300 pictures and countless quotations, bringing back the hopes, fear, and dreams of a one-of-a-kind generation, the nifty 50s.

The birth of rock 'n roll ignited a firestorm of controversy--one critic called it "musical riots put to a switchblade beat"--but if it generated much sound and fury, what, if anything, did it signify? As Glenn Altschuler reveals in All Shook Up, the rise of rock 'n roll--and the outraged reception to it--in fact can tell us a lot about the values of the United States in the 1950s, a decade that saw a great struggle for the control of popular culture. Altschuler shows, in particular, how rock's "switchblade beat" opened up wide fissures in American society along the fault-lines of family, sexuality, and race. For instance, the birth of rock coincided with the Civil Rights movement and brought "race music" into many white homes for the first time. Elvis freely credited blacks with originating the music he sang and some of the great early rockers were African American, most notably, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. In addition, rock celebrated romance and sex, rattled the reticent by pushing sexuality into the public arena, and mocked deferred gratification and the obsession with work of men in gray flannel suits. And it delighted in the separate world of the teenager and deepened the divide between the generations, helping teenagers differentiate themselves from others. Altschuler includes vivid biographical sketches of the great rock 'n rollers, including Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly--plus their white-bread doppelgangers such as Pat Boone. Rock 'n roll seemed to be everywhere during the decade, exhilarating, influential, and an outrage to those Americans intent on wishing away all forms of dissent and conflict. As vibrant as the music itself, All Shook Up reveals how rock 'n roll challenged and changed American culture and laid the foundation for the social upheaval of the sixties.

The legendary critic and author of Mystery Train “ingeniously retells the tale of rock and roll” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Unlike previous versions of rock ’n’ roll history, this book omits almost every iconic performer and ignores the storied events and turning points everyone knows. Instead, in a daring stroke, Greil Marcus selects ten songs and dramatizes how each embodies rock ’n’ roll as a thing in itself, in the story it tells, inhabits, and acts out—a new language, something new under the sun. “Transmission” by Joy Division. “All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James and then Beyoncé. “To Know Him Is to Love Him,” first by the Teddy Bears and almost half a century later by Amy Winehouse. In Marcus’s hands these and other songs tell the story of the music, which is, at bottom, the story of the desire for freedom in all its unruly and liberating glory. Slipping the constraints of chronology, Marcus braids together past and present, holding up to the light the ways that these striking songs fall through time and circumstance, gaining momentum and meaning, astonishing us by upending our presumptions and prejudices. This book, by a founder of contemporary rock criticism—and its most gifted and incisive practitioner—is destined to become an enduring classic. “One of the epic figures in rock writing.”—The New York Times Book Review “Marcus is our greatest cultural critic, not only because of what he says but also, as with rock-and-roll itself, how he says it.”—The Washington Post Winner of the Deems Taylor Virgil Thomson Award in Music Criticism, given by the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers

By the time Jimi Hendrix died in 1970, the idea of a black man playing lead guitar in a rock band seemed exotic. Yet a mere ten years earlier, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley had stood among the most influential rock and roll performers. Why did rock and roll become “white”? Just around Midnight reveals the interplay of popular music and racial thought that was responsible for this shift within the music industry and in the minds of fans. Rooted in rhythm-and-blues pioneered by black musicians, 1950s rock and roll was racially inclusive and attracted listeners and performers across the color line. In the 1960s, however, rock and roll gave way to rock: a new musical ideal regarded as more serious, more artistic—and the province of white musicians. Decoding the racial discourses that have distorted standard histories of rock music, Jack Hamilton underscores how ideas of “authenticity” have blinded us to rock’s inextricably interracial artistic enterprise. According to the standard storyline, the authentic white musician was guided by an individual creative vision, whereas black musicians were deemed authentic only when they stayed true to black tradition. Serious rock became white because only white musicians could be original without being accused of betraying their race. Juxtaposing Sam Cooke and Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones, and many others, Hamilton challenges the racial categories that oversimplified the sixties revolution and provides a deeper appreciation of the twists and turns that kept the music alive.

An Epic Journey through the Golden Era of Rock & Roll Embark on a thrilling musical voyage with The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 1. The book traces the evolution of rock and roll from its humble origins in the 1920s, culminating in the seismic shift ushered in by the Beatles in the 1960s. This rollercoaster ride through the decades invites you to tap your feet to the music of vaudeville and minstrel acts, rhythm and blues, and the unmistakable sounds that defined post-World War II America. Our guide through this iconic era is none other than celebrated writer Ed Ward. With his definitive narrative style enriched by a profound knowledge of music, Ward spotlights lesser-known heroes and big-name legends alike. Uncover the fascinating stories of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles. Delve into the unsung tales of pioneers such as the Burnette brothers, the “5” Royales, and Marion Keisker. For all music lovers and rock & roll fans, Ward spins story after story of some of the most unforgettable and groundbreaking moments in rock history, introducing us to the musicians, DJs, record executives, and producers who were at the forefront of the genre and had a hand in creating the music we all know and love today.

Based on 18 years of sociological research and 52 years of rock 'n' roll fandom, Baby Boomer Rock 'n' Roll Fans: The Music Never Ends draws on data collected from participant observations and interviews with artists, fans, and producers to explore our aging rock culture throug...

(Berklee Press). How does a song become more than words and music to represent or influence the voice of a generation? Inside the Hits dissects more than 60 of the most powerful and memorable hit songs since the birth of rock and roll to reveal the roots of their success. Author Wayne Wadhams examines the key ingredients that made the songs work then and now, including: melody, lyrics, performance, production, artist image, promotion, and market timing. What really stopped Mick Jagger from getting "Satisfaction"? How did a secretary who was mistaken for a prostitute give Donna Summer her new sound? Find all the answers in Inside the Hits . "Reading Inside the Hits was like reliving some of the most memorable moments in rock and roll. A captivating read for industry professionals and fans alike." Phil Ramone

Profiles rock musicians from the 1950s to the 1990s who never made it big, including the Collins Kids, Graham Bond, Duffy Powder, the Remains, Nick Drake, Sandy Denny, Martin Newell, and the Free Spirits

The only study of its kind, this well-organized, illustrated volume offers an in-depth examination of the social history of America and Britain through rock-and-roll. Tracing rock from its inception from American blues to the present, the book shows how rock-and-roll has reflected and sometimes changed American and British culture for several generations. It focuses on major music/history connections--e.g., the links between race and the birth of rock and roll; the postwar baby boom and Presleymania; civil rights and Dylan, Motown and soul; the Vietnam War and the shattering blues of Jimi Hendrix; the Me Decade and glam; desperate British economic times and punk; television and the rise of Presley, the Beatles and Michael Jackson; a disillusioned Generation X and grunge, industrial and rap. Features many fascinating photos never previously published. The Blues, Rock-and-Roll, and Racism. Elvis and Rockabilly. Dick Clark, Don Kirshner, and the Teen Market. Surfboards and Hot Rods: California, Here We Come. Bob Dylan and the New Frontier. The British Invasion of America. Motown: The Sound of Integration. Acid Rock. Fire from the Streets. Militant Blues on Campus. Soft Sounds of the Seventies. The Era of Excess. Punk Rock and the New Generation. I Want My MTV. The Promise of Rock-and-Roll. The Generation X Blues. The Rave Revolution. The Many Faces of Hip Hop. For anyone interested in popular American and British music, the interconnection of popular music and recent American history, or the social and historical significance of rock music.