Bücher der Reihe For the Record: Lexington Studies in Rock and Popular Music

This book presents an analysis of 100 rock concert performances and attempts to answer the question What makes a truly great rock performance? Author Peter Smith, an experienced concert goer, delves into his own recollections of experiencing rock performances over the last 50+ years and, with the support of his daughter, Laura Smith, analyzes 100 selected performances covering the themes of icons, persona, energy, fandom, venues, communities, politics, art-rock, authenticity and maturity. The approach taken is based upon qualitative analysis, reflection, and autoethnography. The selected performances cover a range of diverse acts such as the Rolling Stones, ABBA, Sex Pistols, Barbara Streisand, David Bowie, and the like.

Using Billy Joel's music as a lens on history and culture, this volume introduces a variety of musicological approaches to one of the most popular entertainers of the past fifty years.

As we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the most momentous year in the life of the Beatles, the contributors to The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper, and the Summer of Love perform wide-ranging analyses of the group's enduring sociocultural influence and achievements.