Music

Yerevan's Mirzoyan Library Combines Cutting Edge Photography with Hypnotic Beats

From left to right: Jennifer Woodul, Meg Christian (in glasses), Ginny Berson (whose hand is on Meg's leg), Kate Winter (above) and Judy Dlugacz (far right).

How Should We Archive the Soundtrack to 1970s Feminism?

It's time to talk about the lasting legacy of Olivia Records, a leading voice of the women's music movement, whose history is ready to come out of storage

DropReg, President of the East Bay Chevs group, in his ride during a video shoot in downtown Oakland.

New Exhibition in Oakland Traces the History of Hip-Hop

“RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom” celebrates the 45th anniversary of hip-hop culture

The Temptations

Library of Congress Adds ‘The Sound of Music,’ ‘My Girl’ to National Recording Registry

Each year since 2002, 25 recordings that impacted American culture are chosen for inclusion in the growing database. Read about the class of 2017

Brown’s portable instrument, 40 inches high by 50 inches wide, had a signature flourish: silver trim.

The Electric Organ That Gave James Brown His Unstoppable Energy

What was it about the Hammond organ that made the 'Godfather of Soul' say please, please, please?

Mick Moloney leads the Green Fields of America at the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

How One Impromptu Jam Session Spawned a Sweeping Irish-American Music Revival

For 40 years, Green Fields of America has told traditional Irish stories through song

Musicians from the Yanada Shinko perform at Misawa Air Base, Japan, April 6, 2013.

Why Music Is Not a Universal Language

Physics and culture shape music, but as a recent video essay breaks it down, the results are more varied that most people think

Terje Isungset on the ice horn

These Musical Instruments Are All Made of Ice

Chill out at Norway's Ice Music Festival this February

Cover art for sheet music from the original Tabasco opera, 1894.

Long-Forgotten Opera About Tabasco Sauce Heats Up Stage Again After Almost 125 Years

Thanks to some musical sleuthing, George W. Chadwick's ode to the now ubiquitous hot sauce brand has been revitalized by the New Orleans Opera

Music might be more universal than we thought.

Your Brain Knows What Songs Are For, No Matter Where They Came From

Researchers find that people easily recognize lullabies and dance songs from around the world

This Recently Discovered 1,700-Year-Old Mouth Harp Can Still Hold a Tune

The mouth harp, found in Siberia’s Altai Republic, produces music when you strike or pluck it with a finger

No public domain etchings by Jessie Traill available for this American teen.

Why Americans Missed Out on Public Domain Day (Again)

Aleister Crowley, Dorothy Parker, and René Magritte joined the public domain in 2018, but not in the United States

Drummers in Benin

Big Data Traces the World's Most Distinctive Musical Traditions

An analysis of 8,200 recordings from 137 nations shows nations in sub-Saharan Africa have the most unique rhythms and melodies

In December 1957, Lymon appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” to sing “Goody Goody,” nearly two years after “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” was a hit debut single.

Teen Idol Frankie Lymon's Tragic Rise and Fall Tells the Truth About 1950s America

The mirage of the singer's soaring success echoes the mirage of post-war tranquility at home

John Lennon chats with Mike Love (far right, in dark blue) as the Beatles sit for a photo with Maharishi and other course participants.

The Ashram Where the Beatles Sought Enlightenment

Beach Boys singer Mike Love recalls what it was like to be at the Indian locale, which remains a destination for fans of music and meditation

Rose Marie posing with her iconic black bow.

Rose Marie's Sprawling Legacy as Told Through the Artifacts She Left Behind

The late actress sang for mobsters, toured New York nightclubs and wisecracked her way through a career that spanned nine decades

Nine Innovators to Watch in 2018

Meet a group of trailblazers in medicine, education, art, transportation, artificial intelligence and more

Mónico Márquez plays a Hohner button accordion with Venezuelan band Mestros del Joropo Oriental at the 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

The Remarkable Rebirth of the Button Accordion

Musician Gilberto Reyes redesigned the instrument to meet the needs of Latino musicians

Turing standing next to the Mark I

Listen to Alan Turing's First Computer-Generated Christmas Carols

In 1951, the BBC played two carols from Turing's computer, which have now been recreated by New Zealand researchers

Jimi Hendrix was “a central figure in the history of African-American music,” says Kevin Strait, a historian and curator at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, home to this gold-brocade vest that the musician wore.

Gone at 27 and Eternally Youthful For the Ages, Jimi Hendrix Would Have Been 75 This Year

A gold-brocade vest at the Smithsonian evokes the innovative musician’s enduring legacy

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