9781422274392

The Beatles changed pop music forever during the early 1960s, and their success led to a crazed fan phenomenon known as “Beatlemania.” The group included John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. History of Pop Music in the Twentieth Century The pop music of today evolved from other styles of music that were popular in the first half of the twentieth century. One of these genres was blues, a form of music developed by black Americans during the 1920s and 1930s. Blues music was not popular among mainstream audiences, mainly because racial attitudes kept the music from being played on the radio. However, without the black blues artists, pop music wouldn’t be what it is today. Another early influence on pop music was bluegrass, which was rooted in traditional Irish music. In the 1950s, white and black artists would blend blues and bluegrass music to create a new form, known as “rockabilly.” The rockabilly sound would influence country, rock, and pop music in the 1950s and 1960s.

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Pop Music