History of Rock & Roll
4th Edition
ISBN: 978-1-7350385-3-7
Authors: Donald D. Megill, David W. Megill
The course focuses on the essential stylistic periods and follows the interesting historical threads and influences that shaped the evolution of rock and roll as a developing art form. Through a wide range of reading and listening assignments, this online course provides tools for intelligent listening and encourages the development of a greater understanding of musical structures and forms.
A rich selection of excerpts and pieces are referenced in the lectures, reading assignments, quizzes, and timed listening notes that guide students in the art of listening.
Whether a student is planning to pursue additional studies in the field of music or taking this online course to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of the vibrant world of rock and roll, we believe students will find it interesting, entertaining, and enriching.
Lessons
Lesson 1: Rock, You, & the Big Picture
This lesson explores the origins of rock and roll and its social impact on modern American culture. Students will realize how understanding rock and roll, classical music, and jazz helps develop an appreciation of rock and roll music.
Lesson 2: Forerunners of Rock & Roll
This lesson will explore the influence of rock. Students will be able to evaluate the usefulness and importance of rock in the twenty-first century. Students will also observe how change can lead to an underlying continuity of an art form.
Lesson 3: The Elvis Factor: the Convergence of Mass Media & Popular Culture
This lesson explores the influence Elvis Presley had on the history of rock. Students will observe how rock music played a major role in the convergence of the mass media and popular music to create a mass culture.
Lesson 4: Review 1: Early Rock, Plus an Introduction to the Concert Report
This lesson will test students on their ability to aurally recognize the characteristics of early rock music styles. Students can practice through repeated listening. The concert report involves attending live performances for a richer learning experience.
Lesson 5: Folk, Acid Rock, & Social Protest: The Emergence of a Counterculture
This lesson explores how youth fueled the explosion of rock music, in terms of social issues and freedom. The close connection with pop culture solidified its place as the voice for the youth.
Lesson 6: The British Invasion: Mods, Rockers, & Social Crosscurrents
This lesson explores how the British developed and adopted their version of rock and roll music. Students will observe how American jazz and country blues influenced the British version of rock, which went on to dominate the United States and other countries around the world for years.
Lesson 7: The Black Voice: Motown, Soul, & the Integration of Popular Music
This lesson explores the reemergence of African-American music in the 1960s as the Motown sound and soul music showcased the black voice and helped integrate the signature sounds and performance traditions of black artists into the American mainstream of popular music.
Lesson 8: The Growth of Rock
This lesson will focus on students’ ability to aurally recognize the characteristic musical styles of various rock genres from the 1960s and early 1970s. Students can practice through repeated listening and attending live performances for a richer learning experience.
Lesson 9: Protest to Corporate: Rock in the 1970s
This lesson will explore how rock music transitioned from its focus on social protest and civil rights issues that dominated the era of 1960s to an inward focus on more personal goals that reflected changing social values. Students will explore how rock musicians transformed the music into a hybrid form in the 1970s.
Lesson 10: Rock Fashion: From Punk to MTV
This lesson will explore how rock matured with baby boomers, reflecting their changing values. As the leading edge of rock moved away from corporate marketing of music, new voices emerged. The advent of punk music reflected the political and social attitudes of a youth culture with no respect for the status quo. Rock’s post-punk transition, showcased by groups ranging from the New Wave and the New Romantic Movement through reggae-influenced ska and pop metal, was accelerated by the advent of MTV, whose music videos created a new outlet for glamour- and fashion-conscious rockers to extend their mainstream appeal.
Lesson 11: Classic Rock & Generation X: Fulfilling Rock’s Promise
This lesson will explore how rock continues to evolve and mature. Students will observe the similarities in the trends of classical and jazz music as well. The lesson also explores how the nostalgic appeal of classic rock competed for popularity and market share with emerging styles such as grunge, hardcore punk, industrial music, and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which connected with the musical tastes of the rising youth culture of Generation X.
Lesson 12: The Challenge to Rock: Technology & Breaking the Rock Continuum
This lesson explores how technology has transformed rock music and the challenges posed to the rock canon by styles ranging from successive waves of hip-hop and rap to electronic dance music and techno. The lessons encourages students to consider how technology has challenged and will continue to challenge the future continuity of rock music.
Lesson 13: Review 3: Rock through the Present
This review will test students on their ability to aurally recognize the characteristic of the rock music styles of the 1970s through the present as explored in previous lessons. Students can practice through repeated listening.
Lesson 14: The Top Five of All Time
This lesson will review all the concepts explored throughout the course, culminating in a final listening quiz as well as a combined discussion and writing assignment that asks students to select and defend five music recordings that best represent the entirety of rock’s history and the place it holds in modern American culture.
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