American Music Culture

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American Music Through the Ages

American music has changed the lifestyle of Americans in many ways. The musical culture has changed largely in America by going from a simple form of entertainment to a large industry that is consistently growing today. Technology has affected the music culture, with creations, such as the sound recorder. With many genres of music effecting America, the most popular is rock, with country right behind it. While America has birthed many musical wonders, British music has made a huge impact in America. With individuals, such as Elvis Presley and Louis Armstrong, America has created its own musical industry. American music through the ages has been changing since it began, and it has changed America in many ways.
Columbia Records found major success with the invention of the vinyl record, which revolutionized music in America (“The History of American Music”). A few years later in 1896, a new genre of music called “Ragtime” was developed and began the Jazz age, which died down in 1918, but came back in full swing in the 1920’s (“The Jazz Age”). During this time musicians such as, Louis Armstrong, a trumpeter, singer, film star and comedian, became a large influence in American music with songs such as “What a Wonderful World” and “Star Dust” (“Louis Armstrong; Biography”). The Jazz Age, also known as the Roaring 20’s, glorified the city life in America, making several farmers and countrymen to migrate to the city in massive numbers. Although the Jazz Age was a great time to live in, many people believed that the American culture seemed to have lost it moral compass with numbers showing the young generation to lose faith in God and the
It did come back in the 1940s where musicians such as, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra dominated the streets and radios (Holmes 56). After the Jazz Age came the most influential music age in America, the Age of Rock. Rock was a new style of music that had deep roots lying in African American Blues and Gospel (“The Big Bang! The Birth…”). During this time, new artists began to emerge, such as, The Fats Domino and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Although artists as themselves were the first to release new rock albums, Elvis Presley holds the title of the Father of Rock or the King of Rock (“Elvis”). Elvis became noticed by the country when he released his hit, “That’s All Right”. He was able to move naturally between the different genres of rock that he was dubbed the King of

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