Although Paul Laurence Dunbar is primarily known for his classic poetry, his contribution to music at the turn of the century is also extraordinary. Paul Laurence Dunbar's musical collaborations produced historic theater and classical works. In 1897, Dunbar met Samuel Coleridge-Taylor in England, sparking one of his first musical collaborations. After quickly becoming friends, Dunbar and Coleridge-Taylor gave a series of joint recitals; the same year, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor set seven Dunbar poems to music for his suite, African Romances. In 1898, Dunbar wrote the lyrics for Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's operatic musical Dream Lovers.

Also in 1898, Dunbar collaborated with Will Marion Cook, writing the libretto for Clorindy, or Origin of the Cakewalk. The musical was a smash. Cook and Dunbar, however, did not end the project on good terms. Cook enlisted James Weldon Johnson's help in convincing Dunbar to write the lyrics for his full-length opera, The Cannibal King, but Johnson's coaxing proved futile. According to Johnson, Dunbar adamantly refused to work with Cook, protesting, "No, I won't do it. I just can't work with Cook; he irritates me beyond endurance."¹¹⁸ With Dunbar's refusal, Johnson began work on the lyrics for The Cannibal King. Conflict between Bob Cole (who agreed to write the book) and Will Marion Cook prevented its completion. Eventually, Dunbar put aside his irritation with Cook to work on In Dahomey in 1902, which became one of the most popular black musicals in history.

Many of Paul Laurence Dunbar's poems have been set to music, including the J. Rosamond Johnson compositions, When the Colored Band Comes Marchin' Down the Street and Lil' Gal; Harry T. Burleigh's compositions, Plantation Melodies: Old and New, and Abbey Lincoln's 1961 recording of When Malindy Sings.