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The Phonograph is Invented
In the year 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph. This was the beginning of the future of music and sound, all across the world. -
Acoustical Process
During the first half of the twentieth century, recordings were made using the acoustical process. Musicians would gather in front of an acoustical horn, which would then capture the sound and transfer the vibrations to a needle that cut grooves onto a wax disc. -
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Country Blues
'Country Blues' was most popular throughout the 1910's and consisted of a solo male singer with an acoustic guitar by his side. Two important musicians who sang under this category are W.C. Handy and Lead Belly. W.C. Handy was also known as the Father of Blues. Two songs that also had an impact on this category were "Memphis Blues" and "St. Louis Blues". -
The First Jazz Recording
The first jazz recording, "Livery Stable Blues" was released in 1917 by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. This was also one of the first records to sell over one million copies. -
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Classic Blues
Classic Blues thrived during the 1920's, and has all female singers with small back up groups. Three main artists to recognize from this time period are Mamie Smith, Bessie Smith, and Ethel Waters. Bessie Smith was actually known as the 'Empress of the Blues'. One major song to remember from this genre is "Crazy Blues" by Mamie Smith. -
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Jazz
Jazz came to life during the 1920's, and it was completely improvisational (meaning one would make it up as they went). The main singer to take away from this genre is Louis Armstrong, who's most popular song is "What a Wonderful World." -
Grand Ole Opry
The "Grand Ole Opry" is the longest running radio show to ever exist. It aired it's first "barn dance" program in 1923, and from there it's popularity only grew. However, because the Opry was a live broadcast, performers had to maintain a presence in Nashville for at least one day each week. Since this was the case, many singers and their crew moved to Nashville permanently. This is how Nashville officially became the capital of country music. -
Electrical Process
In 1925, the electrical process was created. Here, microphones were used to convert the sound waves into an electrical signal, greatly improving sound quality. -
The Great Depression
When the radio first became popular in the mid-1920s and the Great Depression hit in 1929, record sales went down, dropping from $100 million to an alarming $6 million. This caused a vast majority of the smaller labels to go out of business. -
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Gospel
Gospel came to life during the 1930's, and it was religious based music with a melismatic affect (meaning more than one syllable on a note). Two singers to take note of from this category are Thomas A. Dorsey and Mahalia Jackson. The main song from this genre, was "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" by Thomas A. Dorsey. -
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Urban (Chicago) Blues
Throughout the 1940's, Urban Blues were extremely popular. This category of music incorporated something new in musical technology, it used amplified guitars/ electric guitars. The main singer from this genre, that people are still talking about today, is Muddy Waters. His real name was actually McKinley Morganfield. Two of his most popular songs during this era were "Got My Mojo Working" and "Rolling Stone". -
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R&B
R&B was also around during the 1940's, however it was typically danceable and had some type of a tenor sax solo. Three main artist to look at from this genre are Lionel Hampton, Wynonie Harris, and Louis Jordan. And, three songs that impacted this category of music were "Hey-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop!", "Good Rocking Tonight", and "Caldonia". -
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Doo Wop
Doo Wop was popular all throughout the 1950's, and all of the many members were just singers. That's right, this genre consisted of just acapella groups! Some memorable bands from this period are The Ravens, Hank Ballard, and Frankie Lymon. This was also that stereotypical time period of the bird/ car groups. The most popular song from this genre was, "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" by Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers. -
The Making of The Beatles
The Beatles were founded by John Lennon in the year 1956. At first, they had Pete Best on the drums. Their name was also inspired by Buddy Holly's Crickets.
