Tin Pan Alley

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. The district in New York City centered on 28th Street from the late 19th to the early 20th century, wherein thousands of popular songs were commercially written.
  2. The songwriting and publishing industry which was built around the songs produced in Tin Pan Alley; the style of popular music produced by this industry.

Word forms

Tin Pan Alley

Etymology

Purported to be a reference to the constant sound of pianos as songwriters worked out their tunes.

Related words

Brill Building Denmark Street

Derived words

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