In his new book, The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ten Songs (Yale, $28) famed rock historian and critic Greil Marcus flips the tiresome music-history book on its head. Drawing from his years as a progenitor of contemporary rock criticism, Marcus spotlights ten unique songs, revealing their intertwining importance to our culture, politics, and history. Sidestepping the bounds of a chronological timeline, Marcus’s sharp and witty observations trace a web of cultural significance across decades and generations. As he links the likes of Phil Spector to Amy Winehouse. and Beyoncé to Etta James, Marcus’s casual observations provide insightful challenges to all that we think we know about the rock ‘n’ roll genre. Positing that rock predates its own history as the core ideals of rebellion and revolution, Marcus is sure to touch on many ideas you’ve pondered as you’ve listened over the years—and plenty you never knew you would.
