Music of the United States

Music of the United States: Top 100 Certified Music Artists (Albums)

Here’s the list of artists with the top 100 highest-certified albums:...

Music of the United States: List of Highest-Certified Music Artists in the United States

As of February 10, 2024, the list of the highest-certified music artists in the United States, based on certifications of albums and digital singles by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), is as follows:...

Music of the United States: Roots

The United States is a melting pot of people from Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa, shaping its rich musical heritage....

Music of the United States: Top 50 Certified Music Artists (Digital Singles)

Here’s the list of artists with the top 50 highest-certified digital singles as of March 8, 2024:...

Music of the United States: Genres

Alt-Country: Short for Alternative Country, blends elements of country music with various American roots genres like bluegrass, Americana, rock, rockabilly, and honky-tonk. American Folk Music: Typically performed by singer-songwriters, incorporates elements of country, blues, bluegrass, pop, and rock into their music. Americana: Americana is a broad term encompassing American roots music, sometimes referred to as “alternative country.” It includes bluegrass, folk, traditional country, blues, rock, and jazz. It emerged as a distinct genre in the 1990s, offering audiences a rawer sound compared to mainstream country music. Bluegrass: Bluegrass is an acoustic genre characterized by fast-paced music blending old-time, blues, and jazz. Instruments like fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass are common. The International Bluegrass Music Association hosts an annual conference and awards ceremony, and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky, preserves the history of bluegrass music. Bluegrass Books: Books like “Bill Monroe: The Life and Music of the Blue Grass Man” and “Foggy Mountain Troubadour” delve into the roots of bluegrass music, characterized by fast-paced acoustic music. Blues: Originating in the Southern United States, blues music expresses feelings of melancholy and pain, with subgenres like Delta blues, Piedmont blues, and Chicago blues. Boogaloo/Bugalú: Latin Soul genre originating in New York City’s Spanish Harlem in the 1960s, blending mambo and Latin jazz with African American R&B, soul, and doo-wop. Chicken Scratch/Waila Music: Developed by the Tohono O’odham people in southwest Arizona, blending Southwestern, Mexican, and European influences with accordion-driven polkas and waltzes. Country Music: Rooted in rural southern Appalachia, country music’s influences include old-time, bluegrass, gospel, folk, and Celtic music. It evolved into pop-influenced Nashville productions in the 1970s and 1980s. Jazz: Developed by African Americans in the US, characterized by rhythm, blue notes, and improvisation. Jazz has evolved into various forms like bebop, cool jazz, fusion, Latin jazz, and smooth jazz, with influential musicians like Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. Zydeco: Popular accordion-based music from southern Louisiana performed by Creoles of Color, blending traditional sounds with rhythm and blues elements....

Music of the United States: Education and Scholarship

The academic study of music in the United States explores its connection to social class, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexuality, as well as delving into music history and musicology. This scholarly pursuit has roots dating back to the late 19th century, with researchers like Alice Fletcher and Francis La Flesche studying Omaha peoples’ music for institutions like the Bureau of American Ethnology and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. In the early 20th century, American music was often viewed through the lens of European classical traditions, with folk and traditional music considered low-class. However, scholars like Arthur Farwell questioned this approach, pondering the unique musical traditions emerging from American culture. John Tasker Howard’s “Our American Music” (1930) became a standard text, focusing on concert music composed in the United States. From the mid-20th century onwards, scholars like Charles Seeger emphasized the relationship between American music history and perceptions of race and ancestry. Gilbert Chase’s “America’s Music, from the Pilgrims to the Present” (1955) recognized folk traditions as culturally significant, shaping the dominant view among academics. However, until the 1960s and 1970s, most scholars focused on European music, with limited attention to American styles beyond classical and jazz. In recent decades, modern musicologists and ethnomusicologists have broadened their focus, studying national musical identity and the specific styles of different communities throughout American history. Notable studies include Charles Hamm’s “Music in the New World” (1983) and Richard Crawford’s “America’s Musical Life” (2001)....

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FAQs on Music of the United States

What is music like in the United States?...