Today, people purchase music online or on CD. Imagine having to buy sheet music and play it yourself to hear your favorite songs. In the late 1800s, before recorded music was available, publishing and selling sheet music was a big business. Popular songwriters like Scott Joplin, an African American composer of ragtime music, produced popular musicto sell as sheet music. "Tin Pan Alley" was the nickname given to an area of New York City where many music publishers clustered together. Over time, radios and records overtook the popularity of sheet music, and Tin Pan Alley faded. Rock and roll is one of the most popular American music genres. Formed from a mix of jazz, folk, country, and blues, rock and rollevolved to inspire musicians and fans around the world. Today's rock musicians owe much to Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and other pioneering musicians.

Country music sprung up as an offshoot of folk music. Developed by southerners, country music came from humble roots. As with jazz, blues, and rock music, the radio introduced country music to new listeners in the United States. Hank Williams and Patsy Cline drove country music's popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.