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Music of the United States

The United States' multi-ethnic population is reflected through a diverse array of styles of music. It is a mixture of music influenced by the music of Europe, Indigenous peoples, West Africa, Latin America, Middle East, North Africa, amongst many other places. The country's most internationally renowned genres are traditional pop, jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, rock, rock and roll, R&B, pop, hip-hop/rap, soul, funk, religious, disco, house, techno, ragtime, doo-wop, folk, americana, boogaloo, tejano, reggaeton, surf, and salsa, amongst many others. American music is heard around the world. Since the beginning of the 20th century, some forms of American popular music have gained a near global audience.[1]

"Music of the United States of America" redirects here. For the series of critical editions, see Music of the United States of America (publications).

Native Americans were the earliest inhabitants of the land that is today known as the United States and played its first music. Beginning in the 17th century, settlers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany, and France began arriving in large numbers, bringing with them new styles and instruments. Enslaved people from West Africa brought their musical traditions, and each subsequent wave of immigrants contributed to a melting pot.


There are also some African-American influences in the musical tradition of the European-American settlers, such as jazz, blues, rock, country and bluegrass. The United States has also seen documented folk music and recorded popular music produced in the ethnic styles of the Ukrainian, Irish, Scottish, Polish, Hispanic, and Jewish communities, among others.


Many American cities and towns have vibrant music scenes which, in turn, support a number of regional musical styles. Musical centers around the country have all have produced and contributed to the many distinctive styles of American music. The Cajun and Creole traditions in Louisiana music, the folk and popular styles of Hawaiian music, and the bluegrass and old time music of the Southeastern states are a few examples of diversity in American music.

Protest songs in the United States

By region:

; Leroi Jones (1963). Blues People: Negro Music in White America. William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-688-18474-2.

Baraka, Amiri

(2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Feral House. ISBN 978-0-922915-71-2.

Blush, Steven

Chase, Gilbert (2000). . University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-00454-4.

America's Music: From the Pilgrims to the Present

Clarke, Donald (1995). . St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-11573-9.

The Rise and Fall of Popular Music

Collins, Ace (1996). The Stories Behind Country Music's All-Time Greatest 100 Songs. Boulevard Books.  978-1-57297-072-4.

ISBN

Crawford, Richard (2001). . W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-04810-0.

America's Musical Life: A History

Edmonds, Ben (2001). Let's Get It On. booklet liner notes (Deluxe ed.). Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. MOTD 4757.

Ewen, David (1957). . Prentice Hall.

Panorama of American Popular Music

Ferris, Jean (1993). America's Musical Landscape. Brown & Benchmark.  978-0-697-12516-3.

ISBN

Flory, Andrew (2017). I Hear a Symphony: Motown and Crossover R&B. . ISBN 978-0-472-12287-5.

University of Michigan Press

(1969). "Play A Simple Melody" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.

Gilliland, John

Hall, Roger L. (2006). A Guide to Shaker Music. PineTree Press.

Koskoff, Ellen, ed. (2000). Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 3: The United States and Canada. Garland Publishing.  978-0-8240-4944-7.

ISBN

Garofalo, Reebee (1997). . Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 978-0-205-13703-9.

Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the USA

Gillett, Charlie (1970). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll. cited in Garofalo. Outerbridge and Dienstfrey.  978-0-285-62619-5.

ISBN

Nelson, George (2007). . New York: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-07498-1.

Where Did Our Love Go?: The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound?

Kempton, Arthur (2003). . New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 978-0-375-42172-3.

Boogaloo: The Quintessence of American Popular Music

Lipsitz, George (1982). Class and Culture in Cold War America. J. F. Bergin.  978-0-03-059207-2.

ISBN

Malone, Bill C. (1985). Country Music USA: Revised Edition. cited in Garofalo. University of Texas Press.  978-0-292-71096-2.

ISBN

Nettl, Bruno (1965). . Prentice-Hall. ISBN 9780133228830.

Folk and Traditional Music of the Western Continents

Palmer, Robert (April 19, 1990). "The Fifties". Rolling Stone. cited in Garofalo. p. 48.

Ward, Ed, Geoffrey Stokes and Ken Tucker (1986). Rock of Ages: The Rolling Stone History of Rock and Roll. Rolling Stone Press.  978-0-671-54438-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

ISBN

Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.) (2000). Rough Guide to World Music. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books.  978-1-85828-636-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

ISBN

Sawyers, June Skinner (2000). . Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-81007-7.

Celtic Music: A Complete Guide

Schuller, Gunther (1968). . Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-504043-2.

Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development

Struble, John Warthen (1995). . Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-8160-2927-3.

The History of American Classical Music

Szatmary, David (2000). . Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-022636-5.

Rockin' in Time: A Social History of Rock-And-Roll

Weisbard, Eric (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. 1st edition. Vintage Books.  978-0-679-75574-6.

ISBN

Werner, Craig (1998). . Plume. ISBN 978-0-452-28065-6.

A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America

Claghorn, Charles Eugene (1973). . Parker Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-13-076331-0.

Biographical Dictionary of American Music

Elson, Charles Louis (2005). The History of American Music. Kessinger Publishing.  978-1-4179-5961-7.

ISBN

Gann, Kyle (1997). . Schirmer. ISBN 978-0-02-864655-8.

American Music in the 20th Century

Hamm, Charles (1983). . W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-95193-6.

Music in the New World

Hitchcock, H. Wiley (1999). . Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-907643-5.

Music in the United States: A Historical Introduction

Kingman, Daniel (1990). American Music: A Panorama (2nd ed.). New York: Schirmer Books.

Nicholls, David, ed. (1998). . Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-45429-2.

The Cambridge History of American Music

Seeger, Ruth Crawford (2003). The Music of American Folk Song and Selected Other Writings on American Folk Music. Boydell & Brewer.  978-1-58046-136-8.

ISBN

. Library of Congress Collections.

"Performing Arts, Music"

Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010. (in French)

Audio clips: Traditional music of the United States.

American Guild of Music

6 Ever American Trending Music Stars

Essential American Recordings Survey

Music Publisher's Association

Music Library Association

Historic American Sheet Music

popular American music, 1780–1960

Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection

Impact Of American Music On Pop Culture