Music

1.

“How American Music
Changed the World”

2.

The Birth of Popular American Music
From Blues and Jazz – to Everything Else
♩In the early 20th century, the southern US gave birth to blues and jazz
♩New Orleans, Chicago, Memphis – cities where new rhythms and vocal styles
were invented.
♩Without this, there would be no rock, no soul, and no hip-hop.

3.

Elvis Presley – The King Changed Everything
Elvis Presley (1935–1977)
♩Combined white country with black rhythm and blues.
♩His TV shows in the 1950s shocked America and made the whole world fall in
love with rock and roll.
♩Sold over 500 million records worldwide.
♩Made rock and roll a global phenomenon.

4.

Bob Dylan – New Depth in Music
Bob Dylan – poet and voice of change
♩Turned popular music into serious art.
♩First musician to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for his lyrics.
♩Famous songs: Blowin’ in the Wind, Like a Rolling Stone.
♩Influenced generations of songwriters.

5.

Nirvana – The Alternative Breakthrough
Nirvana – when grunge took over the world
♩Seattle, early 1990s.
♩The album “Nevermind” (1991) knocked Michael Jackson off the top of the
Billboard chart.
♩Kurt Cobain became the voice of a frustrated generation.
♩Proved that raw, heavy music could become mainstream.

6.

Michael Jackson and Beyoncé – Kings of the Show
Two titans of American pop
♩Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982): the best-selling album of all time (~100 million
copies). Reinvented the music video.
♩Beyoncé – the first Black woman to top the country charts. Stadium tours, visual
albums, feminism, and power in the music industry.

7.

The Best-Selling Albums in History – All Connected to the USA
Top worldwide bestsellers
1)Michael Jackson – Thriller (~100 million)
2)Eagles – Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) (~45 million in the US, ~50+ million
worldwide)
3)AC/DC – Back in Black (~50 million)

8.

The End