Summary
Rock and roll traces its roots to the music of the early 20th century. Its infectious sound, characterized by catchy guitar rhythms, a strong beat, and youthful lyrics, sparked a musical revolution beloved by the young and initially scorned by many adults. The emergence of rock and roll signaled a monumental change in popular music, and as rock grew, it assimilated a vast range of influences, including country, folk, jazz, gospel, and international styles, to become one of the most dynamic musical genres of contemporary times. American Popular Music: Rock and Roll explores the history of this musical genre as it took the United States by storm.
Entries include:
- Alternative rock
- The Animals
- The Beatles
- Chuck Berry
- Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Garage rock
- Buddy Holly
- Janis Joplin
- Kiss
- Metallica
- Motown
- Nirvana
- The Ramones
- R.E.M.
- Rockabilly
- Steely Dan
- Ritchie Valens
- Frank Zappa
- and many others.
Specifications
Black-and-white photographs. Index. Bibliography. Glossary. Cross-references. Chronology. Discography.
About the Author(s)
Craig Morrison, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in humanities with a concentration in music from Concordia University in Montreal. He is currently a professor of music at Concordia, where he teaches a course titled “Rock and Roll and Its Roots.” Morrison is the author of Go Cat Go! Rockabilly Music and Its Makers and is a contributor to The Encyclopedia of the Blues.
Foreword author Kevin Holm-Hudson, Ph.D., received a doctorate of musical arts in composition, with a concentration in ethnomusicology, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is an assistant professor of music at the University of Kentucky and is an editor/contributor to Progressive Rock Reconsidered. Holm-Hudson is also the author of numerous articles that have appeared in such publications as Genre and Ex Tempore and has presented on a wide variety of topics at conferences.