Second Book Announcement

Second Book Announcement

Author: Andrew Hickey December 7, 2021 Duration: 0:00
This is just to let everyone know that the second volume of the book based on the podcast should be available by the time you get this episode in your podcast app. It's been a long, long, time coming, because the last year and a bit has been far more difficult, for far more reasons, than I can go into here, but the book is now done. It's called "From the Million Dollar Quartet to the Fab Four", and contains versions of the scripts for episodes fifty-one through one hundred, revised for the book format rather than audio, along with a rewritten version of the Patreon episode on the Big Bopper, an introduction summarising the first book, and a bibliography. The ebook should be available from every major ebook store, though it might take time to filter through to all of them. I'll be including a link in the blog post for this episode which, if you click it, will take you to your preferred ebook store if the book's available there. The paperback is currently only available from Amazon. It should eventually also be available from other retailers, as it will enter all the standard distribution catalogues, but it's self-published through Amazon's service, so those of you who boycott Amazon, completely understandably, might not want to buy that version. The ebook link will also take you to the Amazon page for the paperback. The hardback is available from lulu.com. That too will eventually also be available from other online bookstores, but I make more money, and you get it quicker, if you buy it from Lulu rather than a third party. Again, I'll link that in the notes here. The physical books are relatively expensive -- twenty-five dollars for the paperback, and fifty dollars for the hardback -- but they're *big* books -- six hundred and fifty-three pages counting the indexes -- and paper is expensive right now because of supply chain issues, so I hope you'll consider them good value for money, as they're literally priced as low as I can make them. If money's tight, the ebook is only $5. And speaking of good value for money, for one week only I've reduced the cost of the ebook of the first book to just one dollar. That's a limited-time offer to promote the series, so if you've not got that and want it, now's your chance. Patreon backers at the five-dollar-a-month level and higher have already received copies of the ebook. Those at higher levels will be receiving their copies of the physical books shortly -- they'll be being sent out in waves over the next few weeks. It's because of those backers that I am able to do this podcast at all, and I can't thank them enough for their generosity.See you all in a couple of days, when we'll be looking at the Byrds, and "Eight Miles High".   Links to buy the book: Ebooks (and paperback through Amazon) Hardback Link to buy the first book (only $1 in ebook this week) The ebook for Patreon backers

Andrew Hickey’s A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs is a deep, chronological journey through the sounds and stories that built a century-defining genre. This isn't a simple list of hits; it's a richly detailed narrative that connects musical innovation to its cultural and historical context. Each episode focuses on a single pivotal track, using that song as a lens to examine the artists, producers, technologies, and social movements that made it possible. You'll hear about forgotten pioneers, unexpected influences, and the tangled web of events that led from early blues and country recordings to the dawn of the digital age. Hickey’s approach is both scholarly and accessible, weaving together musical analysis, biographical sketches, and broader historical arcs. Listening to this podcast feels like assembling a massive, interconnected puzzle where every piece-every song-reveals a part of a larger, fascinating story. The series commitment to a full timeline, from 1938 through 1999, provides a unique and comprehensive framework rarely attempted in audio documentary. For anyone curious about how popular music evolves, and why certain songs endure, this extensive project offers an endlessly engaging education. It’s a definitive, ambitious audit of rock's DNA, one carefully chosen song at a time.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
Podcast Episodes
Episode 157: “See Emily Play” by The Pink Floyd [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Episode one hundred and fifty-seven of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “See Emily Play”, the birth of the UK underground, and the career of Roger Barrett, known as Syd. Click the full post to read…
Episode 156: “I Was Made to Love Her” by Stevie Wonder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Episode one hundred and fifty-six of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “I Was Made to Love Her”, the early career of Stevie Wonder, and the Detroit riots of 1967. Click the full post to read liner no…
Admin: Podcast Now Fortnightly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Transcript You'll have noticed that my experiment with timings has been only a qualified success. While my buffer did allow me to get episodes going out weekly for a while, they've started to lag again, as events and hea…
Episode 155: “Waterloo Sunset” by the Kinks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Episode one hundred and fifty-five of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Waterloo Sunset” by the Kinks, and the self-inflicted damage the group did to their career between 1965 and 1967. Click the fu…
A Request [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Transcript Hi. We're still on a skip week, the main podcast will be back next week, but as we've now reached a point in the podcast where more of the people discussed are living than dead, I'd just like to say something,…
Episode 154: “Happy Together” by the Turtles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Episode one hundred and fifty-four of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs is the last of our four-part mini-series on LA sunshine pop and folk-rock in summer 1967. Click the full post to read liner notes, links…
Episode 153: “Heroes and Villains” by the Beach Boys [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Episode one hundred and fifty-three of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Heroes and Villains” by the Beach Boys, and the collapse of the Smile album. Click the full post to read liner notes, links t…
Episode 152: “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Episode 152 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “For What It’s Worth”, and the short but eventful career of Buffalo Springfield. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, a…
Episode 151: “San Francisco” by Scott McKenzie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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We start season four of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs with an extra-long look at “San Francisco” by Scott McKenzie, and at the Monterey Pop Festival, and the careers of the Mamas and the Papas and P.F. Sl…
Season Four Announcement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Transcript This is the official announcement that episode one hundred and fifty-one will be up in precisely one week. I’ve just finished recording it, and am now in the process of recording episodes one hundred and fifty…