Overview of the Music of the United States
VIDEO
Overview of American Music
READING
The United States of America has seen many cultures meet and mix in a way that has led to the creation of multiple genres of music that have become popular around the world, including blues, jazz, country, rock & roll, and hip hop. The first musicians in the United States were the Native Americans, represented by hundreds of tribes, each with their own style of music. As colonizers arrived from Europe, they brought with them their own styles of music. Some American musicians, such as Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and Charles Ives, continued in this European classical music tradition. Along with European settlers came enslaved Africans, who brought their own traditional musical styles incorporating polyrhythms and call-and-response vocals along with instruments such as drums. As the United States expanded, immigrants from around the world continued to arrive, bringing their own musical instruments and styles. As these communities mixed, new styles of music evolved. By the beginning of the 20th century, the blues music of rural African-Americans, Jazz from the cities, and the folk music of the Appalachian mountains became the basis for much of American Popular Music as it developed.
Blues artists such as Bessie Smith, Big Bill Bronzy, and Blind Lemon Jefferson helped define the genre and became some of the first nationally famous blues musicians. Jazz was another important development in American music during the early 20th century. Musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington laid the foundation for Jazz as it diversified into different styles as the decades progressed, with musicians such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane pushing the boundaries of the genre. Appalachian folk music originated in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. Traditionally, this area has been one of the poorest in the nation. As people from the mountains moved to the city for work, they became known as hillbillies, and their music was called "Hillbilly Music." These diverse styles began evolving toward what is now known as country music, and by 1927 artists such as Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family began recording their songs, paving the way for folk and country musicians such as Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams to achieve success.
By the 1950's, elements of Blues, Jazz, and Country music mixed to lead to the development of Rock & Roll music, with performers such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard leading the way. Blues, Country, Jazz, and Rock & Roll continued to mix and diversify into many different subgenres, such as Heavy Metal, Outlaw Country, Funk, and Punk.
In the early 1970s, Hip Hop was born out of neighborhood block parties in New York City, where DJ's would spin records while the audience would dance. An "MC" would lead the proceedings, while the DJ would isolate and repeat drum breaks within the music. The MCs' talking over the music evolved into rapping. By the end of the decade, Hip Hop had spread across the country, with artists such as the Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, and Run-DMC becoming pioneers of the genre.
Today, the Music of the United States of America continues to develop as it always has, with different styles of music coming together to create something new.