St. Louis Blues
This song, by Bessie Smith, is known as one of the most fundamental songs of the Blues Era.
Popular music in America
Case Studies
The Roaring Twenties
Jazz, dance halls, radio, and the sound of a new era
A decade in motion
Popular Music in the 1920s
The 1920s transformed music from a local ritual into a national obsession. New recording technologies, a booming nightlife culture, and the rise of radio turned songs into shared experiences across cities and households alike. The six essays below tell the history of a specific song as an example of these trends.
Essays
Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground
This song expresses the pain and suffering humanity faces throughout their lives.
West End Blues
Diving deep into the song "West End Blues" popularized by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five
Crazy Blues
Crazy Blues by Mamie Smith was the first blues song recorded by an African American woman in the United States.
Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)
Learn about Blue Yodel No 1 And Jimmie Rodgers
Wildwood Flower
Wildwood Flower’s virality and success was caused by innovation and exposure created by new technology in the early 1900s.