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Known for its loud amplification and rebellious spirit, rock emerged in the 1950s, initially as a fusion of Black rhythm and blues with white commercial genres like country music. Through repeated transformations, it became the dominant genre of popular music in the second half of the twentieth century, spawning such subgenres as folk-rock, heavy metal, soft rock, and punk. Find below resources on the phenomenon of rock music, including its history and topics like the rock concert, production, and gender.
The recommended books below include print reference sources and books on a wide sampling of topics related to rock and its subgenres. Reference sources on rock are classified in ML 102.R6 (encyclopedias), ML 128.R6 (bibliographies), and ML 156.4.R6 (discographies). Other books can be found in biographies (especially ML 420 and ML 421) and in types and styles of popular music (ML 3524). Books are sorted by their call numbers for ease of browsing. Hover over the info icon to see a description.
Users are encouraged to search for items beyond University Libraries' catalog via RILM Abstracts of Music Literature and WorldCat. Materials not available in print or online may be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Please allow up to seven days for electronic delivery and up to fourteen days for delivery of physical items.