20th Century Western Music

America dominated music in the 20th century. First they developed jazz, and modern musical theater. From there they launched some forms of limited appeal, but influential nonetheless: country/bluegrass, folk, and the blues. Then came rock and R&B/soul, blending these earlier forms together in wildly popular ways. Finally, hip hop emerged as the last great musical innovation and contribution.

To be fair, in terms of global popularity, electronica wasn't American, initially. Shout-out to Germany and the UK on that one.

Even pop and vocals were heavily influenced by the U.S., from crooners like Sinatra to pop vocals like the Ronettes and Dionne Warwick. Think about it - K-Pop has more in common with Phil Spector then it does traditionally Korean music and instrumentation. 

Now, there were very important 20th century developments in the older genres as well, notably western classical and opera, which are European in origin, and changed greatly. There are also, of course, incredible musicians and innovators across the world in their own fields - Ravi Shankar in India, Umm Kulthum in Egypt, Ivo Papasov in the Balkans, and countless others. 

But for Western Music, for the 20th century, I think you could be pretty well informed if you listened to the following works: a sort of quick guide to the major artists and releases. I've limited myself to ten releases per genre, without repeating artists, for broadest scope. I've also left out 'Hits', 'Collections', 'Anthologies', and 'Compilations', so as to only provide intentional works.

Classical/Opera:

Appalachian Spring, Aaron Copland

Einstein on the Beach, Philip Glass and Robert Wilson

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Ennio Morricone

Harmonium, John Adams

Music for 18 Musicians, Steven Reich

Porgy and Bess, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, and DuBose Heyward

Quartet for the End of Time, Olivier Messiaen

The Rites of Spring, Igor Stravinsky

Star Wars, John Williams

Variations for Orchestra, Arnold Schoenberg

Musicals:

Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber and TS Eliot

Chicago, John Kander and Fred Ebb

A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, Frank Lazarus and Dick Vosburgh

Fiddler on the Roof, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Hardnick

A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim

My Fair Lady, Alan Jay Lerner and Frank Loewe

Oklahoma!, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II

Rent, Jonathan Larson

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Richard O'Brien

Stormy Weather, Various

Jazz:

Blue Light 'Til Dawn, Cassandra Wilson

Carnegie Hall Concert of 1938, Benny Goodman

Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Clifford Brown and Max Roach

Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings, Count Basie and Joe Williams

Ellington at Newport, Duke Ellington

The Inner-Mounting Flame, Mahavishnu Orchestra

Kind of Blue, Miles Davis

The Koln Concert, Keith Jarrett

A Love Supreme, John Coltrane

The Shape of Jazz to Come, Ornette Coleman

Blues:

At Newport, Muddy Waters

Born Under a Bad Sign, Albert King

Damn Right I've Got the Blues, Buddy Guy

Hoodoo Man Blues, Junior Walker

Irish Tour '74, Rory Gallagher

Live at the Regal, B.B. King

The Natch'l Blues, Taj Mahal

The Next Hundred Years, Ted Hawkins

Sings Ballads and Blues, Odetta

Two Steps from the Blues, Bobby 'Blue' Bland

Folk:

Basket of Light, Pentangle

Bringing It All Back Home, Bob Dylan

Dust Bowl Ballads, Woody Guthrie

I See a Darkness, Bonnie Prince Billy

Liege and Leif, Fairport Convention

Old Hag You Have Killed Me, The Bothy Band

Shoot Out the Lights, Richard and Linda Thompson

Songs for John Doe, Almanac Singers

There and Now: Live in Vancouver, Phil Ochs

We Shall Overcome, Pete Seeger

Country/Bluegrass:

At Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash

Chester and Lester, Chet Atkins and Les Paul

Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, Marty Robbins

Honky Tonk Heroes, Waylon Jennings

In Search of a Song, Tom T. Hall

Live, Alison Krauss and Union Station

Live from the Old Quarter, Houston Texas, Townes Van Zandt

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Ray Charles

Red Headed Stranger, Willie Nelson

Willis Alan Ramsey, Willis Alan Ramsey

Rock:

Appetite for Destruction, Guns n Roses

Astral Weeks, Van Morrison

At Fillmore East, Allman Brothers

Back in Black, AC/DC

The Clash, The Clash

Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin

Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, David Bowie

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles

Trout Mask Replica, Captain Beefheart

R&B/Soul:

Back Stabbers, The O'Jays

Dusty in Memphis, Dusty Springfield

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Aretha Franklin

Live at the Apollo, James Brown

Otis Blue, Otis Redding

Pieces of a Man, Gil Scott-Heron

Superfly, Curtis Mayfield

Talking Book, Stevie Wonder

What's Going On, Marvin Gaye

You Got My Mind Messed Up, James Carr

Pop/Vocals:

After Midnight, Nat King Cole

Blue, Joni Mitchell

A Christmas Gift to You, Phil Spector

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook, Ella Fitzgerald

In the Wee Small Hours, Frank Sinatra

Odessey and Oracle, The Zombies

Ray of Light, Madonna

Rumours, Fleetwood Mac

Tapestry, Carole King

Thriller, Michael Jackson

Electronica:

Better Living Through Chemistry, Fatboy Slim

Dig Your Own Hole, Chemical Brothers

Endtroducing....., DJ Shadow

Global Underground 013: Ibiza, Sasha

Mezzanine, Massive Attack

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, David Byrne and Brian Eno

Neu! 75, Neu!

Play, Moby

Rubycon, Tangerine Dream

Trans-Europe Express, Kraftwerk

Hip Hop:

Illmatic, Nas

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy

The Low-End Theory, A Tribe Called Quest

Paid in Full, Eric B and Rakim

Paul's Boutique, Beastie Boys

Raising Hell, Run DMC

Ready to Die, The Notorious B.I.G.

Sex Packets, Digital Underground

Straight Outta Compton, NWA

Strictly Business, EPMD