People have been making music since the ancient times, which makes it one of the oldest forms of art there is. People are the world all speak different languages, but the one language that can be understood by everyone is music. Music has changed greatly over the past few decades and it will continue to change as the years go on. One of the biggest changes that the music industry has scene is the change in genres. Today, there are several genres of music and the most popular include: country, gospel, rhythm and blues and rock.
Country is a genre of music that developed in the the 1920′s. When country music first made its debut almost 90 years ago, cowboys were a popular song subject. Today’s country singers sing about a wide variety of topics including romantic love and lost love. There are also many sub-genres of country including: neo-country, country pop and alternative country. Leeann Rimes ,Tim Mcgraw and Carrie Underwood are among today’s most popular country singers.
Gospel is a genre of music that developed in the early 20th century. The founders of gospel wanted to give Christians an alternative form of music to listen to. God, Jesus and/or the holy spirit are often the subject of gospel songs. It is hard to believe that gospel music started with the singing of hymns because it has changed greatly over the past few years. Southern gospel is one of the many sub-genres of Gospel. Additionally, elements of gospel music have been combined with many other genres including country, rock and hip-hop. Some of today’s most popular gospel singers include: Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Marvin Sapp and the duo, Mary Mary.
Rhythm and Blues, which is also referred to as r&b, developed in the the 1950′s. It was largely influenced by blues artists. The meaning of the term “r&b” has changed greatly over the past few years. During the 1950′s and 60′s “r&b referred to music that included elements of gospel and soul. During the 1970′s and 80′s, r&b was a blanket term for soul and folk music. A new style of this music developed during the 1980′s and today people refer to it as contemporary r&b. Love is often the topic of r&b songs, but many singers choose to sing about socially-conscious issues. Some of today’s most popular r&b artist include: Keri Hilson, Usher, Mariah Carey and Cee-lo Green.
Rock n’ roll, which today is mostly referred to as rock, is a genre of music that developed during the 1940′s. The development of rock music was largely influenced by blues, gospel music and jazz. Sex and drugs have always been a popular topic of rock songs, which is one of the reasons that this genre of music has drawn a-lot of criticism. Nevertheless, it has retained its popularity throughout the years and most likely will always remain popular. Punk runk, progressive rock and alternative rock are sub-genres of this music. Sound Garden is among today’s most popular rock groups.
