[Roger Press]

This is a document we have from a few years ago. It shows the structure of a 20 course History of Rock overview.

Yes, it may seem a bit long, but I wanted to share it. Nothing like the detail of a course structure to make scholarship come alive. I just find this inspiring, and a professor at Tufts gave it to me as an example we could share. I hope you’re excited by it too, such range, such depth. These are just the first 10 courses. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to talk about it and a fuller set of all 20 classes and modules.

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An examination of sociocultural meaning and musical structure in rock ‘n’ roll and related
idioms of popular music. Emergence of the idiom in context of the history of American music. Connections among various styles and major artists. Impact of technology and the music industry.

 

Course Schedule: Reading, Listening, & Watching

1. Course Introduction
   Class #1:
   -Gene Austin, “My Blue Heaven” & “Ain’t She Sweet”

Norway, 2017: http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/search/result?singles%5B%5D=1253299
-Lillian Roth “Ain’t She Sweet”
-Frank Sinatra & Debbie Reynolds, The Tender Trap***USA and GB Jan 1956: http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/search/result?singles%5B%5D=237710

1. Why 1955?
   Class #2: —Roots
   -Hank Williams, “Hey Good Lookin’”
   -Big Joe Turner, “Shake, Rattle, and Roll”

Bill Haley and his Comets, ***GB: http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/search/result?singles%5B%5D=237257***World Events: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MhPWyqFUOCmZTjCEE58_4IjRFSPhBY-nTGUBsSvOGXI/edit***See other music of the time: http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/chart_types/19?sc_rc_id=448017&static_chart_id=12301
-Judy Garland w/ Victor Young and his Orchestra, “Over the Rainbow”October 2017 takes Europe by storm:  http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/search/result?singles%5B%5D=1253294&singles%5B%5D=1897768&singles%5B%5D=2258761&singles%5B%5D=938130

Class #3: —Roots, II
-Richard Peterson (1990) “Why 1955?” (pp. 97-9 and 108-14) [pdf]
-Fats Domino, “My Blue Heaven”US: http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/search/result?singles%5B%5D=236835
-Bing Crosby, “Swinging on a star” (from Going My Way)
-Ray Charles, “I Got a Woman”
-Howlin’ Wolf, “Evil (Is Going On)”

Class #4: —Covers, Race, and ‘American Youth’-Little Richard/Pat Boone, “Tutti Frutti”
-Bill Haley, “Shake, Rattle, and Roll”
-The Beach Boys, “Surfin’ USA”

Class #5: —The First American Idols
-Paul Anka, “Lonely Boy”
-Buddy Holly, ‘That’ll Be the Day”
-Elvis Presley, “That’s All Right” & “Ready Teddy”

III. Commerce, Politics, or Art? The 1960s
Class #6: —Beatles for Sale“The Beatles, the British Invasion, and Cultural Respectability” & “Rock and Roll Meets the
Popular Press”
-The Beatles February 9, 1964 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show
-A Hard Day’s Night (1965)

Class #7: —British Invasion
-Rolling Stones, “Satisfaction”
-Animals, “House of the Rising Sun”GB, 1962 and 1974: http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/search/result?singles%5B%5D=253685&singles%5B%5D=256480
-Beatles, “Tomorrow Never Knows”
-The Kinks, “Dedicated Follower of Fashion”

Class #8: — Dylan’s Folk
-William Roy (2010) Reds, Whites, and Blues (excerpts) [pdf]
-Bob Dylan playlist
-The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man”
-Simon & Garfunkel, “Sounds of Silence” (2 versions)*** http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/search/result?singles%5B%5D=252924&singles%5B%5D=253821&singles%5B%5D=319032
-Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, “Ohio”/“Find the Cost of Freedom”

Class #9: —All You Need Is Love
-The Monkees, “Too Many Girls” (television episode, originally aired 12/19/66)
-Kingsmen, “Louie Louie”
-Jefferson Airplane, “White Rabbit”
-Big Brother and the Holding Company, “Summertime”

Class #10: —Artistic Pretensions
-Album assignment (due in class; no readings)
-Frank Zappa, “Help! I’m a Rock!”
-Rolling Stones, “Paint it Black”US and GB: http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/search/result?singles%5B%5D=317391&singles%5B%5D=254016&singles%5B%5D=243019
-Concept albums!

[Roger Press]

Here are the next courses from module 11 all the way to module 25

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Class #11: —Festivals
-Jimi Hendrix, “Star Spangled Banner” & “Voodo Chile (Slight Return)” (live)
-Cream, “Sunshine of Your Love” & “Crossroads” (live)
-Country Joe and the Fish, “Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” (live)

Class #12: —White Masks
-Led Zeppelin, “The Lemon Song” & “Dazed and Confused” (live)
-Black Sabbath, “Nativity in Black”

1. Rock Sells Out? The 1970s-1980s
   Class #14: —This Ain’t the Summer of Love
   -David Bowie, “Ziggy Stardust”
   -KISS, Alive! (selections)
   -Jim Croce, “I Got A Name”
   -Judee Sill, “Jesus Was a Crossmaker”

Class #15: —Motown/AOR/Disco
-Peter Frampton, “Show Me The Way”
-Stevie Wonder, “Living for the City”
-Boston, “More Than a Feeling”
-Donna Summer, “Bad Girls”

Class #16: —No Future? [Mar. 19 and Mar. 21—Spring Break!]
-Punk Art Catalogue
(online, at http://www.98bowery.com/punkyears/punk-art-catalogue-section-five.php)
-Sex Pistols, “God Save the Queen”
-X-Ray Spex, “Oh, Bondage! Up Yours!”
-Velvet Underground, “Heroin”
-MC5, “Kick out the Jams”

Class #17: —Hardcore
-“How Much Art Can You Take?” (online pdf, at http://feralhouse.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ah_excerpt3.pdf )
-The Ramones, “I Wanna Be Sedated”
-Black Flag, “Rise Above”
-Hüsker Dü, “It’s Not Funny Anymore”
-Flipper, “Sex Bomb”

Class #18: —Video Killed the Radio Star
-Devo, “Satisfaction” & The Truth About De-evolution
-Michael Jackson, “Thriller” music video
-Bob Geldof, “Do They Know Its Christmas” music video

Class #19: —Metal, and The Decline of Western Civilization
-Heavy Metal Parking Lot short documentary
-Van Halen, “Eruption”
-Judas Priest, “Better By You, Better Than Me”
-Motorhead, live concert excerpts

Class #20: —Independent Music
-Mission of Burma, Signals, Calls, and Marches EP
-The Pixies, “Debaser” & “Tame”
-R.E.M., “Talk About the Passion”

1. The Death of Rock? The 1990s-2000s
   Class #21: —Girls, Girls, Gr[rr]ls
   -“Riot Grrrl Manifesto”
   -Kristen Schilt (2003) “A Little Too Ironic” [optional]
   -Bikini Kill, “Double Dare Ya” & Bikini Kill EP
   -Britney Spears, “…Baby One More Time”

http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/search/result?singles%5B%5D=298715&singles%5B%5D=296122
-Katy Perry, “I Kissed A Girl”*** http://musicid.academicrightspress.com/search/result?singles%5B%5D=309827&singles%5B%5D=326035

Class #22: —The Year Punk Broke: Grunge

Class #23: —“Alternative” Music
-“History of Alternative Music” (short: http://www.silver-dragon-records.com/alternative_rock.htm)
-Second reading/listenings TBD & posted on TRUNK

Class #24: — The Museumification of Rock
-Handout on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

Class #25: Apr. 23—Indie Rock
-“How To Live Without Irony” (online, at http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/ 11/17/how-to-live-without-irony/ )
-Neutral Milk Hotel, “In the Airplane Over the Sea”
-Sufjan Stevens, “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.”
-Fleet Foxes, “Crayon Angels”
-Beck, Song Reader

***Spotify data including stream counts
Class #26: —Final Class

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