KEY PEOPLE

1. Irwing Berlin
2. Paul Dresser
3. George M. Cohan
4. Harry Von Tissler
5. Victor Herbert
6. Jerome Kern
7. Harold Arlen
8. Richard Rogers
9. George Gershwin
10. Cole Porter
11. Duke Ellington
12. Ginger Rogers
13. Al Jolsen
14. Ella Fitzgerald
15. Dinah Washington
16. Albert Ammons
17. Something Harris
18. The Dominoes
19. Big Mama Thorton
20. Muddy Waters
21. The Ravens
22. The Oriels
23. Jimmy Rogers
24. Hank Williams
25. Carter Family
26. Kitty Wells
27. Bill Monroe
28. Bill Haley
29. Elvis
30. Jerry Lee Lewis
31. Carl Perkins
32. Buddy Holly
33. Everly Brothers
34. Chuck Berry
35. Little Richard
36. Bo Diddly
37. Fats Domino
38. Platters
39. Alan Freed
40. Tom Parker
41. Pat Boone
42. Ricky Nelson
43. Brenda Lee
44. Paul Angback
45. Beach Boys
 46. The Temptations
47. Holland – Dosey – Holland
48. Smokey Robinson
49. Gladys Night
50. Marvin Gaye
51. Stevie Wonder
52. Barry Gordo
53.

KEY TERMS

Popular Song – an acculturation between jazz and the fine arts tradition. Tin Pan Alley,
country and black popular song all going on at the same time.
• Musicians received education from church
• Written for fantasy of a character in a play
• Emphasis on composer
• Idealistic point of view
• Many songs were conventional society set standards. There was a norm
• Structure
o 1. Verse  who’s doing what to who
2. Chorus  emotional situation great melody. Everyone remembers it.
[represents change in society because before verse was most important.
Compare “Jingle Bells” to “White Christmas”]
o Composer gives catch melody. Repeats melody with

Tin Pan Alley

I. Musical Theater – time where theater songs were most popular in country
a. Vaudeville  variety shows, very popular/powerful
i. Combines many different ethnic characteristics
ii. There were touring vaudville circuts
iii. Theater was built for live entertainment
iv. All involved music of American popular song
v. Children and parents could enjoy
b. Revue
 i. Women with little clothes, parade around with tin pan alley
songs
ii. Came from Paris went Las Vegas
c. Operetta
i. Made it personable to immigrant middle class
ii. Look back very fondly at homeland, very idealistic/fairytale
iii. Sang tin pan alley songs not opera
d. Musical
i. Plays with musical numbers
ii. 1928 – pivotal musical – SHOWBOAT!! New formula for
serious musicals
***Broadway was central point but traveled.

II. Sound to Movies – 1927

a. Hollywood versions of institutions
b. Frame huge tradition
c. Tin pan alley music
III. Recordings
a. 1910
b. not so expensive that no one could but it
c. but only had so much sound on it
d. Tin Pan Alley music fit perfectly!! So tin pan alley provided and
dominated record world
IV. Radio
a. Use to be LIVE entertainment
b. Was regional
c. Powerful source
V. Night Clubs
a. Early decade of 20th century
b. Rage for social dancing (sweet bands, tin pan alley)
c. Only listened to most popular music
d. Now music had to be perfect, singers were no longer just singing for
themselves
Tin Pan Alley – most of the musicians had a common background, many were
immigrants (JEWISH IMMIGRANTS WERE MOST PROMINENT). Blacks and Jews
were the most persecuted and made the most contributions. Depicted the differences
between American idealism and American Realism
I. Divided into 3 divisions
a. 1885-1915: WWI: waltz, emphasis on who wrote the songs
i. Irwing Berlin (Russian)
ii. Paul Dressert (Jewish)
iii. George M. Cohan (wrote, produced and stared in musicals)
iv. Harry Von Tissler
v. Victor Herbert
b. 1915-1935: Right before WWII: many were immigrants, emphasis on who
wrote the songs
 i. Irwing Berlin
ii. Jerome Kern
iii. Harold Arlen (“Over the Rainbow”)
iv. Richard Rodgers (1/2 of Rodgers and Hammerstein)
v. George Gershwin (most important)
vi. Cole Porter
vii. Duke Ellington
c. 1935-1955: coincides with the emergence of Rock and Roll, emphasis on
who preformed the songs
i. Irwing Berlin
ii. Jerome Kern
iii. Harold Arlen
iv. Richard Rogers
v. Cole Porter
vi. Duke Ellington
MUSIC:
“I’m dreaming of a White Christmas”  Irwing Berlin