A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs vol 1: From Savoy Stompers to Clock Rockers Paperback – December 8, 2019

Hickey's podcast is one of the joys in our lives these days, as we have been working our way through back episodes. His depth of research and updated take on the material is highly informative and entertaining. I've read books and watched documentaries about rock music since I was a kid in the 80s, and yet I learn at least a few new things about an artist, song, or the genre in general in every episode. Being able to hear how one song influenced (or was directly stolen by) another side-by-side is often eye-opening (ear-opening?) And his ability to weave the myriad personalities into the stories as they wind in and out over decades is remarkable.The book is also an excellent alternative for anyone who can't get past Hickey's speaking voice. My wife and I have grown to really like his somewhat soporific delivery and dry sense of humor, but I can see how some people might find it a bit sleep-inducing.I'll disagree with a previous reviewer on the racism issue: I don't believe Hickey in any way ignores horrible behavior by black musicians and producers only to focus on racist treatment by whites. He in fact goes out of his way to make it clear that many people over the history of rock are simultaneously great artists and absolutely horrific human beings, regardless of their color. (While not all in this particular volume of the books, see for example, his discussions of black artists Chuck Berry, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Jackie Wilson, and every mention of Ike Turner.)Yes, he regularly brings up racism and the racial impact--as well as the effects of class and misogyny--on the music far more than most of the stuff I read back in the day. But that was largely because for decades people seemed pretty happy to ignore those issues in favor of fawning portraits and inoffensive narratives. That said, if you're a person who gets triggered or uncomfortable when someone mentions racism, you'll probably not be happy with the book or the podcast.Note that all of these transcripts are also available on Hickey's site, https://500songs.com/, but they're much easier to read and manage in this collected format. Better still, buying a copy helps support Hickey's efforts to keep producing the podcast, and as of right now, he still has more than 360 songs to go!

I am so glad I have read this work by Andrew Hickey, which I first heard on his podcast of the same name but completed Volume 1 by downloading this book. I now am looking forward to completing the Andrew’s history by reading Volume 2.This book has given me so many insights into the evolution of popular music starting in the 1930’s and connecting the pieces up to the early 60’s in Volume 1.Volume 2 will pick up the story and bring us into the 90’s.

My husband is a fan of Andrew Hickey’s podcast and I bought the books for him. He’s enjoying them very much. If you’re a fan of rock and roll history, these should be in your library.

The book is well-written and well-edited. Also, the book is well-researched. The author doesn't accept the received wisdom about certain events - but digs down to deep into the "archives" to determine the most likely truth. An example would be the death of Johnny Ace - it was not due to Ace's playing Russian roulette but an even more tragic reason. There are lots of interesting anecdotes and background fills. Well worth the $5 I paid.

Check out the podcast first. The book supplements the shows and is a good reference if you missed something in the broadcast. Very well and thoroughly researched and presented. Can't recommend highly enough.

Phenomenal book. I don’t listen to the podcast - I didn’t ever realize it was spun off a podcast - and you don’t need to. Well written and fascinating, with playlists to listen to all the songs. Anxiously awaiting volume 2!

Love the podcast and this appears to be the episodes transcribed. It's as easy to read as the show is to listen to and as I found the podcast 60 episodes in, I've enjoyed playing catch up by reading or listening depending on my mood. My hat's off to the bloke for this mammoth labour of love that has been one of the finds of the Covid era.

It is rare to find such a comprehensive study of the early years of rock. Extremely well researched and put together. Highly recommend this book as well as the author’s podcast!

Excellent book. Well researched great companion to the podcast of the same name

Superb book that supports probably the best Podcast I have ever listened toExtremely enjoyable reading and i have learnt so much. The way Andrew unites crossthreads through multiple different stories is exceptional. I have learnt and enjoyed learning so much more about music. Opened my eyes and ears to so many wonderful Artists such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Wonderful, wonderful book.

Una de las mejores obras sobre el rock jamás escritas. Si no te importa leer en inglés, todo lo que vas a aprender simplemente no tiene precio. Tiene además un podcast donde puedes escuchar ejemplos sonoros de lo que argumenta. A mí me gusta el papel para subrayar y reflexionar. La música ya la pongo o busco yo. Al nivel de Charlie Gillett o Ian McDonald. Y lo dice una persona que se ha leído las 1700 páginas de la edición larga del trabajo de Mark Lewisohn sobre los Beatles en inglés, un grandísimo trabajo de historia cultural. La única pega, inevitable por otra parte, es que al ser 500 canciones, muchas se quedan fuera. Pero el autor se las apaña para cruzar referencias en una red inagotable y hacer que aparezca todo el mundo que debe aparecer. Es la historia viva de un cambio social y cultural que ha marcado el mundo occidental a fuego

Bin auf dem Buch durch den Podcast gestoßen und kann nur jedem empfehlen, der sich für die Geschichte von Rockmusik interessiert

Fascinating study of the true roots of rock and roll. Love music history? This book is for you.