The Blues:  American Blues music evolved from the spirituals, chants, and work songs of African-Americans, some of whom were former slaves.  The stories told in blues lyrics often tell about adversity, but can also describe overcoming hardship, relationships, or having a good time.  Its origins are in the Mississippi Delta region of the American South.  As a form, Blues music is characterized by the “12-bar blues” structure and a special musical scale that includes flat or “blue” notes.

Well-known Blues musicians include Robert Johnson (1911-1938), Lead Belly (1888-1949), and Muddy Waters (1913-1983).  Often, blues music is performed by a solo guitarist/singer, but can also be joined by bass, drums, fiddle, or folk instruments such as a jug or washboard. 

Listen to an example of the 12-bar blues:

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Jazz is a style of music that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana around the turn of the 20th Century.  Jazz has its roots in the musical traditions of African-Americans.  ,  African-American jazz musicians were never highly paid due to their race, but jazz was widely used in commercial endeavors. Big bands were the response to this commercialization of jazz. Prohibition in 1919 encouraged the spread of jazz as people flocked to speakeasies to escape the restriction, and the music there was just as free of inhibition.

Listen to the example below:

 

World Wars I and II also spurred a new group of popular music, as did the Vietnam War in later years. Music in the popular realm often deals with society’s ills in a manner that allows the musician to speak his/her mind without dealing with the ramifications of political backlash. Wording would be changed to something different than what was intended, much like a code. However, the message was still heard by many.

 
The show tunes and anthems of Broadway combined of singing, dancing, and acting in ways that had not been addressed or applied in previous centuries.  Today’s Broadway musicals are a natural extension from the storytelling traditions of Classical Opera, bringing tales of love, adventure, and everyday life to a general audience, integrating popular music styles of all kinds.   Other popular music genres include swing, country, bluegrass, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, metal, and hip-hop.  Each of these genres has a number of smaller sub-genres, each with unique characteristics.  There is truly a style of popular music for everyone’s tastes.

 

Technology has completely changed the world of music not only by creating new methods of recording and new forms of employment, but also by creating new instruments like the electric guitar.