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September 1899

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Achievement · music
Scott Joplin Publishes 'Maple Leaf Rag'

Scott Joplin published 'Maple Leaf Rag' through Sedalia publisher John Stark in September 1899, and it became the first sheet music in history to sell one million copies. The contract gave Joplin a royalty on every copy — an unusual arrangement that provided financial security and recognized his authorship. The piece's success established ragtime as a national craze and cemented Joplin's status as the 'King of Ragtime.'

Events

  1. September 1899
    Scott Joplin Publishes 'Maple Leaf Rag'

    Scott Joplin published 'Maple Leaf Rag' through Sedalia publisher John Stark in September 1899, and it became the first sheet music in history to sell one million copies. The contract gave Joplin a royalty on every copy — an unusual arrangement that provided financial security and recognized his authorship. The piece's success established ragtime as a national craze and cemented Joplin's status as the 'King of Ragtime.'

  2. September 15, 1899
    Scott Joplin Publishes 'Maple Leaf Rag,' Launching the Ragtime Era

    Scott Joplin's 'Maple Leaf Rag,' published by John Stark in Sedalia, Missouri, becomes the first sheet music to sell one million copies. Joplin's syncopated piano compositions formalize ragtime as a distinct American art form rooted in Black musical tradition. Ragtime's popularity in white parlors and concert halls marks the first mass-market success of Black-created popular music.