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Rock Music: History
"Long Live Rock": The History of Rock Music
Promotional photograph of Chuck Berry, undated, John Edwards Memorial Foundation Records (#20001), Southern Folklife Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Emerging in the mid-20th century, the history of rock music spans over the course of 70 years. This page provides researchers with library resources relating to the general history of rock music. The following pages contain library resources highlighting the evolution of rock music decade by decade.
Books
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The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll
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The classic history from Rolling Stone that brings to life the evolution of a dynamic, revolutionary art form. Beginning with rock's roots in blues, jazz and gospel, here are eye-opening portraits and critical assessments of Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, James Brown and Bob Dylan, and more, all the way up to Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, U2, Prince, Public Enemy and other ground-breakers in rock, hip-hop, and heavy metal. The essays are by the world's preeminent rock writers--among them Greil Marcus, Robert Palmer, David Fricke, Dave Marsh, Robert Christgau, Chuck Eddy, Stephen Holen, Bill Flanagan, Alan Light, J.D. Considine and many others. The photography in the Illustrated History is superlative, representing the works of the most celebrated photographers along with rare snapshots and long-lost photos from the early days of rock. Complete with detailed discographies on every important performer and genre, The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll is an indispensable reference for every fan.
Call Number: ML3534 .R64 1992ISBN: 0679737286Publication Date: 1992-11-10 -
A Brief History of Rock, Off the Record
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The birth of rock 'n' roll signaled the blossoming of a new teenage culture, dividing generations and introducing a new attitude of rebellion and independence. From Chuck Berry to the Beatles, from punk rock to hip hop, rock 'n' roll has continuously transformed alongside or in reaction to social, cultural, and political changes. A Brief History of Rock, Off the Record is a concise introduction to rock history and the impact it has had on American culture. It is an easy-to-read, vivid account written by one of rock's leading critics. Pulling from personal interviews over the years, Wayne Robins interweaves the developments in rock music with his commentary on the political and social events and movements that defined their decades.
Call Number: ML3534 .R574 2008ISBN: 9780415974721Publication Date: 2007-08-28 -
The History of Rock and Roll
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Ed Ward covers the first half of the history of rock & roll in this sweeping and definitive narrative--from the 1920s, when the music of rambling medicine shows mingled with the songs of vaudeville and minstrel acts to create the very early sounds of country and rhythm and blues, to the rise of the first independent record labels post-World War II, and concluding in December 1963, just as an immense change in the airwaves took hold and the Beatles prepared for their first American tour. The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 1 shines a light on the far corners of the genre to reveal the stories behind the hugely influential artists who changed the musical landscape forever. In this first volume of a two-part series, Ward shares his endless depth of knowledge and through engrossing storytelling hops seamlessly from Memphis to Chicago, Detroit, England, New York, and everywhere in between. He covers the trajectories of the big name acts like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles, while also filling in gaps of knowledge and celebrating forgotten heroes such as the Burnette brothers, the "5" Royales, and Marion Keisker, Sam Phillips's assistant, who played an integral part in launching Elvis's career. For all music lovers and rock & roll fans, Ward spins story after story of some of the most unforgettable and groundbreaking moments in rock history, introducing us along the way to the musicians, DJs, record executives, and producers who were at the forefront of the genre and had a hand in creating the music we all know and love today.
Call Number: ML3534 .W32 2016ISBN: 9781250071163Publication Date: 2016-11-15 -
The Rock History Reader
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The Rock History Reader is an eclectic compilation of readings that tells the history of rock as it has been received and explained as a social and musical practice throughout its six decade history. The readings range from the vivid autobiographical accounts of such rock icons as Ronnie Spector and David Lee Roth to the writings of noted rock critics like Lester Bangs and Chuck Klosterman. It also includes a variety of selections from media critics, musicologists, fanzine writers, legal experts, sociologists and prominent political figures. Many entries also deal specifically with distinctive styles such as Motown, punk, disco, grunge, rap and indie rock. Each entry includes headnotes, which place it in its historical context. This second edition includes new readings on the early years of rhythm & blues and rock 'n' roll, as well as entries on payola, mods, the rise of FM rock, progressive rock and the PMRC congressional hearings. In addition, there is a wealth of new material on the 2000s that explores such relatively recent developments as emo, mash ups, the explosion of internet culture and new media, and iconic figures like Radiohead and Lady Gaga. With numerous readings that delve into the often explosive issues surrounding censorship, copyright, race relations, feminism, youth subcultures, and the meaning of musical value, The Rock History Readercontinues to appeal to scholars and students from a variety of disciplines. . In addition, there is a wealth of new material on the 2000s that explores such relatively recent developments as emo, mash ups, the explosion of internet culture and new media, and iconic figures like Radiohead and Lady Gaga. With numerous readings that delve into the often explosive issues surrounding censorship, copyright, race relations, feminism, youth subcultures, and the meaning of musical value, The Rock History Readercontinues to appeal to scholars and students from a variety of disciplines.
Call Number: ML3534 .R6333 2013ISBN: 9780415892124Publication Date: 2012-09-14 -
Music Is History
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In Music Is History, bestselling author and Sundance award-winning director Questlove harnesses his encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and his deep curiosity about history to examine America over the past fifty years. Choosing one essential track from each year, Questlove unpacks each song's significance, revealing the pivotal role that American music plays around issues of race, gender, politics, and identity. Music Is History focuses on the years 1971 to the present, not only the country's most complex and rewarding half-century when it comes to the ways that pop culture and culturally diverse history intersect and interact, but also the years that overlap with Questlove's own life. Music Is History moves fluidly from the personal to the political, examining events closely and critically, to unpeel and uncover previously unseen dimensions, and encouraging readers to do the same. Whether he is exploring how Black identity reshaped itself during the blaxploitation era, analyzing the assembly-line nature of disco and its hostility to Black genius, or remembering his own youth as a pop fan and what it taught him about America, Questlove finds the hidden connections in the American tapestry. Complete with playlists organized around personal, playful themes that touch on everything from the relationship of hip-hop to music's past to the secret ingredient in all funk songs, Music Is History is filled with and informed by Questlove's preferences, perspectives, and particularities. It feels like both a popular history of contemporary America and a conversation with one of music's most influential and unique voices.
Call Number: ML3477 .Q84 2021ISBN: 9781419751431Publication Date: 2021-10-19 -
Rock and Roll: A Social History
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Now updated with two new chapters and an extraordinary collection of photographs, this second edition of Paul Friedlander'sRock and Roll: A Social History is a smash hit. The social force of rock and roll music leaps off the page as Paul Friedlander provides impressive insights based on hits from Johnny B. Goode to Smells Like Teen Spirit and beyond. In this musical journey, Friedlander offers the melodious strains and hard-edged riffs of Elvis, the Beatles, The Who, Dylan, Clapton, Hendrix, Motown, the San Francisco Beat, Punk, New Wave, rap, metal, 90's grunge, plus file sharing, and much more. The book is written in a refreshing, captivating style that pulls the reader in, offering no less than a complete social and cultural history of rock and roll for students and general audiences alike. Friedlander writes, This book chronicles the first forty years of rock/pop music history. Picture the various musical styles as locations on a giant unfolding road map. As you open the map, you travel from place to place, stopping at each chapter to sample the artistry. Don't forget to dress your imagination appropriately for this trip, because each genre is affected by the societal topography and climate that surround it. Enjoy your trip. We promise it will be a good one!
Call Number: ML3534 .F74 2006ISBN: 0813343062Publication Date: 2006-01-03 -
How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'n' Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music
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"There are no definitive histories," writes Elijah Wald, in this provocative reassessment of American popular music, "because the past keeps looking different as the present changes." Earlier musical styles sound different to us today because we hear them through the musical filter of otherstyles that came after them, all the way through funk and hiphop.As its blasphemous title suggests, How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'n' Roll rejects the conventional pieties of mainstream jazz and rock history. Rather than concentrating on those traditionally favored styles, the book traces the evolution of popular music through developing tastes, trends andtechnologies--including the role of records, radio, jukeboxes and television --to give a fuller, more balanced account of the broad variety of music that captivated listeners over the course of the twentieth century. Wald revisits original sources--recordings, period articles, memoirs, andinterviews--to highlight how music was actually heard and experienced over the years. And in a refreshing departure from more typical histories, he focuses on the world of working musicians and ordinary listeners rather than stars and specialists. He looks for example at the evolution of jazz asdance music, and rock 'n' roll through the eyes of the screaming, twisting teenage girls who made up the bulk of its early audience. Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and the Beatles are all here, but Wald also discusses less familiar names like Paul Whiteman,Guy Lombardo, Mitch Miller, Jo Stafford, Frankie Avalon, and the Shirelles, who in some cases were far more popular than those bright stars we all know today, and who more accurately represent the mainstream of their times.Written with verve and style, How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'n' Roll shakes up our staid notions of music history and helps us hear American popular music with new ears.
Call Number: ML3477 .W35 2009ISBN: 9780195341546Publication Date: 2009-06-01 -
Secret History of Rock: The Most Influential Bands You've Never Heard
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The official history of rock and roll is the tale of groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, of wildly popular albums, and of almost incalculable sums of money. The secret history of rock and roll is the story of lesser-known artists whose work has shaped modern rock. Investigating 15 separate genres and influences, this book discusses, identifies and annotates the most significant, if not the most celebrated, rock and roll talents of all time.
Call Number: ML3534 .S27 1998ISBN: 0823076695Publication Date: 1998-08-01 -
The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs
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One of our finest critics gives us an altogether original history of rock 'n' roll Unlike all previous versions of rock 'n' roll history, this book omits almost every iconic performer and ignores the storied events and turning points that everyone knows. Instead, in a daring stroke, Greil Marcus selects ten songs recorded between 1956 and 2008, then proceeds to dramatize how each embodies rock 'n' roll as a thing in itself, in the story it tells, inhabits, and acts out--a new language, something new under the sun. "Transmission" by Joy Division. "All I Could Do Was Cry" by Etta James and then Beyoncé. "To Know Him Is to Love Him," first by the Teddy Bears and almost half a century later by Amy Winehouse. In Marcus's hands these and other songs tell the story of the music, which is, at bottom, the story of the desire for freedom in all its unruly and liberating glory. Slipping the constraints of chronology, Marcus braids together past and present, holding up to the light the ways that these striking songs fall through time and circumstance, gaining momentum and meaning, astonishing us by upending our presumptions and prejudices. This book, by a founder of contemporary rock criticism--and its most gifted and incisive practitioner--is destined to become an enduring classic.
Call Number: ML3534 .M356 2014ISBN: 9780300187373Publication Date: 2014-09-02 -
Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll
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"We have performed side-by-side on the global stage through half a century.... In Lightning Striking, Lenny Kaye has illuminated ten facets of the jewel called rock and roll from a uniquely personal and knowledgeable perspective." -Patti Smith An insider's take on the evolution and enduring legacy of the music that rocked the twentieth century Memphis 1954. New Orleans 1957. Philadelphia 1959. Liverpool 1962. San Francisco 1967. Detroit 1969. New York, 1975. London 1977. Los Angeles 1984 / Norway 1993. Seattle 1991. Rock and roll was birthed in basements and garages, radio stations and dance halls, in cities where unexpected gatherings of artists and audience changed and charged the way music is heard and celebrated, capturing lightning in a bottle. Musician and writer Lenny Kaye explores ten crossroads of time and place that define rock and roll, its unforgettable flashpoints, characters, and visionaries; how each generation came to be; how it was discovered by the world. Whether describing Elvis Presley's Memphis, the Beatles' Liverpool, Patti Smith's New York, or Kurt Cobain's Seattle, Lightning Striking reveals the communal energy that creates a scene, a guided tour inside style and performance, to see who's on stage, along with the movers and shakers, the hustlers and hangers-on--and why everybody is listening. Grandly sweeping and minutely detailed, informed by Kaye's acclaimed knowledge and experience as a working musician, Lightning Striking is an ear-opening insight into our shared musical and cultural history, a magic carpet ride of rock and roll's most influential movements and moments.
Call Number: ML3534 .K394 2022ISBN: 9780062449207Publication Date: 2022-01-11
Articles
Serials and Magazines:
Online Resources:
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Rock's BackpagesAn archive of music journalism and popular music writing of the last 60 years. Includes 38,000 articles on all subcategories of popular music.
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Rolling Stone ArchiveThe backfile of Rolling Stone covers the magazine from its launch in 1967 to the present. It soon became a leading vehicle for rock and popular music journalism, shaping and chronicling new trends and movements. From the 1980s, coverage expanded to encompass more entertainment topics, such as film and television, making it a leading resource for contemporary reporting and reviews pertaining to wider popular culture.
Videos
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The History of Rock 'N' Roll
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This ten episode documentary covers rock 'n' roll history from its humble beginnings in the '50s to Lollapalooza in the '90s. A kaleidoscope of musical memories, it features interviews with stars from Little Richard to Bono, as they recall the sound and songs that changed their lives. There are vintage clips examining: early stars during rock's first golden age, the turmoil of the British Invasion, the incandescent birth of soul, the death of the folk troubadour as Dylan went electric, the rise and fall of the counterculture, guitar heroes forever, the split personality of the 70s, the rise of punk, and the reinvention of rock to encompass MTV and festival mania in the 90s. Includes classic footage, concert performances, complete songs, and stars galore.
Call Number: DVD-872Publication Date: 2004 -
Rock & Roll
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"Renegades" interviews Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, pioneer disk jockey Hoss Alenn and producers Dave Bartholomew, Sam Phillips and Phil and Marshall Chess. These renegades of the '50s reveal how they borrowed from rhythm and blues, country, gospel and jazz to create a whole new sound, rock and roll. "In the Groove" reports on the years between Elvis and the Beatles, when the hit single became an intricately crafted work of art and producers, songwriters & musicians created studio magic.
Call Number: VC-361 v.1 - 3Publication Date: 1995
Suggested Subject Headings
"Rock music -- 20th century"
"Popular music -- 21st century"
"Rock music -- Chronology"
"Rock music -- History and criticism"
"Rock music -- Social aspects"
Recommended Reference Materials
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The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History
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Neil Young once said that rock and roll will never die, and indeed, rock music has played an enormous role in American culture ever since its beginnings in the 1950s. From early rock n' roll to the British Invasion, from the psychedelic era to the growth of corporate rock and the underground scene, from the video generation to the grunge and post-grunge years, rock music has been an undeniable force in both reflecting and shaping cultural trends in the United States. Each of the six volumes in this set provides both narrative chapters and helpful recommended resources for information about important performers, trends, and genres within these exciting periods in rock music history. Neil Young once said that rock and roll will never die, and indeed, rock music has played an enormous role in American culture ever since its beginnings in the 1950s. From early rock n' roll to the British Invasion, from the psychedelic era to the growth of corporate rock and the underground scene, from the video generation to the grunge and post-grunge years, rock music has been an undeniable force in both reflecting and shaping cultural trends in the United States.
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The Story of Rock 'n Roll
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This study of the rockn'roll period provides a history and illustrated survey of the last 50 years, including the songs, personalities and events which gave each decade its particular character. A rockn'roll record box lists major musical events, key record releases, births and deaths. In addition, each section contains biographies of the each decade's significant figures, a discussion of the alternative scenes of each period, and a trash history of feuds, rip-offs, sex scandals and lurid cases of the decade. A news in brief entry lists international events and places the decade in historical context.
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Year by Year in the Rock Era
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This chronological account of the rock era and its evolution will appeal to many researchers interested in the period. This book will also appeal to trivia buffs with its inordinate amount of little-known information. Reference Books Bulletin
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The Rolling Stone Index
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Published to mark the 25th anniversary of the start of Rolling Stone, the Index contains some 73,000 numbered entries arranged in nine major sections, which are themselves further cross-indexed in 11 particularized, point-of-use indexes and two inclusive master indexes. The main sections include articles and columns, book reviews, concert reviews, letters to the editor, movie reviews, poetry, Random Notes, record reviews, and cover appearances. Popular Culture, Ink. plans to supplement this cumulative index with annual volumes, beginning with The Rolling Stone Index 1992, available in mid- 1993. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
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The Rock 'n' Roll Reader's Guide
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Divided into two sections, this book explores music related publications. The first section focuses on selected general reference works, such as artist profiles, the second section details every publication concerning musicians.
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Rock Music in American Popular Culture
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How does rock music impact culture? According to authors B. Lee Cooper and Wayne S. Haney, it is central to the definition of society and has had a great impact on shaping American culture. In Rock Music in American Popular Culture, insightful essays and book reviews explore ways popular culture items can be used to explore American values. This fascinating book is arranged alphabetically for quick and easy reference to specific topics, but the book is equally enjoyable to read straight through. The influence of rock era music is evident throughout the text, demonstrating how various topics in the popular culture field are interconnected. Students in popular culture survey courses and American studies classes will be fascinated by these unique explorations of how family businesses, games, nursery rhymes, rock and roll legends, and other musical ventures shed light on our society and how they have shaped American values over the years.
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Rock Music in American Popular Culture II
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From "Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)?" to a list of all song titles containing the word "werewolf," Rock Music in American Popular Culture II: More Rock 'n'Roll Resources continues where 1995's Volume I left off. Using references and illustrations drawn from contemporary lyrics and supported by historical and sociological research on popular cultural subjects, this collection of insightful essays and reviews assesses the involvement of musical imagery in personal issues, in social and political matters, and in key socialization activities. From marriage and sex to public schools and youth culture, readers discover how popular culture can be used to explore American values. As Authors B. Lee Cooper and Wayne S. Haney prove that integrated popular culture is the product of commercial interaction with public interest and values rather than a random phenomena, they entertainingly and knowledgeably cover such topics as: answer songs--interchanges involving social events and lyrical commentaries as explored in response recordings horror films--translations and transformations of literary images and motion picture figures into popular song characters and tales public schools--images of formal educational practices and informal learning processes in popular song lyrics sex--suggestive tales and censorship challenges within the popular music realm war--examinations of persistent military and home front themes featured in wartime recordings Rock Music in American Popular Culture II: More Rock 'n'Roll Resources is nontechnical, written in a clear and concise fashion, and explores each topic thoroughly, with ample discographic and bibliographic resources provided for additional research. Arranged alphabetically for quick and easy reference to specific topics, the book is equally enjoyable to read straight through. Rock music fans, teachers, popular culture professors, music instructors, public librarians, sound recording archivists, sociologists, social critics, and journalists can all learn something, as the book shows them the cross-pollination of music and social life in the United States.
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Rock Music in American Popular Culture III
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Rock Music in American Popular Culture III: More Rock 'n'Roll Resources explores the fascinating world of rock music and examines how this medium functions as an expression of cultural and social identity. This nostalgic guide explores the meanings and messages behind some of the most popular rock 'n'roll songs that captured the American spirit, mirrored society, and reflected events in our history. Arranged by themes, Rock Music in American Popular Culture III examines a variety of social and cultural topics with related songs, such as: sex and censorship--"Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel and "Night Moves" by Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band holiday songs--"Rockin'Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee and "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole death--"Leader of the Pack" by The Shangri-Las and "The Unknown Soldier" by The Doors foolish behavior--"When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge and "What Kind of Fool" by Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb jobs and the workplace--"Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police and "Dirty Laundry" by Don Henley military involvements--"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the Andrews Sisters and "War" by Edwin Starr novelty recordings--"The Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley and "Eat It" by Weird Al Yankovic letters and postal images--"P. S. I Love You" by The Beatles and "Return to Sender" by Elvis Presely In addition, a discography and a bibliography after each section give further examples of the themes and resources being discussed, as do extensive lists of print references at the end of the text.
