How did Europeans listen to music before WW1? (Please,NOT 2) What were some French and German songs from then?

Question

When did radio become widespread? Did people listen to phonographs? How did people hear recent songs for the first time? What was considered "popular" music?

Answer 1

Hi David! Here's a whole bunch of information for you:
When Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, he accidentally invented the music industry. The last thing on the inventor's mind was using his new device to record music.
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/technopop/electric/electric1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century_music
http://www.greatachievements.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_music
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/technopop/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_France#20th_Century
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Germany
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramophone_record

Answer 2

AM radio began with the first, experimental broadcast in 1906 by Reginald Fessenden, and was used for small-scale voice and music broadcasts up until World War I. The great increase in the use of AM radio came the following decade. The first licensed commercial radio services began on AM in the 1920s. XWA of Montreal, Quebec (later CFCF) was the first commercial broadcaster in the world, with regular broadcasts commencing on May 20, 1920. The first licensed American radio station was started by Frank Conrad, KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Radio programming boomed during the "Golden Age of Radio" (1920s–1950s). Dramas, comedy and all other forms of entertainment were produced, as well as broadcasts of news and music.

Prior to radio people gathered where music was played and people sang at home. People would purchase sheet music of the latest songs. As phonographs became available people would purchase records. Often they would go to a music store where they could enter a sound proof room where they listened to the records to find the one which they wanted to purchase.

At one time it was common to go to vaudeville sites in buildings similar to today's movie houses. There was a lot more 'getting together' for entertainment and people would bring their own instruments. When I was young in some circles this was still common.

Answer 3

Good work to those previous answers. I feel though, that the question was not fully answered. Why? Because the average citizen could not afford a radio receiver, did not have access to electricity or accumulators (batteries). In the main, folk went into town to the vaudavile to hear music and singing, mainly as a treat. In the village, the people made their own music and song.

Answer 4

A lot of them had CD players, but a few had ipods. Rap was really popular at the time so most everyone listened to that, with some techno