RESEARCH: BRITISH MUSIC EXPERIENCE

The British Music Experience is Britains Museum of Popular Music at The OT and charts the beginnings, rise and influence of British popular music from 1945 to the present day. The museum contains a collection of rare artist memorabilia and footage. You can learn how immigration changed our musical landscape, how music challenged the political issues of the time, and how musicians, eventually conquered the world. The Museum contains over 3,000 images, 600 video clips, 3,000 artist videos and over 600 items of artist and music memorabilia.

Smart Ticket - 

• BME gives you access to your own smart ticket which allows to to carry on your 'journey' of music when you get home
• It automatically stores your favourite content from the exhibition on your own personal page on the British Music Experience Website
• The Museum provides visitors with a variety of interactive activities such as 'dancing through the decades best routine' - 'Dance with Decades' allows you to learn dances from the past 70 years 
• 'Playback' allows visitors to explore different ways that people have consumed music over the decades  - it looks at formats that have stored sound, and devises which music has been played on.

Edge Zones takes you back to the biggest musical hits and events that have happened up till now.




Music in the 50's was quite fluffy and light, focussing and clinging to traditional family values.




During the 60s a new style of music emerged known as 'Rock and Roll'- harder beats and sexier dancing. Elvis Presley and the Beatles were part of this music movement. Performers were writing their own music and lyrics, experimenting outside the usual 'boundaries'. Towards the end of the 60's, music bands such as ROlling Stones, Beach boys and Pink Floyd emerged and released their albums.

Music in the 70's, were mostly associated with Disco. Singers such as Diana Ross, Donna SUmmer and Dalida were consequently described as 'Disco Divas'  However, as quickly as the genre came into popularity, it soon fell out and became increasingly commercialised. "Funkytown" by the Lipps was the last disco hit to be recorded.

The 80's saw the emergence of Michael Jackson, Prince, Madono, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson - who are arguably some most successful musicians during this time and history. Teen and urban pop sprouted during this time. The 80's also saw the resurgence of rock music, as bands such as Queen, Bon Jovie, Poison and Twisted sister became popular acts of the decade. Along with hard rock, heavy metal was also extremely popular throughout the decade.




Popular music in the 90's saw the continuation of teen pop and dance pop trends which had emerged in the 70's and 80's. Contemporary R&B and Urban music remained extrememely popular. Bands such as Nirvana and even pop punk band, Green day, had its breakthrough in 1994. Electronic music also began to emerge with the extensive growth of computers and music technology. Most of this electronic music was dance music.

Hip Hop dominated the music industry in the 2000s. During this time artists such as Eminem, 50 cent and Lily Wayne emerged. 'EMo' broke out into mainstream culture with bands and artists such as Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard becoming popular. For teens and adolescents, 'Emo' became a genre of popular appeal. The term, 'emo', began to expand from the music world and soon became associated with fashion and hairstyles. Popular teenage pop singers such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera began to emerge, and was quickly replaces with modern R&B and hip- hop (Beyonce and Mariah Carey)