The United Kingdom is a country of superior influence on the world and has often revolutionized various socioeconomic disciplines with its rich cultural and economical past. The impact of this small but powerful country of the Midwest has been substantial in the development of aesthetics, particularly in the field of music.
Early beginnings of UK music dates back to folk music, the traditional music of the time, with broad variety amongst different regions. The diversity of folk music within the UK was also quite noteworthy, with styles unique to various parts of the country, identifying four distinct forms which originated in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively. Amongst traditional folk musicians, Martin Carthy is considered an important personality, who inspired other performers such as the Waterson and Copper Families. Although the influence of folk music on the rest of the world was not profound, it did manage to create an identity for the UK, also inspiring immigrants to the country (thus spreading its fame to other parts of the world).
The more popular form of UK music thereafter is considered as ballad music, the broadside performances dating to the early 20th century. The industrial revolution led to further development of the music industry, leading to formation of music halls, which fuelled the interest of the spectators.
The most important era of musical influence by the United Kingdom on the rest of the world in recent times can be considered the time frame known as the sixties, i.e. 1960s. The music waves of this time caused a renaissance in the industry, leading to great heights in the entertainment trade. Although originated in the United States, there was a significant influence on Rock and Roll music from the UK, with world famous artists such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones creating a plethora of interest in the international musical platform.
At the turn of the decade, more diversification of the music industry was observed, with the evolution of heavy metal music. Important groups of this new era which occurred in the 1970s include Pink Floyd, Oasis, Queen and Deep Purple, with top chart hits bringing them world wide popularity. This period also led to the evolution of various other genre of music such as progressive rock, punk rock and the next most popular and revolutionary stage of music, the Pop Culture.
Pop Music
The pop music culture has received profound influence from UK’s musical community, with the formation of a new wave culture known as Britpop. It is a fusion of popular music forms, from alternative rock music to punk, jazz and country styles. The pop culture caused a revolution in the music field all over the world during it’s height in the late 80s to the early 90s, where it saw a boom in popularity in the teenage society.
Amongst the most popular UK pop music performers, groups such as the Spice Girls, Duran, Bee Gees rank at the top, with solo artists such as Robbie Williams, Eric Clapton, George Michael and Elton John never failing to attract a huge fan base for their concerts from around the world.
Punk Music
This is another form of music which evolved in the UK during the 70s, parallel to countries such as the United States and Australia. Punk is a genre of music that deviated from the rock culture, with its roots emerging from garage rock. This form of music is fast, loud and edgy, with short songs often having political or rebellious lyrics. It is a form of music closely associated with a ‘do it yourself’ culture, with groups such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash causing a phenomenon in their performances.
The Beatles
The Beatles are the most popular musical performers that evolved from the UK, as they caused a great revolution all over the world with their music style, evident in their popularity even of today. They can be easily named as ‘the’ band of all times, due to their influence on many generations of music performers and fans alike. Their special style of performance ranges from rock and roll to pop music. They are considered as the key personalities for leading the Musical British Invasion to the United States, and there on, to the rest of the world. Thus their influence on the musical industry can be considered the most substantial of all.
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