Music trhough the years.

By ailyng_99
  • 325

    European Music

    Constantine declares Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. The spread of Christianity in the western world spurred the development of European music.
  • 850

    Western music

    Western music begins to move from monophony to polyphony with the vocal parts in church music moving in parallel intervals.
  • 1562

    Church music

    In Pope Pius IV's Counter-Reformation, he restores church music to its pure vocal form by eliminating all instruments except the organ, any evidence of secularism, harmony and folk melody.

  • Opera

    A group of musicians and intellectuals gather in Count Giovanni de Bardi's camerata (salon) and discuss and experiment with music drama. It is during this period that opera is born. Jacopo Peri's Dafne, the first Italian opera, is produced in 1598.

  • The Baroque period

    The Baroque period, characterized by strict musical forms and highly ornamental works, begins in Europe. This period signals the end of the Renaissance.

  • The end of the Baroque

    Bach dies. The end of the Baroque period is often seen in conjunction with his death. The highly ornate style of the Baroque period gives rise to the more simple, clarified styles of the Classical period, which sees the emergence of symphonies and string quartets.

  • Classical period

    Beethoven completes his Symphony No. 5, which many consider to be the most popular classical work ever written.

  • Jazz

    After moving from its southern rural roots, jazz establishes Chicago as its capital. The city will become home to such jazz greats as trumpeter Louis Armstrong.

  • Electric guitar

    Electric guitars debut.

  • Rock 'n' roll

    In an effort to introduce rhythm and blues to a broader white audience, which was hesitant to embrace “black music,” disc jockey Alan Freed uses the term rock 'n' roll to describe R&B.

  • Elvis Presley

    With many hit singles (including “Heartbreak Hotel”), Elvis Presley emerges as one of the world's first rock stars.

  • Grammy Awards

    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.

  • Women in the Grammy Awards

    Women dominate the 1971 Grammy Awards, taking all four top categories. Carole King won Record, Album and Song of the Year, while Carly Simon takes the Best New Artist award.

  • Punk Music

    Punk roars out of Britain during the late-'70s, with bands such as the Sex Pistols and the Clash expressing nihilistic and anarchistic views in response to a lack of opportunity in Britain, boredom, and antipathy for the bland music of the day.

  • Rap Music

    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.

  • Michael Jackson

    Michael Jackson releases Thriller, which sells more than 25 million copies, becoming the biggest-selling album in history.

  • Nirvana / grunge movement

    With Nirvana's hit comes the grunge movement, which is characterized by distorted guitars, dispirited vocals,and lots of flannel.

  • Compact Discs

    Compact discs surpass cassette tapes as the preferred medium for recorded music.

  • Legend dies

    Legendary crooner Frank Sinatra dies of a heart attack at age 82.

  • iTunes

    Apple Computer introduces Apple iTunes Music Store, which allows people to download songs for 99 cents each.

  • The King of Pop dies

    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.

  • Whitney Houston dies

    One of the biggest pop singing sensations of all-time, Whitney Houston, is found dead in her room at the Beverly Hills Hilton. One of the world's best-selling artists from the mid80s through the late 1990s.

  • Vinyl Records

    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.