| The continuing oppression and suffering of the freed | | | | The popularity of Gospel music is really quite simple. |
| slaves bred a musical genre that today can uplift and | | | | Gospel songs were generally short, energetic, and |
| encourage all peoples. | | | | uplifting. Southern Gospel groups were generally all |
| Turmoil and Revolution Breed Genius | | | | male tenor quartets, representing a popular format |
| In the early twentieth century, popular culture in | | | | that has stuck with culture even today. In many |
| America underwent a massive revolution. Mass | | | | ways, Gospel music in the early recording industry |
| industrialization reduced the need for farm labor and | | | | represented the earliest form of what we today |
| increased the need for factory labor in the major | | | | know as pop songs, and created a sphere of |
| cities, leading to mass migration of African Americans | | | | influence that eventually spread on a global scale. The |
| from southern homesteads to northern industrial | | | | music was easy to listen to, accessible, and catchy. |
| centers such as Detroit, Chicago and New York. | | | | Before the invention of 'mass media' such as radio |
| Through various advancements such as the assembly | | | | and records, gospel music was really only |
| line, cataloging, and the department store, the | | | | experienced in its birthplace - the southern black |
| availability and popularity of consumer goods | | | | church. Segregated from white churches, African |
| sky-rocketed. | | | | Americans developed their own unique music genre, |
| One such development, unique in its nature, was the | | | | one that spoke to their condition of being a |
| radio and the gramophone / recording studio. These | | | | depressed (held down), segregated, discriminated |
| technologies made music and news accessible to | | | | people. The black gospel music lyrics that emerged |
| more people than had ever previously been possible, | | | | from this condition and their church services speaks |
| and, just as importantly, gave the layman an outlet | | | | to us today, because seeking salvation and support |
| to develop and promote music. So, very quickly, | | | | through troubled times is a universal condition. |
| studios were popping up all over the place, and soon | | | | But once African Americans started moving from |
| enough, through all the chaos and inefficiency that | | | | southern farms to northern cities, and once the |
| plagued the early recording industry, Gospel music | | | | records and radios were in place in the 1920's and |
| emerged as the overwhelmingly popular genre. | | | | 1930's, the rest of America could hear southern |
| But why was this? And why is it important now? The | | | | gospel music for the first time. And they liked what |
| early twentieth century was not a particularly spiritual | | | | they heard. What's not to like about short, energetic |
| one in America's history. | | | | and uplifting music lyrics that comfort us in times of |
| Timelessly Uplifting | | | | trouble? |