The Great Depression was a time during the 1930s when many people lost their jobs and money because businesses and banks failed.

Families struggled to afford food, homes, and clothes, and many had to move to find work.

It started in 1929 after a big crash in the stock market, which is where people buy and sell parts of companies.

Even though it was a hard time, people found ways to stay hopeful, like listening to music, watching movies, and working together to help one another.

What were the defining characteristics of the music during this decade?

The early 1950's saw the birth of Rock and Roll music which continued through the 1970's. The birth of rock led to the birth of various subgenres including...

• Folk Rock

• Surf Rock

• Garage Rock

• Psychedelic Rock

• Glam Rock

• Punk Rock

The king of Rock and Roll was Elvis Presley. The rock movement also led to the British invasion with the explosion of artists like the Beatles and the legendary Woodstock festival in 1969.

Disco movement also had a brief wave of popularity during the 70's.

How did societal and cultural events influence the music of the time?

The post-war era led to economic reconstruction which led to a new emerging age demographic - teenagers. Many teens were graduating high school for the first time and finding themselves with extra spending money leading to advertisers to target this age demographic for the first time.

People were also finding and discovering themselves post-war which led to the "Me Decade" where many people were more focused on self discovery. Significant movements included the Civil Rights Movements and Anti-Vietnam war protests.

Pop music returns as the most popular music genre. Country and Hip-hop became unlikely partners in the music world. K-pop and boy/girl groups also became very popular.

Many things influenced music in the last 15 years like Covid-19 and the rise of technology and social media. Because of covid, many music related events were canceled or postponed, causing a major setback into todays music. Another big influence is technology. The invention of the iPad, Alexa and other devices has changed the how music is made and how we listen to it.