Part 3: Joplin’s Influence on Music and Culture

Although Joplin died in obscurity, his work profoundly influenced jazz, blues, and even early rock and roll.

(1973) The Sting

• Scott Joplin’s influence didn’t fade with the decline of the ragtime era—it evolved, stretched, and quietly embedded itself into the fabric of modern music, film, and education.

  • His legacy lives not only in the notes of his compositions but in the rhythms and harmonies that shape how we hear music today. As Gunther Schuller writes, Joplin’s innovations laid “the essential groundwork” for the emergence of jazz and other distinctly American genres (Schuller 190).

• What’s remarkable is how often we encounter echoes of Joplin’s sound, even without realizing it. The syncopation and rhythmic bounce he championed show up in everything from neo-soul grooves to hip-hop beats and electronic music.

  • And for those who’ve played or heard the ragtime-infused soundtrack of the video game Cuphead, or the chill, nostalgic piano music in Animal Crossing, there’s something hauntingly familiar about those melodies. It's like hearing The Entertainer in disguise—a musical fingerprint that keeps resurfacing.

• Even outside of pop culture, Joplin’s presence remains strong in classical and academic circles. Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer are standard repertoire for piano students learning syncopation, and his sheet music is still one of the most downloaded on public archives.

  • His pieces are deceptively complex—challenging enough to stretch a pianist's timing and touch, yet rewarding in their elegance. As Blesh and Janis point out, “Joplin’s music was never written just for fun; it demanded something of the performer” (Blesh and Janis 210). That sense of intention continues to inspire musicians who want to balance emotional resonance with technical clarity.

• His opera Treemonisha—initially ignored—has seen a remarkable revival in the 21st century, gracing major opera stages and university productions. Its themes of community uplift through education, particularly for African Americans in the post-Reconstruction era, remain powerful today.

  • Berlin writes that Treemonisha “proposed a future through knowledge and cooperation,” making it as relevant now as it was radical then (Berlin 143). The fusion of ragtime with operatic structure broke boundaries that few dared to challenge at the time, and it continues to spark conversations about representation and innovation in classical music.

• Joplin’s influence also shows up in unexpected places. There’s a famous moment in the 1973 film The Sting, where The Entertainer plays as part of the soundtrack.

  • Though it was written decades earlier, the piece suddenly rocketed back into the mainstream, bringing ragtime to a new generation. That hauntingly playful melody became one of the most recognized piano themes in film history—proof that great music, even when it lies dormant, will eventually rise again.

• In education, Joplin’s legacy is thriving. His work is studied not just as music, but as history—a bridge between African American cultural expression and America’s classical music tradition.

  • Music conservatories teach his compositions as models of early American form and innovation, and scholars continue to explore how his life and art pushed back against the racial and artistic limitations of his time (Jasen and Tichenor 201).

• Joplin’s lasting impact is more than just musical—it’s cultural. He proved that art rooted in African American experience could be both entertaining and profound, both popular and enduring. His rhythms pulse through today’s music, his stories echo in today’s operas and classrooms, and his belief in music as a tool for dignity and transformation remains as powerful now as it was over a century ago.