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| Photographer unknown |
In honor of International Music Day, I’d like to walk you through a brief history of the progression of music in North America. It’s evident that music is everywhere, and it plays a huge role in all of our lives, whether we notice it or not. Without music, we would not have an adventure soundtrack on our road trips; jogging would feel more like a chore than a time to meditate; and honestly, how motivated would we be if we didn’t have Eminem’s Lose Yourself? It all adds up into the perfect equation.
From the 1920s to the 1930s, the world was exposed to a completely different musical lifestyle than we are now. The Roaring 20s are well known as the Jazz Age. Jazz originated in New Orleans with African and European influences. This dance-style music perhaps triggered swing music, which made an appearance in the 1930s and early 1940s. Musicians like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bing Cosby, Nat King Cole, and Ella Fitzgerald lit up the early 20th century with their fire vocals and instrument playing.
As the century sunk deeper into the 1940s, Frank Sinatra came along to enlighten the music world. He was, at one point, one of the top selling male vocalists during this time. As the 1940s saw a decline in swing music, country, pop, blues, and jazz arrived. This decade was perhaps the last one before rock ‘n’ roll lit a spark and fired up North America.
Elvis Presley, “the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, captured the hearts of Americans. With popular songs Hound Dog, Can’t Help Falling in Love, and Blue Suede Shoes, there’s no wonder why he is still considered “the king”. During the rest of the 1950s, the electric guitar picked up some attention.
As the 1960s and 70s rolled around, rock ‘n’ roll became the root of all music. With different branches of rock like, “psychedelic”, folk, and surf, artists like Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, and Janis Joplin soon found space under the spotlight. On the other side of the ocean, the Beatles were born. Their legacy is untouched and they are still best known for changing the sound of music forever.
Shortly after, many of the rock bands we recognize today made their arrival. Throughout the 70s, 80s and early 90s, rock ‘n’ roll still thrived as a heavy influence in the music world. Although women made appearances throughout musical history, the 80s were possibly responsible for the start of women in music. Female musicians like Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Heart, paved the way for future female artists.
The late 1990s and early 2000s hold a special place in my heart mostly because I grew up listening to music from that decade. A key difference between the 20th century and now is that most musicians reach the peak of their career at a younger age compared to back then. For instance, Britney Spears became most relevant after her debut album release in 1999. She ultimately ruled the pop scene for the majority of the 2000s. Now, she’s attempting a comeback. But if you take a glance at music in the 1900s, you won’t find as many teen pop sensations as you do now.
The 21st century has been a time for experimenting. A lot of songs these days focus on the beat rather than lyrics. My mom argues that today’s music is lazy and it doesn’t require talent, but I couldn’t disagree more. During a time when so much has already been done in the music industry, it takes hard work to create something original. Whether music is innovative or not, I think we need music as a part of our daily lives.
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