MUS 350: History of Rock

This course surveys Rock from its roots in Blues, Folk and Country music to “Postrock” and recent developments of the “noughties.” In addition to the “classic” sounds of artists such as the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen, students will explore Rock's fragmentation into subgenres such as Glam, Prog, Punk and Indie. The class will discuss issues that have occupied Rock musicians, scholars and critics over the past 50 years. Through extensive listening assignments, students will become familiar with landmark recordings, learn to distinguish between musical styles, and to analyze popular songs. While previous experience with music is useful, it is not a requirement for success in this course.