America and music at the end of World War II

America had just won World War II in 1945 after the dropping of two atom bombs on Japan and thereby starting the American world military supremacy. America, before entering the war was just recovering from a deep, long and protracted depression that lasted for a little more than a decade. Americans had learned to survive an economic depression, prohibition and won a very decisive war.

Memories of the ‘Roaring Twenties” kept “Swing Jazz” alive throughout the depression and WWII but after the war was won, the music began to change because of shifts in marketing and technology. There were many other reasons for these “shifts”.

First, the music “industry” began to track and classify popular songs. Next, the bands started to break down and began to play and record in smaller combos, rather than having a “Big Band”.  Thirdly, the role of the drummer became more active and central in the new music. Also, the electric guitar, as well, became a lead as well as rhythm instrument due to new technological amplification.

Songs started being marketed on a national level due to mass distribution through radio and jukeboxes. There were new portable record players that came out, as the technology advanced thereby increasing the demand for records. The fidelity of the new equipment gave a more detailed and richer sound.