Timeline of Black Music

1871 – A Gospel group Fisk Jubilee Singers was organized, and succeed in European tour.

1920 – The golden age of harlem renaissance culture.

1923 – Single record of ‘Downhearted Blues’ by Bessie Smith sold 800,000 copies.

1934 – First live show was held at Apollo Theater in Harlem.

First recording of Mahalia Jackson.

1941 – First recording of Muddy Waters.

1943 – First recording of Nat King Cole.

1947 – Magazine for African-Americans ‘Ebony’ was first published.

1955 – ‘I’ve Got a Woman’ by Ray Charles was a big hit (reached No.1 on the R&B chart), and Soul music was born.

‘Tutti-Frutti’ by Little Richard reached No.2 on the R&B chart and No.17 on the US chart.

The debut song of Chuck Berry ‘Maybellene’ reached No.1 on the R&B chart and No.5 on the US chart.

1956 – James Brown released his first hit tune ‘Please, Please, Please’ reached No.5 on the R&B chart.

First recording of Aretha Franklin (Gospel songs).

Sam Cooke recorded non Gospel songs.

1957 – The predecessor of Stax Records, Satellite Records was founded.

Jackie Wilson made a his major debut.

1958 – The predecessor of Motown Records, Tamla Records was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in Detroit, Michigan.

1959 – ‘Try Me’ by James Brown was a big hit and reached No.1 on the R&B chart.

1962 – Otid Redding got signed to the Volt Records, subsidiary label of Stax Records.

1963 – The major debut song of Otis Redding ‘These Arms of Mine’ made a hit (No.20 on R&B chart).

1964 – ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ by The Supremes reached No.2 on the US chart.

Sam Cooke was shot dead in Los Angeles.

1965 – Sam Cooke’s single ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ released after his death, was hit in conjunction with the Civil Rights Movement (No.9 on the R&B chart, No.31 on the US chart).

‘My Girl’ by Temptations reached No.1 on the US chart.

1967 – The Monterey Pop Festival

Singles ‘Respect’ ‘Baby I Love You’, ‘(You Make Feel Like) A Natural Woman’ and ‘Chain of Fool’ by Aretha Franklin are big hits.

Otis Redding died in a plane crash.

DJ Kool Herc emigrated from Jamaica to Bronx, New York.

1968 – Concert of James Brown was broadcast live on TV and it restrain race riots.

Stax Records was independence from Atlantic Records.

1969 – The Woodstock Music & Art Fair

1970 – Al Bell became the Stax’s vice-president and a co-owner.

Debut of Jackson Five.

Jimi Hendrix died.

1972 – Motown relocate the office to Los Angeles.

1975 – DJ Kool Herc held his first block party.

1976 – Grandmaster Flash mixed records by two of turntables.

1977 – Grand Wizzard Theodore invented scratching.

1979 – Sugar Hill Records released the first rap record.

1980 – ‘The Breaks’ by Kurtis Blow became the first gold disc of rap.

1982 – Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force released ‘Planet Rock’.

A Hip Hop film ‘Wild Style’ released.

1984 – Run-D.M.C. released the first album, and the Oldschool Hip Hop came to the end.

Def Jam Recordings, held up sheer fresh sound, founded.

Schoolly D in Philadelphia released first Gangsta Rap single ever in Hip Hop.

1986 – Beastie Boys’ ‘Licensed to Ill’ became the first No.1 Hip Hop album on the Billboard pop album chart ever.

1987 – Groups, such as Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy and N.W.A., changed the paradigm of Hip Hop debut one after another.

1988 – Teddy Riley produced Bobby Brown’s album ‘My Prerogative’, and his own group Guy released debut album. He created a great sensation of New Jack Swing fuse Hip Hop and R&B.

1989 – ‘3 Feel Height and Rising’ by De La Soul explosive sold, and it indicated quite new sense of Hip Hop.

1992 – ‘The Chronic’ by Dr. Dre released, Gangsta Rap and G-Funk became a craze.

Mary J. Blige debut by ‘What’s the 411?’, and her musical style called ‘Hip Hop Soul’.

1994 – NAS and The Notorious B.I.G. released debut albums one after another, the boom of the Hip Hop proclaims gangsta and street taste has broken out.

1996 – ‘The Score’ by The Fugees suddenly became popular in worldwide.

1998 – Lauryn Hill released ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ which has world’s first Hip Hop album has female viewpoint.

1999 – White rapper Eminem, found talent by Dr. Dre, debut.

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