All Music Guide
de Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Hal Leonard Corp.
Easy to follow, this book will guide you through 16 different genres of modern Popular Music and discuss more than 20,000 memorable recordings by over 4,000 talented artists associated with each style. Each section goes into detail on the origins of each one by the way of over 80,000 reviews and ratings. How the genre evolved and the artists who contributed their recordings are discussed in a biographical format. The music industry is divided into specific genres (i.e. Pop, Rock, Country, Classical, etc.) and within those genres there are many sub-genres (i.e. Punk Rock, Bubblegum Pop, Southern Rock, Grunge Rock, etc.) that have developed and these are broken down and explained in an easy to follow format. It is interesting to note that these genres and their sub-genres are still evolving and new sub-genres will most likely be created when a new style hits that does not meet any of the current conditions. Where the book ends, the website allmusic.com has any new formats and information pertaining to them and should always be current. But the book itself is an entertaining and informative read on a subject that can be quite confusing when one wants to know that differences between R&B, Soul and Motown for instance.
