The world is changing. It does not matter what era you live in... that’s always been a true statement. Since time began, the world has been in a constant state of flux. Everything and everyone is changing with it and this includes the music to which we listen.

From a Sapling

Most of the time... we cannot see these changes except on a small scale and even then, we rarely notice. In ten years the little sapling you plant in your backyard will be casting a good sized shadow that protects you from the sun. The house will look older and in need of a paint job and your car will not be as cool as it once was. Yet we barely notice as these changes take place. The individual sound of music... while ever changing, still stays as it was. Elvis will still be king in 100 years.

Marking Time

Everything changes so gradually that we barely notice. We find ways to mark some things, like how a birthday celebrates the changes we experience from year to year. For the most part, however, we just allow things to change with no noticeable way to track them. The exception to this rule... is music. If you pay attention, you might notice that music changes every ten years. The weird part of this spooky metamorphosis is that it happens at the start of each decade, exactly at midnight of the last day of the ten year period. And not only the artistes, the technology via which we listen to different music genre has also changed significantly over the past century. Earlier there were just music shows, theatres, and gramophone; then came cassette, CDs, DVDs; and now there are wireless music streaming. The music players have also evolved as such with various new tech brands in the industry such as Focusrite pro, Korg, Adam AX, which have revolutionized the manner in which we enjoy our music of all genres.

India's Black Death-The Charleston-Roaring 20's

If you do not believe me, put the theory to the test. If you purchase a greatest hits CD from the last 10 decades, it becomes obvious. The greatest hits from the 20's sounds nothing like the greatest hit's of the 30's. The hits from the 30's sound nothing like the 40's greatest hits. When the fifties got here, a lot of people thought that music had finally driven people insane (imagine what they would have thought about Rap if they thought Elvis was wild)?

The Swingingest-Pearl Harbour

The forties actually segued from the Big Band era and swing into Rock and Roll. That must have shocked quite a few grandmothers. The puritanical days were ushered out on the wings of the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. This was a difficult time for many of the older generation as their children all became obsessed with the maddening music of the day.

Watergate-Nixon-Jimmy Hendrix

If they knew what was coming, they would have enjoyed Rock's early years more and worried less. These worried parent only had to deal with what they considered the heavy stuff for ten years and then breathed a deep sigh as the season of love dominated the late 60's and early 70's. Rock turned rockier and as the decade progressed, Vietnam vets inspired a hardcore version of it. Now what was once a unified front of young people making love and enjoying Rock's second era turned into cool and nerdy people on opposite sides of the fence.

Rubix-Mt St Helens

Enter the eighties and the nerds’ revenge as Disco exploded onto the scene, picking up speed since mid 70's. Men who sang like women became all the rage while the Bee Gees became sopranos, the world lost its virginity in the season of love, and their identities in the age of Disco. To make things more confusing, someone tried to add electronics to Rock & Roll and accidentally invented Punk Rock.

A Century of Country Soul and Jazz

Most people do not realize that country folk were listening to country music the entire time. They also tend to forget that soul and jazz were in a 100 year jamboree in the southland before inspiring Rock and will still be here in 100 more. Now that is the kind of change that you just cannot help but notice. The next time you are enjoying the shade of the mighty oak that grew from that tiny sapling, remember that you need to look around once in awhile or you might miss something. I wonder what kind of music was born while I wrote this.