Description

American popular music, spanning from 1840 to the present day, emphasizes the cultivation of style-oriented listening abilities. It explores the rich heritage and diversity inherent in popular music, highlighting the connections among its various styles and tracing the progression from minstrel show music to contemporary rap and alternative genres. This engaging and widely acclaimed text offers a clear, chronological overview of the origins and historical development of American popular music. It addresses fundamental musical concepts alongside the distinctive elements of each genre, examining how different styles have transitioned from being considered "outsider" to achieving "mainstream" recognition. The introductory chapter familiarizes students with the components of popular music through two well-known musical examples. Additionally, the text is accompanied by an exclusive, high-quality 3-CD set featuring a range of recordings from the early twentieth century to the present, with each selection thoroughly analyzed within the text.