Black Music Throughout The Ages

By: Leslie Tartt

Amandla Stenberg said, “What would America be like if we loved black people as much as we loved black culture?” Black people have gone through many trials and tribulations, but have fought through all of them. The music they create has been with them through it, and the sound reflects whatever they are going through. The music black people make has significantly evolved over the years and only continues to change.

We start our musical journey in the 1700s when people of color were enslaved under the white man. Denied education, slaves, would come up with their own type of music, now called Field Hollers. They are also called Call and Response songs. Field Hollers were a way to cope with the deep pain they endured while being enslaved. Made apparent by their name, Field Hollers were usually sung while working long, hard days in the fields picking cotton or tobacco. Richard Allen, or “Negro Richard,” was a former slave who bought his freedom in 1783 for $2,000. He then became a minister and opened the first independent Black denomination in the United States, the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He collected many of these Field Hollers and put them into a book. He titled the book A Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns. One of the most popular Field Hollers is an untitled piece that is now referred to as “O Graveyard.” It did not have many lyrics, but the few words it had spoke clearly a slave’s despair. The lyrics were, “O Graveyard. O Graveyard. I’m walking troo de Graveyard. Lay dis body down.” The 1700s was a time of anguish, and this reflected greatly in the songs they sang, but this would change in the following years.

The 1800s was the beginning of a pivotal time for African Americans with the appearance of abolitionists, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and the Emancipation Proclamation. Enslaved people began to sing spirituals that had a sound of hope to them. The spirituals sounded like typical songs to their white masters, but they had an underlying meaning. Spirituals were used to encourage and convey information to escaping slaves as they traveled the different Underground Railroad routes. Though there are not many known artists from this time, Wallace Wallis was a known composer of Nergo spirituals. He wrote one of the most popular songs entitled “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” There were many spirituals, but some of the most popular were “Steal Away,” also composed by Wallace Willis, and “Foller de Drinkin’ Gou’d” or “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” which was one of the most popular songs sang on the Underground Railroad. The “Drinking Gourd” referred to the Big Dipper. When slaves were escaping on the Underground Railroad, they use the stars to guide them north. When the 1800s came to a close, black music changed for good.

Around 1895, a new type of black music grew popular. It was called Ragtime, and it was the most prominent type of music until 1919. Ragtime was best known for its syncopated or “ragged” rhythm. It was different than anything African Americans had ever sung before. There was one obvious leader of the Ragtime scene, and his name was Scott Joplin. He was given the nickname the “King of Ragtime.” He wrote over 100 original Ragtime pieces during his career. He was, of course, the man who wrote the most popular songs in the Ragtime genre. The most popular songs being pieces like “The Entertainer,” “Treemonisha,” and “Maple Leaf Rag.” After the Ragtime period, we enter one of the most influential times for black music in history.

The 1920’s also commonly referred to as the Harlem Renaissance, popularized two massive black music genres, Blues and Jazz. The Harlem Renaissance was a considerable time

for music in the black community. Black people were finally being recognized for their efforts and could be considered famous. They would perform in clubs like Cotton Club, a legendary hotspot in Harlem, New York, that featured black musicians who performed for white audiences. Cab Calloway and his orchestra were one of the most well-known entertainers at the club. They had much success. Blues was a music genre that originated in the deep south, and its precursors were African American work songs and spirituals. The most famous blues performers were, of course, black people. There were many black leaders of Blues, but some of the most notable are Bessie Smith, who was dubbed the “Empress of Blues.” She had very successful songs like “Down Hearted Blues,” “Need a Little Sugar in my Bowl,” and “Back-Water Blues.” Ma Rainey, another notable blues musician, was nicknamed the “Mother of Blues” and had many popular songs such as “Prove it on Me Blues,” “Deep Moaning Blues:2,” and “Black Bottom.” Big Bill Broonzy was one of the main reasons blues spread to Chicago. He helped define the city’s sound. Jazz is a type of music that came from the African American communities of New Orleans. Jazz’s roots are Blues and Ragtime. Jazz leaders were mostly black artists like Louis Armstrong, nicknamed “Satchmo,” who had many hit songs, including the very well-known “What a Wonderful Wonderful World.” He is known as one of the most influential figures in Jazz. Duke Ellington was sometimes referred to as the greatest jazz composer of his time. One of his most notable songs being “Take the “A” Train.” Jazz would not be Jazz without mentioning the most famous female Jazz musician, Ella Fitzgerald, who debuted in the Apollo Theater. With songs like “A-Tisket A-Tasket,” it is no surprise that she made history by being the first African American to win a Grammy Award. The change in black was becoming more and more prominent.

Following Blues and Jazz came the popularization of Scat, Gospel, and Swing. All well-known types of black music. Scat was a type of music popular in the 1930s in which performers would make up syllables, words, and noises on the spot. The singer improvises their melodies while performing. One of the most well-known Scat artists was Sarah Vaughn, who was dubbed the “Divine One.” She went on to win four Grammy Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award. She had popular songs like “Misty,” “Broken Hearted Melody,” and “Whatever Lola Wants.” Gospel, also popular in the 1930s, was a type of music that came from Spirituals. There were many Gospel Artists, but some of the well known are Thomas A. Dorothy, who had hits like “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” Mahalia Jackson or the “Queen of Gospel” who had popular songs like “How I Got Over,” and most notably the crossover artist, Aretha Franklin, who with hits like “Respect,” “A Natural Woman,” and “Think” deserved all 18 Grammy Awards she won. She also went on to win the Lifetime Achievement Award. Swing, popularized in 1935, was a type of music that formed from Jazz. Swing performances usually involved a soloist that would improvise melodies over the set arrangement. Billie Holiday, or “Lady Day,” was one of the most well-known swing artists. Another famous swing artist was Ethel Waters. It was becoming more evident that one type of black music influenced a different kind of black music.

In the 1950s, African Americans dominated the genre of Soul. Soul combines elements from African American Gospel, Blues, and Jazz. Soul is a very powerful genre of music that had some of the most famous musicians in the world singing it. People like Ray Charles or the “Father of Soul” won 17 Grammy Awards and five more after passing away. Otis Redding who is best known for his songs “Try a Little Tenderness” and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” Sam Cooke was known as the “King of Soul.” James Brown or the “Godfather of Soul.” His

well-known songs being “I Got You,” “I Feel Good,” and “It’s A Man’s World.” Smokey Robinson was well known for his Soul music with songs like “Cruisin’.”

Even though African American artists worked predominately rhythmic music, there were many black musicians in Rock and Roll. Rock and Roll is a type of music that was popularized in the 1950s. It was derived from Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Boogie Woogie. Rock had artists like Little Richard or, as Rolling Stone referred to him, the “Founding Father of Rock” broke musical barriers with songs like “Tutti Frutti” and “Good Golly Miss Molly.” In Rock and Roll, we saw the appearance of musicians like Jimi Hendrix. He is regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in history. Though Jimi Hendrix is wildly famous, two megastar black Rock and Roll artists ran the Rock and Roll scene. The “Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll,” Tina Turner who had songs like “Proud Mary” and “Whats Love Got To Do With It.” Along with global rockstar Prince. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his time, he had songs like “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Little Red Corvette.” Rock and Roll made it clear that black musicians and musicians were spreading to many different genres.

In the 1960s, we saw the arrival of Reggae music in the United States from Jamaica. Reggae music uses a heavy four-beat rhythm and is derived from Ska music. The notable reggae performers were black musicians. They lead the scene. Though this type of music wasn’t as popular with people, it still gained a large following. The most notable Reggae artist is Bob Marley. He was considered one of the pioneers of Reggae music. He was one of the best-selling Reggae recording artists of all time. He had songs like “Three Little Birds,” “This Love,” and “Could You Be Loved.” Another notable Reggae artist is Shabba Ranks, who produced songs like “Mr. Lover Man” and “Ting-A-Ling.”

Also popularized in the 1960s was one of the most popular genres of music even today. R&B or Rhythm and Blues is a type of music developed in African American communities in the 1940s. There are many famous singers in R&B, but some of the pioneers were Stevie Wonder, who had so many favorite hits. Those hits include “Isn’t She Lovely?” “Sir Duke,” and “Superstition.” Luther Vandross, an in-demand singer, produced hits like “Never Too Much” and the tear-jerking “Dance With My Father Again.” There was also Pattie LaBelle, who had hits like “If You Only Knew,” “On My Own,” and “You Are My Friend.” Finally, who might be the most notable R&B singer in history, Whitney Houston. She was officially certified as the most awarded female artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. She has over 200 million sales for her records worldwide. Some of her most popular songs being “I Will Always Love You,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” and “I Have Nothing.” By the 1960s, it became evidently clear that black music was at the top of the charts.

Motown is a style of music derived from Rhythm and Blues and named after the record company, Motown in Detroit. Teams of songwriters would produce materials for girl groups and boy bands in the 1960s-1970s. The Temptations were a popular vocal group that released many hits while signed to Motown Records. These hits include “My Girl,” “Silent Night,” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” The Supremes were the most popular girl group signed to Motown Records. They had hits like “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Back in My Arms Again,” and “Stop In the Name of Love.” Motown is one of the best examples of the power that black music had. A record label gained so much attention and fame that it became almost its own genre of music.

In the 1980s, what was to be the most well-known genre of music in the world was popularized. Hip-Hop shot straight to the top of the music world with black artists dominating the scene. Hip-hop was developed in the inner-city by African Americans in the Bronx. Founded

in 1983, was the influential hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. They produced hits like “It’s Tricky,” “It’s Like That,” and “Christmas in Hollis.” Taking the lead of the Hip-hop scene was N.W.A. A Hip-Hop group coming from Compton, CA. They popularized the subgenre Gangsta Rap. They are considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music. They are responsible for hits like “F*ck The Police,” “Straight Outta Compton,” and “Dope Man.” In 1985, we saw some of the first black women rise to fame in Hip-Hop. Salt-N-Pepa were signed to Next Plateau Records and released their unforgettable hit that was number one in three countries, “Push It.” In 1989, Queen Latifa signed with Tommy Boy Records. She then released her debut album All Hail The Queen, which featured the hit song “Ladies First.” Another prominent female rapper was MC Lyte, who had songs like “Poor Georgie” and “Cold Rock a Party.” Missy Elliot, a leading black female artist in Hip-hop, rapped hits like “Lose Control,” “Work It,” and “Get Ur Freak On.” Tupac or 2Pac was one of the most famous Hip-Hop artists ever. He is also regarded by many as the most influential rapper of all time. He had hits like “California Love,” “Hit ‘Em Up,” and “Dear Mama.” He had an equally famous rival who went by the name The Notorious B.I.G. or “Biggie Smalls.” Biggie is considered one of the best rappers of all time. He had hits like “Juicy,” “Big Poppa,” and “Hypnotize." Will Smith was also popular in the Rap world with songs like “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” and “Miami.” Coming out of Queens, New York was LL Cool J, a trendy rapper with hit songs that included “Mama Said Knock You Out.” Hip-Hop is one of the best examples of black music taking the world by storm.

Pop music seemed to be for a while Hip-Hops counterpart. Both genres were prevalent. Though Pop wasn’t developed as a type of Black music, Black people quickly made it their own. The best evidence of the black takeover of pop is best displayed by the one and only “King of

Pop,” Michael Jackson. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He had almost an uncountable amount of songs be number one on the charts. A black female who quickly took Pop’s world was the “Diva” or “Songbird Supreme.” Mariah Carey. She has a five-octave vocal range and signature use of the whistle tone register, making her known as one of the most gifted singers. She has hits like “Always Be My Baby,” “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and “We Belong Together.” Pop music is proof that black music could spread to anything. As mentioned before, Hip-Hop/Rap was developed in the inner-city by music streaming services that were introduced in the 2000s, and rap began to take over the music scene altogether.

In 2017, according to Billboard, Rap officially became the most popular genre of music in the United States, surpassing Pop and Rock. African Americans. It quickly grew popular in the ’80s and only continued to grow since then. Of course, black musicians dominate the Rap scene. There too many to mention them, but here are a few: Lil Wayne, Nick Minaj, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Travis Scott, Dababy, Pop Smoke, and Megan Thee Stallion. Every one of these artists has a different flow and rhythm to the way they rap; thus, the rap world is so diverse. Many artists sample pieces of black music to make what become hits now. For example, in Jay-Z and Kanye West’s hit song “Otis,” they sample Otis Redding’s hit song “Try A Little Tenderness.” After hundreds of years of black music, it is no surprise that it made its way to the top.

Black Music has come so far from the pained Field Hollers to becoming the number one type of music in the country. The evolution of black music is such a beautiful thing to look back on, and to look forward to witnessing the new changes that will be made. We are still using the music of the past to make and create the music of the future.