Music Through the Decades 1950s – 2020s
Music Through the Decades 1950s – 2020s
Mar 16, 2023
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Music Through the Decades1950s – 2020s
In this lesson, we are going to take a journey through popular music from the 1950s up to the
present day!
Before we begin, think about the following: What type of music do you enjoy? Do you have a favourite singer/ band/ song? Does the music you listen to depend on how you feel/ where you are/ what you are doing? Do you enjoy modern music? Do you know of any older songs or musicians? Can you name any of the most famous singers/ bands from the last 70 years? Feel free to ask your siblings/ parents/ friends these questions too!
For each decade, I will direct you to a YouTube playlist with some songs from that time period. Feel free to watch the music or lyric video, or just listen as you do other things throughout the day.
Click here to access the YouTube playlist!
The 1950s Some popular acts this decade
Music in the 1950s Music of the 1950's reflected the beginnings of major social changes in the world and in the US, especially. Rock 'n' Roll, R&B, and traditional pop ruled the charts. Radio and television gave people the opportunity to experience various styles of music. Some of the first major superstars of music emerged from this decade with people like Elvis Presley dominating the airwaves. In Ireland, Showbands became popular in dance halls.
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘Rock Around the Clock’ by Bill Haley (1955)
‘Jailhouse Rock’ by Elvis Presley (1957)
Elvis Presley
Johnny Cash
The 1960s Some popular acts this decade
Music in the 1960s In North America and Europe the decade was particularly revolutionary (i.e. there was a lot of change) in terms of popular music. At the beginning of the 1960s, pop and rock and roll trends of the 1950s continued. During the 1960s, rock ‘n’ roll evolved into more guitar- dominated music known simply as rock. Although the Second World War was over, there were still wars going on in the world. Many musicians sang about peace and love.
The Beatles became superstars in the 1960s. Their fame became known as ‘Beatlemania’.
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘My Girl’ by The Temptations (1965)
‘Help!’ by The Beatles (1965)
The Beatles
The Supremes
Music in the 1970s
After the rebelliousness of the 1960s, the 1970s brought a new type of music for people to enjoy and have fun with – disco!
In the 1970s, other styles of music were mixed with pop music, such as funk and soul music. Pop music generally has a heavy (strong) beat, so that it is good for dancing.
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘Your Song’ by Elton John (1970)
‘Starman’ by David Bowie (1972)
‘Waterloo’ by ABBA (1974)
Music in the 190s
Music in the 1980s was all about image as music TV channels such as MTV became popular. Music, fashion and makeup were loud and over-the-top. Genres such as hip-hop became more popular. Some music stars of the 80s include Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince and Whitney Houston.
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor (1982)
‘The Greatest Love of All’ by Whitney Houston (1986)
Madonna
Music in the 1990s
The musical era of the 1990s was one filled with a variety of genres including hip-hop, alternative rock, techno or dance music, as well as many ‘one-hit wonders’. In the late 1990s, boybands and girlbands (e.g. Boyzone, Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Spice Girls) became popular once again.
Playlist songs to listen to… ‘Never Forget’ by Take That (1995) ‘Mmmbop’ by Hanson (1997) ‘C’est La Vie’ by Bwitched (1998) ‘Swear It Again’ by Westlife (1999)
Britney Spears
Spice GirlsBoyzone
Music in the 2000s
The trends of pop music, rock, R&B and hip-hop continue into the 2000s. Singing competitions such as Popstars, American Idol and the X-Factor give rise to many new ‘overnight sensations’. Many artists such as Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers remain popular, standing the test of time!
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘I’m Like a Bird’ by Nelly Furtado (2000)
‘Reach’ by S Club 7 (2000)
‘Viva La Vida’ by Coldplay (2008)
Rihanna
Music in the 2010s
Increased popularity of online streaming apps such as Spotify and Apple Music made music more accessible than ever. Genres such as R&B, rock and hip-hop had continued success. ‘Teen pop’ had a renewed popularity early in the decade with acts such as Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Little Mix and One Direction becoming hits. There was an Asian influence on popular music with K-Pop and J-Pop artists becoming known worldwide. Electronic dance music became more widespread, led by DJs such as Calvin Harris, Tiesto and David Guetta.
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘Everything Has Changed’ by Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran (2012)
‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams (2013)
‘Roar’ by Katy Perry (2013)
Adele
The 2020s Music in the 2020s
We are only a few months into this new decade. Only time will tell what the 2020s hold for music!
Here are some questions to think about…
- What trends do you think will influence music this decade?
- Are there any popular artists that you feel will still be popular by 2030?
- What would you like to see happen in
music over the next 10 years?
Playlist songs to listen to (remember, we are only 6 months into the decade!)…
‘Think About Things’ by Dadi Freyr (2020) … Fun fact: He wrote this song about his newborn daughter!
Padlet I hope you enjoyed your journey through the last 70 years of music!
It is impossible to include everything in one lesson – the world of music is so broad! That is the joy of it!
Click here to access a Padlet based on this lesson. It is all your own opinion, I think you will like it!
I can’t wait to hear from you all!
In this lesson, we are going to take a journey through popular music from the 1950s up to the
present day!
Before we begin, think about the following: What type of music do you enjoy? Do you have a favourite singer/ band/ song? Does the music you listen to depend on how you feel/ where you are/ what you are doing? Do you enjoy modern music? Do you know of any older songs or musicians? Can you name any of the most famous singers/ bands from the last 70 years? Feel free to ask your siblings/ parents/ friends these questions too!
For each decade, I will direct you to a YouTube playlist with some songs from that time period. Feel free to watch the music or lyric video, or just listen as you do other things throughout the day.
Click here to access the YouTube playlist!
The 1950s Some popular acts this decade
Music in the 1950s Music of the 1950's reflected the beginnings of major social changes in the world and in the US, especially. Rock 'n' Roll, R&B, and traditional pop ruled the charts. Radio and television gave people the opportunity to experience various styles of music. Some of the first major superstars of music emerged from this decade with people like Elvis Presley dominating the airwaves. In Ireland, Showbands became popular in dance halls.
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘Rock Around the Clock’ by Bill Haley (1955)
‘Jailhouse Rock’ by Elvis Presley (1957)
Elvis Presley
Johnny Cash
The 1960s Some popular acts this decade
Music in the 1960s In North America and Europe the decade was particularly revolutionary (i.e. there was a lot of change) in terms of popular music. At the beginning of the 1960s, pop and rock and roll trends of the 1950s continued. During the 1960s, rock ‘n’ roll evolved into more guitar- dominated music known simply as rock. Although the Second World War was over, there were still wars going on in the world. Many musicians sang about peace and love.
The Beatles became superstars in the 1960s. Their fame became known as ‘Beatlemania’.
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘My Girl’ by The Temptations (1965)
‘Help!’ by The Beatles (1965)
The Beatles
The Supremes
Music in the 1970s
After the rebelliousness of the 1960s, the 1970s brought a new type of music for people to enjoy and have fun with – disco!
In the 1970s, other styles of music were mixed with pop music, such as funk and soul music. Pop music generally has a heavy (strong) beat, so that it is good for dancing.
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘Your Song’ by Elton John (1970)
‘Starman’ by David Bowie (1972)
‘Waterloo’ by ABBA (1974)
Music in the 190s
Music in the 1980s was all about image as music TV channels such as MTV became popular. Music, fashion and makeup were loud and over-the-top. Genres such as hip-hop became more popular. Some music stars of the 80s include Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince and Whitney Houston.
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor (1982)
‘The Greatest Love of All’ by Whitney Houston (1986)
Madonna
Music in the 1990s
The musical era of the 1990s was one filled with a variety of genres including hip-hop, alternative rock, techno or dance music, as well as many ‘one-hit wonders’. In the late 1990s, boybands and girlbands (e.g. Boyzone, Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Spice Girls) became popular once again.
Playlist songs to listen to… ‘Never Forget’ by Take That (1995) ‘Mmmbop’ by Hanson (1997) ‘C’est La Vie’ by Bwitched (1998) ‘Swear It Again’ by Westlife (1999)
Britney Spears
Spice GirlsBoyzone
Music in the 2000s
The trends of pop music, rock, R&B and hip-hop continue into the 2000s. Singing competitions such as Popstars, American Idol and the X-Factor give rise to many new ‘overnight sensations’. Many artists such as Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers remain popular, standing the test of time!
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘I’m Like a Bird’ by Nelly Furtado (2000)
‘Reach’ by S Club 7 (2000)
‘Viva La Vida’ by Coldplay (2008)
Rihanna
Music in the 2010s
Increased popularity of online streaming apps such as Spotify and Apple Music made music more accessible than ever. Genres such as R&B, rock and hip-hop had continued success. ‘Teen pop’ had a renewed popularity early in the decade with acts such as Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Little Mix and One Direction becoming hits. There was an Asian influence on popular music with K-Pop and J-Pop artists becoming known worldwide. Electronic dance music became more widespread, led by DJs such as Calvin Harris, Tiesto and David Guetta.
Playlist songs to listen to…
‘Everything Has Changed’ by Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran (2012)
‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams (2013)
‘Roar’ by Katy Perry (2013)
Adele
The 2020s Music in the 2020s
We are only a few months into this new decade. Only time will tell what the 2020s hold for music!
Here are some questions to think about…
- What trends do you think will influence music this decade?
- Are there any popular artists that you feel will still be popular by 2030?
- What would you like to see happen in
music over the next 10 years?
Playlist songs to listen to (remember, we are only 6 months into the decade!)…
‘Think About Things’ by Dadi Freyr (2020) … Fun fact: He wrote this song about his newborn daughter!
Padlet I hope you enjoyed your journey through the last 70 years of music!
It is impossible to include everything in one lesson – the world of music is so broad! That is the joy of it!
Click here to access a Padlet based on this lesson. It is all your own opinion, I think you will like it!
I can’t wait to hear from you all!
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