The Story Behind the Song: 150 Songs that Chronicle the 20th Century

by Richard D. Barnet, Bruce Nemerov, Mayo R. Taylor

Songwriters often use lyrics to describe the current events and social attitudes of a particular period or people. An examination of America's popular songs―and the stories behind their creation―can help us better understand our history and culture. This chronologically organized volume provides the stories of 150 songs in 20th-century American history. Each chapter begins with an historical overview of how songs from the period reflected the political, social, and economic culture of the decade. A discussion of 15 influential songs from each decade provides the songs' histories, what inspired the writers to create them, and why they have resonated over time. Included are patriotic songs, such as The Yankee Doodle Boy and God Bless America, protest songs of the civil rights and women's rights movements, such as We Shall Overcome and I Am Woman, songs that defined musical genres, such as Heartbreak Hotel and Stayin' Alive, and contemporary, often controversial music like Eminem's Stan.

Each song's entry includes the song title, songwriter(s), publication information, and current availability. A selected bibliography includes Web sites and books helpful for researching songs, songwriters, and events of the 20th century. Indexes are arranged alphabetically, by song title, by songwriter name, and by subject, making this an excellent research tool for students and general readers alike.

Genres: Music

328 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2000

Reviews

[Reba · Rating 4 out of 5]

So...reading this has been my project for about a year and a half. I found it on the shelves and it intrigued me. I figured I'd read (and play) a song a day. So, it took way longer than I expected (I missed a lot of days), but what a fun project! I learned about so many different songs and about so many different types of music. I also loved the history that came along with every song. I'm nearing the end, and I'm kind of sad.

But before I get to the end, I have to get through the 90's, and in this book..they suck! I am not loving the choices at all, but I'm in for a penny, in for a pound.

Bittersweet. I have just finished this book, and I've had a revelation. Reading through the 90's selections brought home that the point of this book was not to necessarily chronicle history of music in the 20th Century, but to use music to chronicle the 20th century. This may not seem like an important distinction, but it most definitely makes a difference. No Britney Spears, who love or hate her, definitely defined a big part of the 90's. No Nirvana? Only one Pearl Jam song, and at that it was Rival, not Black or Jeremy? Only one Beatles song? One Madonna song? One Michael Jackson song? One Elvis song? No Prince songs? I think you get the idea.

All in all, this was a fun book to read through!