How Has Music Evolved?
From practically the beginning of time, to present, music has been a part of this world. It may have began as chants, hymns, or simply created from the steady beats of a drum. However, it's clear that music has changed quite a lot over many centuries. But how? Let's take a look.
1800s
Ahh the time of classical music. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, A Midsummer’s Night's Dream Overture by Felix Mendelssohn, and Hall of Mountain King by Edvard Greig just to name a few. Some of these names you may have never heard of, but if you search them up you will recognize them from the first note. These classics would serve as a base for all music to come. The eloquent combination of piano keys, violin strings, and percussion allowed for an out of this world experience for the audience watching. I was never a fan of classical music, as I know many people can relate to. However, after learning how to play the violin myself and feeling the passion many players experience, I developed a new appreciation for it. Although these songs may be centuries old, it is always nice to reflect on them every now and then, to remember the true meaning of music: to make us feel something!
One of the most iconic times of the music so far, is arguably the Late 1900’s. The seventies, eighties, and nineties were some of the most important decades of music. When I think of the seventies, I think of ABBA, Queen, and The Bee Gees to name a few. Music was slowly starting to evolve, incorporating both electronic and musical elements. However, in the eighties is when electronically made music made its entrance. Disco music, music made for people to dance to, was the forefront of music during this time. The music was carefree, and one of my favorites. As Cyndi Lauper sings, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! And then, there were the 90’s. All genres of music were growing, with artists like Britney Spears leading a whole new movement of pop. R&B and hip hop rose in popularity, with artists like TLC, Boyz II Men, and Aaliyah. Of course, the Spice Girls was one of the most popular girl groups during this decade (I may or may not know the lyrics to Wannabe by heart).
2000’s
Now, I might be a little biased to the early 2000’s, but as a 2003 baby the music from this time holds a special place in my heart. For me, this was the era of so many iconic artists like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and so much more. Pop was at its peak, and so was practically every other genre! One of my personal favorite artists to this day is Avril Lavigne. Her unique punk rock persona added a new and unique element to her music. Many artists were able to draw elements from different genres like how Coldplay was able to walk the line of pop and rock, while Taylor Swift was able to smoothly transition from country to pop. Indie bands also became more popular in the 2010's, with bands like Panic! at the Disco, Pumped up Kicks, The Neighborhood, The 1975, and my personal favorite Tame Impala.
And here we are. 2020. Now, EDM has been able to establish itself as its own genre. Technology plays a huge role in music, with music studios adding in different effects through reverb and much more. However, we still see artists going back to their roots every now and then! For example, The Weekend and Dua Lipa like to incorporate an almost 80’s/early 90’s inspired sound of their songs. DJ’s like Kygo like to remix older songs by singers like the late Whitney Houston, giving them a new sound. Not only that, but apps like Tik Tok were able to increase the popularity of older songs, such as Promiscous (Nelly Furtado and Timbaland), Dreams (Fleetwood Mac), and Love Story (Taylor Swift, duh), all songs by iconic artists from the early 2000s.
Music has changed a lot, and by looking at the journey, we can truly see how much it has evolved.