Music has been a part of human culture since the dawn of time. From the earliest days of jazz and blues in the 1940s and 1950s to the modern-day pop, rock, and hip-hop of today, music has evolved and changed over the years. In this article, we'll explore the history of music from the 1940s to today, looking at some of the most influential artists and albums that have shaped the music industry. The 1940s and 1950s saw the emergence of jazz and blues as popular genres. Artists like Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, and Boogie Chillen were some of the most influential figures in this era.
Charlie Parker's "Yardbird Suite" was one of the most influential jazz albums of all time, while Billie Holiday's "Lady in Satin" was a classic blues album. These two genres laid the foundation for much of the music that would come later. The 1960s saw a shift towards more mainstream music with artists like Michael Jackson, The Beatles, and Elvis Presley becoming household names. Albums like Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" are still considered some of the best-selling music albums of all time.
This era also saw the emergence of country music with artists like Garth Brooks becoming popular. The 1980s and 1990s saw a surge in pop music with artists like Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Alanis Morissette, Bryan Adams, and Drake becoming some of the biggest stars in music. Albums like Avril Lavigne's "Let Go", Nickelback's "Silver Side Up", and Michael Bublé's "It's Time" were some of the best-selling music albums of this era. The 2000s saw a resurgence in rock music with bands like The White Stripes, The Strokes, and The Killers becoming popular. Justin Bieber also rose to fame during this time with his debut album "My World" becoming one of the best-selling music albums ever. This era also saw a rise in hip-hop with artists like Eminem, Jay-Z, and Kanye West becoming some of the biggest stars in music. Today, there is a wide variety of genres and styles that are popular.
Artists like Ed Sheeran, Adele, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Sia Furler (an Australian artist), Delta Goodrem, Keith Urban, Gotye, Gord Downie (a Canadian singer-songwriter), Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, and many more have become some of the best-selling music artists in recent years. Albums like Ed Sheeran's "Divide", Adele's "21", Taylor Swift's "25", Coldplay's "X&Y", and many more have become some of the best-selling music albums ever. In addition to popular genres like pop, rock, funk, hip-hop, country, folk, classical, opera, and world music there are also many subgenres that have emerged over time. Artists like Bob Dylan, Madonna, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin IV (Highway 61 Revisited), Michael Jackson's Thriller (the best-selling music album ever), Sia Furler (an Australian artist), Delta Goodrem (a Canadian singer-songwriter), Keith Urban (a Canadian singer-songwriter), Gotye (an Australian artist), Gord Downie (a Canadian singer-songwriter), Leonard Cohen (a Canadian singer-songwriter), Neil Young (a Canadian singer-songwriter), U2 (an Irish rock band), Paul Simon (an American singer-songwriter), Beyoncé (an American singer-songwriter), Kanye West (an American rapper), Taylor Swift (an American singer-songwriter) have all had an influence on different genres and styles. In addition to popular genres there are also awards that recognize excellence in music such as Grammy Awards for American Music Awards for Juno Awards for Classical Music Albums for Opera Music Albums for Johann Sebastian Bach for George Frideric Handel for Antonio Vivaldi for Joseph Haydn for Ludwig van Beethoven for Franz Schubert for Felix Mendelssohn for Giuseppe Verdi for Igor Stravinsky for Sergei Prokofiev for Claude Debussy for Richard Strauss. Some of the most successful albums in history include Michael Jackson's Thriller (the best-selling music album ever), AC/DC's Back In Black (the second best-selling album ever), The Bodyguard Soundtrack (the third best-selling album ever), Shania Twain's Come On Over (the fourth best-selling album ever), Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill (the fifth best-selling album ever). In terms of singles some of the most successful songs include Billie Jean by Michael Jackson (the best-selling single ever), Beat It by Michael Jackson (the second best-selling single ever), Paul McCartney & Wings' Band On The Run (the third best-selling single ever) and Eddie Van Halen's Jump (the fourth best-selling single ever).In terms of countries some of the most successful artists include John Farnham from Australia who had a number one hit with Whispering Jack which was 11x Platinum in Australia; Cold Chisel from Australia who had a number one hit with East which was 6x Platinum in Australia; David Bowie from United Kingdom who had a number one hit with Let’s Dance which was 20x Platinum in United Kingdom; U2 from Ireland who had a number one hit with The Joshua Tree which was 11x Platinum in United States; Adele from United Kingdom who had a number one hit with 21 which was 11x Platinum in United Kingdom; Taylor Swift from United States who had a number one hit with 25 which was 6x Platinum in United States; Coldplay from United Kingdom who had a number one hit with X&Y which was 3x Platinum in United Kingdom. Music has come a long way since its beginnings in the 1940s and 1950s.
From jazz and blues to pop and rock to hip hop and country to classical and opera to folk and world music there are now many different genres and styles that have emerged over time. Each genre has its own unique production style and songwriting style that has been influenced by different artists over time. Music has also come a long way as far as availability goes, you can download the Spotify app and listen from anywhere for example, you no longer need a boom box. As we look back at the history of music we can see how it has evolved over time to become what it is today.
