The recorded history of music in Estonia dates back to the 12th century, with early accounts from Saxo Grammaticus describing Estonian singing warriors. Ancient folk traditions were dominated by "runic songs" (regivärss) until the 18th century, a form of poetic metre shared by all Finnic peoples, which Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald extensively studied for the national epic, Kalevipoeg, in the 1860s.
The late 19th-century National Awakening led to the emergence of professional Estonian composers, including Rudolf Tobias and Artur Kapp, with Arvo Pärt becoming one of the most internationally recognized active Estonian composers. Traditional instruments like the native kannel and various wind instruments were widely used, and an intriguing folk song, "The herring lived on dry land," humorously explains how the herring lost its legs and the sea became salty.
In the 20th century, especially during the Soviet era, folk art was encouraged, leading to the formation of ethnographic bands. By the 1980s, a series of music festivals became significant, playing a crucial role in stimulating public demands for freedom of expression.