Timeline of trends in music (1950-1959)
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1950 in music
- Music of Afghanistan
- The beginning of radio broadcasting leads to the beginning of Afghan popular music
- Music of Argentina
- Astor Piazzolla begins to fuse traditional tango music with jazz and classical music
- Music of Algeria
- Rai singers like Bellemou Messaoud add violin, accordion and other western influences
- Music of China
- The Chinese government begins recording and documenting the music of minorities in China
- Music of Colombia
- The Golden Age of Cumbia begins
- Music of Cuba
- Music of Japan
- Latin music becomes very popular in Japan, especially tango music (see dodompa)
- Music of Mexico
- Music of Papua New Guinea
- String bands, featuring acoustic guitars and ukuleles are popular in Papua New Guinea
- Music of Peru
- Huaynos spreads from the inland to coastal areas, supplanting fusions of multiple Western genres called musica criolla
- Music of Trinidad and Tobago
- The Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra tours Europe, marking the beginning of the dominance for newly-invented steelband orchestras
- Music of the United States
- Israel "Cachao" López popularizes Cuban mambo in the US
- The peak of Chicago blues, exemplified by musicians like Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Bill Broonzy and Tampa Red
1951 in music
- International trends
- Karlheinz Stockhause begins recording "elektronische musik"
- Music of Japan
- Daihachi Oguchi adds jazz influences to traditional taiko music, and turns the small groups of drummers into large ensembles
- Music of the Lesser Antilles
- Haitian compas and cadence rampa take over the music scene in Martinique, Guadeloupe and elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles, displacing biguine and similar native genres, which continue to thrive in rural villages
- Music of Trinidad and Tobago
- Calypso's mainstream popularity outside of Trinidad begins with artists like Lord Melody, Lord Kitchener, and, most especially, Mighty Spoiler's "Bed Bug".
- Music of the United Kingdom
- Jeannie Robertson's performance at the People's Festival in Edinburgh marks the beginning of the Scottish folk revival
- Music of the United States
- The Bakersfield sound in country music develops in Bakersfield, California as a reaction against the dominant Nashville sound - artists like Buck Owens and Wynn Stewart begin their career
- Piano Red ("The Wrong Yo Yo", "Just Right Bounce", "Laying the Boogie") is the first blues singer in history to appear on the pop charts
- Cool jazz is formed as a fusion of jazz and bossa nova
- Ray Boley sets up Canyon Records to record Navajo singer Ed Lee Natay; Canyon Records goes on to become the most influential label in Native American music
- Alan Freed begins broadcsting black R&B to white teenagers on his radio show, Moondog Rock'n'Roll Party
- Howlin' Wolf and Joe Turner begin popularizing a "shouting" style of blues singing
- Doo wop has many of its earliest hits, including "My Reverie" by The Larks, "I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night" by The Mello-Moods, "Glory of Love" by The Five Keys, "Shouldn't I Know" by The Cardinals and "It Ain't the Meat" by The Swallows
1952 in music
- International trends
- Les Paul invents the first solid body electric guitar, the Gibson
- In Memphis, Roscoe Gordon records "No More Doggin'", the origin of the rhythm of ska music
- Music of Bolivia
- A revolution leads to increased social and cultural awareness for natives in Bolivia
- Music of Egypt
- A nationalist revolution occurs with the support of classical music performers like Abd el-Halim Hafez
- Music of Ghana
- ET Mensah and The Tempos begin recording; they become one of the most popular and influential of dance highlife bands of the decade
- Music of Jamaica
- Stanley Motta makes the first recordings of mento
- Music of Kenya
- Recordings of Jean-Bosco Mwenda's Congolese finger-style guitar playing are availabe in Kenya
- Music of Madagascar
- Bouboul is the country's most popular musician, and its first electric guitarist
- Music of Mali
- Afro-Jazz de Ségou forms; this is the most influential dance band of the period
- Music of Nepal
- Radio Nepal begins broadcasting, leading to the development of a pop music tradition in Nepal
- Music of Thailand
- Pleng luk thung emerges with artists like Ponsri Woranut and Suraphon Sombatjalern
- Music of the United States
- Hard bop emerges with recordings by Miles Davis (Miles Ahead), Sonny Rollins (Way Out West) and J.J. Johnson (Blue Trombone)
- Bill Haley's pioneering recordings ("Rocket 88") mark the beginning of rockabilly as a distinct genre and commercial force
- The Weavers are forced to disband after being accused of Communism
1953 in music
- International trends
- Ghanaian drummer Guy Warren moves to Liberia and then the United States, where he begins recording a series of radical fusions of African drumming with American jazz musicians
- Music of Congo-Kinshasha
- Luambo Makiadi begins recording, and the first full-time Congolese orchestra, African Jazz forms; this is the beginning of a Congolese popular music sound
- Music of Cuba
- Music of Greece
- Manolis Khiotis adds a fourth pair of strings to the bouzoúki
- Music of Jamaica
- Count Ossie introduces akete drums and burru percussion styles to Rastafarian communities in West Kingston, leading to a close association between the religion and all forms of Jamaican popular music
- Music of Papua New Guinea
- The Port Moresby Show is held for the first time, established newfound respect for traditional Papuan music
- Music of Slovenia
- The Avsenik Brothers establish the foundation for Slovenian popular music
- Music of the United States
- The Orioles' "Cryin' in the Chapel" is the first record by a black group to be a #1 pop hit; other doo wop recordings by black groups like The Spaniels, The Moonglows and The Flamingoes, promoted by Alan Freed, are also hits
- Elvis Presley makes his first recordings
1954 in music
- Music of Algeria
- Cheikha Remitti records "Charrag Gatta" (Tear, Lacerate), an extremely controversial exhortation for young girls to lose their virginity
- Music of the Bahamas
- Bahamanian junkanoo parades, annual celebrations of music and dance, begin to become more organized, eventually helping solidify the sound of junkanoo and move it towards popularization
- Music of Cameroon
- Anne-Marie Nzie begins recording Hawaiian-styled guitar music; she will go on to help innovate a more popular version of folk bikutsi music
- Music of Jamaica
- The rise of the first sound systems dominated by future record producers like Sir Coxsone Dodd, King Edwards and Duke Reid; these parties are playing jump blues, R&B and other, mostly American, musicians
- Music of Nigeria
- Music of South Africa
- Spokes Mashiyane's "Ace Blues" is the biggest African hit of the year and launches the pennywhistle jive as the first major form of South African popular music
- Music of Spain
- Hispavox, a Spanish record label, releases Antología del Cantte Flamenco, a popular collection of recordings from the early flamenco masters
- Music of the United States
- Bill Haley and his Comets release "Rock Around the Clock", beginning the first rock and roll craze among mainstream listeners; many consider this the end of Tin Pan Alley's dominance of pop music, as well as the first use of pop in a film soundtrack
- Boozoo Chavis records "Paper in My Shoe", the first modern zydeco recording
- Doo wop is at its peak of popularity, while hits like The Crows' "Gee" emblematic of a new style, uptempo doo wop
- Chachachá becomes an American craze, bringing charanga bands to New York City
1955 in music
- Music of Germany
- The Rudolfstadt festival is founded in East Germany
- Music of Ghana
- Borborbor music develops in Kpandu, evolving out of konkoma highlife
- Music of India
- Ali Akbar Khan's performance in the US marks the beginning of fusions between Indian and Western musical traditions
- Music of the Netherlands
- An annual festival dedicated to recreating traditional Frisian culture, especially skotsploech ensembles, is founded in Joure
- Music of the Philippines
- Tagalog lyrics to Western-style rock appear in the Philippines; this is the beginning of Pinoy rock
- Music of Haiti
- Compas direct begins its popularization due to artists like Nemours Jean Baptiste
- Music of the United Kingdom
- Lonnie Donegan's "Rock Island Line" is the first skiffle song to be recorded
- Music of the United States
- The Weavers return to folk music after years of being blacklisted; their concert at Carnegie Hall helps to re-establish folk music's popular acceptance
- The Louvin Brothers mainstream stardom is established, and they become the most popular of the close harmony acts
- Bo Diddley popularizes the Bo Diddley beat
- The Chordettes and The Chantels are the first girl groups
- Tejano music arises out of Mexican-American communities in South Texas
- Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" is perhaps the earliest example of secularized gospel music, or soul
- Pete Seeger's Bantu Choral Folk Songs is the first recording of black folk by a white artist
- Chuck Berry begins recording, establishing the guitar as the focal point of rock, and introducing descending pentatonic double-stops
- Art Blakely and Horace Silver form a band (Art Blakely & the Jazz Messengers) which sets the stage for the hard bop revolution
- Clifton Chenier begins recording for Speciality Records, marking the beginning of popular zydeco
1956 in music
- Music of Australia
- Festival Records releases Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock", which becomes the most popular single in Australian history
- Music of China
- Turdu Ahun, a traditional Uighur performer, records the 12 muqams; this is an important recording in the history of Chinese folk music
- Music of Colombia
- Rock and roll begins its popularity in Colombia, and is soon dominated by Mexican performers like Enrique Guzmán and Cesar Costa
- Music of France
- Dalida's career and success begins with her third single and isntant hit, "Bambino".
- Music of Jamaica
- Ska emerges
- Music of Portugal
- José Afonso's career begins with Fados de Coimbra, recorded with Luís Góis, setting the stage for nova canção's development
- Music of Spain
- The first national contest of cante jondo is held in Cordoba
- Music of Trinidad and Tobago
- Mighty Sparrow's "Jean and Dinah" is the last hit for classical calypso. The song became a hit and led to a new interest in pop-calypso, heralded by another major hit, Harry Belafonte's "Banana Boat Song", which came from the album Calypso, the first of any kind to sell more than a million copies
- Music of the United Kingdom
- Ewan MacColl's Scottish Popular Ballads is an inspiration for the next generation of roots revivalists
- Music of the United States
- Hard bop jazz's mainstream success begins with Max Roach (Max Roach Plus Four), Sonny Rollins (Saxophone Colossus), Clifford Brown (At Basin Street), Jimmy Smith (The Champ) and Horace Silver ("Senor Blue")
- Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" begins his period as the most famous American musician and teen idol, and begins the peak of popularity for rockabilly
- Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" marks the beginning of white teen pop sensations singing doo wop
- Music of Vietnam
- The founding of the Hanoi Conservatoire of Music leads to more formality and modernization in Vietnamese folk music and the development of nhac dan toc cai bien
1957 in music
- Music of Antigua and Barbuda
- The Antiguan Carnival, and the Antiguan Calypso King competition, begins
- Music of Australia
- Slim Dusty's "A Pub With No Beer" becomes a major hit for Australian country music
- Music of Brazil
- Bossa nova emerges from Brazil with artists like João Gilberto ("Bim Bom"), and Antonio Carlos Jobim ("Desafinado" -- the first bossa nova record)
- Music of Greece
- Éntekhno becomes popular in Greece
- Music of Iceland
- Tony Crombie & His Rockets, an English band, popularizes rock and roll in Iceland with a series of thirteen concerts; authorities don't approve and try to offer non-rock related activities for Icelandic youth
- Music of Nigeria
- IK Dairo & the Morning Star Orchestra begin performing, soon becoming the biggest band in juju music and adding electric guitars and accordion to the style
- Music of Switzerland
- Bands like the Hula Hawaiians begin incorporating rockabilly influences into their music
- Music of the United Kingdom
- Skiffle begins its peak of mainstream popularity, as British rock and roll continues to develop into a distinct form
- Music of the United States
- The chart success of Johnny Cash ("Home of the Blues", "There You Go"), Ferlin Husky ("Gone", "A Falling Star"), George Hamilton IV ("Only One Love") and Marty Robbins ("Knee Deep in the Blues", "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)") mark the beginning of the Nashville sound's domination of country music
- Link Wray's "Rumble" is the first record using the "fuzz tone" sound
- Cuban bolero becomes popular, leaving a lasting influence on the Nashville Sound with its slow meter (2/4)
1958 in music
- Music of India
- The films Al Hilal and Mughal-e-Azam are responsible for the blossoming of filmi qawwali, as well as its increasing secularization, leading to intense controversy
- Music of Jamaica
- Local R&B bands begin recording commercially for domestic audiences
- Music of New Zealand
- Johnny Devlin becomes New Zealand's first rock star and launches a craze for rock and roll
- Music of South Africa
- Spokes Mashiyane's "Big Joe Special" is the first jive song to feature a saxophone, launching the sax jive genre
- Music of Spain
- A Chair of Flamencology is established at Jerez as flamenco music becomes more respectable and mainstream
- Music of the United Kingdom
- Blues musicians like Big Bill Broonzy, Alexis Korner, Cyril Davies and Muddy Waters achieve great popular acclaim in Britain
- Music of the United States
- Cuban bolero music is briefly popular, and leaves a long-standing influence on the Nashville Sound
- The Kingston Trio's "Tom Dooley" helps to jumpstart a revival in folk music
- The 'Five' Royales' "The Slummer the Slum", which uses guitar feedback and distortion
- Musicians like Eddie Cochrane lead the instrumental rock boom
1959 in music
- Music of Iceland
- Native rock and roll musicians begin an Icelandic rock scene. Record companies require lyrics to be in Icelandic, though the youthful listeners prefer English language acts.
- Music of Jamaica
- Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid, among others, found Jamaican ska-oriented labels, setting the foundation for a distinctively Jamaican music scene
- Music of Mali
- Allata Brulaye Sidibí develops music for a type of harp that he invented, kamalengoni
- Music of Peru
- A revolution helps bring native music, especially the charango (a string instrument) to middle-class and urban Peruvians
- Music of South Africa
- John Mehegan, an American pianist, organizes a recording session that results in the first two LPs by African jazzmen
- Music of Spain
- The Festival De La Canción De Benidorm is founded in Benidorm; it will inspire a wave of similar music festivals across the country, and the beginning of the Spanish pop industry
- Music of the United States
- Recordings by Ornette Coleman (The Shape of Jazz to Come), Sun Ra (The Nubians of Plutonia), John Coltrane (Giant Steps), Cecil Taylor (Stereo Drive, Love for Sale) and Eric Dolphy (Hot & Cool Latin) mark a mainstream resurgence in jazz, which has morphed into hard bop, avant-garde jazz and fusion -- the most well known is Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
- The Drifters' "There Goes My Baby" is one of the first American pop songs with a Latin rhythm