History Of Rock Music

In this series of books, based on the hit podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, Andrew Hickey analyses the history of rock and roll music, from its origins in swing, Western swing, boogie woogie, and gospel, through to the 1990s, grunge, and Britpop. Looking at five hundred representative songs, he tells the story of the musicians who made those records, the society that produced them, and the music they were making. Volume one looks at fifty songs from the origins of rock and roll, starting in 1938 with Charlie Christian's first recording session, and ending in 1956. Along the way, it looks at Louis Jordan, LaVern Baker, the Ink Spots, Fats Domino, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Jackie Brenston, Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and many more of the progenitors of rock and roll.

The legendary critic and author of Mystery Train “ingeniously retells the tale of rock and roll” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Unlike previous versions of rock ’n’ roll history, this book omits almost every iconic performer and ignores the storied events and turning points everyone knows. Instead, in a daring stroke, Greil Marcus selects ten songs and dramatizes 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. “One of the epic figures in rock writing.”—The New York Times Book Review “Marcus is our greatest cultural critic, not only because of what he says but also, as with rock-and-roll itself, how he says it.”—The Washington Post Winner of the Deems Taylor Virgil Thomson Award in Music Criticism, given by the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers

Discusses the evolution of rock music from its earliest origins to today's most influential musical styles and performers

The history of Vancouver rock 'n' roll is populated by pioneers, visionaries and mavericks. Many of those work(ed) behind the scenes. The musical talent always has always been here, but not the infrastructure (managers, producers, independent labels) needed. While musicians plugged away, learning what they needed to succeed, the support formed. Music and business merged and went out in the world as a symbiotic relationship. There was trial and error but eventually a music industry was created. From The Poppy Family to BTO, Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Nickelback and Michael Buble - No. 1 stars all - the history of Vancouver rock 'n' roll is their story and the story of countless others.

At the crossroads between graphics, information and history there lies infographic, a type of narration that, in recent years, with the rapid growth of the web and its language, has undergone some interesting developments. The idea of this book is to tell the visual story of rock through news, history, story and music links, figures, facts, happenings and sounds using graphics. A sort of "family tree" is used to illustrate the history of different musical genres and their evolution, the influences and connections between styles. Using infographics, the reader has a clear, visual representation of the highlights of a musical adventure, a record, a celebrity, a season, etc., at a glance and with the speed that digital communications require, but also with the acuity of complete and thorough information. So, it is something to see that offers something to learn through something to play with. AUTHOR: Ernesto Assante correspondent for the "Repubblica" newspaper, is a music critic, author and radio and television host. Together with Gino Castaldo, he presents a program called Playlist on Radio Capital and another called Webnotte on Repubblica TV. He has written a number of books including "The Legends of Rock", "The Days of Rock. The Events that Shaped the Story of Music", "U2. The Story and Images of a Rock Legend" and "Woodstock '69. Rock Revolution" published by White Star Publishers.

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.

THE HISTORY OF CANADIAN ROCK 'N' ROLL

The History of Rock chronicles over six decades of key events in rock, punk, metal, and more. Featuring profiles of 100 groundbreaking artists from the rock music pantheon and special breakout sections on trends like Beatlemania, Disco Fever, and Motown, this book is the definitive guide to all things rock n' roll. It includes over 450 photographs and essays detailing each rock style, from R & B and Rockabilly to Trip Hop and Electronic.