Popular-Music Culture in America

This widely adopted book studies the history of popular music in this country and follows the countless changes in taste that dictate the vicissitudes of this form of musical expression. The text begins with an introduction to the foundations of music in colonial America and progresses through important and influential movements in our history, from ragtime to rap and numerous topics in between. It looks at important artists and groups in each genre, with a strong emphasis on the immeasurable contributions of Elvis Presley and the Beatles to popular music in this country. The text traces the varied experiences and influences emerging from such diverse settings as Harlem, Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, and Woodstock. It discusses the changing technology of music recording and the hazards of the music-publishing business. Numerous illustrations complement the text.