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Barbary Allen
This British ballad was first documented in London in 1666. It is impossible to know precisely when "Barbara Allen" was first introduced to the English colonies in north Americas. Although, most thing to speculate to put the song in wide circulation by the eighteenth century. -
The coo coo "the coo coo bird"
This piece is the earliest references to slaves playing a basic prototype of a banjo. This song is about the racial stereotypes of African Americans and how they were portrayed. -
Soldier's Joy
This piece is one of the most venerable, popular, and widely distributed fiddle tunes in the old-time repitorie. The main melody consists of two contrasting phrases over and over with many variations. It was 15th in the country music charts in 1959. We hear two versions of the piece, the first being the more commercially popular and the second a veteran performer from Kentucky. -
Jeanie with the light brown hair
This song was published in 1854 and released in 1992. The most typical performance of this song would have a strong male tenor with a slight Irish accent. The song started the AABA structure that would later be featured in many songs in the early twentieth century. -
Stack O'Lee blues
This song was published in 1911 and published in 1928. Mississippi John hurt was a farmer yet he would also sing and play the banjo, he was discovered in the early 1960s by a scholar while he was still working as a farmer. Hurt's recordings have helped further American folk music revival. -
Castle House Rag- paragon ragtime orchestra
It was written for Veron and Eileen Castle, they were a dancing duo and they changed social dancing. They made dance moves less complicated. They found James Reese Europe to conduct how they wanted this piece to be played. -
Tiger Rag-Original Dixieland Jazz Band
Jazz originated in New Orleans in the early 1900s. It was performed at dance halls and bars. This was the first jazz piece to be played in NYC. After this was released, Jazz became a national fad. -
April Showers- Al Jolson
Al Jolson started performing pre-microphones, and was intended to reach the bag of a non-amplified stage. His theatrical approch to singing provided to modern singers. The differences to the two pieces are that the first piece, Al Jolson sings through the whole piece and elongates some of the notes. The second piece has a theatrical spoken part of the piece. -
Dippermouth Blues- King Oliver Creole's Jazz band
Oliver moved from Louisiana to join the Creole jazz band. This piece is more about the african-american side of jazz. This piece was the future of jazz while "Tiger Rag" was the past of jazz. -
St. Louis Blues- Bessie Smith
This piece was performed by Bessie Smith with Louie Armstrong acompinied on cornet. Bessie was known as the emperess of blues, her rendition of blues songs were more like the african american culture. Helped bring black music into the cultural mainstream. She helped influence modern day classic blues. -
Black Snake Moan- Blind Lemon Jefferson
He was known as the first country blues star. It has a single line guitar playing, it seems to not have a chord progression. Lyrics are telling a story of two people in a relationship and also poverty that they're living in. This is a blues piece due to the number of blues notes that are being played, and the call and response. -
East St. Louis Toodle-oo-Duke Ellington & his wasingtonians
Jazz intensified african american roles throughout popular culture. This piece was the "theme song" for the washingtonians, it was often played at the cotton club. It was meant to depict an old man hunched over with arthritis. -
My Blue Heaven-Gene Austin
This was the biggest hit of this era, it was the best selling hit until "white christmas" came along. It is a tin-pan alley song and it is an AABA type of structure. That structure happens three times throughout the song. This song was written to appeal to as many people as possible, it's seen to fit what some see as the "american dream" -
West End Blues- Louis Armstrong & his hot five
Louis had a six decade long music career, he is known from his rhythmic drive and sense of swing he provided with his playing. He also influenced singing in the late 1920s to the early 1930s. He was the best known black artist in the world. It is more of a call and a response type of piece. -
Blue Yodel #2- Jimmie Rodgers
One of country musics first male stars, at the time it was called hilbilly music. His performance persona had an affect on many modern performers. Through the piece, Rodgers uses his guitar as accompaniment not as a call and response. Rodgers sticks many to the western music scale. This is traditional western style music. -
Wrappin' it up- Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra
This song begins with an eight-measure introduction, in which call-and-response relationship between the reeds and the brass is present from the first moment. Henderson holds listener's interest by alternating call-and-response. There are three improvised solos that are performed over various types of backgrounds played by the other instruments. -
Caravan- Duke Ellington
This piece was played as an engagement at the Cotton Club, now relocated to midtown Manhatten.The drums in this piece create more of a texture to the piece and gave it some flashy drum solos. This like many other pieces is a familiar 32 bar AABA structure. -
In the Mood- Glenn Miller
This song was the biggest hit recored of the Swing Era, this is probably the best known swing recording, and its structure is very easy to follow. Jazz critics used to make fun of Miller's music, calling it shallow and unadventurous. -
Taking a chance on love-Benny Goodman
This recording reached number one on the hit parade chart published in the influential trade journal Billboard in 1943. This piece has a AABA structure but has 24 measures of instrumental. -
Paper Doll- The Mills brothers
The Mills brothers were the most successful and longest-lived groups of the Swing Era. Their recordings had a huge impact on vocal harmony. -
Nancy (with the laughing face)- Frank Sinatra
This song peaked at number ten of the Billboard charts. The one change from this piece to his former swing era pieces was the string instruments dominated the instumental accompaniment. Sinatra's voice is relaxed and unforced, this piece was one of his best recordings. -
Choo Choo Ch' Boogie- Louis Jordan's Tympany Five
This song was one of the more popular versions of jump blues, which were more focused on dancing and having a good time while listening to the pieces. This song portrays to ex-GI's returnign to America during the postwar economic downturn of 1946. -
Mambo no. 5- Perez Prado and his orchestra
This musician helped popularize the mambo, throughout Latin America and North America. It helped people really get into the mambo craze and many artists made mambo songs to get into this craze. -
Hound Dog- Big Mama Thorton
This song was the only hit song Thorton had, being at the top of the R&B charts for seven weeks.The more popular version was recorded three years later by Elvis Presley. This song was wildly liked by the whole nation. -
Mama, he treats your daughter mean- Ruth Brown
Ruth Brown initially disliked the song, she was persuaded by the original writers to record it, and did so in December 1952 after Herb Abramson had speeded up its tempo. This song was on the top of the R&B charts for 5 weeks and as high as 23 on the pop charts. -
Hoochie Coochie Man- Muddy Waters
This song was the most popular piece Muddy Waters had on the R&B charts, yet they never went over to the pop charts. The lyrics are essentially an extended boast, it gives narratives that emphasize many good things about the singer. -
Sh-Boom- The chords
The song was first recorded on Atlantic Records' subsidiary label Cat Records by The Chords on March 15, 1954 and would be their only hit song. "Sh-Boom" reached #2 on the Billboard R&B charts and peaked at #9 on the pop charts. It is sometimes considered to be the first doo-wop or rock 'n' roll record to reach the top ten on the pop charts (as opposed to the R&B charts). -
You send me-Sam Cooke
This piece was Cooke's first pop hit. The structure is AABA. Cooke's voice is agile and some say it's angelic. Many people went into record stores looking for this song. -
Uptown- The Crystals
This piece, while sounds very similar to be my baby, is quite the opposite of the popular piece. This song deals with class inequalities and economic injustice. -
Be My Baby- the Ronettes
This piece was one of the biggest hits among the many made in this type of music. It has a full orchestral string section and it's still a favorite to play on oldies radio. -
A Change is going to come- Sam Cooke
This piece is thought to be Cooke's greatest hit but didn't get as high as his other pieces on the charts. The piece was not released until a few weeks after Cooke's death. -
My Girl- the Temptations
This piece is a moderate tempo love ballad, from the start it hooks the listener in with repeating solo bass motive that establishes the beat. This piece is a story of how a man feels about his girl. -
Papa's got a new bag- James Brown
This was Brown's first top 10 pop hit. The rhythmic patterns are very good. This provided a sense of the future of soul and Brown's dance moves. -
Like a rolling stone- Bob Dylan
This is one of a handful of watershed recordings in the histroy of American popular music. This piece was very unique for it's timewith a overall timbre and a sonic density. This piece has lyrics that are very packed into an eight-bar phrase. -
You can't hurry love- The Supremes
This piece showed that producers could produce clever, innovatively structured pop songs. The song keeps us guessing because the listener is waiting for clarification of the functional relationships among the different sections. -
Good Vibrations- The Beach Boys
This song is thought to be the most thoroughly innovative single from the singular decade of the 1960s. The only thing that's conventional in this piece is the lyrics in which Brian Wilson talks about his beloved's clothes and personality. -
Respect- Aretha Franklin
This piece was very popular before Franklin decided to perform it. Some call this a call and response and the background singers provide the call and response type. -
Crossroads-Cream
This piece showed how many rock guitartists held for another artist. This song was very popular on the rock charts due to Eric Clapton performing on the piece. Most of his hardcore fans would say "If you didn't see him live, you hadn't heard him play at all". -
It's Too Late- Carole King
This song is about an adult relationship, it's about leaving those teenage crushes, insecurities, and desperate heartbreak. This song also talks about King's maturity. -
Stairway to Heaven- Led Zeppelin
This piece is the most famous of Led Zepplin's career as a band. This piece made it to the #2 spot on the billboard charts, and stayed on there for 5 years. This piece has been called the anthem to heavy metal music. -
Oye Como Va- Santanna
This piece went to the 13th spot on the pop cahrts. This piece has a rock feel with latin percussion. You can hear the difference in the instruments if you listen closely. -
Crocodile Rock- Elton John
John is known as the first pop artist of the 1970s. This song deals with nostalgia and the sense of loss, in a lighthearted way. over the unhappy present; this piece later shows the persistence of remembered joy. -
Superstition- Stevie Wonder
This piece borrows pieces from different aspects of African American musical traditions. The use of the repeated syncopated riff causes a danceable feel to the piece. This piece is still extremely enjoyed today. -
Love's Theme- Love unlimited Orchestra
This completely instrumental piece has a big danceability feel and it is one of the earliest disco-styled pieces. Many pieces of this time were instrumental yet they didn't become as popular as this piece. This piece is said to have a story in the instruments. -
Thank God I'm a Country Boy- John Denver
This piece is a cut taken from Denver's live album which documented his live performances. The beginning, in which Denver sings unaccompanied except for the rhythmic clapping of the audience, captures something of the ambience of a real country dance party. -
Hotel California- The Eagles
This piece is the fourth of the Eagles five number 1 hits. This piece sounds closest to an ambitious late 1960s record. It involves many minor-key harmonies with its highly metaphorical lyrics provide the sense of loss and disillsionment that is treated so casually in "Crocodile Rock". -
Lady- Lionel Richie
This song has a lot in common with popular songs of the nineteenth century. This piece is a visit to the pre-rock era; it being soft and sentimental. -
Jump- Van Halen
This piece was a remarkable departure from standard heavy metal. This piece heavily relies on the synthesizer for its effect. Many people criticized Van Halen for moving away from their regular heavy metal style. -
Like A Virgin- Madonna
This piece is more about the sights you get from a new relationship and it worked on the visuals it presented. This piece was revived in 1990 and when it was, it was put in a very provocative context. -
What's Love got to do with it- Tina Turner
This piece started letting artists be more personal with their audiences. It let her become a leading black artist in the predominantly white male field. -
Walk This Way- Run-D.M.C
This was the first rap song to be put on MTV, it gave a hard musical immage between the worlds of heavy rock and rap. With the help of Aerosmith, they provided a good sense of a good relationship between rap and rock. -
Night of the Living Baseheads- Public Enemy
This song provided a big sense of African-Americans thought about the justice system in their city and in most. they also used digital sampling that gave them more self-expression. -
Nowhere to Stand- k.d. Lang
This piece was a traditional song in musical terms. This was the most popular of the alternative country song. -
Smells like Teen Spirit
This piece was the first alternative rock single of the 1990s' to make it to the top 10. The Beatles provided a big inspiration to 1990s' alternative rock. -
U.N.I.T.Y- Queen Latifah
This was one of the songs talking about how black women and men should be united instead of at each other; that they should treat each other with love and respect -
Enique nique
This song is one of the leading contemporary proponents of traditional rumba. This song establishes a call-response types of piece because of the vocal call by the lead singer followed by the chorus. It also inspires dancing couple's flirtatious interactions. -
Doo Wop (That Thing)-Lauryn Hill
This is about a more parable, delivered in terms that leaven Hill's anger with light-hearted and up-to-date hip-hop jargon.
