The history of electronic music began with Thomas Edison's invention of the phonograph in 1878, which could record and playback sound. In the mid-20th century, computers were developed that could process large amounts of data and complex algorithms, leading people to start using them to create music. Synthesizers then advanced greatly in the 1960s-1970s, becoming more widely available and inspiring many new electronic musicians. As the genre grew, it divided into various subgenres like party music.