Secular vocal music began as a practice in the Renaissance, with the rise of Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation and the loss of impact from the Catholic church. Musical styles changed throughout the different eras, creating musical traditions and standardized forms.
One of the most common types of secular vocal music in the Renaissance was the madrigal, a vocal piece for several voices that told a story, usually about love. The Renaissance gave birth to polyphony, in which multiple melodic lines interweaved simultaneously to create an intricate texture. Perhaps the most popular Renaissance vocal composers were Josquin des Prez and Giovanni Palestrina, both champions of polyphony. Types of secular vocal music after the Renaissance mostly came from opera, including arias and songs, until the 20th century, when composers began to experiment with musical forms and obscure rhythm and harmony. Avant-garde music was the popular style of the 20th century.
Secular vocal music, particularly in the Renaissance, is complex. With the rise of polyphony over homophony, many melodies would be sung simultaneously. A common practice in secular vocal music during the Renaissance was word painting, in which the music imitates emotions, actions or sounds. The Baroque era brought about a change in secular vocal music; the complex melodies of the Renaissance were simplified so that the meaning of the text was more easily discerned. The Classical period gave rise to standardized forms, such as the da capo aria. The Romantic composers wished to give more emotional depth to the styles and forms of the Classical period. The 20th century was the birth of unorthodox rhythms and harmonies.
Secular vocal music was born in Western Europe. Each region had its own styles. For example, in the Classical period, Vienna became the music capital of Europe, and compositions from this time are referred to as being in the "Viennese style." Much secular vocal music repertoire comes from England, Germany, Austria, Italy and France.
The Renaissance gave rise to breaking free of the sacred music tradition. The Catholic church was not as strong with the advent of humanism in the Renaissance. While sacred music still flourished throughout the different periods, secular music took on its own distinct style and art form.