The last 50 years has seen a huge change in popular music. Not only have the most popular sounds and genres changed and developed, but the way that we access music has changed almost beyond recognition. Many of the biggest names from as far back as the 60s are still instantly recognizable today, and their influence can be heard in even the most contemporary sounding records.
In the 60s and 70s vinyl records were still the most popular format for playing the music of such iconic rock bands as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. While heavy metal took off with Black Sabbath, and punk reached a climax with The Sex Pistols soul and reggae from the likes of Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley was also hugely popular.
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.
In the 60s and 70s vinyl records were still the most popular format for playing the music of such iconic rock bands as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. While heavy metal took off with Black Sabbath, and punk reached a climax with The Sex Pistols soul and reggae from the likes of Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley was also hugely popular.
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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