LESSON 01
ROCK BEFORE THE BEATLES

This class explores the early roots of rock and roll and the music that influenced the young Beatles.

CLASS DISCUSSION

During class, we’ll invite some of you “on stage to answer the following question:

What pre-Beatles artist do you think had the most profound influence on The Beatles?

LISTEN

This playlist is largely derived from Andrew Hickey’s wonderful podcast, A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs.
We’ve added some additional recordings by artists that we’ll be discussing in class.

WATCH

Early Days of Rock n Roll - A one hour overview of the early days of Rock and Roll.

Blackboard Jungle - The film that introduced many to Rock and Roll music.

READ

There are numerous books covering the early days of rock music. One of the best is The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll by Charlie Gillett.

A good online resource is the Rock Music Timeline with photos and biographies of many of the artists we will be covering in class.