Tin Pan Alley
noun
: a district that is a center for composers and publishers of popular music
also
: the body of such composers and publishers
Examples of Tin Pan Alley in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Set underneath a skylight, an antique piano in the center of the dining room pays homage to the location’s former identity as Tin Pan Alley, the center of the city’s music industry in the height of the Jazz Age.
—
Kristen Tauer, WWD, 20 Sep. 2024
Much of the music was religious or classical, but sheet music for secular, popular songs grew increasingly available over time, thanks in part to the emergence of publishing district Tin Pan Alley.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 20 June 2024
Morgan Spurlock, 'Super Size Me' director and documentarian, dead at 53: Reports
The earworm quality of Sherman’s work can be attributed to his upbringing with a songwriter father, Al, a famed Tin Pan Alley name.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 26 May 2024
Margo’s mother, Evelyn, was a radiologist; her stay-at-home dad, Seymour, was forever playing Tin Pan Alley standards on their grand piano.
—Will Hermes, New York Times, 4 June 2024
Blessed with a glorious soprano and the ability to make any song her own, McDonald shines equally bright whether singing musical theater favorites, bluesy laments, Tin Pan Alley chestnuts or jazz standards that sound anything but standard in her gifted hands.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2024
Catt sings in a jingly Tin Pan Alley curtain-raiser, eager to make men comfortable with the idea of extending the franchise.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
Hints of Cuban clave rhythms, Tin Pan Alley harmonies, Jewish melodies and piano licks swim through its overarching Romantic theme.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024
The first date on Canal’s U.K. tour was at the Lower Third, an industrial-chic venue on Denmark Street—a street that was once London’s version of Tin Pan Alley and still has a residual, slightly beleaguered music-industry presence.
—Hugh Morris, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2023
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Kristen Tauer, WWD, 20 Sep. 2024
Much of the music was religious or classical, but sheet music for secular, popular songs grew increasingly available over time, thanks in part to the emergence of publishing district Tin Pan Alley.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 20 June 2024
Morgan Spurlock, 'Super Size Me' director and documentarian, dead at 53: Reports
The earworm quality of Sherman’s work can be attributed to his upbringing with a songwriter father, Al, a famed Tin Pan Alley name.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 26 May 2024
Margo’s mother, Evelyn, was a radiologist; her stay-at-home dad, Seymour, was forever playing Tin Pan Alley standards on their grand piano.
—Will Hermes, New York Times, 4 June 2024
Blessed with a glorious soprano and the ability to make any song her own, McDonald shines equally bright whether singing musical theater favorites, bluesy laments, Tin Pan Alley chestnuts or jazz standards that sound anything but standard in her gifted hands.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2024
Catt sings in a jingly Tin Pan Alley curtain-raiser, eager to make men comfortable with the idea of extending the franchise.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
Hints of Cuban clave rhythms, Tin Pan Alley harmonies, Jewish melodies and piano licks swim through its overarching Romantic theme.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024
The first date on Canal’s U.K. tour was at the Lower Third, an industrial-chic venue on Denmark Street—a street that was once London’s version of Tin Pan Alley and still has a residual, slightly beleaguered music-industry presence.
—Hugh Morris, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Tin Pan Alley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tin%20Pan%20Alley. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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