The Evolution of Listening to Music 

In the 21st century, we witnessed the rise of genres such as pop-punk, indie rock, contemporary r&b, Latin pop, and others. But how did music evolve into  these subgenres? Over time, The music industry has evolved, record sales went downhill, and the way that people listened to music has gone from the 1877 phonograph, to the 1948 LP record to cassette tapes (which were incredibly popular in the 1970s), to Apple products ( introduced in 2001). 

People still use cassette tapes and record players, but now they more commonly use streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. Even before any of these devices were invented, live singing and performing existed starting from around 8th century B.C - 6th century A.D in Greece and Rome.

The Evolution of Music Genres

  Our understanding of the changes in music genres relies on history and anecdotes. Music genres started with blues. In 1903, a minstrel show bandleader,WC Handy, claimed to have heard the first-ever blues song played by a street guitarist at a train station in Mississippi. The genre manifested itself into a mixture of work songs, gospel, and spiritual music.

 After blues, music evolved into a new subgenre, Jazz, in the 1920s. The development of the genre started in New Orleans as a mix of different cultures, rhythms, and beats. 

    In the mid-1920s, Country music  started as a mix of southern gospel, German polkas, Mexican conjunto, and English folk Balladry. Later on, in the 1940s, Afro-American genres of gospel, rhythm, and blues merged together to create rock and roll, which then inspired many other subsidiary genres such as metal. Rock and roll is typically characterized by a strong beat and the presence of “rock instruments” such as electric bass, guitar, and piano.

   In the 1950s, soul music emerged from blues clubs and churches, and later divided into multiple subdivisions around the US. 

After soul in the 50s, Hip-Hop gained popularity in the 70s. Hip-Hop was created to break boundaries and soon, every state in the U.S had its own interpreted form of Hip-Hop. 

After Hip-Hop, EDM began to have an impact in the 1990s, specifically in 1992 at the opening of NASA (Nocturnal Audio Sensory Awakening) in New York City. 

Overall, music genres have evolved and will continue to evolve as cultures change and grow.

Citations:

taggdigital.com

thecurrentmsu.com

telegraph.co.uk