I had the idea to try to learn more about music throughout the 20th and 21st centuries by choosing songs from each decade for the last 120 years each month. January will focus on a few songs from 1902. I will attempt to represent a variety of music from each decade, including at least one instrumental piece per month. For some songs, I will make my own versions, and for others, I will provide links for listening. I also plan to provide a bit of history for each song/decade so we can walk through the history of music (mostly in the US) together. I've used a top 40s list from here: https://playback.fm/year/1902, but I've also tried to focus on pieces that were actually published in the year on which I'm focusing. I hope you enjoy!
January 3 "The Entertainer," by Scott Joplin, 1902
I want to include an instrumental piece from each decade, if I can find a popular one, so we’re starting off with Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer.” Joplin published his first rag, “Maple Leaf Rag,” in 1899, which is when ragtime music started to become popular. “The Entertainer” was published in 1902. This was the first piece I ever played for an audience, and I have pretty much always loved it. The version I played was simplified for a still-learning child to play, but that didn’t ruin my appreciation for the piece. I cannot do the piece justice, so I am providing a link to a Youtube video that will play his entire “Ragtime” album, if you want. “The Entertainer” is the first piece, so you can just listen to that, but I recommend giving the whole thing a listen. It’s only about 35 minutes long, and ragtime music really does have a unique and enjoyable sound.
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