodic popular music originating in the US in the late 80's. It takes in elements of jazz, folk, and classical music and is played largely on synthesizers and acoustic instruments. Polka A polka is a lively 'courtship dance' of Bohemian folk origin. It was a very popular dance in the late 1800's, but the music continued to be popular well into the 1900's. Rock and Roll A type of pop music that originated in the 50's. It is a blend of rhythm, blues, country and western. This music is often performed with exaggeration and heavy accent. Rock and Roll was extremely popular in the late 20th century. Alternative Rock A broad category of popular rock music, popular in the 80's and 90's. Its typically regarded as somewhat out of the mainstream with various elements of punk, heavy metal, folk music, etc.. Punk Rock Originally used to describe garage musicians of the 60's. Punk Rock eventual grew to describe the musicians that emerged in the mid to late 60's, groups that were often raw, crude and political. By the late 70's, punk was one of the most popular genres. Salsa A form of Latin music, Salsa originates from Cuba. There is heavy use of percussion, and instruments and the singers often mimic the call and response pattern of traditional African song. Latin A genre that encompasses a full spectrum of rhythms and styles from Latin America. Music style, geography, cultural background of the artist, and language are often combined to produce Latin music. |
DID YOU KNOW?!
THE DEBUT OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR WAS IN 1936.
DID YOU KNOW?!
LEONARDO DA VINCI'S FAMOUS MONA LISA WAS STOLEN FROM THE LOUVRE IN 1911. THE THEFT LEFT POLICE STUMPED, BUT THE PAINTING FORTUNATELY TURNED UP TWO YEARS LATER.
The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was erected in the middle of the night on August 12-13, 1961. It was constructed to divide West Berlin from East Germany, a symbolic boundary between democratic and communist governments during the Cold War. The main purpose of the wall was to keep East Germans from fleeing to the West. Initially, the wall was a barbed wire fence with concrete posts, but just days after it was first placed, the fence was replaced with concrete blocks topped with barbed wire. In 1965, it was replaced again, with a concrete wall supported by steel girders. The final version of the wall replaced the third in 1975, was concrete slabs reaching 12-feet high and 4-feet wide. It also had a smooth pipe running across the top to deter people from scaling the wall. By the time the wall fell, there was a 300 ft 'No-Man's-Land,' an additional inner wall, which was patrolled by soldiers with dogs. It included a raked ground to show footprints, anti-vehicle trenches, electric fences, massive light systems, watchtowers, bunkers, and minefields. On November 9, 1989, an announcement was made by the East German government stating there were no longer restrictions on passage from East Germany to West Berlin. People were shocked. Shortly after, people began chipping away at the wall. A huge celebration was held along the Berlin Wall, with people continuing to destruct the wall.
DID YOU KNOW?!
THE BEATLES ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL POP GROUP OF ALL TIME AND THE NUMBER ONE BEST-SELLING MUSIC ARTISTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY ACCORDING TO THE RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.
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