Pianist Scott Bradlee has done some music history homework. In this video, he transforms “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” through 11 decades of pop genres.
via @JSchwinghammer
I think it would be a fun challenge to try composing something in each of these styles. Sometimes the difference between these genres is just a rhythmic variation. Other times he also drastically alters the chords underneath, like my favorite variation – the Nirvana-inspired 1990s grunge, which sounds very foreign and modal when it’s on piano rather than guitar.
It’s also interesting to see what he picked as defining genres of each era:
- 1900s – Waltz
- 1910s – Ragtime
- 1920s – Charleston
- 1930s – Boogie Woogie
- 1940s – Swing
- 1950s – Bossa Nova
- 1950s – Doo Wop
- 1950s – Rock n Roll
- 1960s – British Rock
- 1960s – Country/Western
- 1960s – Psychedelic Rock
- 1960s – Motown
- 1970s – Funk
- 1970s – Disco
- 1970s – Singer/Songwriter
- 1970s – Reggae
- 1980s – New Wave
- 1980s – Hard Rock
- 1990s – Grunge
- 1990s – Gangsta Rap
- 1990s – Techno
- 2000s – Pop Punk
- 2000s – Modern Alt Rock
- 2000s – Reggaeton
- 2010s – Dubstep
- 2010s – Modern Dance-Pop
