Classic Rock History

It's February 1964 and The Beatles just landed in New York City, where the NYPD, swarms of fans, and a crowd of two hundred journalists await their first American press conference. It begins with the question on everyone's mind: "Are you going to get a haircut in America?" and ends with a reporter tugging Paul McCartney's hair in an attempt to remove his nonexistent wig. This is where The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 2 kicks off.

Ed Ward covers the first half of the history of rock & roll in this sweeping and definitive narrative - from the 1920s, when the music of rambling medicine shows mingled with the songs of vaudeville and minstrel acts to create the very early sounds of country and rhythm and blues, to the rise of the first independent record labels post-World War II, and concluding in December 1963, just as an immense change in the airwaves took hold and the Beatles prepared for their first American tour.

Jawbreaker: Dear You is the definitive account of one of punk rock’s most beloved and controversial bands. Chronicling the journey of Blake Schwarzenbach, Adam Pfahler, and Chris Bauermeister, this book traces Jawbreaker’s roots in New York, their migration to California, and their evolution from underground hopefuls to one of the most debated bands in punk history. With Dear You (1995), Jawbreaker took a leap that fractured their community, alienated loyal fans, and ultimately broke them apart—only for that same record to be hailed decades later as a cornerstone of emo and ...

Glyn Johns is one of the most influential recording engineers and producers in rock history, yet for decades his work was heard by millions while his name remained behind the glass. Glyn Johns tells the definitive story of a man whose ears shaped the sound of modern rock. From the Rolling Stones’ raw debut to Led Zeppelin’s explosive first album, from the Who’s ferocious early singles to the Eagles’ soaring harmonies, Johns was at the console when history was being made. This book traces Johns’s journey from his postwar childhood in Surrey to his apprenticeship at IBC Studios, ...

Were you a child, teenager or young adult in the 80s or 90s and want to relive the best years of your life? Well now you can travel back in time and embrace your over-the-top fashion sense that’s dying to come out! Put on your shoulder pads, oversized jewellery and perm your hair. Or get those baggy jeans and Parker Jackets out once again!

Unlike all previous versions of rock 'n' roll history, this book omits almost every iconic performer and ignores the storied events and turning points everyone knows. Instead, in a daring stroke, Greil Marcus selects 10 songs recorded between 1956 and 2008 and then proceeds to dramatize how each embodies rock 'n' roll as a thing in itself in the story it tells, inhabits, and acts out - a new language, something new under the sun.

Pete Townshend is one of rock’s most restless innovators—guitarist, songwriter, art-school provocateur, and architect of the rock opera. Pete Townshend traces his extraordinary journey from postwar rubble in Chiswick to the orchestral reinterpretations and digital archives of the 21st century. Written in the voice of a seasoned music historian, this definitive biography situates Townshend not only within The Who’s combustible chemistry but inside the wider cultural and technological shifts that shaped his art. From skiffle beginnings and London’s Mod explosion to the explosive ...

Mick Fleetwood has always been more than the towering drummer behind Fleetwood Mac. He has been the chainkeeper, the patient steward who held one of rock’s most volatile bands together across decades of departures, addictions, triumphs, and reinventions. From his beginnings in Cornwall and RAF childhood postings in Egypt and Norway, through London’s blues clubs, the crucible of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and the formation of Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green, Fleetwood’s story is one of rhythm and resilience. This definitive biography traces Fleetwood’s journey through every ...

Alex Lifeson has always stood in the shadows of rock’s spotlight—quietly, deliberately, and architecturally shaping one of the most inventive catalogs in music history. As the guitarist and co-founder of Rush, Lifeson built the sonic frameworks that carried Geddy Lee’s soaring melodies and Neil Peart’s intricate drumming, crafting a career defined by resilience, experimentation, and understated brilliance. Alex Lifeson: The Quiet Architect of Rush traces his journey from the son of Yugoslav immigrants in suburban Toronto to the world’s biggest stages. It explores the teenage ...

Listen up! Embark on an electrifying journey through rock history with this witty and insightful guide to the albums that shaped the genre. From The Beatles' groundbreaking "Abbey Road" to The Clash's genre-defying "London Calling," author Staci Layne Wilson presents a meticulously curated list of 30 essential rock albums that every music lover should experience. This book isn't just a list—it's a time machine, whisking readers through three decades of musical innovation. Dive deep into the naked emotion of Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush," the conceptual brilliance of Pink Floyd's "The...

The 1960s: The Decade Music Changed and Influenced the Decades That FollowedIt was a time when music felt bigger than ever, changing the way people saw the world and themselves. Artists began experimenting with new sounds, blending different styles. From rock to country, folk to pop, and jazz to Motown, the music of the 1960s captured the energy of a generation that wanted to break free from old traditions and create something new. This was the decade when The Beatles took the world by storm, Bob Dylan made us think with his lyrics, and artists like Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke used their ...

Stephen Stills stands as one of the most versatile and enduring voices of American rock. From the explosive rise of Buffalo Springfield to the groundbreaking harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, his story is inseparable from the soundtrack of an era. Yet behind the anthems and acclaim lies a life defined by restless creativity, personal trials, and an uncompromising vision of what music could achieve. Stephen Stills: A Life in Harmony is the most complete portrait yet of a musician whose career spanned continents, genres, and generations. Beginning with his Southern roots and ...

This Thomas Paine Classic Collection contains three of Thomas Paine's most notable books: Common Sense, The Age of Reason, and The Rights of Man. Born during the Age of Enlightenment and one of America’s Founding Fathers, Thomas Paine wrote incredible works that continue to resonate with people in the modern world. Inside this collection, you’ll find some of Thomas Paine’s most famous and influential works, from his arguments against the Church to the nature of government and revolution.

In 1999, three college students from Urbana, Illinois recorded an album in a suburban house that seemed destined for obscurity. Released with little fanfare by the fledgling indie label Polyvinyl Records, American Football quietly slipped past the mainstream noise of nu-metal and pop-punk. The band itself dissolved soon after, leaving behind one EP, one full-length, and a handful of small shows. For years, their story looked like a footnote in Midwest indie history. Then came the internet rediscovery. By the mid-2000s, “Never Meant,” the album’s opening track, circulated on mp3 blogs ...

Andy Taylor was never just the guitarist in Duran Duran—he was the grit beneath the gloss, the player who gave MTV’s most stylish band its rock backbone. Andy Taylor — Rio’s Rock Edge is the definitive biography of a musician who shaped pop’s most glamorous decade while fighting to preserve authenticity in an industry addicted to polish. Born in 1961 on the North Sea coast, Taylor cut his teeth in Newcastle clubs before answering an ad that led him to Birmingham’s Rum Runner. Within months he was anchoring a new band with John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Simon Le Bon, and Roger Taylor....

Steve Howe is one of the most versatile and enduring guitarists in modern music, a figure who redefined the role of the instrument in progressive rock and beyond. From his early years in postwar London, immersed in skiffle, jazz, and classical records, through the restless psychedelic experiments of Tomorrow and Bodast, Howe’s career reads like a chronicle of rock’s most adventurous decades. His arrival in Yes in 1970 transformed the band from a promising ensemble into the leading vanguard of progressive rock. On albums such as The Yes Album, Fragile, and Close to the Edge, his fusion ...

Neal Schon has been the melodic constant in five decades of shifting rock landscapes. From his teenage recruitment by Santana to founding Journey, from the anthems of Escape to the resurgence of “Don’t Stop Believin’” in the streaming era, his guitar has carried both cultural weight and unforgettable identity. Neal Schon – Singable Guitar offers the definitive account of how one guitarist shaped not only a band, but the sound of American arena rock itself. Drawing from the San Francisco club circuits, the high-pressure sessions of Infinity and Frontiers, and the business battles ...

Tommy Shaw’s story is one of firepower, finesse, and resilience. Born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1953, he grew from a southern kid absorbing radio country and rhythm and blues into the guitarist and vocalist whose sound would define Styx at the peak of arena rock. His journey through neighborhood jams, relentless bar gigs, and circuit tours hardened his craft, but it was his sudden call to replace a departing guitarist in 1975 that hurled him into rock history. Within weeks, he was standing before tens of thousands, his harmonies soaring alongside Dennis DeYoung, his guitar lines injecting...

Christine McVie was the quiet architect of Fleetwood Mac. While the world focused on the storms swirling around Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, it was Christine’s calm voice, steady keyboards, and unflinching optimism that held the band together for half a century. Christine McVie – Songbird Eternal is the definitive portrait of the songwriter who gave the world “Don’t Stop,” “Everywhere,” “Little Lies,” and the timeless “Songbird.” From her beginnings in Bouth and Birmingham to her art college years and apprenticeship with Chicken Shack, Christine emerged as a ...

Bill Ward was more than the drummer of Black Sabbath—he was the ghost in heavy metal’s machine. Born in postwar Aston, Birmingham, Ward absorbed factory noise and jazz swing long before amplifiers pushed his rhythms onto the world stage. With Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Ozzy Osbourne, he forged a sound that would detonate as Black Sabbath’s debut in 1970, defining heavy metal for generations. Yet Ward’s legacy has too often been overshadowed by absence: sidelined by health, addiction, or disputes, his swing and ghost notes were missing from key chapters, leaving fans and critics ...