The Entertainer

Composer: JOPLIN, Scott
  • Written in 1902, Joplin’s piano rag, “The Entertainer,” gained a resurgence in popularity following its appearance in the Academy Award-winning film, The Sting (1973).
  • Joplin dedicated The Entertainer to “James Brown and his Mandolin Club,” and the first recording of the piece was played on mandolin and guitar.1
  • Ragtime music is characterized by its syncopated rhythm and was popular around the turn of the 20th century. The musical genre was eventually overtaken in popularity by jazz.

Sources

  1. Lara Downes, “Reconsidering Scott Joplin’s ‘The Entertainer,'” NPR (2022), accessed July 28, 2025, https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2022/02/07/1078314203/reconsidering-scott-joplins-the-entertainer.

Cut IDs

40745 43540 43611 18188 24191 26850