By: Ben Fong-Torres (San Francisco Chronicle) // From What’s That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and its History, Fourth Edition, by John Covach and Andrew Flory (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015) It’s hard to imagine, but there was a time, not long ago, when radio was declared dead. In the early 1950s, television was … Continue reading Top 40: More Hits More Often
Tag: john covach
DJ Kool Herc: The Man with the Master Plan
By: Jeff Chang (Stanford University) // From What’s That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and its History, Fourth Edition, by John Covach and Andrew Flory (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015) When Cindy Campbell and her brother Clive “DJ Kool Herc” Campbell threw a party in 1973, they had no idea what they were about … Continue reading DJ Kool Herc: The Man with the Master Plan
Sub Pop
By: Theo Cateforis (Syracuse University) // From What’s That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and its History, Fourth Edition, by John Covach and Andrew Flory (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015) On April 30, 1991, Nirvana signed with Geffen Records, leaving behind the tiny Seattle indie label Sub Pop, who had released their acclaimed 1989 … Continue reading Sub Pop
Rock Music in Video Games
By: William Gibbons (Texas Christian University) // From What’s That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and its History, Fourth Edition, by John Covach and Andrew Flory (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015) Consider these three moments from video games: (1) While taking my “borrowed” car for a spin in Grand Theft Auto V (2013), I … Continue reading Rock Music in Video Games
Becoming an American B(r)and: Pre-Existing Popular Music in Television Commercials
By: Joanna Love (University of Richmond) // From What’s That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and its History, Fourth Edition, by John Covach and Andrew Flory (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015) Relationships between the American advertising and popular music industries date back to the turn of the twentieth century. Songs like “In My Merry … Continue reading Becoming an American B(r)and: Pre-Existing Popular Music in Television Commercials
American Idol
By: Norma Coates (University of Western Ontario) // From What’s That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and its History, Fourth Edition, by John Covach and Andrew Flory (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015) Media scholar Henry Jenkins calls American Idol “the first killer app of media convergence.” It may also be the first killer app … Continue reading American Idol
The Avid Listener 