The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader: Histories and Debates, 2nd Edition
Study Questions
Part 1 Before 1950
1. Irving Berlin in Tin Pan Alley
How do Irving Berlin’s early songs (in the words of Charles Hamm) “encode or
reflect or perpetuate or shape or empower . . . the culture and values of [the]
complex community” to which Berlin belonged? Provide some examples. What
are some examples of Berlin’s songwriting collaborations? What is the
significance of these collaborations? What is the importance of performance to
Berlin’s apparently standardized songs?
2. Technology, the Dawn of Modern Popular Music, and the ”King of Jazz”
According to Whiteman, what were some of the difficulties created by early
sound recording technology? What role did different dance steps play in the
transformation of Whiteman’s music?
3. Big Band Swing Music: Race and Power in the Music Business
How does Marvin Freedman characterize the musical differences between black
and white musicians? How does he evaluate these differences? What does Irving
Kolodin see as significant differences between black and white bands in terms of
their working conditions and opportunities? What opportunities are particularly
important in whether a band is successful or not?
4. Solo Pop Singers and New Forms of Fandom
What factors does Bing Crosby see as particularly important to his success?
Based on Martha Weinman Lear’s account, how would you describe the role
played by Frank Sinatra in the formation of identity of his young female fans?
Why does Neil McCaffrey prefer Benny Goodman’s band to Frank Sinatra? How
does McCaffrey describe the differences between fans of swing bands and solo
singers?
5. Hillbilly and Race Music
How does Kyle Crichton explain the musical industry’s attitude toward race and
hillbilly music? What is significant about these musics’ popularity?
6. Blues People and the Classic Blues
PRS/Study Questions
2
According to Leroi Jones, why were classic blues singers women? What was the
relationship between minstrelsy, vaudeville, and the classic blues?
7. The Empress of the Blues
What is the overriding impression of Bessie Smith created by those who knew
her?
8. At the Crossroads with Robert Johnson, as Told by Johnny Shines
What does Johnny Shines think was most striking about Robert Johnson’s music?
What were the conditions under which they played?
9. From Race Music to Rhythm and Blues: T-Bone Walker
Why do other musicians admire T-Bone Walker? Which song is his most famous?
10. Jumpin’ the Blues with Louis Jordan
How did Louis Jordan’s early career as a minstrel carry over into his performance
style as a bandleader? (Down Beat) Louis Jordan wanted to be connected to the
black audience for vitality in his music, but he also wanted to appeal to white
audiences for greater commercial success. What did he do to appeal to both black
and white audiences? (Shaw)
11. On the Bandstand with Johnny Otis and Wynonie Harris
What does Otis see as the musical elements that led to the development of R&B?
How does Wynonie Harris explain his appeal to the opposite sex?
12. The Producers Answer Back: The Emergence of the “Indie” Record Company
What is the significance of the growing success of indie record companies?
What qualities were producers like Henry Glover and Ahmet Ertegun looking for
in recording artists in the late 1940s?
13. Country Music as Folk Music, Country Music as Novelty
What factors were responsible for the increase in country music’s popularity?
What were country’s virtues? Why did city slickers make fun of it?
Part 2 The 1950s
14 . Country Music Approaches the Mainstream
PRS/Study Questions
3
Describe the audience for the Grand Ole Opry. According to Hank Williams, what
is the most important characteristic of hillbilly music and why is this so vital to
both the entertainers and the audience?
15. Hank Williams on Songwriting
How did the values that Williams shared with his audience affect his attitude
toward songwriting? What advice does Hank Williams give the budding country
songwriter?
16. Rhythm and Blues in the Early 1950s: B. B. King
What were B. B. King’s most important musical influences? How has he tried to
keep his music interesting and relevant?
17. “The House That Ruth Brown Built”
What were some of the ingredients of Ruth Brown’s early recordings? What were
some of the obstacles she faced early in her career? What was her business
relationship with Atlantic Records like?
18. Ray Charles, or, When Saturday Night Mixed It Up with Sunday Morning
What musical factors were most important in the development of Ray Charles’
distinctive style? What did he see as the differences between what he did and
early rock ‘n’ roll? How did the song “What’d I Say” develop? Why did he record
an album of Country and Western songs?
19. Jerry Wexler: A Life in R&B
According to Jerry Wexler, what factors were important in the increase in R&B’s
popularity in the early 1950s and the subsequent emergence of rock ‘n’ roll?
20. The Growing Threat of Rhythm and Blues
What challenges did the success of R&B pose for “major diskers”? What does the
author of “A Warning to the Music Business” think is wrong with contemporary
popular music? What solutions does he propose?
21. Langston Hughes Responds
According to Langston Hughes, what do cover versions of R&B songs have in
common with previous trends in popular music?
22. From Rhythm and Blues to Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Songs of Chuck Berry
PRS/Study Questions
4
What sort of strategies did Chuck Berry use to attract a mixed black and white
audience? How did these strategies affect his songwriting style?
23. Little Richard: Boldly Going Where No Man Had Gone Before
What were some of the problems that Bumps Blackwell faced when he started
recording Little Richard? What were Little Richard’s musical influences? How
did they differ from Chuck Berry’s?
24. Elvis Presley, Sam Phillips, and Rockabilly
How would you describe the early recording sessions of Elvis Presley? What was
Sam Phillips’ approach to recording Elvis?
25. Rock ‘n’ Roll Meets the Popular Press
What characterizes the mainstream press’s presentation of early rock ‘n’ roll?
26. The Chicago Defender Defends Rock ‘n’ Roll
How does Rob Roy’s account of negative reactions to rock ‘n’ roll differ from
accounts in the mainstream press?
27. The Music Industry Fight Against Rock ‘n’ Roll: Dick Clark’s Teen-Pop Empire and
the Payola Scandal
According to Peter Bunzel, how did Dick Clark benefit from his selection of
records on American Bandstand? According to Bunzel and the Harris Committee,
what was the connection between payola and the popularity of rock ‘n’ roll? How
does the discussion of American Bandstand in the New York Age differ from that
presented in the preceding article?
Part 3 The 1960s
28. Brill Building and the Girl Groups
How would you characterize the relationships between producers, songwriters,
and singers in the Brill Building? Who benefited most from the separation of
these roles? What were the advantages of the flexibility of the Brill Building
compared to the better financed, but slower moving operations of the bigger
companies? What is Phil Spector’s claim to fame? How would you describe his
working relationship with the artists he produced?
29. From Surf to Smile
What motivated Brian Wilson to try and surpass his earlier recordings? What was
he trying to accomplish on Pet Sounds and “Good Vibrations”?
PRS/Study Questions
5
30. Urban Folk Revival
What was the source of folk music’s appeal for college students? What was the
strongest inspiration for the creation of protest songs?
What does the Time article suggest are the roots of Joan Baez’s appeal? How is
Baez viewed by folk music purists?
31. Bringing It All Back Home: Dylan at Newport
What were the debates in Sing Out about the 1965 Newport Folk Festival about?
Why did people think Dylan sold out? How are Silber and Nelson’s viewpoints
different?
32. “Chaos Is a Friend of Mine”
What is Dylan’s response to those who accuse him of selling out? How does he
explain the change in his style? What seems to be his general attitude toward
giving interviews?
33. From R&B to Soul
According to Baldwin, what quality links gospel, jazz, and blues? What did Jerry
Wexler contribute to Wilson Pickett’s career and to the song “In the Midnight
Hour”?
34. No Town Like Motown
What made James Jamerson stand out as a bass player? What was the relationship
at Motown between songwriters, producers, singers, and instrumentalists? What
was Berry Gordy’s philosophy about different audiences who might listen to
Motown’s music?
35. The Godfather of Soul and the Beginnings of Funk
What were the major influences on Brown’s music and performing style? How
did he develop his stage act? What was significant about the public reaction to
Live at the Apollo? What were the important musical elements in the development
of funk as realized in “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”?
36. “The Blues Changes from Day to Day”
What musical qualities does Redding seem to value most? What is his advice to
older R&B singers?
PRS/Study Questions
6
37. Aretha Franklin Earns Respect
What were the main differences in the approach to recording Aretha Franklin at
Columbia and Atlantic? What role did religion and gospel music play in the
formation of her style? What might explain her connection with her audience?
38. The Beatles, the “British Invasion,” and Cultural Respectability
How does William Mann’s treatment of the Beatles differ from earlier writers’
treatment of rock ‘n’ roll musicians? What does Mann find valuable about the
Beatles’ music? Why does Theodore Strongin dismiss the Beatles’ music?
39. A Hard Day’s Night and Beatlemania
What aspects of A Hard Day’s Night made the biggest impression on Andrew
Sarris? What does he see as the movie’s (and group’s) larger cultural
significance?
What was revolutionary about the female fans’ reaction to the Beatles? What
accounts for other commentators’ trivialization of Beatlemania?
40. England Swings, and the Beatles Evolve on Revolver and Sgt. Pepper
Why does Richard Goldstein think Revolver is an important album? What
connections does Jack Kroll make between Sgt. Pepper and “serious” new art?
41. The British Art School Blues
What sort of contrasts were being drawn between the Beatles and the Rolling
Stones early in their careers? Does the Rolling Stones’ image seem fabricated or
like an outgrowth of their personalities, or both? According to Coleman, what is
distinctive about the Stones’ music?
42. The Stones versus the Beatles
What does Willis like about the Stones? What does she dislike about the
resemblance of certain Stones songs to certain Beatles songs? What does she
criticize about Beggar’s Banquet? about The Beatles (aka “The White Album”)?
43. If You’re Goin’ to San Francisco
According to Gleason, what conditions promoted the development of psychedelic
rock in the Bay Area? What were the components of the Grateful Dead’s sound?
44. The Kozmic Blues of Janis Joplin
PRS/Study Questions
7
What are Joplin’s views on the connection between “soul” and race? What is most
important to Joplin as a performer?
45. Jimi Hendrix and the Electronic Guitar
What seems to be most important to Hendrix as a musician? What is his
relationship as a performer to the audience?
46. Rock Meets the Avant-Garde: Frank Zappa
What is significant about Zappa’s attitude toward the audience? How is Zappa’s
relationship to the musicians he plays with different from that of the members of
the Beatles or Rolling Stones? In what sense might he be considered an ironist? a
parodist?
47. Pop/Bubblegum/Monkees
What are the rock audience’s criticisms of the Monkees? How does Christgau
defend them?
48. The Aesthetics of Rock
How does Paul Williams distinguish the writing in Crawdaddy from that found in
previous publications about popular music?
Where does Goldstein place current pop music in McLuhan’s scheme of “hot”
and “cool” media? How does he use McLuhan’s theories to explain the resistance
of many critics to contemporary popular music?
49. Festivals: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
How does J. R. Young’s review address the persistence of “prehippie values
within the counterculture”?
According to Csicsery, what was the relationship between the events at Altamont
and what was going on in United States society at large? In what ways did
Altamont reveal the harmony of “Woodstock Nation” to be an illusion?
Part 4 The 1970s
50. Where Did the Sixties Go?
Why does Bangs feel that the Yardbirds and Who contributed to a “decline” of
rock? According to Bangs, what was the negative effect of folk music on the
development of rock ‘n’ roll? What does Bangs see as the virtues of the Stooges?
51. The Sound of Autobiography: Singer-Songwriters, Carole King
PRS/Study Questions
8
What were the factors involved in transforming Carole King from a songwriter
working behind the scenes to a star performer in her own right? What aspects of
the singer-songwriter genre were particularly accommodating for a musician like
King?
52. Joni Mitchell Journeys Within
How did Joni Mitchell think that success was going to affect her songwriting?
What is the relationship between Mitchell’s discussion of her feelings and the
subjects of her song lyrics?
53. Sly Stone: “The Myth of Staggerlee”
What were the ingredients of Sly’s success with the counterculture? What went
wrong? What is the significance and message of Sly’s Riot?
54. Not-so-“Little” Stevie Wonder
What were some of the different influences on Stevie Wonder’s music in the early
1970s? What is his attitude about working within the structure of Motown?
55. Parliament Drops the Bomb
What is the significance of science fiction imagery in George Clinton’s
productions? What is the importance of the group concept in funk to Clinton?
What does he see as its social role?
56. Heavy Metal Meets the Counterculture
What is the larger cultural and historical significance of Mendelsohn’s review and
the response of readers to it?
What are some of the ways in which Black Sabbath departed from the hard rock
and psychedelic rock that preceded it? What distinguishes their audience from
fans of ‘60s rock?
57. Led Zeppelin Speaks!
What seem to be Page’s goals as a musician? What does he hope to achieve with
Led Zeppelin? What is his main complaint about the way Led Zeppelin has been
treated by critics?
58. “I Have No Message Whatsoever”
PRS/Study Questions
9
What seems to motivate Bowie’s career decisions? Why is the issue of his
sexuality important?
59. Rock Me Amadeus
What musical values seem to be important to Keith Emerson? How did Yes put
together their longer, more complex tracks, such as “Roundabout” and “Close to
the Edge”?
60. Jazz Fusion
What motivated Davis to change his style and to develop jazz-fusion?
61. Get On Up Disco
According to Kopkind, what are the musical aesthetics of disco? How did disco
turn the pop industry upside-down? What were some of the factors that led to the
rise of disco in gay clubs? What does disco tell us about youth culture in the late
‘70s relative to the ‘60s?
62. Punk: The Sound of Criticism?
What does Wolcott find most interesting about the “underground” bands?
63. Punk Crosses the Atlantic
According to Coon, what are the main problems with the surviving stars from the
1960s? How does punk rock provide the antidote to these problems? How does
she differentiate the British bands from the New York City punk bands?
64. Punk to New Wave?
What is the most striking difference between the B-52s and punk bands like the
Ramones and the Sex Pistols? What does Holden find most fascinating about the
B-52s?
65. UK New Wave
What do Costello’s likes and dislikes tell you about his musical values? What is
he rebelling against musically?
Part 5 The 1980s
66. A “Second British Invasion,” MTV, and Other Postmodernist Conundrums
PRS/Study Questions
10
How does the “Second British Invasion” of the early 1980s differ from the “First
British Invasion” of 1964? How were the British synth-pop New Wave artists able
to capitalize on MTV? What does Christgau think is wrong with the music
industry?
67. Thriller Begets the “King of Pop”
Why is Tate critical of Jackson’s physical transformations? What connection does
he see between these transformations and the music on Bad?
68. Madonna and the Performance of Identity
In what ways does Paglia believe Madonna’s religious and ethnic background
have influenced her music and public persona? What are other important
influences on Madonna’s musical and visual style? How does Jane Dark‘s
description of Madonna’s strengths reinforce Paglia’s observations? According to
Dark, what are the weaknesses of Ray of Light in the context of Madonna’s earlier
work?
70. R&B in the 1980s: To Cross Over or Not to Cross Over?
What are George’s criticisms of crossover artists? Is his argument based on
musical aesthetics, racial politics, or a combination of both? Why does Perry
criticize George’s criticism of crossover artists? Do you agree or disagree with
Perry? Why?
71. Heavy Metal Thunders On!
What musical effects do the members of Judas Priest strive for? What do they see
as the connection between their music and the blues?
72. Metal in the Late Eighties: Glam or Thrash?
In what sense are Metallica different from bands that they view as being more
commercial than themselves? What contradictions to their view of themselves as
noncommercial are created by an increase in their popularity? What is interesting
about their compositional process?
73. Postpunk Goes Indie
According to Flipside, what inspired the development of hardcore? What are
some of the distinctive features of hardcore?
74. Indie Brings the Noise
PRS/Study Questions
11
What does Gordon feel is significant about being a female bass player? What does
her account tell us about the difficulties of touring on the indie circuit in the mid1980s?
75. Hip-Hop, Don’t Stop
What is Cool Herc’s explanation for the development of “B-Beats”? How does he
account for their popularity? How does Ford describe the origin of rapping? What
do early rappers credit for the popularity of their practice?
76. “The Music Is a Mirror”
According to Allen, what connects hip-hop to African music? What connects hiphop to previous African American cultural practices?
How does Cooper’s explanation for misogyny in rap differ from Allen’s? How
does she explain women’s limited role in rap up until that time?
77. Where Rap and Heavy Metal Converge
According to Pareles, where do rap and heavy metal converge? Should popular
culture be censored? Do you agree with Jon Pareles when he says: “Racist and
sexist statements are a byproduct of societal tensions, and they belong well within
constitutionally defined free speech” (p. 468)? How does Pareles resolve the
censorship issue?
Part 6 The 1990s and Beyond
78. Hip-Hop into the 1990s: Gangstas, Fly Girls, and the Big Bling-Bling
How do rappers defend themselves against charges of racism, anti-Semitism,
misogyny, homophobia, etc.? Or, against charges of glorifying violence? To what
do rappers ascribe the motivations of their critics? What are the arguments for
saying that rap is not music? What are the arguments for rap-as-music?
79. Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang
What was distinctive about Snoop Dogg’s rap style? What is the relationship
between Snoop’s life experiences and what he raps about? How does he claim to
take responsibiltiy for the implications of the subjects of his songs?
80. Keeping It a Little Too Real
Why did some people think that the murder of Biggie Smalls was related to the
East Coast/West Coast feud? Why did others think that the murder was
unconnected to the feud? What was the feud all about?
PRS/Study Questions
12
81. Sample-Mania
What is meant by “sampling”? Is there a line between “creative
recontextualization” and theft when artists sample a previous recording? What
examples does Strauss give of artists who went too far toward theft? Give a
summary of Neil Strauss’s cynical description of the formula for a hit rap song.
82. Women in Rap
What explanation does Farley give for the rise in hip-hop’s popularity? What
issues does he discuss in connection to authenticity in the context of hip-hop?
What role have new forms of promotion played in the shift in hip-hop’s status?
What are some of the factors that mark divisions among hip-hop artists described
by Farley?
83. The Beat Goes On
What is different about the controversy described in this article and earlier
controversies involving Eminem?
84. From Indie to Alternative to . . . Seattle?
DiMartino writes that “the big question in Seattle at the moment is: Why here?
Why now? Based on this article, how would you answer the question—i.e., what
were the factors that contributed to Seattle becoming a “hotbed of talent” in the
early 1990s? What does the term “grunge” mean, and where did it originate?
85. Riot Girl
How did the Riot Girl movement develop, and what attitudes characterize it?
What are the main ways in which the authors of “riot grrl” link the importance of
forming all-female bands with a feminist critique of patriarchy and capitalism?
Why is the idea of community so important in developing alternative roles for
women, both in music and in society at large?
86. Grunge Turns to Scrunge
What was the role of an “oppositional” identity in indie rock? What were some of
the difficulties in maintaining such an identity? What problems and contradictions
were raised by artists who achieved mass success? What differentiated
“alternative” from “indie”?
87. “A Postalternative Icon”
PRS/Study Questions
13
What is the indie-alternative notion of "authenticity"? Why is the notion of
authentic self-expression problematic for artists whose style is eclectic? What
does Bjork hate about the American music industry? How does she defend
techno? How does she reconcile her interest in technology and nature?
88. “We Are the World”?
What were some of the important factors in the development of rai and bhangra?
What complicates notions of “immigration, assimilation, and acculturation” for
Lipsitz? Why does he think that hybridity in music does not consist of the simple
blending of distinct musics and cultures?
89. A Talking Head Writes
Why does Byrne hate World Music? What are Byrne’s criticisms of the “myth of
authenticity” in World Music? Although Byrne hates the label, what does he see
as the positive value of music that is categorized as “World Music”?
90. Genre or Gender? The Resurgence of the Singer-Songwriter
What is the role of confession and autobiography in Amos’s songs compared to
earlier singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell (see Chapter 52)? Why does she
criticize some of the ways in which “pain” is represented in rock music of the
1990s?
91. Public Policy and Pop Music History Collide
What did 1996’s Telecommunications Act allow in the United States? What is the
Future of Music Coalition and what do they do? After reading this article, what do
you think of the notion of “market populism” (the quality of a product—in this
case, music—is determined by its success in the market)?
92. Electronica Is in the House
What are some of the issues discussed by Reynolds that connect post-1980
electronic dance music (EDM) with disco? What are some of the ways in which
EDM differs from rock music? How is EDM unique with respect to its interaction
with drugs and technology? What is the status of the author in EDM? What does
EDM have in common with underground-punk rock?
93. R&B Divas Go Retro
What explains the resurgence of 1970s-era R&B styles with women singers in the
1990s? What are the differences between the R&B divas of the 1990s and those of
the 1960s and 1970s?
PRS/Study Questions
14
94. Fighting the Power in a Post-9/11 Mediascape—The Dixie Chicks
What accounts for the extremity of the reaction against the Dixie Chicks’
statement about the Iraq War compared to public reaction to other celebrities who
made antiwar statements? How did the ways in which the Iraq War was being
discussed in the mass media create the conditions for the controversy? What
arguments can be made (for and against) compare the Dixie Chicks to punk
rockers?
95. The End of History, the Mass-Marketing of Trivia, and a World of Copies Without
Originals
What are the main factors involved in the growth of new popular music
influenced by classic rock? What explains the movement of artists who were once
marginal to the mainstream of popular music history? What impact has the new
awareness of history had on the development of young bands? Why is classic rock
so popular with people born twenty years after its heyday?
What legal/copyright issues are raised by “mashups”? What technological
developments enabled the creation of mashups? What is creative about the
assemblage of mashups or of other tracks that use sampling technology? What are
some examples of previous popular music that used sampling technology?