MUS 104 - Pop, Rock, & Soul

Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement AR.
In this course students will explore the vital role of popular music in U.S. society, gaining a deeper understanding of this music’s relationship to politics, the marketplace, technology, and racial, sexual, and class identities. Students will develop music analytical skills to help them identify key stylistic features of pop music’s various genres, including rhythm & blues, rockabilly, doo-wop, soul, folk rock, psychedelia, progressive rock, funk, disco, new wave, and hip hop. Throughout the semester, we will investigate these styles by studying a repertory of hits by performers and producers including Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Phil Spector, The Supremes, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, The Clash, and Public Enemy. In discussions, listening exercises, and writing assignments, students will engage with recent scholarship from the fields of musicology, ethnomusicology, history, sociology, and popular culture studies.