A guide to 500 influential artists and bands in popular music from the mid-1950s to the present day. Covers rock, pop, soul, disco, heavy metal, and some country and reggae.

Discusses the evolution of rock music from its earliest origins to today's most influential musical styles and performers

Biographical sketches and photographs of important people in the world of rock music, from the outstanding to the obscure.

Drooling fanatic, n. 1. One who drools in the presence of beloved rock stars. 2. Any of a genus of rock-and-roll wannabes/geeks who walk around with songs constantly ringing in their ears, own more than 3,000 albums, and fall in love with at least one record per week. With a life that’s spanned the phonographic era and the digital age, Steve Almond lives to Rawk. Like you, he’s secretly longed to live the life of a rock star, complete with insane talent, famous friends, and hotel rooms to be trashed. Also like you, he’s content (sort of) to live the life of a rabid fan, one who has converted his unrequited desires into a (sort of) noble obsession. Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life traces Almond’s passion from his earliest (and most wretched) rock criticism to his eventual discovery of a music-crazed soul mate and their subsequent production of two little superfans. Along the way, Almond reflects on the delusional power of songs, the awkward mating habits of drooling fanatics, and why Depression Songs actually make us feel so much better. The book also includes: • sometimes drunken interviews with America’s finest songwriters • a recap of the author’s terrifying visit to Graceland while stoned • a vigorous and credibility-shattering endorsement of Styx’s Paradise Theater • recommendations you will often choose to ignore • a reluctant exegesis of the Toto song “Africa” • obnoxious lists sure to piss off rock critics But wait, there’s more. Readers will also be able to listen to a special free mix designed by the author, available online at www.stevenalmond.com, for the express purpose of eliciting your drool. For those about to rock—we salute you!

This title gives biographical information and contact details for some of the most talented and influential artists and individuals from the world of popular music.

A “fascinating, intimate” oral history of the golden age of the rock concert based on nearly 100 interviews with musicians, fans, and others (Publishers Weekly). Decades after the rise of rock music in the 1950s, the rock concert retains its power as a unifying experience—and as a multi-billion-dollar industry. In Rock Concert, acclaimed music writer Marc Myers delves into the history of this cultural phenomenon, weaving together ground-breaking accounts from the people who were there. Myers combines the tales of icons like Joan Baez, Ian Anderson, Alice Cooper, Steve Miller, Roger Waters, and Angus Young with the disc jockeys, audio engineers, and music journalists, and promoters who organized it all, like Michael Lang, co-founder of Woodstock, to create a rounded and vivid account of live rock’s stratospheric rise. Rock Concert offers a backstage view of rock ‘n’ roll as it evolved through live performance—from the rise of R&B in the 1950s, to the hippie gatherings of the ‘60s, and the growing arena tours of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Elvis Presley’s gyrating hips, the “British Invasion” of the Beatles, the Grateful Dead’s free flowing jams, and Pink Floyd’s The Wall are just a few of the defining musical acts that drive this rich narrative.

This volume presents 395 serious biographical and historical entries on every significant or innovative performer, personality, or group since the early 1950s. Each entry includes a complete discography and original issue numbers for LPs as well as information on CD reissues. More than 75 photos.

Collects Ellen Willis' writings on popular music from her career at the New Yorker and other publications.

TheInternational Who's Who in Popular Music 2002offers comprehensive biographical information covering the leading names on all aspects of popular music. It brings together the prominent names in pop music as well as the many emerging personalities in the industry, providing full biographical details on pop, rock, folk, jazz, dance, world and country artists. Over 5,000 biographical entries include major career details, concerts, recordings and compositions, honors and contact addresses. Wherever possible, information is obtained directly from the entrants to ensure accuracy and reliability. Appendices include details of record companies, management companies, agents and promoters. The reference also details publishers, festivals and events and other organizations involved with music.