Coursera
Explore
  • Browse
  • Search
  • For Enterprise
  • Log In
  • Sign Up

History of Rock, Part One

OverviewSyllabusFAQsCreatorsRatings and Reviews

HomeArts and HumanitiesMusic and Art

History of Rock, Part One

University of Rochester

About this course: This course, part 1 of a 2-course sequence, examines the history of rock, primarily as it unfolded in the United States, from the days before rock (pre-1955) to the end of the 1960s. This course covers the music of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Phil Spector, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, 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. Rock emerged in the mid 1950s as a blending of mainstream pop, rhythm and blues, and country and western--styles that previously had remained relatively separate. This new style became the music of the emerging youth culture and was often associated with teen rebellion. We will follow the story of how this rowdy first wave of rock and roll (1955-59) was tamed in the early 60s but came roaring back with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and then went psychedelic by the end of the decade.


Created by:  University of Rochester
University of Rochester

  • John Covach

    Taught by:  John Covach, Professor of Music and Director

    Institute for Popular Music
Commitment12-24 hours of videos and quizzes
Language
English, Subtitles: Serbian, Chinese (Simplified)
How To PassPass all graded assignments to complete the course.
User Ratings
4.8 stars
Average User Rating 4.8See what learners said
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Introduction
1 video, 7 readings
  1. Video: Introduction
  2. Reading: Welcome to the Course
  3. Reading: General Overview
  4. Reading: Syllabus
  5. Reading: Grading and Logistics
  6. Reading: Music Fundamentals
  7. Reading: Listening Guides (19 videos)
  8. Reading: About the Professor
The World Before Rock and Roll (1900-1955)
The Role of Tin Pan Alley in mainstream pop, the formation of a national audience through radio and the rise of television, the pre-rock pop of Frank Sinatra, Patti Page, and Les Paul and Mary Ford; rhythm and blues in the years before rock and roll; country and western and the rise of Nashville.
11 videos
  1. Video: The Music Business in the First Half of the 20th Century
  2. Video: Radio and Regional vs National Audiences
  3. Video: The Stars of Pop Music Before Rock and Roll
  4. Video: Les Paul, Inventor - The Role of Technology
  5. Video: Origins of Country & Western (pre WWII)
  6. Video: The Rise of Nashville
  7. Video: Rhythm and Blues (Pre 1945)
  8. Video: Rhythm & Blues (Post 1945)
  9. Video: Regional R&B Radio in the 1950s
  10. Video: Doo Wop and Gospel
  11. Video: Hokum Blues and Sexual Lyrics
WEEK 2
The Birth and First Flourishing of Rock and Roll (1955-59)
Chart crossover and cover versions, the first hits of Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Little Richard, the rise of Elvis Presley, the music of Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly, the rise of American Bandstand, the payola scandal and the "death of rock and roll."
8 videos
  1. Video: The Rise of Youth Culture in the 1950s
  2. Video: Radio and Records
  3. Video: Crossovers and Covers
  4. Video: The First Rock and Rollers Cross Over
  5. Video: The Rise of Elvis Presley
  6. Video: Sam Phillips Selling Elvis Contract
  7. Video: Rockabilly in the Wake of Elvis
  8. Video: The Day the Music Died
Graded: The World Before Rock and Roll and The Birth and First Flourishing of Rock and Roll
WEEK 3
The Demise of Rock and the Promise of Soul (1959-63)
Was this era the dark ages for rock music or was it a golden era cut short by the British invasion? The music of teen idols, the folk revival, early surf music, sweet soul, rockabilly pop, and girl groups. The Brill Building songwriters and the rise of the producer. Playlets and splatter platters.
9 videos
  1. Video: Audiences and Marketing - The Search for the Next Elvis
  2. Video: The Brill Building Approach to Pop
  3. Video: Teen Idols
  4. Video: Producers and Girl Groups
  5. Video: Sweet Soul
  6. Video: TV, Movies, and Dance Crazes
  7. Video: The Folk Revival
  8. Video: Rockabilly Popsters
  9. Video: Surf Music
WEEK 4
The Beatles and the British Invasion (1964-66)
The Beatles transform the UK music scene and then invade America. Other Beatles-type British bands. The London blues scene and the Rolling Stones. Other Stones-type bands. The Who and the Kinks.
10 videos
  1. Video: Introduction
  2. Video: The Early 1960s in the US & UK
  3. Video: The Rise of the Beatles
  4. Video: Beatles as Students of American Pop Music
  5. Video: Beatles From Craftsmen to Artists
  6. Video: Blues in the UK
  7. Video: The Rolling Stones Emerge
  8. Video: The Stones in The States
  9. Video: Other British Bands
  10. Video: The Kinks and the Who
Graded: The Demise of Rock and the Promise of Soul (1959-63) and The Beatles and the British Invasion (16964-66)
WEEK 5
American Responses (1965-67)
Dylan, the Byrds and folk rock. Garage bands in the northwest. Sonny and Cher and the legacy of Phil Spector. TV rock, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and the Monkees. Music in New York and Los Angeles.
7 videos
  1. Video: Dylan as the New American Songwriter
  2. Video: Dylan Goes Electric
  3. Video: Folk Rock and the Byrds
  4. Video: The Phil Spector Legacy
  5. Video: Meanwhile, Back East
  6. Video: Garage Bands
  7. Video: TV Rock
WEEK 6
Motown Pop and Southern Soul (1960-69)
Berry Gordy and the rise and first flourishing of Motown. Atlantic, Stax, and southern soul (Memphis, Muscle Shoals, New York). Parallels between Motown and Stax. James Brown and the roots of funk.
7 videos
  1. Video: Preamble
  2. Video: Hitsville, USA: Motown
  3. Video: The Motown Performers
  4. Video: Soulsville, USA: Stax and Southern Soul (7:25)
  5. Video: The Stax Performers (12:06)
  6. Video: Motown, Stax, the British Invasion, and the American Response (6:37)
  7. Video: James Brown (12:44)
Graded: American Responses and Motown Pop and Southern Soul
WEEK 7
Psychedelia (1966-69)
How can music be psychedelic? Underground psychedelic scenes in San Francisco and London. Psychedelia in LA. The Summer of Love and the rise of hippie culture. The birth of FM rock and rock magazines. Woodstock and Altamont.
9 videos
  1. Video: LSD, Music, and the Trip
  2. Video: The Beginnings of the Hippie Aesthetic
  3. Video: Pushing the Envelope Beatles and Beach Boys
  4. Video: Psychedelia in San Francisco - Subculture
  5. Video: Psychedelia in San Francisco – Important Groups
  6. Video: Psychedelia in London and Underground Favs
  7. Video: Psychedelia in London – Mainstream Stars
  8. Video: Los Angeles and Elsewhere
  9. Video: A Hippie Nation
WEEK 8
Final Exam
Final exam for this course.
    Graded: Final Exam

    FAQs
    How It Works
    Coursework
    Coursework

    Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

    Help from Your Peers
    Help from Your Peers

    Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.

    Certificates
    Certificates

    Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.

    Creators
    University of Rochester
    The University of Rochester is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University provides exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by its Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
    Ratings and Reviews
    Rated 4.8 out of 5 of 568 ratings
    jiong shi

    great course with all those details to help to understand more about the history of rock music. many thanks .

    Bruce  Lerner

    Provided insight into what I was listening to as a pre-teen. I didn't have the exposure to some of the older roots or the an understanding of the business forces that shaped the music I had access to.

    AS

    This course was brain stimulating and enjoyable.

    FP

    A truly amazing class. I had a great time and learned a lot. I'm looking forward to Part 2!



    You May Also Like
    Berklee College of Music
    Musicianship: Tensions, Harmonic Function, and Modal Interchange
    1 course
    Berklee College of Music
    Musicianship: Tensions, Harmonic Function, and Modal Interchange
    View course
    Berklee College of Music
    Musicianship: Chord Charts, Diatonic Chords, and Minor Keys
    1 course
    Berklee College of Music
    Musicianship: Chord Charts, Diatonic Chords, and Minor Keys
    View course
    University of Rochester
    The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form
    1 course
    University of Rochester
    The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form
    View course
    Berklee College of Music
    The Art of Music Production
    1 course
    Berklee College of Music
    The Art of Music Production
    View course
    Berklee College of Music
    Music Business Foundations
    1 course
    Berklee College of Music
    Music Business Foundations
    View course
    Coursera
    Coursera provides universal access to the world’s best education, partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online.
    © 2018 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
    Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
    • Coursera
    • About
    • Leadership
    • Careers
    • Catalog
    • Certificates
    • Degrees
    • For Business
    • For Government
    • Community
    • Partners
    • Mentors
    • Translators
    • Developers
    • Beta Testers
    • Connect
    • Blog
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Tech Blog
    • More
    • Terms
    • Privacy
    • Help
    • Accessibility
    • Press
    • Contact
    • Directory
    • Affiliates