The History of Electronic Music

Electric guitars and keyboards have become verymost famous example of this is when Bob Dylan
commonplace in today's musical scene. These days, itplugged in to play the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. His
is difficult to even find a singer who does not usefans turned on him the instant he plugged the guitar
electronic devices to enhance their voice. However,in and he even received death threats because of
the history of electronic music is not long, having justthat incident.
been introduced in the 1960's with the first electricThroughout the end of the 1960's and the 1970's,
keyboard.there were several advancements in technology for
Just as they were at the forefront of all musicelectronic music. By the 1980's, most popular music
trends in their time, The Beatles were responsible forused electric instruments and even synthesizers to
bringing the electric organ to popular music. Theproduce their sound. This genre of music has become
Mellotron was one of the first pieces of equipmentcommonly known as electronic, and it continues to
of its kind and it was famously used in introduction tofind its way into popular music.
The Beatles' song Strawberry Fields Forever. At thisIt is hard to imagine a time without synthesizers and
time, songs still included traditional guitars and drums,electric guitars in music, but the history of electronic
so the genre has come to be known asmusic does not go back very far. Electronic music has
electro-acoustic.become so commonplace, in fact, that finding the
The introduction of electronic instruments was aacoustic version of a popular song is like stumbling
great development that opened up many moreupon a rare gem. Without pioneering artists like Bob
options for musicians. However, many fans did notDylan and The Beatles, it is impossible to tell what
see it this way and were shocked when theirpop music today would sound like.
favorite artists began using amplified instruments. The