The Main Songs of the 20th Century. From Dixieland to Hip-Hop

Art both reflects and shapes the times. Song is the most democratic, simplest, and most popular form of art. It is often created almost spontaneously, instantly reacting to various events. In this book, the cultural, historical, and political portrait of the century is shown through the history of popular songs, each of which is dedicated to a separate chapter. The main ones are not necessarily the best, although these concepts often coincide. Some songs reflect the most significant political events of the century – wars, revolutions, turning points in history. Others anticipate them. Some often, aside from or even against the authors' intentions, suddenly reflect the moods of vast masses of people and become an anthem for a generation. Some open up previously forbidden or even unknown layers of human existence to popular music, and through it to the mass consciousness. The songs are arranged chronologically, and the book reflects all decades of the 20th century and all genres of popular music – from blues and spirituals to musicals and jazz, from rock to disco, from ballads to hip-hop. The "song portrait of the century" created in this book will allow readers to see the sometimes non-obvious connections between popular music and social and socio-political processes in different countries throughout the 20th century.