Rock History

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Rock is more than just music. Rock is a commodity, an expressive cultural medium, and a creative practice. Understanding the complexities of rock requires a critical examination of its seven-decade existence. The course begins with a look into the musical roots of rock and an interrogation of the concept of music genres. From there, we will engage various issues resulting from and influencing rock musicians, such as commodification, social critique, aesthetics, race, gender, authenticity, performance, and censorship. We will study the development of these issues in depth by connecting them to songs from the history of rock. This is a listening-intensive course. Part of the work will develop critical listening skills that will help connect musical phenomena to social and political issues.