In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.The course of popular music has been shaped by many countries, but modern commercial music as we know it originated in New York City’s Tin Pan Alley district in the late 19th century, where singers, songwriters, pianists, publishers, and other musically inclined hustlers gradually turned melody into mass culture.Before records became the dominant medium, songs were printed on paper and sold to parlors, vaudeville stages, and dance halls. If you think independent musicians are underpaid by Spotify today, just ask a lowly pianist in the early 20th century how he was doing. Like many great facets of capitalism, America invented the modern machinery that made music popular, portable, profitable, and, eventually, unavoidable.
So, in honor of America’s 250th birthday, here are 10 records that pushed the musical boundaries of their day, expanded the grammar of popular music, or captured some essential American mood or ideal.The Complete Recordings — Robert Johnson (1936-1937)
