Chris Smith tells the fascinating stories behind the most groundbreaking, influential, and often controversial albums ever recorded.

For many people, popular music provides a soundtrack to their lives by entwining emotion with experience. It is little wonder, then, that eventful periods in American history are often defined by the pop music of the time. For example, big band jazz evokes memories of World War II for those who lived through that era, while songs from the 1960s often remind baby boomers of the drug-fueled hippie revolution. Author Stuart Kallen traces the history of popular music in America from the sounds of Tin Pan Alley to Chicago jazz clubs, to southern rock n' roll and country, to the British Invasion, to psychedelic rock and Woodstock, to garage band heroes and music video rock stars, to hip-hop tycoons and young American idols.

What do boy bands from the 1990s have in common with the Beatles? Why are some pop artists, such as Justin Timberlake, considered controversial? Readers will discover these answers and the stories behind beloved artists from the Beach Boys to Lady Gaga through fun and fact-filled text about the roots of pop music and how it has spread around the world. Readers will gain a deeper appreciation for their favorite artists and the pop stars who came before them as they explore a discography of important albums, full-color photographs, annotated quotes from artists and journalists, and fascinating sidebars.

Analyzing Recorded Music: Collected Perspectives on Popular Music Tracks is a collection of essays dedicated to the study of recorded popular music, with the aim of exploring "how the record shapes the song" (Moylan, Recording Analysis, 2020) from a variety of perspectives. Introduced with a Foreword by Paul Théberge, the distinguished editorial team has brought together a group of reputable international contributors to write about a rich collection of recordings. Examining a diverse set of songs from a range of genres and points in history (spanning the years 1936–2020), the authors herein illuminate unique attributes of the selected tracks and reveal how the recording develops the expressive content of song performance. Analyzing Recorded Music will interest all those who study popular music, cultural studies, and the musicology of record production, as well as popular music listeners.

The first scholarly discussion on the band, Pearl Jam and Philosophy examines both the songs (music and lyrics) and the activities (live performances, political commitments) of one of the most celebrated and charismatic rock bands of the last 30 years. The book investigates the philosophical aspects of their music at various levels: existential, spiritual, ethical, political, metaphysical and aesthetic. This philosophical interpretation is also dependent on the application of textual and poetic analysis: the interdisciplinary volume puts philosophical aspects of the band's lyrics in close dialogue with 19th- and 20th-century European and American poetry. Through this widespread philosophical examination, the book further looks into the band's immense popularity and commercial success, their deeply loyal fanbase and genuine sense of community surrounding their music, and the pivotal place the band holds within popular music and contemporary culture.

This volume discusses the history of alternative rock and the ethos of alt-rockers as rebels who value independence, experimentation, and truth-telling. Rather than making music for broad commercial appeal, these musicians drew from a variety of styles that were considered unfriendly for consumers. Over the years, alternative rock has spawned mash-ups of garage rock, punk, new wave, rap, thrash, and hardcore. This group of indie rockers not only created a new sound but also put forth a different attitude, as they outwardly rejected the musical standards and sales practices set by major record companies.

Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting for an engaging read aloud experience! A guitarist fires off riffs. A drummer pounds out primal rhythms. Fans scream along to a booming chorus. These are the sounds of rock. When rock 'n' roll first shook up young audiences, parents and politicians screamed in protest. But artists soon used the music to make protests of their own. Since rock's birth in the 1950s, its sounds have been blasted from garages to stadiums. The music can be the soundtrack to rebellion, a tool for self-expression, or just a way to bang your head. Find out what inspired rock pioneers to pick up their guitars. Discover the stories of outrageous punks and grungy alternative rockers. And learn more about legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Metallica, and Green Day.

Now in its Third Edition, Mass Media Revolution remains a dynamic guide to the world of mass media, enhancing its readers’ development as critical consumers. The text employs a storytelling narrative style and integrated, chapter-specific digital material, providing a seamless learning experience. It features a wealth of expanded content—with particular attention to diversity in the media industry, reality TV, ethics and social media, and the evolution of online journalism. Chapter content, both print and online, is aligned to the ACEJMC national academic standards. Along with student video resources, this text includes an accompanying instructor resource manual and Power Point slides. All supplementary materials can be found at massmediarev.com.

Austin City Limits is the longest running musical showcase in the history of television, and it still captivates audiences forty years after its debut on the air. From Willie Nelson's legendary pilot show and his fourteen magical episodes running through the years to Season 35, to mythical performances of BB King and Stevie Ray Vaughn, to repeat appearances from Chet Atkins, Bonnie Raitt and Ray Charles, and recent shows with Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire and The Decemberists, the show has defined popular roots music and indie rock. This is why country rocker Miranda Lambert -- relatively unknown when she taped a show almost a decade ago -- gushed to the studio audience, "Now I know I have arrived!" Austin City Limits: A History tells this remarkable story. With unprecedented access behind the scenes at the tapings of shows with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Mos Def, Wilco, and many more, author Tracey Laird tells the story of this landmark musical showcase whose history spans dramatic changes in the world of television, the expansion of digital media, and the ways in which we experience music. Beginning as a simple weekly broadcast, it is today a multifaceted "brand" in contemporary popular music, existing simultaneously as a program available for streaming, a presence on Twitter and other social media, a major music festival, and a state-of-the-art performance venue. Laird explores the ways in which the show's evolution has driven, and been driven by, both that of Austin as the "Live Music Capital of the World," and of U.S. public media as a major player in the dissemination and sponsorship of music and culture. Engagingly written and packed with anecdotes and insights from everyone from the show's producers and production staff to the musicians themselves, Austin City Limits: A History gives us the best seat in the house for this illuminating look at a singular presence in American popular music. Timed to publish with the airing of Austin City Limits 2014 -- the 40th anniversary celebratory broadcast featuring an all-star lineup of musicians including the Foo Fighters, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, and others -- here is a book for all fans of this beloved music institution.