🎷 Jazz, Soul & Blues Classics Chronological History Timeline

Chronological Timeline (133 Entries)

1. [1326] Peasant revolt in Flanders 1323–1328 — Louis was released from captivity in February 1326, and the Peace of Arques was sealed.
2. [1849] Frédéric Chopin — Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the early Romantic period who wrote primarily for solo piano.
3. [1911] Leonid Utesov — He started his stage career in 1911 in Kremenchuk, then returned to Odessa, changed his artistic name to Leonid Utesov, and performed as a stand up comedian with the Rosanov troupe and with the Rishelyavsky Theatre.
4. [1912] Thomas Mann — He also wrote short stories and novellas, including Death in Venice (1912).
5. [1920] Paul Whiteman — As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, Whiteman produced recordings that were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz".
6. [1929] Comedian Harmonists — The group performed throughout the late Weimar period, notably appearing at the Scala in 1929.
7. [1930] James P. Johnson — Johnson composed many hit songs, including the unofficial anthem of the Roaring Twenties, "The Charleston", and he remained the acknowledged king of New York jazz pianists through most of the 1930s.
8. [1931] Cab Calloway — His signature song, "Minnie the Moocher," was recorded in 1931.
9. [1941] Muddy Waters — Work III recorded him for the Library of Congress in 1941, marking his initial documented foray into professional recording.
10. [1942] Langston Hughes — From 1942 to 1962, as the civil rights movement gained traction, Hughes wrote an in-depth weekly opinion column in a leading black newspaper, The Chicago Defender.
11. [1948] Sister Rosetta Tharpe — ("Down by the Riverside" was recorded by Tharpe on December 2, 1948, in New York City, and issued as Decca single #48106.
12. [1950] Kenny Rogers — In the late 1950s, Rogers began his recording career with the Houston-based group the Scholars, who first released "The Poor Little Doggie".
13. [1950] Willie Dixon — These songs were written during the peak years of Chess Records, from 1950 to 1965, and were performed by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Bo Diddley; they influenced a generation of musicians worldwide.
14. [1954] Etta James — Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s as the Chitlin' Circuit.
15. [1958] Bill Evans — In 1958, Evans joined Miles Davis's sextet, which in 1959, then immersed in modal jazz, recorded Kind of Blue, the best-selling jazz album of all time.
16. [1959] Laurel Aitken — Aitken's 1959 single "Boogie in My Bones"/"Little Sheila" was one of the first records produced by Chris Blackwell and the first Jamaican popular music record to be released in the United Kingdom.
17. [1959] Ornette Coleman — In November 1959, his quartet began a controversial residency at the Five Spot Café in New York City and he released the influential album The Shape of Jazz to Come on Atlantic Records.
18. [1960] Antônio Carlos Jobim — He is also regarded as one of the most celebrated songwriters of the 20th century, and his compositions have been played and recorded by many singers and instrumentalists internationally since the early 1960s.
19. [1960] Elton John — In the 1960s he formed the blues band Bluesology, wrote songs for other artists alongside Taupin, and worked as a session musician, before releasing his debut album, Empty Sky (1969).
20. [1960] Miriam Makeba — She moved to New York City, where she became immediately popular, and recorded her first solo album in 1960.
21. [1961] Bert Kaempfert — His influence is evident through famous compositions such as "Strangers in the Night" and "Moon over Naples," and he notably produced the Beatles' first professional recordings in 1961.
22. [1961] Gladys Knight & the Pips — After the single was released on three different labels, they changed their name to Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1961.
23. [1961] Na Moon-hee — In 1961, she debuted as a voice actor in the first public recruitment of MBC.
24. [1962] Booker T. & the M.G.'s — They also released instrumental records under their own name, including the 1962 hit single "Green Onions".
25. [1962] Chubby Checker — His biggest UK hit, "Let's Twist Again", was released one year later (in 1962).
26. [1962] Tony Bennett — In 1962, Bennett recorded his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco".
27. [1964] La Monte Young — In 1964, he began work on his unfinished improvisatory composition The Well-Tuned Piano, iterations of which he has performed throughout subsequent decades.
28. [1965] Curtis Mayfield — In 1965, he wrote "People Get Ready" for the Impressions, which was ranked No.
29. [1965] The Carpenters — They first performed together as a duo in 1965 and formed the jazz-oriented Richard Carpenter Trio along with Wesley Jacobs, then formed the middle-of-the-road band Spectrum.
30. [1966] Buddy Rich — In 1966, he recorded a big-band style arrangement of songs from West Side Story.
31. [1967] Captain Beefheart — Leading a rotating ensemble known as the Magic Band, he recorded 13 studio albums between 1967 and 1982.
32. [1967] The Jackson 5 — The Jackson 5 first performed in talent shows and clubs on the Chitlin' Circuit and eventually signed with Steeltown Records in 1967, under which their first two singles were released.
33. [1968] Joni Mitchell — Although some of her early songs were recorded by others, this period led to her signing with Reprise Records and recording her debut album, Song to a Seagull, in 1968.
34. [1969] Boz Scaggs — Scaggs began his solo career in 1969, though he lacked a major hit until his 1976 album, Silk Degrees, peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and produced the hit singles "Lido Shuffle" and "Lowdown".
35. [1969] David Bowie — He released a string of unsuccessful singles with local bands and a self-titled solo album before achieving his first success in 1969 with "Space Oddity", a UK number-five single from his second album.
36. [1969] Donovan — The compilation Donovan's Greatest Hits was released in March 1969 and peaked at No.
37. [1969] Janis Joplin — She performed at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and on the Festival Express train tour.
38. [1970] Alan Lomax — In the 1970s and 1980s, Lomax advised the Smithsonian Institution's Folklife Festival and produced a series of films about folk music, American Patchwork, which aired on PBS in 1991.
39. [1970] Eiichi Ohtaki — Happy End produced three albums, Happy End (1970), Kazemachi Roman (1971) and Happy End (1973), before officially disbanding on New Year's Eve 1972.
40. [1970] Eric Clapton — Clapton then toured with Delaney & Bonnie and recorded his first solo album in 1970, before forming Derek and the Dominos with Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon.
41. [1970] Paul McCartney — After the Beatles disbanded, he debuted as a solo artist with the 1970 album McCartney and went on to form the band Wings with his first wife, Linda, and Denny Laine.
42. [1970] Tinariwen — The collective first convened in the late 1970s and released their first studio album in the early 1990s.
43. [1971] Bonnie Raitt — In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album.
44. [1972] Bob Marley and the Wailers — Before signing to Island Records in 1972, the band released four albums.
45. [1972] Diana Ross — Between 1972 and 1980, Ross recorded four top ten albums with her most successful studio release being the album Diana.
46. [1973] Aerosmith — They released a string of multi-platinum albums starting with their eponymous debut in 1973, followed a year later by Get Your Wings.
47. [1973] Bobby Darin — Walden Robert Cassotto (May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973), known by the stage name Bobby Darin, was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed pop, swing, folk, rock and roll and country music.
48. [1974] Donna Summer — There, she met music producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, and recorded her first album, Lady of the Night, released in 1974 only to the European market.
49. [1975] Charly García — The band separated in 1975 with a mythical concert at the Luna Park that produced a double album and a feature film.
50. [1975] Keith Jarrett — His album The Köln Concert, released in 1975, is the best-selling piano recording in history.
51. [1975] Phil Collins — Concurrently, he performed as the drummer for the jazz fusion band Brand X (1975–1979) and formed the Phil Collins Big Band in 1996.
52. [1976] Jaco Pastorius — Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time, Pastorius recorded albums as a solo artist, band leader, and as a member of the jazz fusion group Weather Report from 1976 to 1981.
53. [1976] Lalo Schifrin — He composed the Paramount Pictures fanfare used from 1976 to 2004.
54. [1977] Steely Dan — The band enjoyed critical and commercial success with seven studio albums, peaking with their top-selling album Aja, released in 1977.
55. [1980] Aaron Kwok — Active since the 1980s, he has released over 30 studio albums in Cantonese and Mandarin, mostly in the dance-pop genre, with elements of rock, R&B, soul, electronica and traditional Chinese music.
56. [1980] AC/DC — With Johnson in the line-up, the band recorded one of the best-selling albums of all time, Back in Black (1980).
57. [1980] Bill Withers — He also recorded "Just the Two of Us" (1980) with Grover Washington Jr.
58. [1981] Buzzcocks — The classic line-up of Shelley, Steve Diggle (guitar), Steve Garvey (bass) and John Maher (drums) recorded Buzzcocks' first three albums, after which the band broke up in 1981 following a dispute with their record label.
59. [1982] Marvin Gaye — Gaye transitioned away from Motown to Columbia Records in 1982, where he released the highly successful album Midnight Love featuring the single "Sexual Healing".
60. [1983] Black Sabbath — Following Dio and Appice's departures, Iommi and Butler recorded Born Again (1983) with Ward returning on drums, and Ian Gillan, then-formerly of Deep Purple, on vocals.
61. [1983] Gao Xingjian — The Bus Stop (1983) and The Other Shore (1986) had their productions halted by the Chinese government, with the acclaimed Wild Man (1985) the last work of his to be publicly performed in China.
62. [1985] A Tribe Called Quest — A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip-hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985, originally composed of rapper and main producer Q-Tip, rapper Phife Dawg, DJ and co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper Jarobi White.
63. [1986] Chaka Khan — More of Khan's hits include "Through the Fire" and a 1986 collaboration with Steve Winwood that produced a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, "Higher Love".
64. [1986] Regine Velasquez — Under the name Chona, she signed a recording contract with OctoArts International in 1986 and released the single "Love Me Again", which was commercially unsuccessful.
65. [1988] Cha Seung-won — Cha dropped out of Sungkyunkwan University, and began a successful career as a fashion model in 1988.
66. [1989] Nas — The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas began his musical career in 1989 under the moniker "Nasty Nas", and recorded demos under the wing of fellow East Coast rapper Large Professor.
67. [1989] Yes (band) — In 1989, the offshoot group Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe formed and released a self-titled album.
68. [1990] Robert Plant — In the 1990s, another reunion project called Page and Plant released two albums and earned a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1998 for "Most High".
69. [1991] Alejandro Sanz — Sanz released his debut album at age nineteen, although he did not gain commercial success in Spain until his second release, Viviendo Deprisa (1991).
70. [1991] Radiohead — Radiohead signed to EMI in 1991 and released their debut album, Pablo Honey, in 1993.
71. [1992] Paco de Lucía — In 1992, he performed live at Expo '92 in Seville and a year later on the Plaza Mayor in Madrid.
72. [1994] Outkast — They released their debut studio album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik in 1994, which gained popularity after its single "Player's Ball" peaked atop the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.
73. [1994] TLC (group) — TLC also recorded four multi-platinum albums, including CrazySexyCool (1994), which received a diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
74. [1995] Bonnie Pink — Bonnie Pink debuted in 1995 with the single "Orenji", under her real name, Asada Kaori.
75. [1996] Hiroko Shimabukuro — She debuted as a member of the popular girl group Speed in 1996.
76. [1996] Jamie Foxx — Following this success, he was given his own sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show, in which he starred, co-created and produced from 1996 to 2001.
77. [1996] Ken Burns — He produced The West (1996), Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies (2015) and The Gene: An Intimate History (2020).
78. [1996] Maaya Sakamoto — She released her debut single, "Yakusoku wa Iranai", in collaboration with Yoko Kanno under Victor Entertainment on April 24, 1996.
79. [1997] Erykah Badu — Her debut album, Baduizm, released in 1997, immediately positioned her at the vanguard of the neo soul genre.
80. [1998] D'Angelo — D'Angelo collaborated with Angie Stone, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill, with whom he performed on the 1998 song "Nothing Even Matters" from her album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
81. [1998] Lauryn Hill — Her debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998), debuted atop the Billboard 200 with the highest first-week sales for a female artist at the time and became the first recording by a female rapper to be certified diamond.
82. [1999] Bonobo (musician) — Green debuted in 1999 on the Tru Thoughts compilation When Shapes Join Together.
83. [1999] Halle Berry — She produced and starred in the television film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
84. [1999] Park Hyo-shin — Following his debut as a singer in 1999, Park released numerous hit songs in the 2000s, including "Good Person" (2002), "Snow Flower" (2004) and "Memories Resemble Love" (2007).
85. [1999] Yoshiki (musician) — In 1999, at the request of the Japanese Imperial family, he composed and performed a classical song at a celebration in honor of the tenth anniversary of Emperor Akihito's enthronement.
86. [2000] Anastacia — In 2000, she released "I'm Outta Love", her debut single, which quickly topped charts worldwide and paved the way for her first album, Not That Kind.
87. [2000] Bilal (American singer) — Starting out at a major label, Bilal debuted with his popular R&B single "Soul Sista" in 2000, but turned to playing jazz venues and recording more progressive soul music in subsequent years.
88. [2000] Kumi Koda — Koda debuted on December 6, 2000, with the single "Take Back"; it was followed by "Trust Your Love", "Color of Soul" (both 2001), and "So into You" (2002).
89. [2000] Sade (band) — They released their fifth studio album 8 years later with Lovers Rock (2000), which won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.
90. [2000] Toni Braxton — Braxton's third studio album, The Heat (2000), debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, spawning the international top-five single "He Wasn't Man Enough".
91. [2001] Jin Bora — Jin took top prize in jazz at the 2001 Seoul Artspool Conservatory Concours and performed in small and large concerts as well as cultural events.
92. [2001] Kang Sung-yeon — Although her main profession was acting, she also contributed songs to several soundtracks and released two albums between 2001 and 2002 under the stage name Bobo.
93. [2001] Kawase Tomoko — From 2001 to 2009, she released music through Defstar Records, a division of Sony Music Japan.
94. [2002] Byul — She debuted in 2002 with the album December 32.
95. [2003] Ayaka Hirahara — Her first single, "Jupiter", was released in Japan in December 2003, and went on to be one of the biggest selling singles of 2004.
96. [2003] Lela Tsurtsumia — Another record was set in 2003, when she released the album Suleli Tsvima (Stupid Rain), which sold more than 60,000 copies in Georgia.
97. [2003] Tim (singer) — He debuted in 2003 with the album, First Tim, which included the hit ballad, "I Love You".
98. [2005] Beyoncé — After Destiny's Child disbanded in 2005, Beyoncé released the funk-imbued B'Day (2006) and starred in the drama film Dreamgirls (2006).
99. [2005] John Adams (composer) — Continuing with historical subjects, Adams wrote the opera Doctor Atomic (2005), based on J.
100. [2008] Jeon Boram — She originally debuted as a solo artist, releasing two singles in 2008, before eventually becoming a member of girl group T-ara in 2009.
101. [2008] Kim Young-kwang (actor) — Kim began acting in 2008, and later performed in the drama Good Doctor on KBS2.
102. [2008] Luis Miguel — His album Cómplices was released in 2008, peaking at No.
103. [2008] Ok Taec-yeon — In 2008, he debuted as the rapper of the South Korean boy band 2PM.
104. [2009] Kim Woo-bin — He debuted as a runway model in 2009 at the age of 20 and began appearing in prêt-à-porter and Seoul Fashion Week collections.
105. [2009] Park Ji-yeon — She debuted as a member of girl group T-ara in July 2009, which later went on to become one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.
106. [2009] Park Kyung — Park debuted in 2009 with the digital single "The Letter" as duo with Zico.
107. [2010] Gil Scott-Heron — " Scott-Heron remained active until his death and in 2010 released his first new album in 16 years, titled I'm New Here.
108. [2010] Jang Dong-woo — Dongwoo debuted as a member of South Korean boy group Infinite in 2010.
109. [2010] Kevin Hart — He has since released four more comedy albums: Seriously Funny (2010), Laugh at My Pain (2011), Let Me Explain (2013), and What Now?
110. [2011] Emi Hinouchi — As of 2011, Hinouchi has released twelve singles, three studio length albums, and collaborated with numerous artists.
111. [2011] Jennifer Hudson — Her second and third studio albums, I Remember Me (2011) and JHUD (2014), both peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200; the latter was released by RCA Records.
112. [2011] Seth MacFarlane — He has released ten studio albums, in the vein of Frank Sinatra, with influences from jazz orchestrations, and Hollywood musicals, beginning with Music Is Better Than Words (2011).
113. [2012] Bang Yong-guk — P released their first single in January 2012.
114. [2012] Jay B — After starring in the drama series Dream High 2 in 2012, he debuted as a singer first in South Korean duo JJ Project, then, two years later, in boy band Got7, for which he serves as the leader.
115. [2012] N (singer) — He debuted as a member of the South Korean boy band VIXX in May 2012.
116. [2012] Nicki Minaj — She explored dance-pop on her second US number-one album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012), which produced the top-five single, "Starships".
117. [2013] Eminem — Each of his subsequent releases—The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013), Revival (2017), Kamikaze (2018), Music to Be Murdered By (2020), and The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (2024)—has debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart.
118. [2016] On Air (Queen album) — It was released in November 2016 in a two disc CD format, a six disc deluxe CD format and a 3LP vinyl release.
119. [2016] Shim Dal-gi — Shim made her debut as a director at the age of 18 in the film Nobody's Subconscious and Realm, released in 2016.
120. [2017] Park Ji-hwan — Since then, Park has performed in numerous movies and television dramas, including The Outlaws (2017), Untouchable (2017), and Black Dog (2019).
121. [2018] Coldplay — A documentary, Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams, was released in 2018 for Coldplay's 20th anniversary.
122. [2019] Ani DiFranco — DiFranco released a memoir, No Walls and the Recurring Dream, on May 7, 2019, via Viking Books and made The New York Times Best Seller list.
123. [2019] Avicii — His third and final album, Tim (2019), was released posthumously and reached number one on the Billboard Top Dance Albums chart.
124. [2019] Hal Blaine — Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, thought to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles.
125. [2020] Bobby Sessions — A major career highlight came in 2020 when he co-wrote the Grammy-winning single, "Savage," featuring Beyoncé.
126. [2020] Kai (entertainer, born 1994) — He debuted as a soloist on November 30, 2020, with his first extended play (EP) Kai and has since released three more EPs, Peaches, Rover and Wait On Me.
127. [2021] D.O. (entertainer) — He debuted as a soloist on July 26, 2021, with his first extended play (EP) Empathy.
128. [2021] Demian (singer) — Demian then released his first and only single album A Blue not Blues in March 2021, with the title track "Love%" featuring Dawn, who he reached out to following the song's completion.
129. [2021] Tina Fey — Mayor (2021–2022), and the Netflix comedy-drama series The Four Seasons (2025–present), and executive produced the Peacock musical comedy series Girls5eva (2021–2024).
130. [2022] Yoon Jae-chan — In 2022, Yoon was cast for HBO Max's Além do Guarda-Roupa and Playlist's Dowdy Guys, with the former released the next year.
131. [2025] Amadou & Mariam — Amadou & Mariam were a blind musical duo from Mali, composed of Bamako-born Amadou Bagayoko (guitar and vocals) (24 October 1954 – 4 April 2025) and Mariam Doumbia (vocals) (born 15 April 1958).
132. [2025] De La Soul — " The group has released 10 studio albums and one live album between 1989 and 2025.
133. [2026] Keisuke Kuwata — Kuwata wrote and performed both the opening theme song, "Hitotarashi", and the ending theme, "Akane on My Mind: Manjū Kowai", for the 2026 Akane-banashi anime adaptation.