From Vinyl Records To Viral Snippets

How music has evolved, evolves, and who’s shaping its future.

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Written by Nathalie Ila Mukerabirori

Edited by Kamilla Jumayeva

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Music has been an integral part of human life for ages. It has moved people through various occasions, whether it was a celebration, a revolution, or even a sad event such as heartbreak or loss. 

From ancient rhythmic drums and melody to TikTok trends, music has always been shaped by the new technologies discovered and developed through the years. According to Forbes, the music industry has dramatically transformed from selling physical formats like vinyl records to streaming, disrupting the way artists reach audiences.

 Over the past several years, music has undergone significant evolution and diversification. But still, music trends and styles have been and continue to be significantly influenced by history. Whether it was to commemorate loss and give hope during wars and revolutions or to celebrate love and life, songs have been a powerful tool to express emotions across the world. 

The creation of the radio in the 1920s allowed music to spread all over the globe, marking the birth of various music genres years later. The radio and television allowed people worldwide to listen to music at home, which decreased the rate of attending concerts, but allowed the music industry to grow wider as it reached and connected with its audience from miles away.

From Elvis Presley to Kendrick Lamar

The beginnings of many music genres, such as Jazz and Blues in the 1930s, followed by rock and roll in the 1950s, were marked by incredible artists like Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. 

Illustration by Nathalie Ila Mukerabirori

The 1960s were considered to be the golden age of music, marked by the appearance of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Monkees, Janis Joplin, and James Brown. A new genre occurred– Blues Rock and Psychedelic Rock

became one of the favorites for millions of listeners. This was followed by the appearance of Disco, Glam-Rock, and Punk in the 1970s with key figures such as Elton John, Queen, Marvin Gaye, and many others. 

With the launch of MTV in the 1980s, the music industry entered a new era. The channel helped propel the careers of rising stars like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Celine Dion, while also popularizing pop groups and introducing a wave of new genres, including Pop, Heavy Metal, Alternative Rock, Contemporary R&B, New Wave, Synth-Pop, and Rap.

TikTok, tech, and the new wave of music

The change in music genres brought innovation and a certain spirit of freedom to the industry as more and more new talents emerged. As of today, new genres continue to appear on the horizon, and it’s quite substantial how technology has influenced music; from records, cassette tapes, and CDs, to iPods, Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok.

According to New Music World, new technologies foster experimentation and genre-blending creativity, lowering costs and permitting artists to produce their music from home studios. Listeners also have a great role and impact in the shaping of music through platforms such as TikTok, where trends influence the virality of upcoming artists.

The up-and-coming artists perform the art of genre-blending since listeners today are more open to multiple genres, with mixed-style playlists. As stated by Makala Borland, KLSU Music Journalist, and Music Observer Staff, artists who fuse different styles often attract wider audiences and help smaller labels achieve success. Their global influence encourages fans to move beyond strict genre boundaries while still fostering cultural connections. 

One cannot forget the impact of TikTok and other platforms' virality, which helps launch careers overnight nowadays, even though maintaining fame can still be challenging for new artists at times.

Is today’s music in decline?

Although many music experts express a negative point of view on today’s music, some argue that it “lacks originality,” while others say that it is causing “a decline in the quality of music”. 

According to the conclusion of Why Evolution Is True, yet another music expert and critic argues that today’s popular songs are in decline: “The music is slower, melodically simpler, louder, more repetitive, more ‘I’ (first-person) focused, and more angry, with anti-social sentiments.”

However, such conclusions often depend on the genre and the generation of the listener. Some fans grew up with music that celebrated talent, skill, and originality, while others today embrace a new wave of artists who create music from scratch—boldly, confidently, and often with innovative approaches that reflect the spirit of their time.

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