Ragtime

Although popular in its infancy in the bordellos of New Orleans, Ragtime was viewed by its chief early creator, Scott Joplin, as a syncopated American answer to Western classical music. Starting with Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" in 1899, Ragtime became one of the nation's most popular musical forms. Although not intended for improvisation, it heavily influenced early jazz pianists and composers. Ragtime faded from public favor after Joplin's death in 1917. It has since enjoyed periodic revivals, most memorably when Marvin Hamlisch adapted Joplin tunes like "The Entertainer" for the 1973 film The Sting