Sheet music:Easter Parade

Since the middle of the 19th century, Americans purchased pianos in increasing numbers. Families and friends gathered around the piano for evenings of musical fun. Piano players needed sheet music to learn the latest songs and publishers quickly printed everyone's favorite pieces, first in black and white and later with detailed chromolithographed color covers. The advent of radio and even television simply increased public awareness of hit songs, and the production of sheet music still grew. Eventually, use of sheet music lessened along with the popularity of home pianos in the middle and later 20th century. Radio, phonographs, and personal listening devices began to replace the piano in the parlor. "The Easter Parade" was first performed in the Broadway musical "As Thousands Cheer." It was later covered by musicians such as Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. It is considered to be one of the most popular Easter songs of all time.