Music-Genres & Styles-Pop Vocal

Twentieth century music has been remarkable for its pluralism. The various styles--atonality, neo-classicism, nationalism, serialism, jazz, computer music, minimalism, electronics, folklorism, "happenings," sheer chance--have been far from monolithic, and experimentation has been, perhaps, the century's only defining feature. With over 2500 entries, The Companion...

In 1933 Irving Berlin wrote to composer-lyricist Cole Porter, "I am mad about Night and Day." Millions of others throughout the world have been "mad about" that Porter gem, as well as dozens of others, including, to name just a few, Begin the Beguine,...

"The spirit of balladry is not dead, but slowly dying. The instincts, sentiments, and feelings which it represents are indeed as immortal as romance itself, but their mode of expression, the folksong, is fighting with its back to the wall, with the odds against...

"Music saturates the city of Austin, always has, and likely always will," observes Louis Black, the founding editor of the renowned alternative newspaper, The Austin Chronicle. Music is more than simply the sound track of Austin, however; it's a force inseparable from the city's...

The Vietnam War was over and America seemed in the midst of a nationwide party. The self-proclaimed Me generation was flocking to discotheques, recreational drug use was high, and sexual taboos were being shattered nationwide. Then The Village People appeared on the music scene....

Sting has successfully established himself as one of the most important singer-songwriters in Western popular music over the past twenty years. His affinity for collaborative work and disparate musical styles has pushed his music into an astonishing array of contexts, but no matter what...

Ice Cube is one of the most influential figures in the history of rap and hip-hop. Best known for the vitriol of his angry black man recordings of the late 1980s and mid 1990s, Ice Cube epitomizes the genre often referred to as gangsta...

Frank Sinatra's influence on American popular culture has been wide reaching and long lasting. This diverse collection of essays written by historians, music critics, and popular culture personalities offers a myriad of perspectives and commentaries on this multitalented legend. The essays attest to the...

Smith explores Pete Townshend's artistic struggle between his own creative impulses and those of the commercial public. Faced with a modern version of the minstrel's dilemma, Townshend, early in his career, ignored his creative instincts to satisfy commercial agendas. After his success, he slowly...

If you drive into any American city with the car stereo blasting, you'll undoubtedly find radio stations representing R&B/hip-hop, country, Top 40, adult contemporary, rock, and Latin, each playing hit after hit within that musical format. American music has created an array of rival...

As the United States transitioned from a rural nation to an urbanized, industrial giant between the War of 1812 and the early twentieth century, ordinary people struggled over the question of what it meant to be American. As Brian Roberts shows in Blackface Nation,...

Hipness has been an indelible part of America's intellectual and cultural landscape since the 1940s. But the question What is hip? remains a kind of cultural koan, equally intriguing and elusive. In Dig, Phil Ford argues that while hipsters have always used clothing, hairstyle,...

The first biography of legendary singer/songwriter/composer Rufus Wainwright, There Will Be Rainbows reveals the integrity and complexity of Wainwright's work while fully embracing the self-deprecating humor, wild flamboyance, and fascinating contradictions that embody Rufus Wainwright, the man. There Will Be Rainbows tells Wainwright unforgettable...

This book recounts the entire story of the most successful British band since The Beatles. From their humble beginnings to the break-up that shook the pop world, to their explosive and successful come-back tour a decade later, TAKE THAT - NOW AND THEN exposes...

The ultimate biography of the musical icon. A groundbreaking and vibrant look at the music hero to generations, DYLAN: The Biography digs deep into Bob Dylan lore--including subjects Dylan himself left out of Chronicles: Volume One. DYLAN: The Biography focuses on why this beloved...