The 1960’s British Invasion saw an array of British music artists become huge hits both domestically and worldwide. These acts included The Beatles – famous for their vibrant style and piano prowess – who became massive stars across America and abroad.
Modern pop music has long been recognized for its ability to promote social change and be the voice of an entire generation. The genre features catchy beats and lyrics that any listener can sing along with.
Jazz
Jazz music is an eclectic genre combining elements of blues, ragtime, European harmony and African rhythmic rituals into one expressive and emotionally moving art form that often represents freedom and human liberty. Jazz has evolved over time in response to cultural and social influences within its practitioners’ lives; at times becoming popular music while at others becoming worthy of serious academic study and cultural honors.
At its inception, jazz was predominantly limited to New Orleans and other parts of the US; yet quickly become an international phenomenon that attracted musicians from diverse classes and cultures. Furthermore, jazz’s distinctive sound and techniques continue to influence other forms of music worldwide.
Rock and roll evolved from jazz, r&b, and hip hop styles, with jazz being one of the first genres to incorporate improvisation into its performances, giving artists freedom of expression through instruments they used and how they played them. Jazz also is defined by its inherent element of improvisation which allows musicians to make up music on-the-spot to reflect energy, thoughts, or emotions of themselves and those around them.
Jazz music has often served as the predecessor for more mainstream musical styles, such as pop. Many early pop songs were jazz standards or jazz-influenced; one such classic example is Elvis Presley’s 1961 recording “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. Additionally, the advent of vinyl records as an alternative to shellac was another significant event in its development; these lighter vinyl singles allowed musicians to produce and market their music more efficiently.
Blues
Blues music has long been one of the oldest, most distinctive and influential forms of popular music – its influence evident across rock, R&B and hip-hop genres alike. Yet its roots run much deeper. “The blues is Black history,” notes Jessica Parr of Northeastern University’s Department of Practice of History; one could even argue it as being part of African American folk music tradition.
Slave laborers on southern plantations farms after the Civil War (1861-1865) developed their own musical style as they toiled away at hard labor on southern plantations farms, using call-and-response singing influenced by African spirituals, traditional songs, field hollers and shouts as well as shouts and chants. Other influences included ragtime, folk ballads, European hymns and contemporary dance music – among many other styles.
Handy, a professionally trained musician, helped increase the popularity of early African-American songs and music by transcribing it for public audiences. He created a chord structure which highlighted flattened pitches (known as “blue notes”) while also adding elements from other musical styles like ragtime and jazz music (such as Cuban habanera rhythm) into it.
Huddie Ledbetter (“Leadbelly”) and Muddy Waters’ recordings opened up blues to audiences that previously hadn’t heard it; thanks to technological advancements in recording, this genre quickly spread.
By the 1950s, blues had become an important influence in mainstream popular music and was employed by artists like Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. Additionally, Louisiana zydeco music prominently used blues elements with Clifton Chenier playing electric guitar solos while including blues accents into his vocal parts.
Rock’n’Roll
Rock’n’roll music genre has had an immense influence on pop, rap, metal and many other genres of music. While its fast tempo and positive connotations may resemble other forms of popular music genres such as hip-hop or metal music, the rock ‘n’ roll genre itself was originally an act of cultural rebellion against society’s expectations for teenagers who needed an outlet for pent-up energy, sexuality and individualism to express themselves freely.
Rock ‘n’ roll was invented during the mid to late 1950s. Although initially pioneered by black musicians such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard, its popularity quickly spread among white musicians as well. At its core was an amalgam of African American blues music, country tunes, gospel compositions and popular culture songs that eventually developed into rock ‘n’ roll.
Underage drinking emerged during a time of postwar permissiveness and increased spending power among teenagers, as a way of alleviating psychological and emotional frustration caused by being trapped in an outdated system that favored older adults over them. Furthermore, it served as an outlet to rebel against social norms imposed upon them by parents- such as gender, racial, or class restrictions- as well as authority figures that they rebelled against as a way to escape society imposed boundaries placed upon them by society as whole – including gender norms placed upon them from their parents- such as gender norms imposed upon by their parents- which included gender, racial, or class restrictions being placed upon them by their parents- or authority figures- that had authority figures placed upon them by authority figures imposed upon them by parents- such as gender roles imposed upon them due to them having to rebel against social norms that oppressed teenagers against their parents (which included gender discrimination against older adults), social norms or authority figures who enforced socially restrictive conditions that included gender, race and class restrictions due to parental restrictions such as gender roles etc imposed upon them due to being trapped into such systems which allowed older adults only; it rebel against social norms authority figures being enforced upon them through parents. It rebelled against social norms which they were forced upon them which included gender roles as well as rebelling against social norms which included gender, racial/class restrictions imposed upon them due being forced upon them being made subject to rebel against social norms which enforced them being forced upon them due imposed upon them being required from social imposed imposed boundaries being put upon them being enforced upon them being required etc imposed upon them such restrictions being forced upon them being made subject imposed upon authority figures who dictated etc which had placed upon their parents which included them having authority figures enforced upon by parents that created authority figures being forced upon them being forced upon them being forced by parents/authorites forces from authority figures being forced upon them being made upon authority figures within such parent as class and class boundaries put upon parent/class boundaries within society/class boundaries being forced imposed upon by authority figures by parents which resulted; class boundaries etc etc etc etc…
Rock’n’roll has long been associated with sexuality, drugs and youth culture – something evidenced by its association with sex, drugs and rock and roll in its various forms – be they adjectival like “totally rock and roll,” noun forms like “sex drugs and rock and roll” and influence from it on all musicians – whether they realize it or not – both personally and musically. Even critics who view rock’n’roll as having had little value as art must acknowledge its impact on generations of fans and listeners around the globe.
Rap
Rap music emerged during the early 1970s in New York City from African American communities and is comprised of elements drawn from traditional jazz, rock, rhythm and blues music styles; street culture influences include gangster movies. Rap has since become an essential component of popular music and has evolved alongside hip-hop’s cultural movement.
Rapper artists frequently use the musical speech style of hip-hop rap to share personal experiences as well as address social concerns in society at large, which makes rap music highly influential and appealing to youth audiences.
Technology has transformed pop music, as modern pop musicians use electronic instruments and sound effects to compose songs quickly and produce their recordings more rapidly than ever. This trend has contributed significantly to an ongoing evolution in style of music production and evolution.
During the 1960s, dominant seventh chords typical of jazz and blues began to disappear from popular music, led by groups such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones during their British Invasion of America tours. This genre change led to what we now refer to as rock’n’roll music.
Pop music’s development can be seen over multiple generations. Each has their own distinct style that they identify with; baby boomers had classic rock as an identity marker during hard times; today, pop musicians often produce music reflective of their lives.
Hip-Hop
Hip-hop was first developed as an artistic movement during the 1970s and 80s, eventually growing into a multibillion-dollar global industry. Hip-hop culture is vastly influential, touching fashion, language and activism across its numerous subgenres; however, due to its cultural background it can sometimes be misunderstood or negatively stereotyped.
Hip hop culture began as a response to socioeconomic conditions of urban neighborhoods. It included beatboxing, DJing, graffiti art and dance styles as well as hairstyles such as braids or dreadlocks; creating an avenue where youth could celebrate their identities while exchanging experiences among themselves.
Rappers used their art form to critique society. They took aim at American hegemony’s neoliberal economic climate and its associated racial inequality; also making a stand against popular representations of Black people as criminals (‘Gangsta Image). Rappers themselves were seen as threats to society with many viewing them as creating crime through their music.
Hip hop has evolved over time, taking on new sounds and narratives while shaping popular culture and politics. Artists such as Kendrick Lamar, J Cole and Cardi B have expanded the boundaries of hip hop by integrating it into their works – leading to an expansive musically diverse movement which gives voice to marginalized communities around the globe.
Hip hop music’s beginnings can be traced back to New York City’s Bronx borough in August 1973 at a back-to-school dance party hosted by DJ Kool Herc at an August 1973 dance party. He famously used twin turntables with multiple records playing simultaneously while toggling them between each turntable to isolate and extend percussion breaks – the most danceable sections of songs – bringing life and sparking hip-hop music’s development. This technique brought life and meaning back onto the dance floor; thus sparking its birth and shaping its evolution into what today we know as hip-hop music today.