Overview

Rock 'n' roll appeared in the 1950s as the high-energy, electrically amplified music of young dancers and listeners, first in the United States and then around the globe, and from the beginning it symbolized more than music. First popularized as a marketing rubric to sell African-American rhythm and blues to white teenagers, it stood for racial integration, sexual freedom, youthful rebellion, and for change and modernity. It was never a single kind of music, and historians disagree about when it began and which artists or records should be included in its canon--but it was always a flashpoint, whether condemned as an assault on cultural standards or hailed as the most exciting movement of the twentieth century. This Very Short Introduction explores the complex musical styles and evolutions of the genre and also examines it as product, symbol, and vehicle of societal change. The introduction seamlessly integrates the genre with elements of 1955-1965's mass influence, including the rise of television and niche radio formats, the civil rights movement, a new concept of ""teenagers"" as a unique age group, and a sexual revolution. Rock 'n' Roll traces the rise and trajectories of the styles and musicians grouped as rock 'n' roll and their journey to becoming emblems of much more.

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Elijah Wald is a writer and musician whose books include Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues and How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'n' Roll: An Alternative History of American Popular Music. A respected expert on the folk revival, he collaborated with Dave Van Ronk on The Mayor of MacDougal Street, the inspiration for the Coen brothers' film Inside Llewyn Davis. His awards include a 2002 Grammy, and he has taught blues history at UCLA and lectured widely on American, Mexican, and world music. He currently lives in Medford, Massachusetts. Adam Xavier is a seasoned voice actor with a rich background in video games, narration, and character work. He is best known for voicing Falric the Death Knight, the formidable right hand of the Lich King in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, and Stormcaller Brundir, the dwarf god of lightning, in World of Warcraft: Secrets of Ulduar, as well as the grunting and roaring of several beasts and undead that wander Azeroth. Beyond gaming, he has worked for Disney/Pixar, contributing to documentary narration in The Pixar Story, and currently serves as a narrator of the aviation history channel Dronescapes on YouTube. His work also includes puppetry performance, voicing Ice Cream the Lamb on the Whimsy Toy Review YouTube channel.

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