Why Now?


There has been a longstanding practice in the United States to convey political messages with music. During the American Revolution lyrics were written to popular songs such as "British Grenadiers" and "Yankee Doodle" to convey messages about the changing nature of politics and conditions relating to the war. By 1840, election songs became central to presidential campaigns. For a century they would be a memorable part of virtually every election cycle. The rise of radio and television changed the way campaigns reached out to voters. The success of the new mediums led to an American electorate that is now unfamiliar with campaign songs and their importance to past elections. American Pioneer Music seeks to reverse this trend with the release of "Abraham Lincoln and the 1864 Election."

The rise of the internet has brought back campaign songs in a different form. On Youtube, Facebook, and other social media sites, it is easy to find political parodies and political humor developed by citizens. Although "party bosses" have less influence on the content, the campaign song has made a return to popular culture. Because of this new trend, it is only natural that audiences have the opportunity to hear election songs from America's past.

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