History of Rock and Roll

This course seeks to balance understanding the development and significance of Rock & Roll in its historical and social environment with maintaining a focus on listening to the music as the main mode of understanding. Students will have a chance to be the rock critic as they study the chronological history of rock and view Rock & Roll films and videos. Class assignments will be organized around lectures, small group discussions, and in-class activities. The course begins with an overview of ancestors and influences: blues, boogie-woogie, jazz, swing, country & western, gospel and popular music, and the crossover success of rhythm & blues acts that marked the true birth of rock & roll. We will study the musical and social trends of the 1960s, including the influence of the British Invasion, which really signaled the arrival of rock's second Generation, the rock explosion and social upheaval of the late 1960's, and the changes in Rock & Roll music during the seventies, eighties, and nineties. The course will culminate in an exploration of today’s current musical trends and icons.