2011-05-06T09:28:00.001-07:00

Nobody really know when exactly music began. Artifacts found in excavation of archeological site dated from 180,000 to 100,000 years shows that human started to developed complex mind and advance thought in early part of modern human. Human evolved to bigger brain than any other animal on earth. Their brain is the most important part for their survival. Now they can think more intelligently to hunt for more animals. They began to imagine other world spiritually and beyond their reality. From their simple words of fierce predator's name as a sign of dangers warning for others, early modern language developed to a much more complex words and sentences of things and name for individuals. Probably boredom started to surround their prehistoric mind or something in their brain tells them to do something to fill in their times by carving lines of patterns on wood sticks or stones and collecting beads of sea shells for decoration or necklace. They paint cave wall where they took shelter with colors from natural plants.

Prehistoric beads

Prehistoric pattern 70,000 years Africa

They experience natural events in their nomadic way of life. They might have seen a lightning struck and burn a forest. Salvaging dead burn animal meat taste delicious. A thought came in their mind now of how to start their own fire for cooking, warm their body or to cover from big and fierce predator in the night. After dinner they talk in conversation or story telling the past. Human earliest school or late night entertainment. Similar to modern human night TV watching. Blowing to hole of dried animal bone which is their dinner food & wind blowing through broken woods or bamboo resonating the wind inside gives them the idea of wind instrument or flute. Enjoyment came into their mind upon hearing the rhythmic beating sound of wood stick on a hollow tree woods or a chiming sound of big river stones by banging it together. This is how a percussion instrument is born. They might have noticed a loud sounds when they hit a hollow tree woods with a wood stick which is the beginning of a hollow wood instruments called slit drum. Drums invented when these prehistoric modern human stretched an animal skin to cover a hole of hollow woods. Human used different noises to express fear and joy. They wander and play with their voices which later became hymn, chant or little singing for simple melodies. These sounds along with some of the sounds they heard from animals such as bird chirping, might have led them to make music.

One night of prehistoric human

Bird bone flute of 30,000 years old

Almost 100,000 years later stone age human leaved their hunter gatherer way of life to live in a small community where agriculture nourished. Cow, chicken & goat are herded while wild grain is now planted. When people began to use tools to pound grains, they may have done it so in a rythm, or regular pattern. These pounding sounds might have led them to make other pleasing rhytms with these first percussion instruments. Barter trade of goods circle around these earliest community. Fishermen can trade their fishes for grain of wheat or barley from farmers. They meet and trade in human earliest bazaar or market. These methods of commerce generate more income to the peoples and economies of their community. Within hundreds of years more people come to the center of the village which is the marketplace. Village grew to town size, town to city size, city to a much bigger community of first human civilization metropolis. Village chief's grand-grandson is now a king. Some of these traders are also musician. Ancient music now has a change to evolved when musician from all over the land come to meet in the town. A simple lyre invented when they attached a strings at the crossbar and the box or bowl shaped body. Later human invented money to replace the value of goods. Royalties and traders now can affords to hire an artist to do art decoration of wealthy dresses, houses and musician to perform and entertain them. This is the time where music & art flourished. Musician can now exploring idea and inspiration of inventing better musical instruments and more melodious music. Many modern musical instruments have its origin of invention from places of early human civilization such as Sumeria, Mesopotamia, Egypt and China. These are also the places where earliest musical scale evolved.

Barter trade

Ancient marketplace

In a matter of 10,000 years, human civilization exploded to our modern ages. Culture and arts assimilated, integrated to other culture by trade and military conquest. For example the middle east earliest civilization, The Persian, Minoan, Greek and Egyptian. Roman empire up to Islam empire and also China empire in the far east.

Mural painting of ancient European musician

Human who lived in earliest civilization began to experiment such musical instrument. They used animal skin for ancient drum, brass for gongs & percussion & strings to produce vibrating sound.

Ideas for music come from every corner and places blended with other culture and idea in the heart of the civilization where people meet for trade & embraced art. As time goes by, music and the instrument evolves to a much more interesting sound & appearance. Progress of art & literature meant musician can now writes their own composition for later presentation.

Video- History of Music - Ancient Greek to Renaissance - 1st century AD - 1500 AD

Video-History of Music Europe 900 AD - America & Europe 2010

The Settlers from England, Scotland & Ireland brought along their music to the North America about 500 years ago. Their music eventually melt together with African music, caught from Africa & sold as slaves in north America. Fusion between European & African music obvious in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz music born in the city in19th century. Southern Americas Latin music evolved just like northern American music. European melted with European, African & a little of native influence. From Spain & Portugal music blended with African & native music produced new music & sound like those of mariachi, samba, rhumba, salsa, bossanova & etc. Blues are originated from sad song of African slaves portraying their harsh life for being slaves for the whites during 19th & 18th century. The abolition of slavery by President Abraham Lincoln were done after the American civil war 1861-1865 . "Blues" is a southern dialect of Afro-American meant melancholy or sadness.

Popular Music Of 1900 - 1909

Poplar Music of 1910 - 1920

Music of 1920's And 1930's

In 1920's radio has become the main household item for every American family. In this decade music is more approachable to wide variety of audience. Artists and musician can now have more listeners by the advanced of radio technology.

1940's Music

In world war 2, US servicemen brought American music to England as they were stationed there for preparation to invade Nazi Germany. In 1951 Alan Freed who is an American radio DJ coined a new term for a music genre which ruled the air waves at the time as Rock and Roll. Singing in gospel, blues & country influence, Elvis Presley is one of the most celebrated 50's Rock n' Roll musician among other musician such as Chuck Berry, Buddy Hollies and many more.

Elvis Presley

Watch video of musician from the 50s

1960 - Beat music from The Beatles & Rolling Stone.

The Beatles

Watch video of Pop music from the 60s

Rolling Stone

Led Zeppelin

Late 1960s & early 1970s, newer band play their music loud & hard as they blend folk-jazz-blues-classical and Rock n Roll into one hard pounding sound of Hard Rock. Acts from a band such as the Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath & many more. However, the much bigger audiences of Pop and pop rock music makes more impact to international audiences in the 70's from artists like those of Tom Jones, Barry Manilow, The Carpenters, Bread, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, Simon Garfunkel, Marvin Gaye and many more.

Funk band - Sly & the Family Stone

In the 1970s Funk of soul-gospel-jazz & rock n roll blended to became popular beat a foundation for Jazz Fusion music and Disco. New Wave music, resurrection music & fashion of Beatles & others 60's 'surf' music became the main essence of early Punk music movement. Disco is a funk based beat of Rythmn & Blues - Motown - soul. Caribbean music Reggae which is a blended influence of local Jamaican music & American music also make their world wide popularity back in the 70's from Jamaica's own reggae legend Bob Marley.

Pop Music Of 1970's Video

British punk band The Clash

1980s generation saw New wave & Pop music took every places in top ten chart from act like Duran Duran & Depeche Mode & many more. Also in early 1980s new movement came out from the continuity of 70s hard rock and it was the British New Wave Of Heavy Metal. New hard rock band of late 70's and early 80's play music which is much louder and melodic than their rock predecessor. A blend of Hard Rock - Folk - Punk - Funk - Blues - R & B and Classical.

Among the artists is Genesis - Rolling Stone - ZZ Top - Daryll Hall & John Oates - Queen - Peter Gabriel - Chicago - Billy Joel - David Bowie - Prince - Rick Springfield - Billy Idol - Lionel Ritchie - Huey Lewis - Journey - Cyndi Lauper - Kenny Loggin - Duran Duran - Bryan Adam - Heart - Reo Speedwagon - Richard Marx - Def Leppard - INXS - Micheal Jackson - Debbie Gibson - Madonna

Many popular songs for 1970's teenage came from teen artists like the Jackson Five and the Osmond. Tiffany and Debbie Gibson is an aspiring teen artist whose songs hit top ten rank in the 80's music scene. They are the equivalent of today Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato.

Tiffany

Debbie Gibson

Breakdance

Run DMC Rap group

1980s - Rap and Breakdance are a craze for urban youth. Background music for Rap artist and breakdancer are commonly Funk music mixed with turntable record player with other kind of rmusic like Punk, Rock and Jazz or sometimes played by live synthesizer music. Rap is black poetry presentation style from Afro American culture. Rap and Breakdance is a foundation for Hip-Hop and BBoy dance.

MARTY FRIEDMAN & JASON BECKER

STEVE VAI

1980s - Solo guitar became more melodic & bluesy in some recording of Pop Rock & hard Rock song. Classical element also played in some studio recording by rock guitarist inspired by JS bach, mozart, beethoven & other classical composition plus 70s syle guitar riff.

Bon jovi

Unlike European Rock & Metal band, in the late 1980s & early 1990s there is a change of style & trend for Heavy Metal band when they add Country & Southern Rock element in mainstream American Heavy Metal & Rock Ballad. Like those in the album Wanted Dead Or Alive of Bon Jovi, Gypsy Road - Cinderella & Guns N' Roses's "Civil War".

Cinderella 1989

New Kids On The Block

Grunge & punk band NIRVANA

'New Kids On The Block' is the first white 'boy band' before Take That, Backstreet Boys and In Sync. They made they first album appearance in 1986. They enjoy success in late 1980's and early 1990's. The group was disbanded in 1994. Motown harmonies singers is the influence for this first white boy band.

Late 1980s Indie band rise to mainstream known as alternative in the early 1990s.

1990s to early 2000s Rock & Pop without technical guitar solo, dance music, Techno & Hip Hop is a hits among teenagers around the world.

Music Of 1990's
Among the artists is Warrant-Cherry Pie . Sinead O' Connor-Nothing Compares 2u - Emf-Unbelievable - Madonna-vogue - MC Hammer-u can't touch this" R.E.M-losing my religion . Nirvana-smells like teen spirit - Marky mark and the funky bunch-good vibrations - Metallica-enter sandman - Pearl jam-jeremy - Guns n roses-you could be mine - Red hot chili peppers-give it away - house of pain-jump around - Whitney houston-i will always love you - Alice in chains-man in the box - Radiohead-creep - Neil Young - Beck - loser - Billy Cogan - Aerosmith - Beastie Boys - Tori Amos - Chris Connel - TLC - Weezer - Rednex Cotton eyed Joe - Alanis Morrissette - Oasis - Spice Girl - Los Del Rio - Macarena - Hansen - Foo Fighter - Aqua Barbie Doll - Celine Dion My heart will go on - Third Eye blind - Cher - Shania Twain - GooGoo Doll - Britney Spear - Backstreet Boys - Eminem - Lenny Kravitz

By 2000s to 2010s alternative genre of the 90's continue as a new generation of music. Some new music is a blend of dance and rock. Youngsters are crazy about 80's fashion & music revival. Nu metal and Rock music seems to loose the 90's touch. The music arrangement sounded more like 80's punk, ballad, rock and new wave. However R&B and Hip Hop is still the favorite among youngsters around the world.

US Navy sailors 1940's

80’s retro fashion & trend revival today is not a new phenomena. One of the most memorable fashion of 1970’s is the bell bottom pants. This idea came from US Navy sailors bell bottom pants. The pant designed exclusively for sailors so if they have to abandoned their sinking ship they could easily loosen their pants in the water without taking off their shoes while swimming for their life. Many 70’s music idea going back to folk, blues background of the 50’s in a heavily electronic sound of Discos & Hard Rock.

The most leading change of fashion & music of the 80’s came from 1970’s punk movement. Early 1970’s punk band is a three chord guitar player and tight pant wearer, a reminiscence of Beach Boys & The Beatles early appearance back in the 60’s. That is why you can see 70’s bell bottom gradually change to straight or tight pants. 50’s music & fashion make a comeback in this decade. 50’s & 60’s Rock n Roll music & fashion influencing music recording & entertainment industry.

1990’s is a time for 70’s revival. Psychedelic funky beat is back again and also it was a post punk era. Today, 80's fashion & music completed the revolution.

This time line show the evolution of music from 1930s to 2000s.

Music History And Asian Music