Which cultural movement in the 1920s had a lasting impact on American music?

The Jazz Age was a profound cultural movement in the 1920s that not only shaped the landscape of American music but also had a lasting influence on global culture. This period is characterized by the explosion of jazz music, which emerged from African American communities and combined elements from blues, ragtime, and other musical traditions. Key figures such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Bessie Smith became icons during this time, helping to popularize jazz in mainstream society.

The Jazz Age also represented a broader cultural shift, embracing improvisation, syncopation, and new rhythms that transformed how music was created and enjoyed. This movement fostered a spirit of innovation and freedom in artistic expression that resonated throughout the arts, influencing not just music but also dance, literature, and fashion.

In contrast, while the Harlem Renaissance was crucial for African American literature and arts, and modernism addressed various artistic and cultural trends, they did not focus exclusively on musical developments to the extent the Jazz Age did. The Beat Generation, occurring in the 1950s and 60s, was more about a countercultural movement that came after the Jazz Age. Thus, the Jazz Age's significant focus on music and its influential legacy make it the standout