American Popular Music

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August 2008

American popular music is a kaleidoscopic mélange of styles and dreams. Its vibrancy reflects the mating of cultural diversity to artistic and creative freedom. The stories in this book illustrate how Americans, borrowing from diverse musical traditions, have contributed to humanity’s universal language.

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THE ARTS: Music

Reshaping ideas, expressing identity

Inside This Publication

August 2008

Chapters 1-6

Chapters 7-12

Country Music: Songs of Tradition and Change
• Bluegrass and Honky-Tonk
• Country Music Updated
Rock 'n' Roll: A Generation’s Identity
• Rhythm & Blues
• Rock ‘n’ Roll Women
• The 1960s: Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Second Generation
• Motown
• Ray Charles and Soul Music
• The Counterculture and Psychedelic Rock
• Jimi Hendrix, the Guitar Hero
• Rock ‘n’ Roll Will Never Die
Music: The Business
• Production and Promotion of Popular Music
Music Technology: Innovations and Controversies
• Digital Technology and Popular Music
• The Internet
• Personal Listening Devices
• Controversies
Hip-Hop: The “Rapper’s Delight”
• Rap Goes Mainstream
World Music Collaborations: Crossing Cultural Boundaries
• Back to Africa
• The Qawwali Influence

Musical Profiles

A closer look at some of the people and the tools that make American music what it is today.

Additional Resources

Glossary

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