"The music of the United States reflects the country's multi-ethnic
population through a diverse array of styles. Rock and roll, country, rhythm
and blues, jazz, and hip hop are among the country's most
internationally-renowned genres. Since the beginning of the 20th century,
some forms of American popular music have gained a near global audience.[4]

The earliest inhabitants of the United States were Native Americans who
played the first music in the area. Beginning in the 17th century,
immigrants from the British Isles, Spain, and France began arriving in large
numbers, bringing with them new styles and instruments. African slaves
brought musical traditions, and each subsequent wave of immigrants
contributed to a melting pot.

Much of modern popular music can trace its roots to the emergence in the
late 19th century of African American blues and the growth of gospel music
in the 1920s. The African American basis for popular music used elements
derived from European and indigenous musics. The United States has also seen
documented folk music and recorded popular music produced in the ethnic
styles of the Ukrainian, Irish, Scottish, Polish, Hispanic and Jewish
communities, among others.