Recording Timeline
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A Sampling of Historic Sound Recordings, 1860-1949
Compiled by Tim Brooks from the National Recording Registry and major
discographies. Please note: percentages are the percent of historical
sound recordings from each period that are available from the current
rights holders (source: Survey of Reissues of U.S. Recordings).
Note: An asterisk (*) indicates that many or all of the recordings
by this artist are unavailable from the rights holders.
Pre-1890
1860 Unknown female vocalist: fragment of the French
folksong “Au clair de la lune” recorded in France by Édouard-Léon
Scott de Martinville on his experimental “phonautograph,”
which could record but not play back sound. Not reproduced until 2008.*
1888 Thomas A. Edison: exhibition recordings.
1890-94 (1% available)
1890 George W. Johnson*: first recordings by the
first successful African American recording artist.
1890 U.S. Marine Band*: first recordings by the
“president’s band,” which was led at the time by
John Philip Sousa*.
1894 Len Spencer and the Imperial Minstrels*: first
series of recorded recreations of a contemporary minstrel show.
1895-1899 (0% available)
1895 Ferruccio Giannini*: first recordings by an
operatic artist.
1897 Cal Stewart (as “Uncle Josh”)*:
first of a long series of comedy monologues with continuing characters—a
kind of recorded rural “situation comedy”—which
were extremely popular with Americans for the next 22 years, before
radio.
1900-1904 (1% available)
1901 Bert Williams and George Walker*: original
cast recordings by the first black Broadway stars.
1904 Enrico Caruso*: first U.S. recordings by the
great “golden age” operatic tenor.
1905-1909 (3% available)
1908 William Howard Taft, William Jennings Bryan*:
first recordings of campaign speeches by presidential candidates.
1908 Various foreign-language artists*: Victor and
Columbia each launch major series of “ethnic” recordings
by foreign-language immigrant artists, preserving the traditions of
many cultures.
1909 Fisk Jubilee Singers*: first recordings of
African-American spirituals by the world famous group.
1910-1914 (2% available)
1910 Mormon Tabernacle Choir*: first recordings
of the 300-member choir, on location in Salt Lake City, Utah.
1912 Lovey’s Trinidad String Band*: pioneering
U.S. recordings by popular Trinidad artist.
1915-1919 (6% available)
1916 Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Frederick Stock, conductor*:
first U.S. recordings by a full symphony orchestra.
1916 Wilbur Sweatman*: first recordings by pioneering
African American jazz clarinetist, composer and bandleader.
1917 Original Dixieland Jazz Band*: first widely-popular
recordings of “jazz”.
1917 Nora Bayes*: “Over There” sparks
a wave of patriotic war songs.
1918-1920 Various public figures*: Attorney Guy
Golterman records 28 prominent Americans speaking on public issues,
released on Nation’s Forum records.
1920-1924 (12% available)
1920 Mamie Smith*: first classic blues recordings
by a black artist.
1924 Paul Whiteman Orchestra*, George Gershwin pianist:
“Rhapsody in Blue”
1924 Duke Ellington*: first recordings by the great
composer/bandleader.
1925-1929 (11% available)
1925 Louis Armstrong*: many early recordings by
the great jazz artist are unavailable.
1927 Early country artists*: first recordings by
numerous pioneer country artists at the historic Bristol, Tennessee,
sessions and thereafter.
1930-1934 (10% available)
1931 Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski, conductor*:
experimental stereo recordings.
1931 Bing Crosby*: initial wave of enormous popularity,
popularizing “crooning”
1935-1939 (15% available)
1935 Glenn Miller & His Orchestra*: first recordings
by the highly popular swing band.
1938 Benny Goodman & His Orchestra*: Carnegie
Hall Jazz Concert.
1939 Billie Holiday*: “Strange Fruit”
directly addresses lynchings.
1939 Frank Sinatra: first recordings, with the Harry
James Orchestra.
1939 Kate Smith*: “God Bless America”
becomes patriotic anthem of World War II.
1940-1944 (25% available)
1940 Woody Guthrie: first recordings by the folk
icon.
1945-1949 (25% available)
1946 Hank Williams: first recordings by the country
icon.
1947 Wynonie Harris*: “Good Rockin’
Tonight,” considered by some to be the first rock ‘n’
roll record.
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