Music

In the 19th century, the music industry was dominated by sheet music publishers. In the United States,the group of New York City-based music publishers, songwriters and composers dominating the industry was known as "Tin Pan Alley". The late-19th century saw a massive explosion of parlor music, with ownership of, and skill at playing the piano becoming routine for the middle-class. In the late-19th century, if you wanted to hear a popular new song or piece, you would buy the sheet music and then perform the song at home. By the early 20th century the phonograph and recorded music grew greatly in importance. This, joined by the growth in popularity of radio broadcasting from the 1920s on, lessened the importance of the sheet music publishers. The record industry eventually replaced the sheet music publishers as the music industry's largest force.

This page includes music memorabilia, sheet music,and musical instruments.