I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag' by Country Joe McDonald has been played with great success in classrooms for over twenty years. While it conveys literary elements such as theme, point of view, and irony, it also functions as an...

The topic of an author's or artist's public image or persona may become more understandable for students with the judicious selection of contemporary musicians who have taken on obvious and sometimes changing personae in their careers....

As educators, the goal of developing students into discerning, critical viewers may enable them to negotiate with more confidence through the treacherous waters of today's multimedia. Studying the various viewpoints as expressed in...

This lesson is designed to help students recognize how lyrics by the rock-poet Jim Morrison connect with themes from diverse and respected traditional works. While William Blake's influence on Morrison is often noted, this lesson focuses...

One of the most important aspects of the war in Vietnam was the draft. Every male upon reaching the age of eighteen was required to register with the selective service. Men found themselves willingly enlisting, trying for deferments as...

The women's liberation movement of the 1970s is suffering a tremendous backlash and is frequently viewed as obsolete. Many young people feel as though feminism is irrelevant and sexism no longer impacts their lives. Through the...

The rise of American cities between 1865 and 1900 was spawned by the industrial revolution. Technological advancements in industry and transportation fathered the enormous growth of large cities across the United States. This led to the...

By examining the lives and lyrics of popular, positive black female rappers such as Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill, young scholars can trace a direct line back to the inspirational writer and poet, Maya Angelou. Rap lyrics will help...

A detailed history of one of the most successful and well-known Canadian music bands of all-time, The Guess Who. The article discusses the history and the cultural influences of the band in great depth. Links to other related articles...

Fifty years later, people are still trying to match the bizarre accident that was Woodstock '69. The Woodstock Music and Art Fair began on August 15, 1969, as half a million people gathered on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York. Billed as...

The Grateful Dead kept their music alive for decades by building a fan base known as "Deadheads". The band had a 30-year history of music and was known for their marathon concerts that could last for hours on end. They were 1994...

Read about the life history of the "Queen of Soul", Aretha Franklin. In 1987, she was the first woman inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Featured is a song list, historical timeline of the group, and biographical background information on "The Band" who once played as the backup group for Bob Dylan. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Sam and Dave were known as "the greatest of all soul duos". Read about the history behind this famous duo and learn about their music and songs. They were 1992 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Features information and history of "The Band", one of the greatest rock bands of the 1970s who started out as Bob Dylan's back-up group.

Examines the impact that rock and roll music, movies and the invention of television had on America in the 1950s.

Written for an audience accustomed to rock, this is a good history of Jazz, from the late 1800's, when the form supposedly took shape, to recommended recordings and books.

Feature series on "The Secret History of Technology and Pop Music," traced partly through the story of an Indiana company that stopped making pianos and started cutting 78 rpm records using the talents of famous jazz musicians and others.

This in-depth resource presents a history of the American West from pre-Columbian times until World War I with profiles, documents, and images. It encourages visitors to link these into patterns of historical meaning for themselves....

Provides a biography on Elvis Presley and a detailed timeline of important events in his life and career.

Chronicles the career of one of most popular rock and roll vocal groups in history, The Bee Gees, 1997 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events, recommended reading list, and essential songs.

The Temptations typified what Motown was all about in the 1960s. Read the history behind this Grammy winning group that at one time ruled the Top Forty and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Explore relationship between music and poetry in this African-American history lesson on Langston Hughes, the Harlem Renaissance, and other artists such as Bessie Smith, John Hammond, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones.

Spark Notes gives a brief overview of the 1950s from consumerism and conformity to poverty to youthful rebellion. A good review of this important decade in American history.