Statistics for Musical Movements in American History

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General Stats

  • This quiz has been taken 25 times
  • The average score is 13 of 24

Answer Stats

EraDescriptionNotable Artists/SongsAnswer% Correct
Late 19th C.,
1920s
This genre originated in the African American communities of New Orleans and is characterized by swing and "blue notes", complex chords, call and response, and improvisation.Duke Ellington,
Louis Armstrong
Jazz
90%
Late '20s-40sPlayed by a musical ensemble of ten or more musicians in four sections: sax, trumpet, trombone, rhythm. This style dominated dancehalls in the 1940s.Benny Goodman,
Glen Miller
Big Band Swing
86%
1964-67A cultural phenomenon where music acts from the United Kingdom contributed to American counterculture and to a brief Anglophilia in America.The Beatles,
The Rolling Stones
British Invasion
81%
Mid-Late 1970sThis dance music genre uses a "four-on-the-floor" beat, string sections, rhythm guitars, and synthesizers. Popular slogans arose that expressed distaste for this "escapist" music.Donna Summer,
The Bee Gees,
ABBA
Disco
76%
1890s-
1910s
Pieces are typically composed for and performed on piano, and its cardinal trait is its syncopated rhythm.Scott JoplinRagtime
76%
1950sIts origins are fiercely debated, but it is typically though to have arisen in the South where African musical tradition merged with European harmony and instrumentation.Chuck Berry,
Little Richard
Rock and Roll
76%
1860sIt originated in jukes joints the Deep South, often relating to the challenges experience by African Americans. Influences include spirituals, work songs, and field hollers.Ma Rainey,
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blues
71%
Mid-'70s - 1980sThese short, fast-paced songs strip away instrumentations and solos and focus primarily on rebelliousness, counterculture, and youthful energy.The Ramones,
Sex Pistols,
The Clash
Punk Rock
71%
Mid-'80s & Early 1990sThis rock genre features distorted electric guitars and typically expresses dour and angsty themes.Nirvana,
Alice in Chains
Grunge
67%
Late 1960s-1970sThis broad genre of rock referred to the artistic growth of music as the '60s ended and focus shifted to more poetic lyrics, expressive instrumentation, and music for listening, not dancing.Emerson, Lake & Palmer,
Rush
Progressive Rock
62%
Mid-1960sThis genre attempts to blend the sounds of rock with the large library of the pre-existing traditional American music. Or commonly songs written by Bob Dylan.Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"Folk Rock
57%
Mid-'80s & Early 1990sThis subgenre featured lyrics that express values of American street gangs and hustlers. It has recurrently been accused of promoting disorderly conduct.NWA,
Ice-T,
Snoop Dogg
Gangsta Rap
57%
Late 1960sThis loosely defined genre is characterized by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitar. It would split into many subgenres by the 1970s.Led Zeppelin,
Jimi Hendrix,
Cream
Hard Rock
57%
Mid-1950sUsually refers to white singers with country roots but were also influenced by Black musicians like BB King. The name of the genre is a portmanteau.Elvis Presley,
Bill Haley
Rockabilly
57%
Late 1960s-1970sThis music genre originated in African American communities and focused on a rhythmic groove more than on melody or chord progression.James Brown,
George Clinton,
Curtis Mayfield
Funk
52%
Late 1960sThis rock music genre is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs and used electronic sound effects, electric organs, instrumental solos, and improvisation.Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Jefferson Airplane
Psychedelic Rock
52%
Early 1960sThis genre is subdivided into an instrumental form with reverb-heavy electric guitars and a vocal form that focuses on vocal harmonies.The Ventures,
The Beach Boys
Surf Rock
48%
1970s-currentThis term initially referred to the relationship an artist had, or did not have, with a record company. The advent of the Internet led to a glut of these bands, with some critics calling the subgenre a "landfill".The White Stripes,
The Strokes,
Modest Mouse
Indie
43%
Late '70s - 1980sFeaturing a wide variety of styles, this genre features strange and sometimes overly artistic artists with distinctive visual styles and quirky music.Blondie,
Devo,
Talking Heads
New Wave
43%
Late 1960s-1970sThis form of rock music originated in Southern California and the UK, with simple melodies that relied on lush production value and saccharine subject matter.James Taylor,
Bread,
Neil Young
Soft Rock
33%
Late 1960s-1970sRather than catchy tunes and danceable beats, this genre focuses on self-expression, experimentation, and the conceptualization of music. Andy Warhol even produced the genre's flagship album: Velvet Underground & Nico.Velvet Underground,
Pink Floyd,
David Bowie
Art Rock
24%
Late 1960sThis avant-garde subgenre of rock does not follow typical musical rules and can include innovative and strange methods of playing instruments, lyrics, rhythm, and structure.Frank Zappa,
Captain Beefheart
Experimental Rock
10%
1980s, primarilyThis broad genre of hip hop focuses on socially transformative themes, musical expression, and critical examination of political and existential concerns.De La Soul,
Fugees,
Kendrick Lamar
Progressive Rap
5%
Late 19th C.This emotional and generally melodic style of music dealt with themes of romance and intimate relationships. It developed primarily in Tin Pan Alley.Charles K. Harris's "After the Ball"Sentimental Ballad
5%

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