rock and roll

Arena Rockin' The Vote?

by George Case

Dismissed, derided, or even deplored by critics, and out of step with the trends, arena rock acts still pack them in in much of America. Is it the sonic key to understanding Trumpism? 

Greg Ginn, SST Records, and the Rise of SoCal Punk

"In its 1980s heyday, SST released at least a dozen canonical rock albums that were notable for their rejection of convention."

Dave Grohl's Incurable Optimism

Historian Daniel Bessner says that Dave Grohl's memoir is heavy on affable storytelling but doesn't offer Grohl's views on the huge shakeups in the music industry that he's witnessed over his career. 

The Neil Young-Joe Rogan Affair Shows the Long History of the Music Industry

by Sam Backer

The music industry's adaptation to the streaming age (and return to profits for the big labels) is part of a long history extracting money from new technologies, including giving artists the smallest slice of the pie. 

Another Hendrix Legacy Lawsuit: Family Seeks to Block Royalty Claim by Heirs of Bandmates

Lawyers for the Hendrix family argued that a suit for back royalties by the heirs of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell were invalid because of waivers signed by the guitarist's British bandmates soon after his 1970 death. 

The Beatles Ignited a Culture War and Changed the World

by Randall J. Stephens

While Peter Jackson's "Get Back" documentary focuses on the last phases of the band's work together, it's important to think about how the group's emergence changed American culture, especially around sex and gender. 

At 82, Dion Offers a Rock and Roll Light in the Darkness

by Richard Aquila

Dion's new recording isn't just a work of Baby Boomer nostalgia; it reaches to the past to understand the present, says a historian of rock in American culture.

How the Drive-By Truckers Hacked the Music Industry

by Stephen Deusner

Through lineup changes, record label hassles, and fans upset with their political lyrics, the Truckers have used the internet and social media to build support and survive for decades. Their story is a history of the changing business and a map for younger acts. 

Charlie Watts Put Some Jazz in Rock and Roll

by Victor Coelho

"In an era when rock drummers were larger-than-life showmen with big kits and egos to match, Charlie Watts remained the quiet man behind a modest drum set. But Watts wasn’t your typical rock drummer."

"Juke": Bluesman Bobby Rush on the Roots of Rock and Roll

by Bobby Rush with Herb Powell

Blues musician Bobby Rush's new autobiography chronicles his life and career, and the way that the appropriation of Black music into American popular culture often left Black entertainers behind. Read here how he remembers the roots of rock and roll. 

Sun Records, Storied Early Rock Label, Sells Its High-Wattage Catalog

"In the 1950s, Sun Records in Memphis became one of the most dynamic forces in American music, releasing the first recordings by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and others, helping define rockabilly and rock ’n’ roll."

MC5’s Wayne Kramer Files Suit Over ‘No on Prop. 23’ Ad for Using 1968 Band Footage

More bluntly, in keeping with the tone of MC5 songs like “Kick Out the Jams,” Kramer said, “Give me a break with your jive bulls—.”

With His Signature Guitar Style, Eddie Van Halen Changed Rock Music

by Ken Murray

A professor of guitar performance explains Eddie Van Halen's innovations in technique, contribution to electric guitar design, and influence across genres including the solo on Michael Jackson's 1983 mega-hit "Beat It"

Eddie Van Halen, Virtuoso of the Rock Guitar, Dies at 65

The influential rock guitarist died today at age 65 after a battle with cancer.

Led Zeppelin Victorious in 'Stairway to Heaven' Plagiarism Case

Representatives of the estate of the late Randy Wolfe, who claimed authorship, said the case nevertheless proved its point that "Led Zeppelin are the greatest art thieves of all time."

How Jimi Hendrix’s London Years Changed Music

A new book, at the 50th anniversary of the guitar master's death, takes Jimi Hendrix's leap from chitlin circuit sideman to London sensation as a turning point for rock music. 

Black Sabbath's Paranoid at 50: Potent Anthems of Working-Class Strife

Music critics dismissed Black Sabbath's sludgy sound and alienated lyrics, but fans ensured that the band's second album would become one of the most influential rock records of all time. The songs' channeling of working-class pain and frustration, not their fascination with the occult, explain why.

John Fogerty Responds to Trump’s Unfortunate Use of “Fortunate Son”

"I find it confusing, I would say, that that the president has chosen to use my song for his political rallies, when in fact it seems like he is probably the fortunate son.”

Little Richard: Bold, Pioneering, Complex, and Unapologetic

by Elwood Watson

Little Richard left a lasting musical and cultural legacy because of his talent and his willingness to be more boldly black and sexual than other artists dared.

Little Richard: An Ecstasy You Couldn’t Refuse

Little Richard was a challenge to 1950s proprieties: to segregation, to musical decorum, to chastity, to straightness.