The turn of the century also marked the birth of a new era in the commercialization of American popular music. Sheet music publication became centralized in a part of New York City nicknamed Tin Pan Alley, supplanting Chicago and Philadelphia. A new style of music emanated from Tin Pan Alley, faster, brasher, and more up tempo than anything that had come before. The new mood was typified by the most popular song of the 1890s—Ti-Ra-Ra-Boom De Ay. There were also the marches of John Philip Sousa and a syncopated, ragged rhythm piano playing we associate with Scott Joplin and call ragtime.
Meanwhile, new generation of commercial composers appeared. Typified by Charles Harris. They were not products of American Victorianism; many were immigrants and a disproportionate number were Jewish.
Tin Pan Alley produced songs the way that industry manufactured factory goods. A song was a commodity that had to fit a pre-determined formula. All had a catchy, memorable tune. Many had a dance rhythm. The music of Tin Pan Alley changed over time. It is possible to identify three distinct generations.
The first generation produced songs that we now think of as timeless and traditional, such as "When You Were Sweet Sixteen," "My Wild Irish Rose," "In the Good Old Summer Time," "Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis," "Wait 'Til the Sun Shines, Nellie," "Sweet Adeline," and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Rather than drawing on traditional music, the first generation of Tin Pan Alley composers and lyricists created traditional music.
The second generation was led by George M. Cohan, who single-handedly reshaped the American musical stage as a actor, director, playwright, and composer. His songs — "Give My Regards to Broadway," "Yankee Doodle Boy," "You're a Grand Old Flag," and "Over There" — were brash, pugnancious, and aggressively patriotic. A growing number of songs reflected the influence of ragtime, like "Hello! Ma Baby."
A third generation emerged in the second decade of the twentieth century. This was the golden age of Tin Pan Alley. The songwriters of the period—Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers—were perhaps the greatest this nation has ever produced. Many of these songwriters were better educated in music than their predecessors, and were able to produce more complex and sophisticated works. They produced standards that continue to be recorded today.
Finally, the Progressive Era saw the emergence of new kinds of protest songs, more popular than any in the past. Social movements used songs to build morale and spread their message. The women's suffrage movement produced a vast assortment of songs. One, "The New America," sung at an 1891 convention, included the following lines:
Our country, now from thee, Claim we our liberty, In freedom's name Guarding home's altar fires, Daughters of patriot sires, Their zeal our own inspires, Justice to claim
Some of the best known protest songs were produced by the Industrial Workers of the World, and distributed through the organization's Little Red Book. Perhaps the most famous IWW song, "Solidarity Forever" by Ralph H. Chaplin, expressed the union's militancy in powerful words:
When the Union's inspiration through the worker's blood shall run, There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun, Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one? But the Union makes us strong.
Yankee Doodle Boy Listen to this music
You're a Grand Old Flag Listen to this music
When We Are Married Listen to this music
Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy's Chowder? Listen to this music
Tiger Rag Blues Listen to this music
Too Much Mustard Listen to this music
Too-a-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral Listen to this music
Under the Bamboo Tree Listen to this music
Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee Listen to this music
Waiting for the Robert E. Lee Listen to this music
Smiles Listen to this music
Some of These Days Listen to this music
St. Louis Blues Listen to this music
Sweetheart of Sigma Chi Listen to this music
Take Me Out to the Ball Game Listen to this music
That's an Irish Lullabye Listen to this music
Pretty Baby Listen to this music
School Days Listen to this music
Shine on Harvest Moon Listen to this music
Oh, You Beautiful Doll Listen to this music
On the Banks of the Wabash Listen to this music
Livery Stable Blues Listen to this music
Ma Rag Time Baby Listen to this music
Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis Listen to this music
Memphis Blues Listen to this music
Moonlight Bay Listen to this music
I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl Listen to this music
In My Merry Oldsmobile Listen to this music
In the Good Old Summertime Listen to this music
In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree Listen to this music
Just Because She Made Dem Goo-goo Eyes Listen to this music
King Porter: A Stomp Listen to this music
Land of Hope and Glory (Pomp and Circumstances) Listen to this music
Lanky Yankee Boys in Blue Listen to this music
Let's All Be Americans Now Listen to this music
Harrigan Listen to this music
He was Nailed to the Cross for Me Listen to this music
Hesitating Blues Listen to this music
Hungarian Rag Listen to this music
Casey Jones Listen to this music
Castle House Rag Listen to this music
Castle Walk Listen to this music
Colonel Bogey March Listen to this music
Come Josephine in My Flying Machine Listen to this music
Don't Bite the Hand That's Feeding You Listen to this music
Down by the Old Mill Stream Listen to this music
Down Home Rag Listen to this music
Down Where the Swanee River Flows Listen to this music
Band of Gideon Listen to this music
Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home? Listen to this music
Blue and the Grey Listen to this music
Conscientious Objector Listen to this music
Beulah Land Listen to this music
Break the News to Mother Listen to this music
By the Sea Listen to this music
Caissons Go Rolling Along Listen to this music
Cake Walk in Coontown Listen to this music
Alexander's Ragtime Band Listen to this music
Anchors Aweigh Listen to this music
Dixie Land Listen to this music