Ethnomusicologist Eric Charry's innovative and road-tested textbook is an introduction to rock and R&B suitable for general education courses in music and also accessible for any readers interested in a novel approach to gaining a historically rich, yet concise understanding of these genres. The book is organized around a series of timelines, tables, and figures created by the author, and provides fresh perspectives that bring readers into the heart of the social and cultural importance of the music.

Charry lays out key contemporary theoretical issues, covers the technical foundations of the music industry, and provides a capsule history of who did what when, with particular emphasis on the rapid emergence of distinct genres and subgenres. The book's figures distill the history and provide new insight into understanding trends. Over 1000 artists, albums, and songs are included here, such as Muddy Waters, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, the Velvet Underground, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Madonna, Talking Heads, and Public Enemy. A New and Concise History provides a strong foundation for understanding how music, the music industry, and American culture intersect.

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