This course is a history of rock music, beginning in the 20s when the words “rock” and “roll” appeared in the same song for the first time. Then we will cover early rock, with pioneers like Carl Perkins, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Little Richard. The next weeks will cover The British Invasion—The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Donavan.

There will be an exploration of “The San Francisco Sound,” which overlaps with the groups that appeared at Woodstock. Subsequent weeks will cover the 70s, 80s, and 90s (a.k.a. “The Seattle Sound”). We will then continue with the post-rock period, with artists like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, BTS, and Psy, and end with artists that don’t fit neatly into any of the other categories, like The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty.

This course will combine lecture with class discussions.