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II. Music has changed drastically over the course of American history, and from the 1930's to mid 1980's

music was constantly evolving.

 A. After 1929, the age of Jazz ended and swing started becoming popular.

1. Radio music was on the rise during this period as well, on Christmas day, 1931 the Metropolitan

Opera in New York broadcast a full live opera for the first time in its history.

2. The Depression really focused on music that appealed to the downtrodden, and thus Blues came

to prominece as well. Artists such as Robert Leroy Johnson set the standard for Delta Blues and paved

the way for Blues music to flourish. Songs such as "Brother, can you spare a dime?" by E.Y. Harburg and

Jay Gorney rose to prominence as well

3. Swing started becoming popular as a way to revialize the spirit during the great depression, and

bands lead by those such as Artie Shaw, and the Dorsey Brothers started becoming popular. Most early

swing bands such as the Casa Loma Band were influenced by the black bands of the 1920's. While swing

was king for a majority of the 1930's, the foundations for bop music were already being set up.

B. With the rise of radio came the rise of music, and from the 40's, 50's, and 60's music had changed

drastically as radio had created a mass market for music.

1. The music of the 1940's had a great influence from WWII, with big bands still remaining popular,and artists such as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra also taking great prominence.

2. The 1950's were a time of social change, and as civil rights strained, the prominence of "black

music" such as R&B and Rock and Roll took hold. Carl Perkins had pioneered Rock music with his

"Rockabilly" sound which combined country and R&B with rock influences. Elvis Presley and Johnny

Cash also rose to prominence, and soon Little Richard and Nat Cole followed suit to introduce pop and

R&B respectively.

3. The 1960's was a time of huge social upheaval, and as Kennedy was assassinated, the Vietnam

war in full swing, and Civil Rights became extremely prominent so too did they become profound

influences on American moods and music. Artists such as Bob Dylan became the spokespeople for the

era, with many of Dylans songs protesting Civil rights, as well as his infamous "The Times Are A-

Changing" which reflecting the changing times of the era. With the "British Invasion" we also got "The

Beatles", "The Rolling Stones", "The Who", and "Tom Jones". The advent of the free love era began, and

as drug use became popular so too did psychadelic rockers such as "Jimi Hendrix".

C. After the turmoil of the 60's many people were uptight and sought relief, and music such as Dance

and Disco became prominent in the 70's. The 1980's brought about huge changes in

music technologically as well that we'll discuss in greater detail later.

1. Although its popularity was rather short lived, Disco music rose to the top during the 1970's, with

groups such as the Village People who wanted to be macho men, and Abba being born and rising to

prominence. Rock music became more progressive as it became established and experimented by

combining elements of other genres. Pink Floyd's album the wall explored the psyche of lonliness and

incooperated many theatrical elements, while Jethro Tull had incorporated the flute into their sound as

well. R&B began to develop with James Brown, and Earth,Wind,And Fire pioneering funky music.2. The 1980's was a huge era for music as well. As technology began to develop so did music, and

in a huge way. With mixing becoming more readily available, Rap came to prominence with artists such

as Milli Vanili, L.L. Cool J, and Vanilla Ice.

3. But perhaps the greatest benefactor from the 1980's was the beginning of MTV, and the rise of

the CD. MTV had popularized the music video, and soon dances moves became far more importaint.

Miachel Jacksons "Thriller" album quickly topped the charts, not only for his unique Pop sound, but for his

innovative techniques in music videos such as "Thriller" and his captivating dance moves, which the world

could now see with MTV.

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"Music in the 1930s." American Decades. 2001. Retrieved October 25, 2013 from

Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3468301073.html 

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/50smusic.html  

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/60smusic.html  

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/70smusic.html  

http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade80.html