Appendix II: Music Time-line.
Composer’s name /dates/Country
18,000 B.C.
2,000 B.C.
Musical Compositions
A Babylonian hymn is the first attempt
to write music down around 2000 B.C.
Evidence of attempts by Ancient Greeks
to use musical symbols around 500
500 B.C.
Very little evidence exists in the form
of manuscripts before the Middle Ages.
Most music was passed on by rote.
Significant Historic/Scientific/Artistic/World events
18,000 B.C. probably the first known musical instrument, made
from the bones of a wooly mammoth.
1800 B.C. Egyptians enslave the Israelites.
Pythagoras c.560 – 480 B.C. Greek Philosopher/
mathematician discovers principles of musical harmony.
Confucius, 551 – 479 B.C. Chinese Philosopher recognizes the
importance of music in maintaining order in society.
Sophocles c.495 – 405 B.C. Ancient Greek Philosopher
Plato 427 – 347 B.C. Greek Philosopher
Aristotle 384 – 323 B.C. Greek Philosopher and Scientist
Ancient Roman Empire established by around 60 A.D. Romans
develop the first brass instruments for military use.
Atilla the Hun 406 – 453 A.D.
Huns, Visigoths, and Vandals contribute to the fall of the Roman
Empire, by the late 400’s, and rise of the Catholic Church
in Europe begins.
Beginnings of Medieval Music (Music of the Middle Ages)
300 A.D.
500 A.D.
Ambrosian Chant (plainsong) attributed to
Saint Ambrose (339 – 397)
Pope Gregory the Great (530 -604) establishes
Gregorian Chant (some of the first music to be
written down, but without a stave)
Guido d’Arezzo (990 – 1050) invents first musical stave
900
1000
1100
First known polyphony ‘Organum’ around 1100 A.D.
Leonin 1135-c.1201 France
Leonin develops two-part music
Perotin 1160-1220 France
Perotin establishes three-part music
1200 Thomas Aquinas 1226-1274
St. Thomas Aquinas ‘Pange Lingua’
English 6-part round ‘Sumer is icumen in’ anon. 1240
1300 Machaut 1300-77 France
Landini 1325-97 Italy
Dunstable 1390-1453 Britain
Dufay 1397-1474 Belg./France
1400 Binchois 1400-60 Belgium
1410 Ockeghem 1410-97 Netherlands
1420
Landini writes madrigals,
‘Cacce’ and ‘Ballete’
Machaut Messe de Notre Dame 1364
Dunstable Quam Pulchra es (?)
Battle of Hastings 1066. William the Conqueror 1066-87
Henry I 1100-35 Henry II 1154-89
Richard I (Lionheart) 1189-99 King John 1199-1216
Henry III 1216-72
Edward I 1272-1307 Edward II 1307-1327 Edward III 1327-77
Battle of Bannockburn 1314
Hundred Years War between England/France 1337-1453
Chaucer (1340-1400) Canterbury Tales
Black Death kills one person in three in England 1348-49
Richard II 1377-1399 The Peasant’s Revolt 1381
Henry IV 1399-1413
Dufay and Binchois form the
Henry V 1413-1422
“Burgundian School” 1420 – 1470
Composer’s name /dates/Country
Musical Compositions
Significant Historic/Scientific/Artistic/World events
Ockeghem writes chansons, motets & masses
Henry VI 1422-61 & 1470-71 Wars of the Roses 1455-85
Medieval period ending/Renaissance period beginning
Desprez 1440-1521 France
1450 Obrecht 1450-1505 Netherlands
Marenzio 1453-99 Italy
1460
1470
1480
1490 Willaert 1490-1562 Belgium
Taverner 1490-1545 Britain
1500
Tallis 1505-85 Britain
Desprez writes motets, chansons & masses,
incl. Missa L’homme Arme sexti toni
Obrecht writing masses and motets
Marenzio writing Italian madrigals
G. Gabrieli 1553-1612 Italy.
Morley 1557-1602 Britain
1560 Gesualdo 1560-1613 Italy
Peri 1561-1633 Italy.
Sweelinck 1562-1621 Holland
Dowland 1563-1626 Britain
Monteverdi 1567-1643 Italy.
Caxton publishes Chaucer Canterbury Tales 1477
Edward V 1483 Richard III 1483-85
Battle of Bosworth 1485 Henry VII First Tudor 1485-1509
Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa 1503
Durer paints Adam and Eve 1507
Henry VIII 1509-47
Michelangelo finishes the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel 1512
James IV of Scotland defeated and killed at Flodden Field 1513
1510
1520 Palestrina 1525-94 Italy.
1530
Lassus 1532-1594 Italy
1540 Byrd 1543-1623 Britain
A. Gabrieli 1545-1605 Italy
Caccini 1545-1618 Italy
Victoria 1548-1611 Spain
1550
Edward IV 1461-70 & 1471-83
Taverner’s Western Wynde Mass (?)
First books of printed songs and madrigals 1530.
Anne Boleyn executed 1536
Edward VI 1547-53
Willaert Salmi Spezzati 1550
Palestrina first book of Masses 1554
Tallis Spem in alium (?)
Queen Mary 1553-58
Elizabeth I 1558-1603
Breughel paints “Adoration of the Magi” 1560
First slave trading 1562
Lives of Shakespeare 1564-1616 & Galileo 1564-1642
Palestrina Pope Marcellus Mass 1567
.
Gibbons 1568-1650 Britain
1570 Praetorius 1571-1621 German
Tomkins 1572-1656 Britain
Weelkes 1576-1623 Britain
1580
Allegri 1582-1652 Italy.
Gibbons 1583-1625 Britain
Frescobaldi 1583-1643 Italy
Schutz 1585-1672 Germany.
A. Gabrieli Missa Pater Peccavi 1572
Byrd and Tallis Cantiones Sacrae 1575
Lassus Ich armer mann 1576
Greensleeves(anon) first mentioned 1580
Drake sails round the world
1577 - 80
Mary Queen of Scots executed 1587
Composer’s name /dates/Country
Musical Compositions
Significant Historic/Scientific/Artistic/World events
Drake defeats Spanish Armada 1588
Spenser poem Faerie Queen 1590
1590
Peri first opera Dafne, performed 1594.
Dowland First booke of songs and ayres 1597
Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet 1597
Renaissance period ending/Baroque period beginning
1600
Peri and Caccini opera Eurydice 1600
Lawes 1602-1645 Britain
Carissimi 1605-1674 Italy
Galileo discovers planets go round the sun 1600
Shakespeare play Hamlet 1601
James I 1603-25
Guy Fawkes’ Gunpowder plot 1605
Monteverdi opera Orfeo 1607
“Parthenia”, collection of keyboard works
by Gibbons, Bull, Byrd: 1611
1610
Froberger 1616-1667 German
Walter Raleigh executed 1618
Schutz Psalms of David 1619
1620
First English Newspaper 1621
Hals paints “The laughing Cavalier 1624
Charles I 1625-49.
Locke 1622-1677 Britain
1630
Lully 1632-87 France.
Allegri Miserere (about) 1630
Frescobaldi Fiori musicale 1635
Lawes Consort Setts after 1635
Buxtehude 1637-1707 German
First public Opera House built 1637
1640
Monteverdi opera L’incoronazione di Poppea 1642
1650
Corelli 1653-1713 Italy.
Pachelbel 1653-1706 German
Purcell 1659-95 Britain
1660 A. Scarlatti 1660-1725 Italy
Couperin 1668-1733 France.
1670 Albinoni 1671-1751 Italy.
Clarke 1674-1707 Britain
Vivaldi 1678-1741 Italy.
1680 Telemann 1681-1767 German
Rameau 1683-1764 France.
J.S.Bach 1685 - 1750 Germany
Handel 1685 - 1759 Britain
D. Scarlatti 1685 - 1757 Italy
1690
Carissimi oratorio Jephte 1650
Froberger Suite VII for harpsichord and
first English opera Seige of Rhodes 1656
Locke Musick for His Majesty’s
Cornetts and sackbuts 1661
English Civil War starts 1642
Charles I beheaded 1649.
World Population 550 Million
Cromwell becomes Lord Protector 1653 -1658
Charles II 1660-85. Samuel Pepys diary 1660’s
Boyle establishes the Gas Laws 1662
Plague and Fire of London 1665 - 66
Milton peom Paradise Lost 1667.
Rembrandt paints self portrait aged 63 1669
Sir Isaac Newton sets out Laws of Gravity 1672
Lully opera Alceste 1674
Bunyan novel Pilgrim’s Progress 1678
Purcell appointed composer to Charles II 1683
First Street Lights in London, 1684
James II 1685-88
Purcell operas Dido and Aeneas
and Fairy Queen 1690
William III of Orange 1689-1702 & Queen Mary II 1689-94
Composer’s name /dates/Country
Musical Compositions
Tartini 1692-1770 Italy
1700 Sammartini 1700-75 Italy
Pachelbel Canon (1692?)
J.S. Bach walks for ten days to hear
Organist and composer Buxtehude 1705
1710 Boyce 1710-79 Britain
Arne 1710-78 Britain
Stanley 1712-86
C.P.E. Bach 1714-88 Germany.
Gluck 1714- 87 Germany.
1720
Corelli “Christmas” Concerto 1712
Tartini Devil’s Trill Sonata 1713
Handel Water Music 1715 - 1717
Significant Historic/Scientific/Artistic/World events
Salem Witchcraft trials 1692
First Daily English Newspaper 1702
Queen Anne 1702-1714
Union of England and Scotland 1707
Piano invented by Cristofori 1709
Handel comes to England to work in Royal Court 1712
George I Elector of Hanover crowned King 1714-27
Defoe novel Robinson Crusoe 1719
Baroque period ending/Classical period beginning.
J. S. Bach Brandenberg Concertos 1721
Albinoni Adagio from Oboe Concerto 1722
Vivaldi Four Seasons Concertos 1725
Swift novel Gulliver’s Travels 1726
Handel suite in D minor1727
George II 1727-60
Gay Beggar’s Opera 1728
Watt invents steam engine 1728
J.S. Bach St. Matthew Passion 1729
1730 Haydn 1732 - 1809 Austria.
D. Scarlatti Keyboard Sonatas 1739-57
J.C. Bach 1735-82 Germany.
Rameau Tambourin en rondeau 1739
Highwayman Dick Turpin hanged at York 1739
1740
Arne Rule Britannia 1740
Handel oratorio Messiah 1741
“The Campbells are coming” - Scottish tune published 1745
Hook 1746-1827 Britain
Handel Fireworks Music 1749
Fielding novel Tom Jones 1749
1750 Clementi 1752-1832 Italy
Mozart 1756-91 Austria.
Haydn first string quartet 1755
Linnaeus invents bi-nomial system for plants/animals 1758
1760 Cherubini 1760-1842 Italy
George III 1760-1820
Dussek 1760-1812 Czechoslovakia
Gluck Orfeo ed Eurydice 1762
Mozart, aged 6, performs in Europe with sister Nannerl 1762
Captain Cook sets off on his voyage 1768
Watt patents steam engine 1769
1770 Beethoven 1770-1827 Germany.
Boston Tea Party 1773
Priestley identifies oxygen 1774
American War of Independence begins 1775
America gains Independence 1776
Hummel 1778-1837 Austria
First Epsom Derby Horse race 1779
1780
Mozart Toy Symphony 1780
Planet Uranus discovered 1781.
Paganini 1782-1840 Italy
Montgolfier brothers first balloon flight 1783
Weber 1786-1826 Germany.
Mozart opera Marriage of Figaro 1786
Mozart opera Don Giovanni 1787 George Washington first U.S. President and
Mozart Jupiter Symphony 1788
French Revolution begins 1789
Haydn London Symphonies. Mozart opera
The Magic Flute, and Requiem 1791
Rossini 1792-1868 Italy.
Haydn oratorio The Creation 1799
First Smallpox immunizations 1796
Composer’s name /dates/Country
Schubert 1797-1828 Austria.
1800
Bellini 1801-1835 Italy
Berlioz 1803-69 France
Glinka 1804-57 Russia.
Strauss I 1804-49 Austria.
Musical Compositions
Beethoven 1st Symphony 1800
Hummel Trumpet Concerto 1803
Beethoven Eroica Symphony 1804
Paganini Caprices for violin and
Haydn Nelson Mass 1805
Beethoven 5th & 6th Symphonies 1808
Mendelssohn 1809-47 Germany
Significant Historic/Scientific/Artistic/World events
Ampere discovers electric currents create
magnetic fields 1802
Napoleon becomes Emperor of France 1804
Nelson dies winning the Battle of Trafalgar 1805
US Slave trade stopped 1808
Classical Period ending/ Romantic Period beginning
1810 Chopin 1810-49 Poland.
Schumann 1810-56 Germany.
Liszt 1811-86 Hungary.
Wagner 1813-83 Germany.
Verdi 1813-1901 Italy.
1820
Beethoven opera Fidelio 1814
Rossini opera Barber of Seville 1816
Schubert Trout Quintet 1819
Franck 1822-90
Schubert Unfinished Symphony 1822
Bruckner 1824-96 Austria.
Smetana 1824-84 Czechoslovakia. Beethoven 9th “Choral” Symphony 1824
Strauss II 1825-99 Austria
Mendelssohn Midsummer Night’s Dream 1826
Rossini opera William Tell 1829
1830
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique 1830
Brahms 1833-97 Germany
Borodin 1833-87 Russia.
Saint-Saens 1835-1921 France.
Delibes 1836-91 France
Balakirev 1837-1910 Russia
Bruch 1838-1920 Germany
Bizet 1838-75 France
Mussorgsky 1839-81 Russia
Mendelssohn Italian Symphony 1833
Glinka’s opera “A life for the Czar” 1836
Napolean’s failed Moscow campaign 1812
Battle of Waterloo. Miners’ Davy Lamp 1815
George IV 1820-30
Constable paints The Haywain and
Faraday invents electric motor1821
Rugby football invented 1823
Stephenson’s “Rocket” steam locomotive, and
First Oxford v Cambridge boat race 1829
William IV crowned 1830-37
Faraday makes electricity 1831
Earl Grey Abolishes Slavery in British Empire 1833
Dickens novel Oliver Twist. William IV dies, and
Queen Victoria 1837-1901
Schumann Scenes from childhood 1838
Chopin 24 Piano Preludes Opus 28. 1839
1840
Dvorak 1841-1904 Czechoslovakia
Sullivan 1842-1900 Britain
Grieg 1843-1907 Norway
Rimsky-Korsakov 1844-1908 Russia
Faure 1845-1924 France
Turner paints The Fighting Temeraire and
First Grand National Horse race 1839
Penny Post. Queen Victoria marries Albert,
Pedal bicycle, and Saxophone invented 1840
Wagner opera Flying Dutchman 1843
Schumann Piano Concerto 1845
Mendelssohn oratorio Elijah 1846
Irish potato famine 1845-48
Emily Bronte novel Wuthering Heights,
and California Gold Rush 1847
Reinforced concrete invented 1849
World Population 1.1 Billion
Composer’s name /dates/Country
Musical Compositions
1850
Mendel discovers Laws of Inheritance 1850
Verdi opera Rigoletto 1851
Verdi operas Il Trovatore & La Traviata and
Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor 1853
Janacek 1854-1928 Czechoslovakia
Elgar 1857-1934 Britain
Leoncavallo 1857-1919 Italy
Puccini 1858-1924 Italy
1860 Albeniz 1860-1911 Spain
Wolf 1860-1903 Austria
Mahler 1860-1911 Austria
Delius 1862-1934 Britain
Debussy 1862-1918 France
Mascagni 1863-1945 Italy
Richard Strauss 1864-1949 Germany
Sibelius 1865-1957 Finland
Glazunov 1865-1936 Russia
Satie 1866 - 1925 France
1870
Significant Historic/Scientific/Artistic/World events
Offenbach opera Orpheus
in the Underworld 1858
Brahms German Requiem 1865
Bruch Violin Concerto 1866
Grieg Piano Concerto 1868
Balakirev Islamey for piano 1869
Delibes ballet Coppelia 1870
Verdi opera Aida 1871
Vaughan Williams 1872-1958 Britain
Scriabin 1872-1915 Russia
Rachmaninov 1873-1943 Russia
Smetana Vltava and Mussorgsky Pictures
Holst 1874-1934 Britain
at an Exhibition and opera Boris Godunov 1874
Schoenberg 1874-1951 Austria
Ives 1874-1954 USA
Bizet opera Carmen 1875
Ravel 1875-1937 France
Falla 1876-1946 Spain
Wagner “Ring” Cycle 1876
Brahms 2nd Symphony 1877
Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony 1877
Respighi 1879-1936 Italy
Gilbert and Sullivan Pirates of Penzance 1879
1880 Bloch 1880 -1959 USA
Tchaikovsky “1812” Overture 1880
Bartok 1881-1945 Hungary
Borodin String Quartet 1881
Kodaly 1881-1967 Hungary
Stravinsky 1882-1971 Russia
Szymanowsi 1882-1937 Poland
Varese 1883-1965 France
Brahms 3rd Symphony 1883
Webern 1883-1945 Austria
Bax 1883-1953 Britain
Berg 1885-1935 Austria
Brahms 4th Symphony 1885
Crimean War 1853 – 56
Charge of the Light Brigade 1854
Florence Nightingale begins training nurses 1856
India falls under British rule 1858
Darwin Origin of Species 1859
Abraham Lincoln U.S. President, and
First Open Golf Tournament 1860
Manet paints Picnic on the grass. F.A. founded 1863
London Underground opened 1864
Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland, and
First pedal cycle 1865
Degas paints Ballet dancers, Nobel invents dynamite 1866
Last convicts shipped to Australia 1868
First FA Cup 1871
Lawn Tennis invented 1874
Bell invents Telephone 1876
Edison invents Phonograph. First Wimbledon 1877
First microphone and Zulu uprising 1878
First electric light 1880
R.L. Stephenson novel Treasure Island, and
First skyscraper 1883
First car and first camera 1885
Composer’s name /dates/Country
1890 Ibert 1890-1962 France
Prokofiev 1891-1953 Russia
Bliss 1891-1975 Britain
Hindemith 1895-1963 Germany
Orff 1895-1982 Germany
Poulenc 1899-1963 France
th
The 20
1900 Copland 1900-90 USA
Krenek 1900-91 Austria/USA
Finzi 1901-56 Britain
Rodrigo 1901-99 Spain
Walton 1902-83 Britain
Dallapiccola 1904-75 Italy
Tippett 1905-1998 Britain
Shostakovich 1906-1975 Russia.
Carter b. 1908 USA
Messiaen 1908-1992 France.
1910 Barber 1910-81
Musical Compositions
Significant Historic/Scientific/Artistic/World events
Franck Violin Sonata 1886
Rimsky Korsakov Sheherazade and
Satie Gymnopedies 1888
Mascagni opera Cavalleria Rusticana and
Faure Requiem 1890
Debussy L’apres-midi d’un Faune,
Dvorak New World Symphony and
Leoncavallo opera I Pagliacci 1892
R. Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra and
Puccini opera La Boheme 1896
Elgar Enigma Variations 1899
Puccini opera Tosca . Sibelius Finlandia and
Elgar oratorio Dream of Gerontius all 1900
Delius Walk to Paradise Garden and
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto no. 2 1901
Scott Joplin The Entertainer piano rag 1902
2nd Olympics in Paris. First Davis Cup 1900
Edward VII 1901-1910 and Marconi transmits radio signals
across Atlantic 1901
Marie Curie discovers radium. London population 6.5m 1902
Wright Brothers’ first powered flight 1903
J.M. Barrie novel Peter Pan 1904
Sibelius Pelleas & Melisande 1905
First ‘jukebox’. Kellogg invents cornflakes 1906
Scriabin Poem of Ecstasy 1907
Ives Unanswered Question 1908
Stravinsky Firebird 1910
Schoenberg Pierrot Lunaire 1912
Stravinsky Rite of Spring 1913
Vaughan Williams The Lark ascending 1914
Falla Nights in the Gardens of Spain 1915
Szymanowski Violin Concerto/Holst Planets Suite 1916
Bernstien 1918-90 USA
Boulez b.1925 France
Berio 1925 - 2003 Italy
Henze b.1926 Germany
Kipling novel Jungle Book 1894
First silent movies 1895
Rodin sculpture The Kiss. H.G. Wells War of the Worlds 1898
Boer War. Monet paints The water-lily pond 1899
Century: Beginnings of ‘Modern’ Music
Cage 1912-92 USA
Britten 1913-76 Britain
Lutoslawski 1913-94 Poland
1920 Arnold b.1921 Britain
Xenakis 1922-2001 Greece
Ligeti b. 1923 Austria.
Dunlop invents pneumatic tyre 1887
Van Gogh paints Sunflowers and
Football league founded1888
Eiffel Tower opened in Paris and Adolf Hitler 1889 – 1945
Free elementary education in England 1890
Holst ballet The Perfect Fool and
Vaughan Williams Pastoral Symphony 1922
Respighi Pines of Rome and
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue 1924
Puccini opera Turandot and
Janacek Sinfonietta 1926
Kodaly Hary Janos suite 1927
Rutherford discovers structure of atoms. Scouts founded 1908
First old-age pensions 1909
Venus De Milo discovered 1910 George IV 1910-36
Amundsen beats Scott to South Pole 1911
Titanic sinks 1912
First recording of a whole symphony 1913
General Strike. World War I 1914 – 1918
Einstein’s publishes his “Theory of Relativity” 1915
The term “Jazz” first applied 1916
Women over 30 first allowed to vote 1918
First jazz record released in UK. First helicopter flight and
first Trans-Atlantic plane flight 1919
BBC Founded. Tutankhamen’s tomb found 1922
First Wembley FA Cup Final 1923
Lenin dies. Stalin controls USSR and
First Winter Olympics. First Labour government in UK 1924
First sound movie and TV. General strike in UK 1926
First Ryder Cup golf match (UK V US)1927
Composer’s name /dates/Country
Stockhausen b.1928 Germany
Crumb b. 1929 USA
Hoddinott b.1929 Britain
1930 Takemitsu 1930-1996 Japan
Penderecki b.1933 Poland
Gorecki b.1933 Poland
Davies b.1934 Britain
Birtwistle b.1934 Britain
Davidovsky b. 1934 USA
Mathias 1934-94 Britain
Part b.1935 Estonia
Reich b.1936 USA
Davis b. 1936 USA
Bennett b. 1936 Britain
Glass b. 1937 USA
McCabe b. 1939 Britain
1940
Burgon b.1941 Britain
Jenkins b. 1944 Britain
Nyman b.1944 Britain
Tavener b.1944 Britain
Rutter b. 1945 Britain
Adams b.1947 USA
Lloyd Webber b. 1948 Britain
Ibert Divertissement and
Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms 1930
Walton cantata Belshazzar’s Feast 1931
Significant Historic/Scientific/Artistic/World events
Fleming discovers Penicillin, Disney invents Mickey Mouse 1928
First talking feature film. Wall Street Stock Market Crash 1929
Jet engine invented. First Football World Cup Uraguay 1930
UK population 49 million 1931
3 million unemployed in UK 1932
Rachmaninov Paganini Rhapsody 1934
Berg Violin Concerto 1935
Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf and
Romeo and Juliet 1936
Orff Carmina Burana 1937
Barber Adagio for Strings (1938)
Barber and Hindemith Violin Concertos and
Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez 1939
Finzi Eclogue revised for piano and strings 1940
Tippett Concerto for double string orchestra 1940
Copland ballet Rodeo, and Fanfare
for the Common Man 1942
Rogers and Hammerstein Oklahoma 1943
Tippett oratorio A Child of our Time 1944
Bartok Concerto for Orchestra and
Britten opera Peter Grimes 1945
Messiaen
1950 Yoshimatsu b.1953 Japan
Einaudi b. 1955 Italy
Turnage b.1960 Britain
Solare b.1966 Argentina
Talbot b. 1971 Britain
Musical Compositions
Turangalila Symphony 1949
First Penguin paperbacks 1935
Edward VIII (abdicates) George VI 1936-52. First public TV
broadcast, and Start of the“Swing”Era. Jarrow March 1936
First Jet engine. Disney Snow White 1937
Orson Wells radio reading of War of the Worlds
causes panic in US 1938
Film Gone with the wind 1939. World War II 1939 - 1945
Battle of Britain. Disney Fantasia and Pinocchio. 1940
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour 1941
First programmable computer 1943
D-Day June 6th 1944
Orwell novel Animal Farm. Hiroshima bomb. UN founded 1945
Compulsory school to age 15 1947
First LP Record (Album) National Health service founded 1948
Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Colour TV possible 1949
Time has proved that the composers whose names appear in the left and middle columns above have made a significant contribution to popular classical music.
From this point, the format and headings of the columns of this time-line are changed to reflect the growing interest in popular 20th /21stth century music, and
also music composed for film. This is not an attempt to compile the top selling, or most popular items in each category. They are only some of the
artists/events that made an impression on this writer.
1950
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
1960
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
Some top selling
albums/artists
Some top selling
singles/artists
Some popular films/
Music Composed by:
Some significant ‘Classical’
Music/Musicals.
Some significant Historic/Scientific/
Artistic/World Events
O Susanna/ Jolson. Going my way/
Crosby. The fat man/Fats Domino.
Go west young man/Bing Crosby
I’ll see you in m y dreams/Doris Day
Home on the range/ Ames Brothers
Mr. Rhythm sings/Frankie Laine
Jazz at Massey Hall/Charlie Parker
Requested by you/Frank Sinatra
In the wee small hours/Frank Sinatra.
Lady sings the blues/Billie Holiday
Songs for Swingin’Lovers/Frank
Sinatra. Oklahoma/O.S.T.
The King and I/O.S.T. Carousel/
O.S.T. This is Sinatra/Frank Sinatra
The King and I/O.S.T. A swingin’
affair/Sinatra
My Fair Lady/Original Cast. South
Pacific/O.S.T.
South Pacific/O.S.T. (Held no.1 for
whole years)
South Pacific/O.S.T. Down Drury
Lane to Memory Lane/101 Strings
G.I. Blues/Elvis P. Another Black and
white minstrel show/George Mitchell
West Side Story/O.S.T.Blue Hawaii/
Elvis P. The Young Ones/CliffRichard
With the Beatles+Please please me/
Beatles.Summer Holiday/CliffRichard
Beatles For Sale/Beatles. West Side
Story/O.S.T
Sound of Music/O.S.T. Beatles For
Sale/Beatles. Mary Poppins/O.S.T.
Sound of Music/O.S.T.
Revolver/Beatles
Sergeant Pepper/Beatles.Sound of
music/O.S.T.
The Sound of Music/O.S.T. Live at
Talk of the town/Tom Jones
Abbey Road/Beatles. Led Zeppelin
II/Led Zeppelin
Goodnight Irene/Weavers
Mona Lisa/Nat King Cole
Mockingbird Hill/Patti Page.
Too young/Nat King Cole.
Auf wiederseh’n Sweetheart/Vera
Lynn. Wheel of fortune/Kay Starr
Song from Moulin Rouge/Percy Faith
Doggie in the window/Patti Page
O mein papa/Eddie Fisher
Little things mean a lot/Kitty Kallen
Rock around the clock/Bill Haley
Unchained melody/Les Baxter
Heartbreak Hotel/Presley.
Singing the blues/Guy Mitchell
All shook up & Teddy Bear/Presley
Loveletters in the sand/Pat Boone
Magic Moments/Perry Como.
Dream/Everly Brothers
Livin’doll/Cliff Richard. What do you
want to make those eyes/E.Ford
It’s now or never/Elvis Presley
Cathy’s clown/Everly Brothers
Wooden Heart+Are you lonesome+
Surrender+ Elvis P.
I remember you/Frank Ifield.
Wonderful land/Shadows
From me to you+ I wanna hold your
hand+ She loves you/Beatles
You’re my world/Cilla Black. I feel
fine/Beatles
Yesterday+Day tripper+Help+Ticket to
ride/Beatles. Tears/Ken Dodd
Green green grass of home/Tom Jones.
Distant drums/Jim Reeves
Hello,goodbye/Beatles.Whiter shade of
pale/Procol Harum
Those were the days/Mary Hopkin
Wonderful world/Louis Armstrong
Sugar, sugar/Archies.Two little
boys/R.Harris. Get back/Beatles
Sunset Boulevard/Waxman
All about Eve/Newman
An American in Paris /Green & Saul.
The African Queen/Gordon
Singin’ in the rain/Hayton
High Noon/Tiomkin
Shane/Victor Young. From here to eternity
/Stoloff & Duning. Roman Holiday/Auric.
On the Waterfront/L.Bernstein
A star is born/Arlen
Love is a many splendoured thing/
Newman. East of Eden/ Marty
Around the world in 80 days/Young
The King and I/ Newman
Bridge over the River Kwai /Arnold. An
affair to remember/Friedhofer
The old man and the sea/Tiomkin Cat on
a hot tin roof/Hilton
Ben Hur/Miklos Rozsa. Some like it
hot/Deutsch.
Psycho/Hermann. The Alamo/Tiomkin
Magnificent Seven/E.Bernstein
Breakfast at Tiffany’s/Mancini
Whistle down the wind/Arnold
Lawrence of Arabia/Jarre. Mutiny on the
bounty/Kaper.
Pink Panther /Mancini.
Tom Jones/Addison
633 Squadron/Goodwin. Mary Poppins/
Sherman and Sherman.
Sound of Music/Kostai. What’s new
pussycat/Bacharach. Dr.Zhivago/ Jarre.
Born Free/Barry. Alfie /Bacharach The
Good, the bad and the ugly/Morricone
Thoroughly modern Millie/E.Bernstein.
Doctor Dolittle/Bricusse
Thomas Crown Affair/Legrand.
Oliver/Bart . Planet of the apes/Goldsmith
Butch Cassidy/Bacharach. Hello Dolly/
Hayton&Newman. The ReiversWilliams
String Quartet /John Cage
Suite Hebraique/Bloch
Billy Budd/Britten
Showboat/Deutsch&Salinger
4 minutes 33 seconds/ Cage
String Quartet no.5/Shostakovich
Sinfonia Antartica/Vaughan Williams
Call me Madam/Newman
Concerto for Orchestra/Lutoslawski
Le marteau sans maitre/ Boulez
Tam O’Shanter Overture/Arnold
Oklahoma/Bennett/Blackton/Deutsch
Candide/Bernstien. Flute Sonata/Poulenc
Hymnen/Stockhausen
Scottish Dances/Arnold. Symphony 11
/Shostakovich . Requiem/Takemitsu
Gigi/Lerner&Loewe.
Symphony no.9/Vaughan Williams
Symphony no.4/ Bax. Sound of
Music/Rogers and Hammerstein
Threnody for victims of Hiroshima/
Penderecki. Oliver!/Lionel Bart
Atmospheres/Ligeti. Symphony no.12 (the
year 1917)/Shostakovich
War Requiem/Britten
Symphony no 13/Shostakovich
Cello Symphony & Nocturnal after John
Dowland/Britten
Hello Dolly/Herman. Fiddler on the
roof/Bock,Harnick&Stein
The Bassarids/Henze
Requiem/Ligeti
Cabaret/Kander Lux Aeterna/Ligeti
String Quartet no. 11/Shostakovich
Punch and Judy/Birtwhistle. Echoes of
time and the river II/Crumb
Joseph/Lloyd Webber . O King/Berio
The Whale/Taverner
Sinfonia/Berio. Symphony
no.14/Shostakovich
Korean War begins. First mention of Vietnam
The lion the witch and the wardrobe/CS Lewis
First commercial computer. Dennis the Menace
appears in the Beano
Elizabeth II First ‘H’ Bomb exploded. U.S.
DJ Alan Freed invents name “Rock and Roll”
Hillary climbs Everest. DNA explained. North Sea
flood: over 2000 dead in England/ Holland
Lord of the Rings/Tolkien. Roger Bannister runs
first sub-4 minute mile.
Hovercraft invented. First ultrasound scan. First
TV commercial
First Eurovision Song Contest. Suez crisis, UK and
France invade Egypt
First ‘Sputnik’ Russian satellite
EEC founded
First Stereo recordings available. Munich air
disaster. First UK motorway M6
Buddy Holly dies in plane crash. M1 opens
Hawaii becomes 50th US state
Francis Chichester sails Atlantic solo in Gypsy
Moth II. Sharpeville massacre in South Africa.
Yuri Gagarin first man in space. Farthing coin no
longer legal tender in Britain
Cuban missile crisis. Telstar, first trans-Atlantic
TV satellite link
J. F. Kennedy assassinated. First Measles vaccine
Alcatraz prison closed. First Dr.Who episode
Harold Wilson ends 13 years of Conservative
government. Nelson Mandela imprisoned
US sends troops to Vietnam. Miniskirts. Churchill
dies. Malcolm X assassinated.
England wins World Cup. Aberfan disaster
Moors murderers Brady and Hindley convicted
1st Human heart transplant. Radio One launched.
Donald Campbell dies on Lake Coniston
Assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert
Kennedy . Decimal coins introduced in UK
Britain and France fly Concorde . British troops
sent to Northern Ireland
1970
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
1980
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
1990
91
92
93
Bridge o.t.water/ Simon&Garfunkel
Led ZeppelinII/Led Zeppelin
Every pict. tells a story/R. Stewart
Bridge o.t. water/Simon & Garfunkel
20 Dynamic Hits/Various Artists/KTel
20 All-time Hits of the 50’s/(K-Tel)
Don’t shoot me…/Elton John. Aladdin
Shane/David Bowie
The Singles 69-73/Carpenters. Band
on the run/Paul McCartney and Wings
Best of the Stylistics. Once upon a
star/Bay City Rollers
Greatest Hits/Abba 20 Golden
Greats/Beach Boys
Arrival/Abba. 20 Golden Greats/The
Shadows
Saturday Night Fever/O.S.T
Grease/O.S.T. The Album/Abba
Parallel Lines/Blondie.
Discovery/Electric Light Orchestra
Super Trouper/Abba
Zenyatta Mondatta/The Police
Kings of the wild frontier/Adam & the
Ants. Queen’s Greatest Hits/Queen
Love Songs/Barbra Streisand The
Kids from “Fame”/Kids From Fame
Thriller /Michael Jackson. Let’s
Dance/David Bowie
Can’t slow down/Lionel Ritchie. The
Hits Album/Various artists CBS/WEA
Brothers in arms/Dire Straits. No
Jacket Required/Phil Collins
True Blue/Madonna Brothers in
Arms/Dire Straits
Bad/Michael Jackson. The Joshua
Tree/U2.
Kylie/Kylie Minogue.
Private Collection/Cliff Richard
Ten good reasons/Jason Donovan. A
New Flame/Simply Red
InConcert/Pavarotti/Carreras/Domingo
The immaculate Collection/Madonna
Stars/Simply Red
Greatest Hits/Eurythmics
Stars/Simply Red. Back to
front/Lional Ritchie
Bat out of Hell II/Meat Loaf.
Automatic for the people/R.E.M.
In the summertime/Mungo Jerry.
The wonder of you/Elvis Presley
Maggie May/R.Stewart. Hot Love/
T.Rex. My sweet lord/G.Harrison
Puppy Love/D.Osmond. Without you/
Nilsson.Amazing Grace/RSDG
Blockbuster/The Sweet. Merry
Christmas everybodee/Slade
She/Charles Aznavour. Tiger
feet+Lonely this Christmas/Mud
Bohemian Rhapsody/Queen
Bye bye baby/Bay City Rollers
Dancing Queen/ABBA. Don’t go
breakin’ my heart/E.John&Kiki Dee
Mull of Kintyre/Wings. Knowing me,
knowing you/ABBA
You’re the one that I want . Summer
Nights/Travolta &Newton John
Bright eyes/Garfunkel. Another brick in
the wall/PinkFloyd.
Don’t stand so close to me/Police.
Going underground/The Jam
Don’t you want me/Human League.
Stand and deliver/Adam&Ants
Eye of the tiger/Survivor. Come on
Eileen/Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Karma Chameleon/Culture Club
Uptown Girl/Billy Joel
Do they know it’s Xmas/Band Aid.
Two Tribes/Frankie goes to Hollywood
19/Paul Hardcastle. The power of
love/Jennifer Rush
When the goin’ gets tough/Billy Ocean.
Take my breath away/Berlin
Never gonna give you up/Rick
Astley.China in your hand/T’Pau
I should be so lucky/Kylie Minogue.
The only way is up/Yaz
Ride on Time/Black Box.Swing the
mood/Jive Bunny
Sacrifice/Elton John.Turtle
Power/Partners in crime
Everything I do/Bryan Adams
Bohemian Rhapsody/Queen
I will always love you/Whitney
Houston.Stay/Shakespear’s Sister
I’d do anything for love/ Meat Loaf. No
Limit/2 Unlimited
Airport/Newman. Love Story/Lai.
Patton/Goldsmith
Summer of ‘42/Legrand. Shaft/Isaac
Hayes.Straw Dogs/Fielding
The Godfather/Rota. Poseidon
adventure/Williams. Cabaret/arr.Burns
The Sting+The way we were/Hamlisch.
Papillon/Goldsmith
Godfather part II/Rota. Towering
inferno/Williams. Chinatown/Goldsmith
Jaws/ Williams. One flew over the
cuckoo’s nest/Nitzsche
The Omen/Goldsmith. Rocky/Conti.
Carrie/Donaggio Taxi Driver/Herrmann
The spy who loved me/Hamlisch Star
Wars and Close Encounters 3K Williams.
Halloween/Carpenter. Boys from Brazil/
Goldsmith. Superman/Williams.
Star Trek+Alien/Goldsmith. Mad Max/
May . The Amityville Horror/Schifrin
Fame/Gore. Empire strikes back/Williams
Ordinary People/Adams.
Raiders of the lost ark/Williams
Chariots of fire/Vangelis
Bladerunner/Vangelis. E.T. / Williams
Sophie’s Choice/Hamlisch
Educating Rita/Hentschel Flashdance/
Moroder. Terms of endearment/Gore.
Passage to India/Jarre
Karate Kid/Conti
Back to the future/Silvistri
Witness/Jarre
Top Gun/ Moroder
The Mission/Morricone
Lethal Weapon/Kamen
Fatal Attraction/Jarre
Rain Man/Zimmer. Mississippi Burning/
Jones. A Fish called Wanda/Du Prez
Driving Miss Daisy/Zimmer. Born on the
fourth of July/Williams Batman/Elfman
Ghost/Jarre Dances with wolves/Barry
Edward Scissorhands/Elfman
Silence of the Lambs/Shore Bugsy/
Morricone. Beauty and the Beast/Menken
A few good men/Shaiman. The Crying
Game/Anne Dudley. The Piano/Nyman
Jurassic Park & Schindler’s List/ Williams.
Sleepless in Seattle/Autry
Cello Concerto/Bliss
Ancient voices of children/Crumb
Synchronisms/Davidovsky. Drumming/
Reich. J. C. Superstar/Lloyd Webber.
Einstien on the beach/Philip Glass
Grease/Jacobs and Casey
Canto per il Vietnam/Nono
Tubular Bells/Mike Oldfield
Music for 18 musicians/Reich
Snowflakes are Dancing /Tomita
Les espaces du sommeil/Lutaslawski
Pictures at an Exhibition/Tomita
The Lamb/Taverner. Symphony
No.3/Gorecki
Cantus in memoriam Benjamin
Britten/Part. Annie/Strouse
Evita/Lloyd Webber
Symphony No.8/Arnold
Star Child/Crumb
Pennplay/Davidovsky
Les Miserables/Schonberg. Farewell to
Stromness/Maxwell Davies
Cats/Lloyd Webber
Tehillim/Reich
Rain Coming and RainTree
Sketch/Takemitsu
Shaar/Xenakis
Romancero/Davidovsky
Starlight Express/Lloyd Webber
Altissimo/Einaudi
3rdSymphony/Lutoslawski. Requiem/
Lloyd Webber. Requiem/Rutter
Phantom of the opera/Lloyd Webber
Chess/Ulvaeus &Andersson
Nixon in China/Adams
Doce Variaciones/Solare
The Trial of Prometheus/Burgon
Te Deum/Rutter
The Protecting Veil/Tavener
Flute Concerto/McCabe
Gawain/Birtwhistle
Symphony no.1/Yoshimatsu
Miss Saigon/Schonberg. Liverpool
Oratorio/McCartney & Davis
Flute Concerto/Mathias
Berlin Mass/ Part
Violin Concerto/Adams. Polish Requiem
/Penderecki .Sunset Boulevard/L Webber
Beatles split. Drug-related deaths of Jimi Hendrix
and Janis Joplin. Apollo 13 space flight
Neil Armstrong first Man on moon, and
Full Decimalization of money in UK
First VCR’s. Bloody Sunday in Londonderry Tate
Gallery “Bricks”. First computer game.
School leaving age raised to16.
Sunderland win FA Cup
ABBA wins Eurovision. Guildford pub bombs
Lord Lucan disappears. Nixon resigns.
Oil discovered in North Sea off Scotland.
End of Vietnam War
First trans-Atlantic Concorde flight. Heatwave in
UK. Microsoft founded.
Elvis Presley and Groucho Marx die . Earthquake
and Tsunami in Indonesia
Amoco Cadiz oil disaster. Ian Botham scores 100
& 8 wickets in one innings First test tube baby.
Margaret Thatcher first woman P. M. 1979 – 90
Iranian radicals take 90 hostages in Teheran
John Lennon assassinated. First Sony Walkman
Iranian Embassy siege, London
AIDS found. First London marathon & Great N.
Run, Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, caught
Falklands War. First CD players sold
Kielder reservoir opened
Wheelclamps and compulsory Seatbelts in UK
IRA bombs Harrod’s store in London
Damage to Ozone layer found . Arthur Scargill
leads coalminers strike
Film star Rock Hudson dies of AIDS
Band Aid Concert, Wembley
Spain/ Portugal join EEC. Challenger explodes.
Chernobyl disaster.
Work begins on Channel tunnel. Hurricane
destroys 15 million trees in southern England
Lockerbie crash. Piper Alpha disaster. In, Benazir
Bhutto becomes first woman Pakistani head state
3 mill. unemployed in UK. Protest in Tianenmen
square. Berlin Wall down. Hillsborough disaster.
BSE leads to beef ban in schools. Poll tax
introduced in England. Nelson Mandela freed
Collapse of the Soviet Union. Terry Waite set free
after four years captivity in Lebanon.
First UN earth summit held in Brazil
Premier football league established.
Truck bomb kills 6 at World Trade Centre
Bill Clinton US President. James Bulger trial
94
95
96
97
98
99
2000
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
Cross Road/Bon Jovi. Carry on up the
charts/ Beautiful South
Colour of my love/Celine Dion
Robson and Jerome/R.&J.
Jagged little pill/A.Morissette
Morning Glory/Oasis
Be here now. Oasis. Urban
Hymns/The Verve
Talk on corners/The Corrs. Ladies and
Gentleman/G. Michael
Come on over/Shania Twain.By
request/Boyzone.
1/Beatles. Sing when you’re
winning/R.Williams
No angel/Dido.Swing when you’re
winning/Robbie Williams
Escapology/Robbie
Williams.Missundaztood/Pink
Life for rent/Dido. Justified/Justin
Timberlake
Scissor Sisters/Scissor Sisters
Hopes and fears/Keane
Love is all around/Wet Wet Wet
Stay another day/East 17
Unchained melody/Robson and
Jerome.Think twice/Celine Dion
Wannabe/Spice Girls. Killing me
softly/Fugees
Barbie Girl/Aqua. Candle in the wind
97/Elton John
Believe/Cher.
It’s like that/Run DMC
I have a dream/Westlife. Blue/
Eiffel 65. Vida Loca/R.Martin
It feels so good/Sonique. Can we fix
it?/Bob the builder
Whole again/Atom Kitten. Can’t get
you out…/ Kylie Minogue.
Hero/Enrique Iglesias. A little less
conversation/Elvis vs JXL
Where is the love/Black eyed
peasCrazy in love/Beyonce
Do they know it’s Christmas/
Band Aid 20.Call on me E.Prydz
Amarillo/Tony Christie
Axel F/Crazy Frog
Shawshank Redemption/Newman. Forrest
Gump/Silvistri.
Braveheart and Apollo 13/Horner. Judge
Dredd/Arnold
Twister/Mancina Independence
Day/Arnold. The English patient/Yared
Titanic/Horner. Men in Black/Elfman
The Lost World: Jurassic Park/Williams
Saving Private Ryan/Williams.Waking
Ned/ Davey. A Bug’s Life/Newman
Sixth Sense/Howard. Green Mile/Newman
Star Wars;Phantom Menace/Williams
Gladiator/Zimmer. Castaway/Silvestri
Erin Brockovich/Newman
Harry Potter/Williams. Lord of the
Rings:fellowship/ Shore
Spiderman/Elfman. Die another Day
Arnold Lord of the rings:2 towers/Shore
Finding Nemo/Newman. 2 Fast 2 Furious/
Arnold. The Last Samurai/Zimmer
The Aviator/Shore Troy/Horner. The Day
after tomorrow/Kloser
War of the Worlds and Star Wars:
Revenge of the Sith/Williams.
“Adiemus”, ‘Songs of Sanctuary’ Karl
Jenkins
Symphony No.3/Glass. The Rose
Lake/Tippett
Einaudi’s “Le Onde” and “Questa Notte”
Diamond Music/Jenkins
Song for Athene/Tavener Symphony
no.9/Henze Standing Stone/McCartney
Incandescence/Talbot. The beyondness of
things/Barry. White Raven/Glass
Cronaca del luogo/Berio
Symphony No.1/Joe Jackson
The armed man/Jenkins
The Last Supper/Birtwhistle
On the transmigration of souls/Adams
Violin Concerto/Corigliano
Psalm 150/Rutter. The Silver
Tassie/Turnage
The Veil of the Temple/Tavener
Hamburg Concerto/ Ligeti
Trombone Concerto/Hoddinott
Reflexions/Carter
Requiem/Jenkins Doctor Atomic/Adams
Nelson Mandela first black P.M. of South Africa.
Channel tunnel completed
World Population 5.7 Billion. Bosnian Serbs
slaughter 8,000 at Srebrenica. Oklahoma bombing.
Royal divorce . Dunblane massacre. First Nat.
Curric. testing. Dolly the sheep 1st cloned mammal
Tony Blair becomes PM Death of Princess Diana.
UK hands sovereignty of Hong Kong to Chine
Good Friday agreement promises ceasefire and
peace in N.Ireland. Lewinsky scandal .
Millennium Dome. First round-the-world balloon
flight. War in Kosovo. Scottish parliament founded
Scientists unravel secrets of DNA
First and only Concorde crash
Terrorists kill 2,752 in World Trade Centre (9/11)
Foot and mouth epidemic in UK
Earthquake in UK measures 4.8 on Richter scale
Bali bombings kill 202. Introduction of the Euro
War in Iraq. Saddam Hussein captured
Concorde retired. Columbia Space shuttle disaster
Indonesian Tsunami: over 150,000 killed or
missing. Saddam Hussein on trial
Live 8 concerts. G8 Summit at Gleneagles
Scotland. London Bombings. England win Ashes