How did Ragtime become popular?
Ragtime developed before the popularity of sound recordings, so it gained its popularity through the sale of sheet music. The first artist to have his music published via sheet music was Ernest Hogan, with his song “La Pas Ma La” in 1895. However, Scott Joplin, dubbed, the “King of Ragtime”, and his songs “Maple Leaf Rag” (1899) and “The Entertainer” (1902) sculpted the genre an influenced the future ragtime composers. Ragtime also gained its popularity at the expense of black bodies. Minstrel shows, cake walks, and “Coon Songs” such as “All Coons Look Alike to Me”, demonstrated racist stereotypes and degrading depictions of Black people while incorporating ragtime. Many Black people took part in the minstrel shows, cake walks, and the publishing of coon songs.