Thread by @tomiahonen

Let's explore a bit about modern Western music. What is it that we hear? A good measure of the types of music is the sales of the music, which correlates well with what we hear say on the radio. This is Statista split of US music sold by genre, in year 2018

Out of that chart, a massive 83% are genres of music that were born in the USA, or are evolutions of music, that was born in the USA. So 5 out of any 6 songs you might hear (in the Western world) is music of a STYLE that was invented in America. The next highest group is Latin

Look at the numbers, Latin style music is only 9.4%. The modern style of Stage and Screen music is American too, but its ORIGINS are from Europe, that legacy of live theater. It has 2.7%. Classical music 1%. And all rest of world combined, is just 1.5% of music sold in USA..

Let's examine the 5 main elements of American music. Where did they come from?

R&B is a relatively new word for what was previously known as Soul music from 1950s, which evolved from Jazz from 1920s, which came from Ragtime 1900s, which was the Blues from 1860s.. :-)

Hip-hop & Rap. Was born in 1970s, as evolution of Funk. Funk was a variety of Soul from 1960s. As we just saw, Soul evolved from Jazz which was born in 1920s, evolved from Ragtime of 1900s, evolved from Blues of 1860s.

Rock music in all its forms today from Heavy Metal to Soft Rock, and anything in between, is descendant from Rock n Roll music of 1950s. Where did that come from? Rock n Roll evolved from Swing of 1930s, which evolved from Boogie Woogie of 1870s.

Pop Music of today, is very different from pop music of the 1950s and earlier. Popular music existed even back then. But that STYLE of pop music died, with a British guitar music invention, of Beat music (like the Beatles). This essentially replaced past pop with modern pop music

So whether it is Simon and Garfunkel or the Carpenters, or Abba or the Spice Girls, nearly all modern pop music, is an evolution of 'Beat Music'. What was British Beat Music? a British variation of.. Rock n Roll. Yes. We come back to America. so roots are in Swing & Boogie Woogie

And the last major American music style is Country Music. That evolved in 1920s as somewhat of a blend, of Blues, of Church music spirituals, and of American folk music (primarily cowboy songs)

Note here that 2 of the 3 roots of Country music are Blues and Spiritual Music

That takes me to my point

Rap & Hiphop came via the Blues. Blues was born of Spirituals

R&B came via Blues. Spirituals

Rock music came via Boogie Woogie. That evolved from... Spirituals

Pop is rooted in Boogie Woogie, ie Spirituals

Country music partly also from Spirituals

American Spiritual Music was sung by slaves in black churches from the 1500s. They were called "Negro Spirituals" even in last century. They were also called Work Songs & Slave Songs. The oldest Spirituals trace to year 1530.

The modern word for Spiritual Music is.. Gospel Music

It is fair to say, 83% of modern Western popular music, from Hip Hop to Rock to Country music, has roots in Spiritual Music. American black church music. What is called Gospel Music today

That may explain the enduring power of Spiritual songs like.. Amazing Grace

Let me end my little musical history interlude, with one link. This is from early TV, of Gospel Music great Georgia Louis, singing Walk With Me Lord, from before Grammys given for Gospel music

Enjoy. This is truly rare gold

#GeorgiaLouis #TVGospelTime

FOLLOW UP

Our project this weekend looks at fixing some history that is astonishingly missing. The first ever TV show about gospel music, TV Gospel Time (aired 1962-1965) where Georgia Louis was one hosts - did not have a Wikipedia page?

We're fixing it
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Gospel…

Photo topics in sequence:

(Chart from Statista)

Beyonce
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Three Degrees
Whodini
Chuck Berry
The Beatles
ABBA
Willie Nelson
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Mahalia Jackson
Aretha Franklin

(Video of Georgia Louis)