325
Constantine declares Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. The spread of Christianity in the western world spurred the development of European music.
Where did it begin?
Constantine declares Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. The spread of Christianity in the western world spurred the development of European music.
Pope Gregory the Great codifies and collects the chant, which is used in Roman Catholic services and is named the Gregorian chant in his honor.
Western music begins to move from monophony to polyphony with the vocal parts in church music moving in parallel intervals.
Guido of Arezzo, an Italian monk, develops a system for learning music by ear. Voice students often use the system, called solfège, to memorize their vocal exercises. In the 19th century, solf ège developed into the tonic sol-fa system used today.
The Renaissance begins. Music moves from polophony to one harmonized melody and sees the increased importance and popularity of secular music. The Renaissance marks the biggest explosion of music in history
Professional female singers appear for the first time on the English stage in the production of Chloridia, a court masque produced by Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones.
Vivaldi writes The Four Seasons.
Beethoven completes his Symphony No. 5, which many consider to be the most popular classical work ever written.
The New York Philharmonic is established.
The slave trade introduces West African rhythms, work songs, chants and spirituals to America, which strongly influence blues and jazz. Gustav Mahler is born in Bohemia.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is established.
A major change in classical-music style comes about with the release of Arnold Schoenberg's Book of Hanging Gardens. The harmony and tonality characteristic of classical music are replaced by dissonance, creating what many listeners consider to be noise.
Billboard magazine publishes a list of the most popular vaudeville songs. It's the predecessor to their trademark charts.
Jazz composer Duke Ellington writes “It Don't Mean a Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing,” a song that presaged the swing era of the 1930s and 1940s.
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.
The Beatles release their break-through concept album, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Psychedelic bands such as The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane enjoy great success during this period with songs celebrating the counterculture of the '60s.
The Beatles release their break-through concept album, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Psychedelic bands such as The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane enjoy great success during this period with songs celebrating the counterculture of the '60s.
The Jamaican film The Harder They Come, starring Jimmy Cliff, launches the popularity of reggae music in the United States.
Apple Computer introduces the Apple iPod. Allowing people to take music on the go. They also introduse the iTunes Music Store, which allows people to download songs for 99 cents each.