MUSC 120 History of Rock Music

This course will survey the history of American rock and roll from its origins in the early twentieth century to the approximate present. We will study the various stylistic milestones of rock music (blues, the "British invasion," the grunge movement, etc.) as well as the cultural, social, and political circumstances that gave rise to these developments. Among the issues we will discuss are: the African-American roots of rock and roll, and the degree to which those roots are acknowledged or overlooked today; the commercialization of rock and roll; the role of gender in rock and roll production and reception; the cultural politics of the Civil Rights Era and the Vietnam War, and their influence on rock music; the advent of MTV and its effect on the marketing of rock music; the "postmodern" culture of the late 1990s and its ongoing influence on rock music today.

Credits

3.0

Core

Humanities

Offered

Fall semester, even years