
The advent of radio in the early 20th century revolutionized the way people experienced music. Before the widespread availability of radio, live performances and records were the primary ways people could enjoy music. The first musical pieces recorded and broadcast for radio not only marked a major technological achievement but also opened the door for music to be transmitted across vast distances, reaching an audience that was previously limited by geography. In this article, we will review the early history of radio.
Here are some of the earliest musical pieces recorded and transmitted over the airwaves.
1. The First Radio Broadcast: “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1920)
One of the earliest and most significant musical moments in radio history occurred on November 2, 1920. On that date, the first commercial radio station in the United States, KDKA in Pittsburgh, began broadcasting. This station’s first broadcast included the famous American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.
While this was not a traditional “musical performance” as we think of today, it marked the first time a musical piece was broadcast to a wide audience. The broadcast was an experimental transmission, part of the station’s coverage of the presidential election results. The choice of The Star-Spangled Banner, a patriotic and recognizable piece, helped cement radio’s potential for reaching a broad audience and ushered in an era of live and recorded music broadcasts.
2. “Listen to the Mockingbird” (1922)
In 1922, the first recorded song to be broadcast over the radio was Listen to the Mockingbird, a popular American song composed by Septimus Winner in 1855. The song was performed by Henry Burr. Instantly, it became one of the earliest recorded pieces played on the radio, helping to demonstrate the capability of radio as a medium for music.
Although the song was not initially recorded with radio broadcasts in mind, its broadcast is an important part of the story of early radio, as it helped to show the potential of recorded music being played for an audience rather than relying solely on live performances.
3. “La Bohème” by Puccini (1923)
One of the first full operas to be broadcast on radio was Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème, transmitted in 1923. This broadcast was a significant milestone in classical music and radio history. The Metropolitan Opera in New York, was one of the first opera companies to experiment with radio broadcasts. ,
The impact of this broadcast cannot be overstated. Firstly, it demonstrated radio’s potential to deliver high-quality, live musical performances to a mass audience. Secondly, it was a crucial moment in building the foundation for classical music programming on radio. Finally, it made classical music accessible into homes for the first time.
4. “Swanee” by Al Jolson (1920s)
During the 1920s, jazz and popular music became staples of radio programming. One of the most famous songs of the era, Swanee, was frequently performed and broadcast. Al Jolson’s rendition of Swanee, which had already been a massive hit on stage and in film, was broadcast widely over radio in the mid-1920s. Jolson’s performance helped bring jazz and popular music into the mainstream through the new medium of radio.
Furthermore, this was also one of the first instances where a star’s recording was over the air. That solidified radio as a means for artists to reach national and eventually international audiences. The success of such broadcasts laid the groundwork for the development of radio as a central hub for the music industry.
Today, when music is instantly accessible via streaming platforms and digital broadcasts, it is easy to forget the pioneering steps that began with those first radio broadcasts. But the music of the early radio years remains a crucial part of our shared cultural heritage. These initial broadcasts laid the foundation for the music of today to reach the ears of millions around the world.