In 50 years, music has seen significant developments - both in the way that it is played and in what is considered popular. Successful artists from decades long gone by are still remembered fondly, informing even the most modern sounding records, showing that even though popular music changes and grows it remains respectful and grateful to sounds of the past.
Without a doubt the biggest band of the 1960s was The Beatles, although joining them in The British Invasion of America were The Rolling Stones and The Who. While their success was prolonged other, harder sounding bands like Black Sabbath and the Sex Pistols made an impact in the 70s. During a period when vinyl records and tape cassettes were the most popular way of playing purchased music, artists like Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley offered alternative sounds to the rock music of British bands.
During the 1980s two developments changed how people listened to music - MTV was launched and CDs were made commercially available. MTV helped propel the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson into super stardom, with the latter releasing the biggest selling album of all time 'Thriller" in 1982. Rock and hip hop were other popular genres with the likes of Bon Jovi and The Beastie Boys achieving considerable success.
The 1990s may best be remembered for the proliferation of teen pop acts. The Spice Girls changed perceptions in the music industry about what could be successful and stars such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera profited from this. Meanwhile 'Britpop' saw bands like Oasis and Blur become hugely popular. While music continued to evolve in the new millennium, the most significant development was how easy it became to access music online and download individual songs.
While music on the radio may sometimes sound like something from the far-off future, it in fact is almost always looking backwards, sampling sounds from the past or borrowing from old styles, as in the case of Amy Winehouse. Similarly, vinyl records are still being sold despite the dominance of CDs and mp3s.
Without a doubt the biggest band of the 1960s was The Beatles, although joining them in The British Invasion of America were The Rolling Stones and The Who. While their success was prolonged other, harder sounding bands like Black Sabbath and the Sex Pistols made an impact in the 70s. During a period when vinyl records and tape cassettes were the most popular way of playing purchased music, artists like Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley offered alternative sounds to the rock music of British bands.
During the 1980s two developments changed how people listened to music - MTV was launched and CDs were made commercially available. MTV helped propel the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson into super stardom, with the latter releasing the biggest selling album of all time 'Thriller" in 1982. Rock and hip hop were other popular genres with the likes of Bon Jovi and The Beastie Boys achieving considerable success.
The 1990s may best be remembered for the proliferation of teen pop acts. The Spice Girls changed perceptions in the music industry about what could be successful and stars such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera profited from this. Meanwhile 'Britpop' saw bands like Oasis and Blur become hugely popular. While music continued to evolve in the new millennium, the most significant development was how easy it became to access music online and download individual songs.
While music on the radio may sometimes sound like something from the far-off future, it in fact is almost always looking backwards, sampling sounds from the past or borrowing from old styles, as in the case of Amy Winehouse. Similarly, vinyl records are still being sold despite the dominance of CDs and mp3s.
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