Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 328
•
Trim: 6½ x 9⅜
978-1-5381-1212-0 • Hardback • February 2020 • $39.00 • (£30.00)
978-1-5381-1213-7 • eBook • February 2020 • $37.00 • (£30.00)
Harvey Rachlin runs the Music Business and Music Internship program at Manhattanville College. Rachlin is the author of 13 books including The Songwriter’s Handbook and The Encyclopedia of the Music Business. The latter title won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for excellence in music journalism, was named Outstanding Music Reference Book of the Year by the American Library Association, and was recommended by composer Henry Mancini on the 1984 internationally-televised Grammy Awards. His music books have been praised by Elton John, Aaron Copland, Johnny Mathis, Pat Boone, and the Academy Award-winning songwriters Burt Bacharach, Sammy Cahn, Marvin Hamlisch, Henry Mancini, Richard Rodgers, and Jule Styne. He lives in Purchase, New York.
Chapter One: The Dawn of Pop
Chapter Two: Pop In the Alley
Chapter Three: Booze, Airwaves and Celluloid Spark the Biz
Chapter Four: The Road to Rock and Roll
Chapter Five: Screaming for Elvis and the Beatles
Chapter Six: A Golden Age of Pop Hits
Chapter Seven: Disco Fever and Music Video Fervor
Chapter Eight: The Boom of Streaming
Chapter Nine: The Rise of Hip Hop and Rap
Chapter Ten: A New Age of Pop Star
Chapter Eleven: A Hierarchy of Popular Songs
Chapter Twelve: Pop Goes the Future
Appendix A: 100 Years of Hit Songs: A Select List
Appendix B: Rock and Roll Labels of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s and Some of Their Major Artists
[Song and System] expertly lays out the history of pop music . . . Rachlin’s informative and highly detailed narrative will resonate with music geeks and industry folks alike.— Publishers Weekly
Anyone can now listen to any song at any time via streaming. How this came to be is the subject of Song and System. The prolific Rachlin (Manhattanville College) traces the history of popular song in the US and the behind-the-scenes development of the music industry . . . Popular music is an important part of American life, and aficionados will learn from this book.
— Choice Reviews
Opening with Tin Pan Alley and counting through years of rock and roll, disco, hip hop, rap, and many other genres and subgenres, [Rachlin] explores the often symbiotic relationship between music and its purveyors. . . . sure to be a hit with readers interested in music or pop culture.— Booklist
Harvey Rachlin never ceases to amaze me. Even after recording my first hit song, I’m still learning from this author. Thank you for writing this one. It’s amazing!— Tony Orlando
Harvey explains how it all happened and the evolution in the music industry as we know it today. This is a must read for music lovers!— Bobby Rydell
Bravo! What an achievement! So insightful, educational, and informative of the history of our crazy, wonderful business—a must read for any and all music lovers.— Sandy Linzer, composer, author, publisher/record producer
I always knew Harvey was a terrific editor; I had no idea he was such a brilliant researcher as well!— Janis Ian
An amazing book covering all the history of popular music from beginning to end. Perfect for any music lover, history buff, or musician who wants to know the background of what they’re listening to or playing.— Dutch Robinson, lead singer of the Ohio Players