Author: Andrew Hickey
Title: A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs: Volume 2: From the Million Dollar Quartet to the Fab Four
Publication Info: Independently published (2021) 
Other Books I’ve Read By the Same Author:
Summary/Review:
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs is my absolute favorite podcast these days. Andrew Hickey’s research into music is exhaustive and defies the many myths that have arisen about the artists who made it. The podcast has the advantage of hearing clips of the songs under discussion, but I find that reading the book I catch things I previously missed. The second volume covers the years 1957 to 1962, essentially the second wave of Rock and Roll. The common wisdom was that this was a fallow period in rock history when the music business pushed sanitized pop vocalists (typically named Bobby) to the forefront. But this period also saw the emergence of The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Ray Charles, Brenda Lee, and Roy Orbison, as well as the first girl groups in New York, and the Motown sound in Detroit. Leiber and Stoller had some of their biggest rock hits, and Goffin and King started their illustrious partnership. Not too mention dance trends like “The Twist” and “The Loco-Motion.” The period ends with the first efforts by Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles (who we learn throughout the book were the culmination of many attempts to create a UK rock sound). I recommend the book and the podcast highly.
Recommended books:
Rating: ****
Panorama of the Mountains 