Popular Music Through the Decades

With music today available on YouTube, online and satellite radio, MTV, through digital downloads, and on iPods and other handheld devices, we may think that we have heard all there is to hear about modern artists. The stories behind the songs that keep us humming are less often explored. Readers will learn how some of the most popular musicians today-entertainers such as Madonna, Adele, Kanye West, and Taylor Swift-rose to fame and made important musical breakthroughs, all while paying tribute to those who came before them.

The music of the 1960s is perhaps as memorable as the historical milestones of the era. Timeless bands, such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, emerged from England while the U.S. saw the rise of such folk musicians as Bob Dylan and the explosion of soul, with such legends as Aretha Franklin and James Brown providing the soundtrack to the fight for civil rights. Accessible text captures the extraordinary sounds of this unforgettable period through profiles of its greatest musical talents, placing their stories in social and cultural context.

When rock and roll first burst onto the scene in the 1950s, it was more than a new form of music-it was a rebellion against the past. With the music of such artists as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and the Supremes came a new attitude that allowed fans-many of them young-to look past the social norms of the time, a shift that included a greater interaction with and understanding between the races. This stunning, story-filled volume examines the phenomenon of rock and roll-the way it was before it crept into the mainstream it had once retaliated against-and the many musicians who made it into an art.

Although rock music continued to dominate the music scene, the sounds of the 1970s and '80s differed greatly from the music of the preceding decades, reflecting newer social realities. The aggressive sounds of punk music began to appeal to youth, while disco reached across cultures and brought diverse crowds together in dance clubs. New Wave had a playful, chill feel, while the electronic guitar-laden sounds heavy metal were anything but. Readers examine the various styles of music that defined the 1970s and '80s, profiling the artists who captured the spirit of rapid social and cultural change.