Part II, The History of Rock

About this Course

This course, part 2 of a 2-course sequence, examines the history of rock, primarily as it unfolded in the United States, from the early 1970s to the early 1990s. This course covers the music of Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, Carole King, Bob Marley, the Sex Pistols, Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Metallica, Run-DMC, and Nirvana, and many more artists, with an emphasis both on cultural context and on the music itself. We will also explore how developments in the music business and in technology helped shape the ways in which styles developed. Emerging out of the experimental and ambitious years of late-60s psychedelia, rock splintered into a variety of styles in the 1970s as the music business continued to expand. By the end of the decade, punk and disco had challenged the excesses of the hippie aesthetic, as rock became more commercially streamlined and radio friendly.

Syllabus

Week 1

Introduction

1. Introduction to History of Rock, Part 2
2. About the Course
3. Course Pages

Week 2

The Growing Rock Monster (1970-77)

1. Intro and Overview of the 70s
2. British and American Blues Rock, and Southern Rock
3. Progressive Rock and Jazz-Rock
4. Theatrical Rock and Singer-Songwriters
5. British and Canadian Singer-Songwriters and Country Rock

Week 3

Black Pop, Reggae, and the Rise of Disco (1970-79)

1. Black Pop and Motown in the 1970s
2. Philadelphia Sound, Blaxploitation Soundtracks, and James Brown George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic
3. The Rise of Reggae and Disco
4. Review

Quiz: The Growing Rock Monster (1970-77) and Black Pop, Reggae, and the Rise of Disco (1970-79)

Week 4

Mainstream Rock, Punk, and New Wave (1975-79)

1. Mainstream Rock 1975–80
2. Continuities and Leaner Prog, Louder Singer-Songwriters
3. US Punk 1967-777
4. American and British New Wave 1977-80 and Summarizing the 1970s

Week 5

I Want My MTV (1980-89)

1. The Rise of MTV
2. Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Janet Jackson
3. MTV Success Stories, New Traditionalists, and New Wave
4. New Acts Old Styles, Blue-Eyed Soul, and Dinosaurs Adapt and Thrive
5. Review

Quiz: Mainstream Rock, Punk, and New Wave (1975-79) and I Want My MTV (1980-89)

Week 6

Heavy Metal, Rap, and Indie Rock (1980-89)

1. Heavy Metal
2. Metal Ambition and the Roots of Rap
3. Rap Crosses Over and CNN for Black People
4. Punk Goes Hardcore and Indie Rock Underground

Week 7

Alternative Rock, Rock Alternatives, and Widening Gaps (the 1990s)

1. The Rise of Alternative
2. Indie Rock and Extensions of Metal and Alternative
3. Hip-Hop in the 1990s and Classic Rock
4. New Rock Traditions and Female Singer-Songwriters
5. Teen Idols and Electronic Dance Music
6. Review

Quiz: Heavy Metal, Rap, and the Rise of Alternative Rock (1980-89) and Widening Gaps (the 1990s)

How to Pass the Course

Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.

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