Scott Joplin, one of the most prolific ragtime musicians, changed the genre of ragtime music with his composition of Maple Leaf Rag. With nearly half a million copies sold in 1906, the year of publication, musicians consider it an iconic masterpiece and the biggest hit of ragtime music. The carefully thought out structure of Maple Leaf Rag brought stability and precision to ragtime music. Previously, ragtime was marked with unpredictable key changes and a confusing presentation of different sections. Maple Leaf Rag brought sophistication to ragtime music as a whole. The Maple Leaf Rag consisted of five parts with every section repeated, except the third section (AA BB A CC DD). It also implemented early notes of syncopation developed later
