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1150 BCE
Medieval (musical milestone)
Rhythmic notation first appeared in this period. Also known as the Ars antiqua: which means "ancient art". Also during this time when the motet initially developed. Motet is a type of polyphonic vocal music which uses rhythm patterns. -
1030 BCE
Medieval (musical milestone)
It was around this time that Organum became so popular that teaching of music also became popular. A monk and choirmaster by the name Guido de Arezzo was the man who discovered the do-re-mi on a Latin hymn called Ut queant laxis. -
695 BCE
Medieval
This is when the Organum was invented, Organum is a form of polyphonic music created in the latter half of the Medieval Period. Organum uses multiple voices to accompany the cantus firmus, usually in parallel motion in fourths, fifths, and/or octaves. -
591 BCE
Gregorian Chant
This chant was named after the Pope St. Gregory the Great. They say that the Pope was believed to had brought it to the west. -
509 BCE
Medieval
During the Medieval period musical notation began as well as the birth of polyphony. Notions means:Symbols used to represent music when writing it down. The word polyphony means: music that has two or more independent melodies woven together. -
Nov 27, 1474
Renaissance ( music milestone)
This was the year that Medieval music was transferred over to Renaissance -
Oct 3, 1517
1517 (music milestone)
Significant changes occurred to church music such as the chorale, hymns that were meant to be sung by a congregation. Its earliest form was monophonic and then evolved to four part harmony. It was also the period when psalms of the Bible were translated into French and then set to music. -
Period: Oct 3, 1570 to
Reaissance
John Farmer wrote " Fair Phillis I saw sitting all alone". -
1440 (music milestone)
Johannes Gutenberg invents the printing press. This is when music became cheaper and easier to distribute music and musical theory text on a wider geographic scale and to more people. -
1485
Henry VII becomes king of England beginning the reign of the House of Tudor. -
1588
The English Madrigal School is firmly established. The movement, led by Thomas Morley, produces some of the most delightful secular music ever heard. Madrigals often told stories of love or grief. -
1607
Italian master composer Claudio Monteverdi writes the opera Orfeo, Favola in Musica, a work deemed to be a prime example of the early Baroque musical form. -
1675
Matthew Locke composes Psyche, the first surviving English opera -
1750
Bach dies. The end of the Baroque period is often seen in conjunction with his death -
1786
Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro premieres in Vienna. -
1803
Beethoven produces his third symphony, Eröica. This piece marks the beginning of the Romantic period, in which the formality of the Classical period is replaced by subjectivity. -
1832
Schumann's career as a pianist is over as one of his fingers becomes paralyzed -
1860
The slave trade introduces West African rhythms, work songs, chants and spirituals to America, which strongly influence blues and jazz. -
1877
Thomas Edison invents sound recording. -
1878 (milestone)
Thomas Edison patents the phonograph. -
1881
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is established. -
1893
Dvorak composes his best and most popular work, From the New World. -
1904
The London Symphony Orchestra is established -
1923
“Queen of the Blues” Bessie Smith records her first song, “Down Hearted Blues,” which becomes an immediate success. -
1936
Electric guitars debut. -
1956
With many hit singles (including “Heartbreak Hotel”), Elvis Presley emerges as one of the world's first rock stars. The gyrating rocker enjoys fame on the stages of the Milton Berle, Steve Allen and Ed Sullivan shows, as well as in the first of his many movies, Love Me Tender. -
1963
A wave of Beatlemania hits the U.K. The Beatles, a British band composed of John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, take Britain by storm.
The Rolling Stones emerge as the anti-Beatles, with an aggressive, blues-derived style. -
1970
The Beatles break up. By the end of the year, each member had released a solo album. -
1979
The Sugar Hill Gang releases the first commercial rap hit, “Rapper's Delight,” bringing rap off the New York streets and into the popular music scene. Rap originated in the mid 1970s as rhyme spoken over an instrumental track provided by snatches of music from records. Over the decades, rap becomes one of the most important commercial and artistic branches of pop music. -
1988
CDs outsell vinyl records for the first time.outsell vinyl records for the first time. -
1995
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum opens in Cleveland. Renowned architect I. M. Pei designed the ultra-modern, 150,000 square-foot building.
Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia dies. opens in Cleveland. Renowned architect I. M. Pei designed the ultra-modern, 150,000 square-foot building.
Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia dies. -
2009
Michael Jackson, the pop icon, dies suddenly in Los Angeles, California, on June 25, 2009, of cardiac arrest. His death stunned fans around the world. He had been set to embark on a comeback tour at the time of his death. -
2013
Vinyl records continue to make a strong comeback. While CD sales decline 14.5% and digital sales decline 2%, vinyl sales increase 33.5% for the year. According to Nielsen SoundScan, for the sixth consecutive year, the music industry sees an increase in vinyl sales. In fact, more vinyl albums are purchased in 2013 than any other year since Nielsen SoundScan started keeping score. -
2016
Juan Gabriel, the beloved top-selling Mexican singer -
1948
Columbia Records introduces the 33 1/3 LP (“long playing”) record at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. It allows listeners to enjoy an unprecedented 25 minutes of music per side, compared to the four minutes per side of the standard 78 rpm record. -
1959
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences sponsors the first Grammy Award ceremony for music recorded in 1958.
Frank Sinatra wins his first Grammy Award -- Best Album for Come Dance with Me.
