Lesson 1: Dawn of Rock & Roll

• Digging into the Roots
• Influence of Country/Hillbilly Music
• Influence of Acoustic and Electric Blues
• The Blues Gets Amplified
• Rock's Commercial Beginnings: From Bill Haley to Elvis and Sun Records in Memphis
• Business Spotlight: Colonel Tom Parker
• Early Rock & Roll Hit Makers
• Technology Spotlight: Leo Fender, Les Paul, Post WWII Electronics
• Emergence of Black Stars: Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino
• Inside the Music Spotlight: The Beats
• Emergence of Female Stars

Lesson 2: Rock's Racial Integration, Followed by a Backlash; Payola; and Moving Beyond the Day the Music Died

• Buddy Holly's Pioneering Role and Tragic End
• Rock in Retreat
• Technology Spotlight: Shifting Music Formats
• Alan Freed Helps to Racially Integrate Radio Stations and Concert Tours, then Implodes
• Dance Crazes
• Teen Idols
• The Rise of the Brill Building Movement
• The Four Seasons Bridge Doo-Wop and Rock
• The Isley Brothers Provide a Bright Spot and a Link to the Beatles

Lesson 3: Rock Regains Its Luster, the British Invasion of the Beatles and Rolling Stones

• Class Acts: Roy Orbison and Ray Charles
• Instrumental Rock and the Surf Rock of the Beach Boys
• Beatlemania
• Beatles Firsts
• The Rolling Stones Rekindle a Sense of Rebellion
• Business Spotlight: Brian Epstein of The Beatles vs. Andrew Loog Oldham of the Stones
• The Who Slam Into View
• The Kinks Create a Different World
• Melodic, Rhythmic, and Harmonic Functions

Lesson 4: More New Branches in the 60s—Soul Music, Funk, Bob Dylan and Folk-Rock, and the Birth of Protest Music

• Motown and Stax-Volt Records
• Soul Sisters Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin
• Funk-Rock Pioneers James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone
• Spotlight on Protest Music
• Bob Dylan's Inspiration for Folk-Rock
• Business Trend: Personal Manager Albert Grossman
• Technological Innovations: Recording Studios
• Donovan, the So-Called Scottish Dylan
• Simon & Garfunkel Bring Folk-Rock to the Mainstream
• The Ultimate Iconoclast: Frank Zappa

Lesson 5: More British Invasion Acts, Plus Guitar Heroes Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Alvin Lee, British Folk-Rock, and The Rawness of Garage Rock

• More British Invasion Bands of the 60s
• Hendrix in a Class by Himself
• Yardbirds and Their Alumni: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page
• Business Trends
• Fleetwood Mac
• Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin
• Business Spotlight: Willie Dixon Influence On Zeppelin, but Leads to the Courtroom
• Alvin Lee and Ten Years After
• Garage Rock's Cult Status
• Spotlight Moment: Rock Critic Gets Carried Away
• Birth of British Folk-Rock

Lesson 6: Progressive Rock, the Birth Of Psychedelia, the Summer Of Love, and Acid Rock in San Francisco and L.A.

• Progressive Rock Soars in England: Cream, Traffic, and More
• What Is Psychedelic Rock?
• Pink Floyd Launches Psychedelic Rock
• Life in the Studio: The Moody Blues
• The Beatles Raise the Bar
• The Grateful Dead
• Other San Francisco Acts from Janis to the Jefferson Airplane
• West Coast Promoter Bill Graham
• East Coast Promoter Don Law
• Los Angeles Weighs In
• Festival Peaks at Monterey Pop and Woodstock

Lesson 7: Turning the Corner to the 70s

• A Tough Start
• Excesses on the Road
• Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Accelerate
• Glam Rock Asserts Itself
• Rock Opera in Vogue
• Soft Rock as a Rejection of the High Decibels
• Lester Bangs, Gonzo Rock Critic
• Canadians Leave Their Mark on the Genre
• David Geffen, Record Executive
• The Beatles Go Solo

Lesson 8: Americana, Reggae, Blues Power in the Arenas, and New Superstars in Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, and Fleetwood Mac

• Americana: The Band, Gram Parsons, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and the Eagles
• Bob Marley—Reggae Pioneer and Peter Tosh
• Blues-Rockers Rule
• New Superstars Springsteen, Seger, Fleetwood Mac

Lesson 9: The Extreme Rebellion of Punk

• Setting the Scene
• CBGB's Provides a Home for the Ramones, the Patti Smith Group, Talking Heads, Blondie, and More
• The Sex Pistols Pace British Punk Explosion
• The Clash Pick Up the Banner
• Other Punks of Note
• New Wave, MTV Superstars, Arena Rock, the 80s Soar

Lesson 10: New Wave, MTV Superstars, Arena Rock, the 80s Soar

• From Punk to New Wave
• Other Prominent New Wave Acts
• MTV Changes Everything
• Synth Pop Arrives and New Brit invasion
• MTV's Biggest Superstars: Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince
• Arena Rock Surges and Hard Rock/ Heavy Metal Returns

Lesson 11: Rock's Social Conscience, a Trend Toward Irreverence, Surging Female Stars, Alternative Rock, Two Woodstocks, and Angry Rap-Metal in the 90s

• Benefit Concerts in Vogue
• Stevie Ray Vaughan: A One-Man Blues Revival
• Rock's New Street Poets
• Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves
• Alt-Rock Comes on Strong
• Alternative Touring Festivals
• An Anger-Filled Festival Erupts with Rap-Metal Bands and a Destructive Finale

Lesson 12: More from the 90s, then the Effect Of 9/11 and Rocking into the 21st Century

• Cover Songs
• Welcome to Grunge
• Brit Revival with Oasis, Radiohead, and Coldplay
• Jam Bands Capture Fresh attention
• Dramatic New Voices
• Disastrous Effect of 9/11 on Changing Radio Playlists
• More Recent Times
• Long Live Rock?

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