Ragtime music began just prior to the twentieth century. It enjoyed a brief craze before its popularity declined amid the Roaring Twenties. The music first entered the American consciousness on a national level when Scott Joplin published "Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899. It was the first instrumental piece to sell over a million copies. Scott Joplin’s work saw a revival during the 1970s with the success of the movie The Sting.
Joplin did not invent ragtime, however. The music's origins can be traced to the African American music of the late nineteenth century. Ragtime incorporated the rhythms and beats of African American music with the march music of the era, which had its origins in European classical. Once the dance music of ragtime became popular, it didn’t take long to spread from the Southern hubs of New Orleans and St. Louis to the metropolitan centers of New York and Chicago.
By the 1920s, the ragtime craze was fading. It continued to be performed and recorded, but it was being replaced with new kinds of music. However, it had a lasting influence, evident in the early jazz styles that emerged. Some might argue that ragtime is the starting point for all popular music in America. Before ragtime, American music lacked individuality and character. The advent of this music instilled a new rhythm and style into popular American music that continues to this day.
5
Based on the passage, which inference can be made about twentieth-century American music as a whole?
A.
It is more popular than most European music.
B.
It has been influenced by early African American music.
C.
It has been shaped primarily by European music.
D.
It is a product of the ethnic diversity of South America.