M U S I C
BUAS BLEND NOV ‘ 21
Through the Decades
Music around the world has transformed drastically throughout the decades . It connects us and can be a representation of culture , movements , or be a glance into history . Most of us don ’ t remember a time before the year 2000 , but this only serves to spark our interest in how music has evolved until now . Music has been around almost as long as human beings , but we will take a look at how music has evolved since NWIT was founded in 1963 .
The 1970s During the ‘ 70s , there was more variety in music than ever before . Genres to choose from were Funk , Soul , R & B , and Disco . The early ‘ 70s was also the time when hip-hop , a subculture and art moment , emerged from the Bronx , the USA . Several people were influential in creating hip-hop music . However , the most notable pioneers were DJ Kool Herc , Afrika Bambaataa , and Grandmaster Flash . This decade was a golden era for Rock ’ n ’ roll music . Vinyl records were affordable and soon everyone had one in their homes . Artists like Led Zeppelin , David Bowie , Elton John , Marvin Gaye , and The Doors were just some of the decade ’ s iconic stars .
The 1980s Music in the ‘ 80s was heavily influenced by the creation of MTV . It was the first network to exclusively showcase music videos , which became more extravagant , and all about fashion . New Wave and Hair Metal are genres that popped up with artists who pioneered in them were Duran Duran , Depeche Mode , and Bon Jovi . Superstars who emerged were Madonna , Michael Jackson , Whitney Houston , and Prince . They influenced fashion through music like never before . When Madonna ’ s “ Vogue ” video came out , suddenly , everyone was voguing . The video ’ s cultural significance was enormous . It brought light to the mostly black and Latinx members of the LGBTQ + community who introduced ‘ vogue ’ as a dance in the ballroom scene in New York in the 1980s .
Written by : Aleksandra Angelova Designed by : Karl Killandi and Cashelle McLean
The 1990s Electronic music , which had risen in popularity in the ‘ 80s , grew highly popular in the 1990s . House and techno rose to international success together with new genres such as trance , happy hardcore , and drum and bass . However , the biggest innovation in the ‘ 90s music was grunge . Nirvana ’ s “ Smells Like Teen Spirit ” was dark and cynical , combining everything from punk to blues . Towards the end of the decade , a rise of feminism in ‘ 90s music influenced the pop charts , thanks to Tracy Chapman , Sheryl Crow , and many others . Shania Twain ’ s multi-platinum album “ The Woman in Me ” made country-pop become a female-fronted genre .
The2000s In the early 2000s , the rise of the Internet brought up music sharing . Napster , iTunes , and YouTube were invented . This decade was also the era of boy bands , like Backstreet Boys and N ’ SYNC , alongside teen pop stars like Britney Spears . Beyonce , Alicia Keys , and Rihanna all rose to fame , while Taylor Swift helped country music become mainstream . Reggaeton became a definitive genre in 2000s music , with rappers like Kanye West , Jay-Z , and J . Cole began topping the charts .
The 2010s to Today The 2010s is the decade we are the most familiar with . We all know Lady Gaga , Bruno Mars , Justin Bieber , Ed Sheeran , One Direction , and countless more . Every day , because of Instagram and TikTok , there is a new music star . Streaming platforms and social media platforms have a great impact on the way people release and consume music and it has changed lot since the beginning of the decade . Fun fact : Because of streaming services and the option to skip songs , the average length of a song nowadays is shorter than ever . Lil Nas X became one of music ’ s biggest break-out stars thanks to his viral hit “ Old Town Road ”, a song that ’ s just 1 ’ 53 ” long .
The music that defines each decade is significant to culture and the way people live . Music changes in front of our eyes , but at the same time stays timeless . With the start of the 2020s we have the power to decide what will define this decade and how to change history !
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