History of Rock and Roll

Larson (U. of Nebraska School of Music) designed his textbook for college non-music majors interested in the connections between rock and roll music and the culture in which it interacted. He uses a broad definition of rock and roll including treatments of pop, soul, punk, and rap. He treats the development of the music chronologically, describing social and economic developments that impacted the development of different styles and offering profiles of important artists and influential labels. The broad scope of the topic unfortunately means that no particular style or artist receives in-depth treatment. Study questions are included at the end of each chapter. An accompanying audio CD contains 22 important recordings, although some explanation of why these particular songs were chosen would have been useful. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR