History of Rock and Dance Music Vol. 1

by Piero Scaruffi

"A History of Rock and Dance Music " is the second edition of what is arguably the most comprehensive history of the genre ever published. When the first edition came out, it marked the first time that someone had written a history of rock music without paying attention to the charts. It was meant as a history of the great ideas introduced by rock musicians over 50 years of relentless innovation (regardless of how many copies they sold). The new edition continues the story to the first decade of the new century. It maintains a multidisciplinary approach, starting with the genres that existed before rock n roll and ending with the many genres that have been born since the 1990s, including dance music and electronic/digital styles. The author's background in classical music and science gives it a unique flavor, crossing boundaries and questioning stereotypes. "A History of Rock Music" was the first book in a bold project to synthesize the music of the 20th century. "A History of Rock Music" and "A History of Popular Music", by the same authors, are the complementary pieces of this project. Volume 1 covers the period from 1951 to 1989.

Genres: Music

434 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2009

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scaruffi’s immanent analysis of rock and dance developments from the 1950s to the 2000s boasts encyclopedic breadth and rigorous depth. One could build a political economy of music from these foundations, but this kind of historical constellation and analysis is essential in its own right. See also his histories of jazz and popular music.

[isaacq · Rating 2 out of 5]

Piero... please, please, PLEASE hire a proofreader before self-publishing again.

besides that, this wasn't much more than a list of band names and one or two sentences saying why they were good or bad.

[Alvaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es básicamente una enciclopedia de nombres y breves descripciones y opiniones personales, de artistas hasta los ochenta. Muchos nombres desconocidos, y mucho territorio abarcado. Y mucho odio al mainstream.

[Kevin Karner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly just the guy's opinions, both volumes track the development of bands and genres in the context of world events. It reads like an encyclopedia.