Music was likely an important part of life among many human populations worldwide in ancient times. Improved instruments and full-time (often traveling) musicians turned music into a cherished art form in many cultures. Another critical innovation in music history arrived in ancient times with the development of written records and visual arts. In ancient Greece, for example, musicians began writing down their musical notations, while artists often portrayed musicians and instruments in their paintings. Among the earliest paintings depicting music and dance is cave art in modern Algeria that dates to between 6000 and 4000 BCE.
The spread of organized religion brought other major changes to the experience of music. Many forms of religion, notably Christianity, embraced music as a means of celebrating and spreading spiritual beliefs. Religious practitioners, including monks and other devoted scholars, invented new music, often recording it in magnificently illuminated manuscripts. The invention of the printing press in the 1400s further popularized music by allowing musical notations to be copied and distributed with ease across potentially vast distances. The Silk Road, trade routes that connected the East and West from the second century BCE to the eighteenth century CE, affected music of many cultures as traders and adherents of various beliefs shared music, instruments, and spiritual chants.
By the Middle Ages, evidence shows music was commonplace in many parts of the world. An abundance of instruments, well-known songs, and well-developed styles allowed musicians to ply their craft everywhere from sacred places to public festivals to rowdy taverns. Musicians and their work diversified to suit their venues and audiences. While sacred music sought to connect the human soul to the otherworldly, more popular forms of music developed for the entertainment and enjoyment of common people. Varying greatly by region and culture, this popular music, often called traditional or folk music, used local instruments and familiar sentiments to speak to the joys, sadness, desires, and experiences of individuals and communities.
Renaissance to Modern Times
The Renaissance, a period of intellectual and artistic flourishing that began around 1450 and lasted for about 150 years, saw an enormous growth of music in Europe. Increasingly advanced instruments and intellectual strides beyond the constraints of religious dogma allowed musicians to create works of unparalleled scope and artistry. These trends continued in the following centuries, which are viewed by modern music historians as periods of development such as the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic.
Musical stylings in Western music became far more varied and sophisticated, and instruments such as violins, clarinets, pianos, and trombones permitted artists to produce sounds formerly unimagined. Whereas the typical musician had once been an individual singing or playing an instrument, now professional orchestras took up the task of performing the music of their eras. Great classical composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven created complex works of musical artistry for both religious and secular contexts, developing finely differentiated musical styles such as the concerto, fugue, and sonata.
Even as music constantly spread and developed, the geopolitical regions and national and cultural borders of the modern age were forming. Some types of instruments and musical stylings developed in some degree of isolation and are strongly associated with different parts of the world. In many cases, a style of music that began as an entertainment to a group of people grew in significance to become a cherished symbol of their culture.
The modern world is host to hundreds of varieties of music, as distinct in form and function as they are in geographical and cultural context. Many genres have become inextricably linked to one location or group of people, who generally favor their homegrown styles and may categorize others as international or world music. However, these genres often blend together on the edges, or contribute elements to an almost endless variety of hybrid musical forms.
Blues and jazz are two forms of music intrinsically tied to the United States. Their roots reach back to the 1800s and beyond, mainly to then-enslaved African Americans who drew on Southern American and African rhythms to sing songs of pain, loss, hope, and spirituality. African, American, and other influences led to many branches of music including R&B (rhythm and blues) and rap and hip-hop , forms of music based on fast-paced beats and rhymes. Branches of R&B spread to Jamaica where they helped to inspire new musical movements such as ska and reggae . Bluesy influences often appear in country music , a popular form of songwriting based on the instruments and ideals of the American South and West.
In modern times, early European influences on music are usually categorized as classical music . Classical music has become a staple of opera houses and many concert venues, and often employs large orchestras and intricate musical designs. Although much of what is known as classical music originated in the 1700s and 1800s, many modern musicians continue to contribute to that genre. Meanwhile, musical influences from Central and South America and other Spanish-speaking lands are often categorized as Latin music. This genre often features fast-paced and emotionally stirring music and may be accompanied by lyrics in Spanish or English.
Much of the music filling airwaves—in the United States and worldwide—in contemporary times is broadly categorized as pop or rock music. These generic terms encompass a wide variety of music, mostly made after the mid-1900s, which are primarily meant for recreation and entertainment. They often include fast beats and themes that deal with real-world experiences, such as love and heartbreak. Some of the biggest musical acts of the twentieth and twenty-first century have been of the pop and rock genres. A few include Elvis Presley , The Beatles , The Rolling Stones , Michael Jackson , and Nirvana .
Many other forms of music appeal to more specific audiences. Comedy music may include parodic spin-offs of major hits. Children’s music might teach lessons or incorporate beloved fictional characters. Many forms of music are tied to stage and screen performances, ranging from operas to popular movies. Holiday and religious forms of music are also popular, as they seek to celebrate and spread spiritual ideals or festive feelings.
Music also has great social value. Many social events are accompanied by music, which can stir emotions, unify crowds, or allude to shared cultural milestones. Public ceremonies ranging from parades to weddings are generally accompanied by music meant to accentuate events. Music can accompany rituals or storytelling sessions, either as a background element or as its own means of transferring ideas or feelings. For example, religious worshippers may sing their prayers as a way of showing gladness, conviction, and appreciation to one another and to the focus of their worship.
In March 2024, one of the first attempts to establish legal boundaries on AI-generated music occurred in the U.S. state of Tennessee. In deference to Elvis Presley (1935–1977), one of the first American music artists to attain mass popularity, Governor Bill Lee announced the passage of the ELVIS Act (Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security). The Act sought to prevent AI users from morphing the voices of human artists into AI-generated creations. These phony productions were made possible by human programmers first collecting large volumes of the musical works of actual artists. AI software then analyzed the musical content for patterns that could be replicated in fraudulent productions (Source: EBSCO, 2024).