Over generations, there have been countless African-American artists who have contributed to and greatly influenced the American music industry. Ranging from the ragtime and blues of the late 1800s to the new waves of hip-hop of the modern era, here is a dive into the historical impact and stories of prominent African Americans in the music industry throughout the years.
African-American influence in the industry can be traced back to the creation of ragtime and blues in the late 1800s—rooted in religion and faith—with spiritual gospel working as a foundation for a multitude of later unique genres. Specifically, blues singers would focus on slow, sorrowful tunes reflecting the poverty of African-Americans and begin establishing a rich cultural heritage through the medium. Not too long after, the early 1900s would birth jazz, having a hold on the public until the 1960s, with its syncopated beats and use of new instruments such as the saxophone, which would become one of the defining sounds of the time. This era would mark the beginning of contemporary American music, including singers such as icons Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole. Among these artists, Louis Armstrong and his orchestra’s 1938 rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” previously traditionally a gospel-performed song, would perform one of the most famous versions as a jazz standard, causing many to argue he put both the song and genre on the map. As a result, Armstrong would act as the influence for many artists such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby.
The 1960s gave way to soul and funk, borrowing elements from jazz, blues, and ragtime by prominently featuring improvised solos, horn arrangements, and guitar foundations. Many artists, such as Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Earth, Wind & Fire, would succeed in the mainstream through the genres, emphasizing lyrics and themes reflecting the changing socioeconomic status of African-Americans and a struggle for racial equality, as soul would be expanded beyond romance and relationships to include social awareness and injustices against African-Americans. James Brown, who became one of the most recognizable performers in the genres and earned the nickname “The Godfather of Soul,” earned several Billboard Top 40 charting singles, such as “I Got You (I Feel Good),” and would inspire many up-and-coming artists, such as Michael Jackson.
Recent cultural liberation in the 1970s would give way to a more optimistic tone, with artists such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Wonder dominating with upbeat grooves. In particular, Wonder would release a total of 23 albums and become the youngest solo artist to ever top the Billboard Hot 100 chart when he was only 13 — one of his most famous songs, 1972’s “Superstition,” charted number 1 the year after its release. Additionally, funk would be influenced by wild fashion and science fiction of the time to take on more psychedelic qualities, to give way to the disco genre that would dominate clubs.
In the post-disco craze of the 1980s, pop would become the defining sound of the decade. The genre’s accessibility and variety allowed many African-American artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Prince to rise to fame by combining the genre with elements from earlier ones, such as jazz, R&B, soul, and funk, to create a revolutionary new sound. Most notably, Jackson—later dubbed the “King of Pop”—once shifting to a solo career in adulthood would find monumental success, especially in his sixth studio album, “Thriller,” which has become the world’s best-selling album according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
The popularization of hip-hop would occur during the 1990s, where artists such as Nas, Lauryn Hill, Tupac, and Biggie Smalls would flourish. Since then, the 2000s brought a continuation of both R&B and hip-hop, continuing to change with the times through the inclusion of the audio processor Auto-Tune, access to new digital instruments, track boards, and mixers, and being themed around the socioeconomic status of many African-American communities. Using the power of creating music as an act of rebellion, artists such as Destiny’s Child, Outkast, Usher, and Snoop Dogg brought forth issues like racism, police brutality, and romantic struggle to inspire listeners. Music would continue to evolve throughout the 21st century with artists such as Drake, Jay-Z, J Cole, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Lil Yachty, Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Kendrick Lamar, ASAP Rocky, and SZA that have become widely popular in the modern day — Kendrick Lamar in particular performing at Superbowl LIX and demonstrating the great influence and prominence of African-American artists to this day.
