WorldMusic

Timeline

Music through the ages

701 genres · 72 historical events

  1. Early 2020s
    8 genres
    • 2020WorldCOVID-19 pandemic halts the live-music industry
    • 2023TechGenerative AI music services go commercial
  2. Late 2010s
    24 genres
    • 2016TechMusical.ly (TikTok's predecessor) ushers in short-form video
  3. Early 2010s
    30 genres
    • 2011WorldGreat East Japan earthquake; Arab Spring
  4. Late 2000s
    18 genres
    • 2005TechYouTube goes live
    • 2008TechSpotify launches; global financial crisis
  5. Early 2000s
    27 genres
    • 2001TechiPod launches; September 11 attacks
  6. Late 1990s
    27 genres
    • 1999TechNapster arrives — the file-sharing era
  7. Early 1990s
    39 genres
    • 1991TechWorld Wide Web opens to the public
    • 1993TechMP3 standard finalized (Fraunhofer)
  8. Late 1980s
    27 genres
    • 1989WorldBerlin Wall falls; Cold War ends
  9. Early 1980s
    16 genres
    • 1981TechMTV launches — the music-video era
    • 1982TechCompact Disc reaches the commercial market
  10. Late 1970s
    18 genres
    • 1975WorldVietnam War ends
    • 1979TechSony launches the Walkman
  11. Early 1970s
    21 genres
    • 1971TechEmail and the first microprocessor appear
  12. Late 1960s
    25 genres
    • 1969WorldWoodstock festival; Apollo 11 moon landing
  13. Early 1960s
    15 genres
    • 1962MusicThe Beatles release their debut single
    • 1963TechPhilips releases the Compact Cassette
  14. Late 1950s
    10 genres
    • 1957TechStereo records reach the mass market
    • 1957WorldSoviet Sputnik launches the Space Age
  15. Early 1950s
    18 genres
    • 1954MusicElvis Presley records 'That's All Right'
  16. Late 1940s
    9 genres
    • 1945WorldWorld War II ends
    • 1948TechColumbia launches the LP record
    • 1949TechRCA launches the 45 rpm single
  17. Early 1940s
    4 genres
  18. Late 1930s
    2 genres
    • 1935TechAC radios and jukeboxes spread widely
    • 1939WorldWorld War II begins
  19. Early 1930s
    9 genres
  20. Late 1920s
    5 genres
    • 1925TechElectrical microphone recording goes mainstream
    • 1927TechTalkie film 'The Jazz Singer' premieres
    • 1929WorldGreat Depression begins
  21. Early 1920s
    14 genres
    • 1920TechCommercial radio launches in the US (KDKA)
  22. 1910s
    7 genres
    • 1914WorldWorld War I begins
    • 1917WorldRussian Revolution
    • 1917MusicOriginal Dixieland Jass Band cuts the first jazz record
  23. Late 1900s
    5 genres
    • 1905WorldEinstein's special theory of relativity
  24. Early 1900s
    19 genres
    • 1903WorldWright brothers' first powered flight
  25. 1850–1899
    48 genres
    • 1859WorldDarwin publishes 'On the Origin of Species'
    • 1865WorldUS Civil War ends — groundwork for the blues
    • 1876TechBell invents the telephone
    • 1877TechEdison invents the phonograph
    • 1888TechBerliner develops the disc record
  26. 1800–1849
    29 genres
    • 1804WorldNapoleon crowned emperor
    • 1815WorldBattle of Waterloo; Congress of Vienna order
    • 1827MusicBeethoven dies
  27. 1750–1799
    16 genres
    • 1750MusicBach dies — end of the Baroque era
    • 1776WorldUS Declaration of Independence
    • 1789WorldFrench Revolution begins
  28. 1700–1749
    32 genres
  29. 1650–1699
    9 genres
    • 1685MusicJ.S. Bach and Handel are born
    • 1687WorldNewton publishes the 'Principia'
  30. 1600–1649
    21 genres
    • 1607MusicMonteverdi's 'L'Orfeo' — first major opera
  31. 1550–1599
    5 genres
    • 1564WorldShakespeare and Galileo are born
  32. 1500–1549
    41 genres
    • 1517WorldLuther's 95 Theses launch the Reformation
  33. 15th century
    8 genres
    • 1453WorldFall of Constantinople ends the Byzantine Empire
    • 1455TechGutenberg's movable-type printing in practice
    • 1492WorldColumbus reaches the Americas
  34. 14th century
    10 genres
    • 1300MusicArs Nova — innovation in Western polyphony
    • 1347WorldBlack Death sweeps across Europe
  35. 13th century
    12 genres
    • 1215WorldMagna Carta signed
  36. 12th century
    11 genres
    • 1100MusicRise of the troubadour poet-singers
  37. 11th century
    10 genres
    • 1054WorldEast–West Schism splits the Christian church
    • 1066WorldNorman Conquest of England
  38. 10th century
    5 genres
  39. 9th century
    11 genres
    • 800WorldCharlemagne crowned; Carolingian Renaissance
    • 850MusicNeumatic notation for Gregorian chant emerges
  40. 8th century
    6 genres
  41. 7th century
    4 genres
    • 622WorldHijra — year one of the Islamic calendar
  42. 6th century
    5 genres
  43. 5th century
    2 genres
    • 476WorldFall of the Western Roman Empire; Middle Ages begin
  44. 4th century
    3 genres
    • 313WorldEdict of Milan legalizes Christianity
  45. 3rd century
    3 genres
  46. 2nd century
    2 genres
  47. 1st century
    1 genres
    • 79WorldVesuvius erupts, burying Pompeii
  48. Antiquity
    10 genres
    • 40000 BCEMusicOldest known bone flute (Hohle Fels cave)
    • 3000 BCEMusicLyres and harps develop in Sumer and Egypt
    • 1500 BCEMusicVedic chant — India's oldest vocal tradition
    • 500 BCEMusicPythagoras systematizes musical tuning theory
    • 27 BCEWorldRoman Empire founded

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