Difference between revisions 735629 and 735663 on enwiki

See also: [[List of years in music]], [[Timeline of trends in music (1900-1950)]], [[Timeline of trends in music (1980-present)]]

==[[1950s]]==
*'''[[1951 in music]]'''
**[[Music of Trinidad]]
***Calypso's popularity outside of [[Trinidad]] begins with artists like [[Lord Melody]], [[Lord Kitchener]], and, most especially, [[Mighty Spoiler]]'s "Bed Bug".
**[[Music of the United States]]
***The [[Bakersfield sound]] in [[country music]] develops in [[Bakersfield, California]] as a reaction against the dominant [[Nashville sound]] - artists like [[Buck Owens]] and [[Wynn Stewart]] begin their career
***[[Piano Red]] ("The Wrong Yo Yo", "Just Right Bounce", "Laying the Boogie") is the first [[blues]] singer in history to appear on the pop charts
***[[Cool jazz]] is formed as a fusion of [[jazz]] and [[bossa nova]]
⏎
*'''[[1952 in music]]'''
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Hard bop]] emerges with recordings by [[Miles Davis]] (''[[Miles Ahead]]''), [[Sonny Rollins]] (''[[Way Out West]]'') and [[J.J. Johnson]] (''[[Blue Trombone]]'')
***[[Bill Haley]]'s pioneering recordings ("[[Rocket 88]]") mark the beginning of [[rockabilly]] as a distinct genre and commercial force
*'''[[1953 in music]]'''
**[[Music of Cuba]]
***[[Cha cha cha]] begins its reign of popularity, primarily in its place of origin, [[Cuba]], but also throughout the world
*'''[[1954 in music]]'''
**[[Music of the Bahamas]]
***[[Bahamas|Bahamanian]] [[junkanoo]] parades, annual celebrations of music and dance, begin to become more organized, eventually helping solidify the sound of junkanoo and move it towards popularization
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***Arguably the start of the [[Jamaica]]n music scene with [[R&B]] and other American genres becoming popular; as these start to become distinctively Jamaican, they will evolve into [[reggae]] and [[dub]].  The first Jamaican music studios open this year.
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Bill Haley and his Comets]] release "[[Rock Around the Clock]]", beginning the first [[rock and roll]] craze among mainstream listeners; many consider this the end of [[Tin Pan Alley]]'s dominance of pop music
*'''[[1955 in music]]'''
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[The Weavers]] return to [[folk music]] after years of being [[blacklisting|blacklisted]]; their concert at [[Carnegie Hall]] helps to re-establish [[folk music]]'s popular acceptance
*'''[[1956 in music]]'''
**[[Music of Trinidad]]
***[[Mighty Sparrow]]'s "Jean and Dinah" is the last hit for classical [[calypso music|calypso]].
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Hard bop]] [[jazz]]'s mainstream success begins with [[Max Roach]] (''[[Max Roach Plus Four]]''), [[Sonny Rollins]] (''[[Saxophone Colossus]]''), [[Clifford Brown]] (''[[At Basin Street]]''), [[Jimmy Smith]] (''[[The Champ]]'') and [[Horace Silver]] ("Senor Blue")
*'''[[1957 in music]]'''
**[[Music of the United States]]
***The chart success of [[Johnny Cash]] ("Home of the Blues", "There You Go"), [[Ferlin Husky]] ("Gone", "A Falling Star"), [[George Hamilton IV]] ("Only One Love") and [[Marty Robbins]] ("Knee Deep in the Blues", "A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)") mark the beginning of the [[Nashville sound]]'s domination of [[country music]]
*'''[[1958 in music]]'''
**[[Music of Brazil]]
***[[Bossa nova]] emerges from [[Brazil]] with artists like [[João Gilberto]] ("Bim Bom"), and [[Antonio Carlos Jobim]] ("Chega de Saudade")
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***[[Blues]] musicians like [[Big Bill Broonzy]], [[Alexis Korner]], [[Cyril Davies]] and [[Muddy Waters]] achieve great popular acclaim in [[Great Britain]]
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[The Kingston Trio]]'s "Tom Dooler" helps to jumpstart a revival in [[folk music]]
*'''[[1959 in music]]'''
**[[Music of the United States]]
***Recordings by [[Ornette Coleman]] (''[[The Shape of Jazz to Come]]''), [[Sun Ra]] (''[[The Nubians of Plutonia]]''), [[John Coltrane]] (''[[Giant Steps]]''), [[Cecil Taylor]] (''[[Stereo Drive]]'', ''[[Love for Sale]]'') and [[Eric Dolphy]] (''[[Hot & Cool Latin]]'') mark a mainstream resurgence in [[jazz]], which has morphed into [[hard bop]], [[avant-garde jazz]] and [[fusion jazz|fusion]] - most important is ''[[Kind of Blue]]'' by [[Miles Davis]]
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***[[Coxsone Dodd]] and [[Duke Reid]], among others, found [[Jamaica]]n [[ska]]-oriented labels, setting the foundation for a distinctively Jamaican music scene
==[[1960s]]==
*'''[[1960 in music]]'''
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Soul music]] begins to develop out of [[gospel music|gospel]] with recordings like "Cathy's Clown" ([[The Everly Brothers]]) and "Chain Gang" ([[Sam Cooke]])
***[[Elvis Presley]]'s ''[[His Hand in Mine]]'' is released; this is often considered the start of contemporary [[gospel]] music
**[[Music of Spain]]
***In [[Spain]], a major revival of [[flamenco]] music begins
*'''[[1961 in music]]'''
**[[Music of Cuba]]
***The term [[salsa music]] is first used to describe [[Tito Puente]] and similar artists, who had been performing in the style for some twenty-five years
**[[Music of Haiti]]
***[[Webert Sicot]] begins a solo musical career, going on to be a pioneer in the development of [[compas rampa]]
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***[[The Folkes Brothers]]' "Oh Carolina" marks the beginning of [[Jamaica]]n musicians mixing native beats, [[gospel music|gospel]], [[ska]] and American [[R&B]], eventually forming [[reggae]]
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***The popularity of [[merseybeat]] outside of [[Liverpool]] begins with bands like [[Gerry & the Pacemakers]], [[Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas]], [[the Fourmost]], [[Cilla Black]], [[the Searchers]], [[the Merseybeats]], and [[the Mojos]].
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Patsy Cline]]'s (and the [[Nashville sound]] in [[country music]]) popularity peaks with [[country music|country]] singles like "Crazy" and "I Fall to Pieces"
***[[The Supremes]] sign to [[Motown]]; they (and Motown) will become the dominant force in [[R&B]] and [[soul music|soul]] for the rest of the decade
***[[Dick Dale]]'s "[[Let's Go Tripping]]" is a local hit in southern [[California]]; it is one of the pivotal recordings in the early development of [[surf rock]]
* '''[[1962 in music]]'''
**International trends
***European popularity of American blues continues to grow with the first [[American Folk-Blues Festival]]
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***Rural poor Jamaicans begin to move into the cities; they will eventually become known as [[rude boy]]s, and will shift [[ska]] into [[rocksteady]]
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Dick Dale]] and others popularize [[surf rock]]
***[[Girl group]]s like [[The Shirelles]] ("Soldier Boy") and [[The Crystals]] ("There's No Other (Like My Baby)") dominate the charts, alongside other pop vocalists like [[Chubby Checker]] ("[[The Twist]]"), [[The Four Seasons]] ("Big Girls Don't Cry") and [[Roy Orbison]] ("Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)")
*'''[[1963 in music]]'''
**[[Music of the Bahamas]]
***The beginning of modern [[junkanoo]] in [[the Bahamas]] with artists like [[The Valley Boys]], [[The Saxons]] and [[The Vikings]] cementing the sound
**[[Music of Finland]]
***In [[Finland]], [[letka]] (a kind of [[dance music]]) becomes popular with the success of [[Rauno Lehtinen]]
**[[Music of the United States]]
***The [[Bakersfield sound]] in [[country music]] begins its mainstream success with [[Merle Haggard]]'s "[[Sing a Sad Song]]"
***[[Girl group]]s ([[The Crystals]] ("Then He Kissed Me"), [[The Ronettes]] ("Be My Baby"), [[The Chiffons]] ("He's So Fine") and [[Lesley Gore]] ("It's My Party", "Judy's Turn to Cry")) and [[surf rock]] ([[The Surfaris]] ("Wipe Out"), [[Jan & Dean]] ("Surf City") and [[The Chantays]] ("Pipeline")) are popular
*'''[[1964 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[The Beatles]] (''[[A Hard Day's Night]]'', ''[[...Introducing the Beatles]]'', ''[[Meet the Beatles]]'') continue to dominate the charts, along with [[The Beach Boys]] ("I Get Around"), [[The Zombies]] ("She's Not There"), [[The Kinks]] ("You Really Got Me") and [[The Animals]] (''[[The Animals (album)|The Animals]]'', "The House of the Rising Sun").  Their chart success heralds the arrival of the [[British Invasion]] in the US and elsewhere
**[[Music of Brazil]]
***A new brand of politically aware [[bossa nova]] emerges from [[Brazil]]; musicians like [[Geraldo Vandré]] respond to the reality of the time with populist songwriting
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***In [[Jamaica]], the popularity of [[ska]] is unchallenged; native artists like [[Toots & the Maytals]], [[The Wailers]], [[Prince Buster]] and [[Desmond Dekker]] are extremely popular
**[[Music of Kenya]]
***Southern African performers like [[Jean Bosco Mwenda]], [[Edouard Masengo]], [[Peter Tsotsi]], and [[Nashil Pichen]] help define a burgeoning [[Kenya]]n pop music scene, influenced strongly by [[kwela]] and [[cavacha]]
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Blue-eyed soul]] artists like [[the Righteous Brothers]], [[Mitch Ryder]] and [[the Rascals]] are popular
***[[Ray Repp]] begins recording; this is usually considered the beginning of [[Christian Contemporary Music]] (CCM)
***[[Tony Scott]], a [[jazz]] musician, records ''[[Music for Zen Meditation]]'', commonly considered the first example of [[New Age music]]
*'''[[1965 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[The Beatles]] endure the heights of Beatlemania while the [[British Invasion]] peaks
***Many of the bands that are later important in psychedelia begin performing, including [[Pink Floyd]], [[The Grateful Dead]], [[Jefferson Airplane]] and [[The Byrds]]
**[[Music of Brazil]]
***Música popular brasileira ([[MPB]]) develops in [[Brazil]] with [[Chico Buarque]], [[Edu Lobo]] and [[Elis Regina]] developing a distinctively Brazilian folk sound
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***[[Mod]] reaches the height of its popularity in [[Britain]] with bands like [[The Who]] (''[[The Who Sings My Generation]]'') and [[The Small Faces]]
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Bob Dylan]]'s "[[Like a Rolling Stone]]" is one of the first successful singles to be longer than three minutes in duration; the accompanying album, ''[[Highway 61 Revisited]]'', is also arguably the first successful fusion of [[rock and roll|rock]] and [[folk music|folk]]
*'''[[1966 in music]]'''
**International trends
***Early psychedelia from [[The Who]] (''[[A Quick One (Happy Jack)]]'') and [[The Moody Blues]] (''[[The Magnificient Moodies]]'') is popular, along with bands that begin to merge these more progressive sounds with pop, like [[The Beatles]] (''[[Revolver (album)|Revolver]]''), [[Shadows of Knight]] (''[[Gloria]]''), [[The Troggs]] (''[[Wild Thing]]''), [[The Mamas & the Papas]] (''[[If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears]]'') and, most influentially, [[The Beach Boys]]' ''[[Pet Sounds]]''
***[[King Sunny Ade]] begins performing; he will eventually become one of the most popular [[Africa]]n performers
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***[[Rocksteady]], the earliest form of [[reggae]], emerges as a genre with the success of performers like [[Alton Ellis]].
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***[[British blues]] musicians like [[Cream (band)|Cream]] (''[[Fresh Cream]]'') and [[The Yardbirds]] (''[[Roger the Engineer]]'') help invent a distinct British sound
**[[Music of the United States]]
***Pop-oriented [[R&B]] and [[soul music|soul]] groups like [[The Supremes]] (''[[I Hear a Symphony]]'', ''[[Supremes A' Go-Go]]'') and the [[Lovin' Spoonful]] (''[[Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful]]'') are extremely popular
**[[Music of Zimbabwe]]
***[[Shona]] [[jiti]] pop-music reaches the peak of its popularity in [[Zimbabwe]]
*'''[[1967 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[The Beatles]] release ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'', arguably the pinnacle of psychedelic music -- other psychedelic bands like [[The Doors]] (''[[The Doors (album)|The Doors]]'', [[The Who]] (''[[The Who Sell Out]]'') and [[Jefferson Airplane]] (''[[Surrealistic Pillow]]'') also release pivotal albums; the whole scene is aided by the blockbuster [[Monterey Pop Festival]]
***Early [[punk]] artists like [[Velvet Underground]] (''[[The Velvet Underground & Nico]]'', ''[[White Light/White Heat]]'') and [[Iggy Pop]] begin their careers
**[[Music of Brazil]]
***[[Caetano Veloso]] (''[[Domingo]]'', ''[[Caetano Veloso (1967 album)|Caetano Veloso]]'') and [[Gilberto Gil]] (''[[Louvação]]'') help invent [[tropicalismo]] in [[Brazil]]
**[[Music of Denmark]]
***[[Steppeulvene]]'s ''[[Hip (album)|Hip]]'' marks the emergence of a distinctive [[Denmark|Danish]] [[beat music|beat]] scene, as the lyrics are in [[Danish language|Danish]] and reflect a merger of American and Danish folk music with rock
**[[Music of Italy]]
***[[Francesco Guccini]] begins his recording career; he will become the premier Italian [[folk music|folk]] singer and the first to blend it with [[rock and roll]]
**[[Music of Kenya]]
***Performers like [[Daniel Kamau]] begin to bring [[benga]] music to commercial success in [[Kenya]]; this is the early origin of [[Afrobeat]]
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***[[The Nice]]'s and [[The Moody Blues]]'  first albums, ''[[The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack]]'' and ''[[Days of Future Passed]]'' are released; this is the beginning of [[prog rock]]
*'''[[1968 in music]]'''
**International trends
***Hard-edged psychedelia is popular - artists like [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Cream (band)|Cream]], [[The Who]], [[Iron Butterfly]] and [[Steppenwolf]] sell well
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***[[King Tubby]] invents [[dub]] music in [[Jamaica]] by removing the vocals from albums and playing the percussion breaks for a dance-crazy audience
***In [[Jamaica]], [[rocksteady]] music reaches the peak of its popularity with two notable releases by [[Toots & the Maytals]]: "[[5446-That's My Number]]" and "[[Do the Reggay]]"; the latter is the first occurrence of the word "reggae"
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***The [[Canterbury Scene]], a type of [[psychedelic music]] based out of [[Canterbury]] in [[Kent]], emerges as a underground phenomenon led by [[The Soft Machine]] (''[[Volume One]]'') and [[Caravan (band)|Caravan]] (''[[Caravan (album)|Caravan]]'')
*'''[[1969 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[Folk music|folk]]-oriented [[psychedelia]] dominates music with releases from [[The Doors]] (''[[The Soft Parade]]''), [[The Beatles]] (''[[Abbey Road]]''), [[The Fifth Dimension]] (''[[The Age of Aquarius]]''), [[Youngbloods]] (''[[Elephant Mountain]]'') and [[Crosby, Stills & Nash]] (''[[Déjà Vu]]'') selling extremely well and the blockbuster [[Woodstock]] music festival held in [[Bethel, New York]]
**[[Music of Brazil]]
***A revival of traditional [[choro]] music begins in [[Brazil]]
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***[[Roots reggae]] becomes the dominant sound in [[Jamaica]], with [[Bob Marley & the Wailers]] (''[[Soul Shakedown]]'') leading the way towards a new, distinctively Jamaican fusion of folk, R&B, rock and ska
**[[Music of the United Kindom]]
***[[The Who]] releases ''[[Tommy]]'', the first [[rock opera]]
***[[Led Zeppelin]]'s first album, ''[[Led Zeppelin I]]'', is released; it is an enormously influential [[psychedelia|psychedelic]] [[blues-rock]]
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Larry Norman]]'s ''[[Upon This Rock]]'' is commonly considered the first [[Christian rock]] album
***[[King Crimson]]'s ''[[In the Court of the Crimson King]]'' solidifies [[progressive rock]] into a distinct genre
***The release of [[The Stooges]]' ''[[Raw Power]]'' is arguably the earliest traces of [[punk rock]]
==[[1970s]]==
*'''[[1970 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[Simon & Garfunkel]] release ''[[Bridge Over Troubled Water]]''; this, along with releases from [[James Taylor]] (''[[Sweet Baby James]]''), [[Cat Stevens]] (''[[Tea for the Tillerman]]'') and [[Joni Mitchell]] (''[[Ladies of the Canyon]]'') help define the [[singer-songwriter]] tradition
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***First performance of [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]'s influential [[rock opera]], ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]''
**[[Music of the United States]]
***Important country-influenced albums are released by [[Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young]] (''[[Déjà Vu (album)|Déjà Vu]]'', [[Merle Haggard]] (''[[Okie from Muskogee]]''), [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]] (''[[Cosmo's Factory]]'') and [[The Grateful Dead]] (''[[American Beauty (album)|American Beauty]]'', ''[[Workingman's Dead]]'') -- the beginning of a distinctly [[country rock]] sound
***[[Miles Davis]]' ''[[Bitches Brew]]'' is the first truly successful [[fusion jazz|fusion]] of [[jazz]] and [[rock and roll]]
***The beginning of the success of a group of Afrocentric poets and musicians, including the [[The Last Poets]] (''[[The Last Poets (album)|The Last Poets]]'') and [[Gil Scott-Heron]] (''[[Small Talk at 125th and Lennox]]''); this is an early forerunner of [[hip hop]]
*'''[[1971 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[ABBA]] ("Don't Know How to Love Him") begins the dominance of [[Europop]] on the continental music charts
***[[Singer-songwriter]]s like [[John Denver]] (''[[Poems, Prayers and Promises]]''), [[Van Morrison]] (''[[Tupelo Honey]]''), [[Joni Mitchell]] (''[[Blue (album)|Blue]]'', [[Don McLean]] (''[[American Pie (album)|American Pie]]''), [[Elton John]] (''[[Tumbleweed Connection]]'', ''[[Madman Across the Water]]''), [[Billy Joel]] (''[[Cold Spring Harbor]]''), [[Cat Stevens]] (''[[Teaser and the Firecat]]'') and [[Carole King]] (''[[Tapestry (album)|Tapestry]]'') release influential and popular albums
***Early [[prog rock]] bands like [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] (''[[Nursery Cryme]]''), [[Deep Purple]] (''[[Fireball]]''), [[Electric Light Orchestra]] (''[[Electric Light Orchestra (album)|Electric Light Orchestra]]''), [[Yes]] (''[[The Yes Album]]''), [[Gong (band)|Gong]] (''[[Camembert Electrique]]''), [[Procol Harum]] (''[[Broken Barricades]]''), [[Pink Floyd]] (''[[Meddle]]'') and [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]] (''[[Aqualung]]'') release influential albums; this is progressive rock's peak
**[[Music of Germany]]
***[[Krautrock]] begins with [[Germany|German]] musicians like [[Amon Düül II]] (''[[Tanz der Lemminge]]''), [[Faust (band)|Faust]] (''[[Faust (band)|Faust]]'') and [[Can (band)|Can]] (''[[Tago Mago]]''), moving [[progressive rock]] towards new sonic territory, eventually influencing genres including [[New Wave]], [[electronica]] and [[industrial rock]]
**[[Music of Kenya]]
***[[Simba Wanyika]]'s career as a popular performer in [[Kenya]] begins, marking the beginning of a fusion between African rhythms and western pop sounds, and the commercial success of Swahili music
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***[[Black Sabbath]]'s ''[[Paranoid]]'' and [[Led Zeppelin]]'s ''[[Led Zeppelin IV]]'' are enormously influential albums in the development of [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Maranatha!]] and [[Love Song]] release ''[[The Everlastin' Livin' Jesus Concert]]'' and ''[[Love Song (album)|Love Song]]''; this is the beginning of the popularization of [[Christian Contemporary Music]] (CCM)
***[[Funkadelic]] releases ''[[Maggot Brain]]'', an early fusion of [[soul music|soul]], [[funk]] and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]; releases from [[Roberta Flack]] (''[[Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway]]''), [[Isaac Hayes]] (''[[Black Moses]]'') and [[Sly & the Family Stone]] (''[[There's a Riot Goin' On]]'') similarly influence the development of a more pop-oriented funk and soul
*'''[[1972 in music]]'''
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***[[David Bowie]] releases ''[[Ziggy Stardust]]'', which marks the height of [[glam rock]] and is an important influence on the development of [[punk rock]]; similarly influential albums by [[Lou Reed]] (''[[Transformer (album)|Transformer]]'') and [[Mott the Hoople]] (''[[All the Young Dudes]]'') are also released
***[[Deep Purple]] releases ''[[Machine Head]]'', one of the first pure [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] albums
***[[Eggs Over Easy]] (''[[Good 'n' Cheap]]'') and [[Kippington Lodge]] formulate a sound known as [[pub rock]]
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Neil Young]]'s ''[[Harvest]]'' is the top-selling album in the [[United States]] and foreshadows the future popularity of country-rock
***[[Curtis Mayfield]]'s ''[[Superfly]]'' ([[soundtrack]] to the [[Blaxploitation]] film of the same name) and [[Marvin Gaye]]'s ''[[What's Going On?]]'' are popular and help redefine [[soul music]]; most influentially, they add a socially aware tone to the lyrics
*'''[[1973 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[Singer-songwriter]]s [[Elton John]] (''[[Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player]]'', ''[[Goodbye Yellow Brick Road]]''), [[Jim Croce]] (''[[I Got a Name]]''), [[Roberta Flack]] (''[[Killing Me Softly]]'') and [[Billy Joel]] (''[[Piano Man]]'') release hugely successful albums and singles
**[[Music of India]]
***[[Ravi Shankar]] releases ''[[Ragas]]''; it is enormously popular in [[India]] and reflects the commercial pinnacle of eastern music in western markets
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***[[Jimmy Cliff]]'s [[soundtrack]] to ''[[The Harder They Come]]'' is the first commercially successful [[reggae]] music in western markets -- meanwhile, [[Bob Marley & the Wailers]] most well-reviewed works are released, though sales are limited outside of [[Jamaica]]
***Early [[dub]] artists like [[Lee Scratch Perry]] (''[[Cloak & Dagger]]''), [[Bunny Lee]], [[U-Roy]] (''[[Version Galore]]''), [[Clive Chin]] and [[King Tubby]] reach the peak of their popularity in [[Jamaica]], as they revolutionize mixing techniques and [[toasting]]; Perry and Tubby's ''[[Blackboard Jungle]]'' is particularly notable
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***[[Pink Floyd]]'s ''[[Dark Side of the Moon]]'' is released; the album is often considered the best [[concept album]] and the height of [[experimental rock]].
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Philadelphia soul]] artists like [[The Delfonics]] ("I Don't Want to Make You Wait"), [[The O'Jays]] (''[[Ship Ahoy]]'') and [[The Stylistics]] (''[[Rockin' Roll Baby]]'') are extremely popular
*'''[[1974 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[Singer-songwriter]]s like [[Jackson Browne]] (''[[Late for the Sky]]''), [[Elton John]] (''[[Caribou (album)|Caribou]]''), [[Joni Mitchell]] (''[[Court and Spark]]''), [[Randy Newman]] (''[[Good Old Boys]]''), [[Billy Joel]] (''[[Piano Man]]''), [[Harry Chapin]] (''[[Verities and Balderdash]]'') and [[Van Morrison]] (''[[Veedon Fleece]]'') are extremely popular
**[[Music of Trinidad]]
***[[Ras Shorty I]]'s ''[[Sweet Music]]'' is released, blending [[Music of India|Indian music]], [[calypso music|calypso]] and other native [[folk music]]s of [[Trinidad]]; this is said to be the beginning of [[soca]]
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Patti Smith]]'s "Hey Joe" is released; it is commonly considered the first [[punk]] single
***[[Outlaw country]]'s domination of the country music scene is exemplified by the chart success of [[Waylon Jennings]] (''[[The Rambling Man]]'', ''[[This Time]]''), [[David Allan Coe]] (''[[Once Upon a Rhyme]]'', ''[[Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy]]''), [[Merle Haggard]] ("Things Aren't Funny Anymore", "Old Man from the Mountain"), [[Kris Kristofferson]] (''[[Spooky Lady's Sideshow]]'') and [[Willie Nelson]] (''[[Phases and Stages]]'') this year
*'''[[1975 in music]]'''
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***[[Lovers rock]] begins its period of popularity in [[Britain]] with [[Louisa Marks]]' "Caught You in a Lie"
***[[Brinsley Schwarz]] and [[Ducks Deluxe]] break up, ending the [[pub rock]] trend
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Bruce Springsteen]] makes the cover of [[Time Magazine]] and [[Newsweek]] on the same week, releases ''[[Born to Run]]'', and breaks into the mainstream
***[[1970s]]-style [[funk]] is at the height of its popularity with important releases from [[Parliament (band)|Parliament]] (''[[Chocolate City]]''), [[War (band)|War]] (''[[Why Can't We Be Friends?]]'') and [[The Meters]] (''[[Fire on the Bayou]]'')
***The first [[radio station]]s with a [[Christian Contemporary Music]] (CCM) format begin broadcasting
***[[Country music|Country]]-oriented songs are popular, including releases from [[Linda Ronstadt]] (''[[Prisoner in Disguise]]''), [[John Denver]] ("Calypso", "Thank God I'm a Country Boy", "I'm Sorry", "Sweet Surrender", "Sunshine on My Shoulders"), [[The Eagles]] (''[[One of These Nights]]''), [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] (''[[Nuthin' Fancy]]''), [[Glen Campbell]] ("Rhinestone Cowboy") and [[B.J. Thomas]] ("(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song")
***[[Fusion jazz]]'s golden age ends and [[contemporary jazz]] emerges
***[[Smokey Robinson]]'s ''[[Quiet Storm]]'' is released, defining what comes to be known as [[easy listening]]
*'''[[1976 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[Hard rock]] and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] bands like [[Aerosmith]] (''[[Rocks (album)|Rocks]]''), [[AC/DC]] (''[[High Voltage]]''), [[Blue Öyster Cult]] (''[[Agents of Fortune]]'') and [[Judas Priest]] (''[[Sin After Sin]]'') release landmark albums
**[[Music of Algeria]]
***[[Ahmad Baba Rachid]] and other performers begin popularizing [[Algeria]]n [[rai]] music outside of [[North Africa]]; the new pop singers call themselves ''cheb''
**[[Music of the Bahamas]]
***[[Bahamas|Bahamanian]] [[junkanoo]] pioneers [[the Music Makers]] begin performing and adding a more up-tempo beat to the music's sound
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***The height of [[King Tubby]]'s popularity in [[Jamaica]], setting the stage for the diversification of sounds in the [[1980s]] and [[1990s|90s]].
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[The Eagles]] release ''[[Hotel California]]'', one of the best-selling albums of the year and all time; this is the commercial peak of [[southern rock]]
***[[Blondie (band)|Blondie]]'s debut, [[Blondie (album)|Blondie]], solidifies the [[New Wave]] sound in [[punk]] music, centered in [[New York City]]
***Soft, [[disco]]-oriented ballads by [[The Bee Gees]] (''[[Children of the World]]'', "You Should Be Dancing"), [[Bay City Rollers]] ("Saturday Night", "Money Honey"), [[Orleans (band)|Orleans]] ("Still the One"), [[The Doobie Brothers]] (''[[Takin' It to the Streets]]''), [[Starland Vocal Band]] ("Afternoon Delight"), [[Peter Frampton]] (''[[Frampton Comes Alive]]'') and [[Paul Simon]] ("50 Ways to Leave Your Lover", "Still Crazy After All These Years") are popular
*'''[[1977 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[The Sex Pistols]] release ''[[Nevermind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols]]'', kickstarting the [[punk]] rock movement in the UK, while the [[Ramones]]' ''[[Rocket to Russia]]'' helps break in punk in the US - art-punk bands like [[Television (band)|Television]] (''[[Marquee Moon]]''), [[Elvis Costello]] (''[[My Aim Is True]]''), [[The Damned]] (''[[Machine Gun Etiquette]]''), [[Richard Hell & the Voidoids]] (''[[Blank Generation]]''), [[UFO (band)|UFO]] (''[[Lights Out]]'') and [[Talking Heads]] (''[[Talking Heads: 77]]'') also emerge
***The [[soundtrack]] to ''[[Saturday Night Fever]]'' (largely by [[the Bee Gees]]) is the dominant album of the year and helps cement [[disco]] as the most popular genre; [[Chic]] also releases a pivotal disco album, ''[[Risque]]''
***Pop and [[prog rock]] bands like [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]] (''[[Chicago XI]]''), [[Electric Light Orchestra]] (''[[Out of the Blue]]''), [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]] (''[[Songs from the Wood]]''), [[Journey]] (''[[Next]]''), [[Kansas (band)|Kansas]] (''[[Point of Know Return]]''), [[Rush]] (''[[A Farewell to Kings]]''), [[Pink Floyd]] (''[[Animals (album)|Animals]]'') and [[Steely Dan]] (''[[Aja]]'') release important and popular albums
*'''[[1978 in music]]'''
**International trends
***Important releases cement the sound of [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and begin to move it towards the mainstream; this includes albums from [[Blue Öyster Cult]] (''[[Some Enchanted Evening]]''), [[Van Halen]] (''[[Van Halen (album)|Van Halen]]'', [[Judas Priest]] (''[[Stained Class]]'', ''[[Killing Machine]]''), [[Ace Frehley]] (''[[Ace Frehley (album)|Ace Frehley]]''), [[Rush]] (''[[Hemispheres (album)|Hemispheres]]'') and [[Styx (band)|Styx]] (''[[Pieces of Eight]]'')
**[[Music of Australia]]
***Groups like [[The Saints]] (''[[Prehistoric Sounds]]'') and [[Radio Birdman]] (''[[Radios Appear]]'') help create a distinctively Australian punk scene
**[[Music of Kenya]]
***[[Wanyika]] emerges in [[Kenya]], adding [[rumba]] influences and becoming very popular as the dominant form of [[Swahili]] music
**[[Music of the United States]]
***[[Gary Numan]] (''[[Tubeway Army]]''), [[Human League]] ("Being Boiled") and similar artists pioneer the development of [[New Wave]] and [[synth pop]] out of the avant-garde stylings of [[Roxy Music]] and [[Kraftwerk]]
***[[Brian Eno]] [[record producer|produces]] ''[[No New York]]'', which cements the avant-garde sound of [[No Wave]] and includes material from bands like [[Teenage Jesus & the Jerks]], [[DNA (band)|DNA]], [[Mars (band)|Mars]] and [[Chance & the Contortions]]
***Early [[industrial music]] appears, spearheaded by bands like [[Suicide (band)|Suicide]] (''[[Suicide (album)|Suicide]]''), [[Throbbing Gristle]] (''[[D.O.A.: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle]]'') and [[Cabaret Voltaire]]
*'''[[1979 in music]]'''
**International trends
***[[Bauhaus]]' "Bela Lugosi's Dead" marks the beginning of [[Gothic rock]] in the US; [[The Cure]] (''[[Three Imaginary Boys]]''), [[Joy Division]] (''[[Unknown Pleasures]]'') and [[Siouxsie & the Banshees]] (''[[The Scream]]'') move punk in the same direction in the UK
**[[Music of Jamaica]]
***Recordings by [[Roots Radic]] backing [[Barrington Levy]] mark the beginning of [[dancehall music]]
**[[Music of Mexico]]
***[[Country music]]ian [[Linda Ronstadt]] helps lead a popularization of Mexican [[mariachi]] music, beginning with a major festival in [[San Antonio, Texas]]
**[[Music of the United Kingdom]]
***[[The Clash]] releases ''[[London Calling]]'', a pivotal album in the development of [[hardcore]] [[punk]]
**[[Music of the United States]]
***The [[Sugarhill Gang]] releases what is commonly considered the first successful [[hip hop]] single, "[[Rappers Delight]]"