The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 2: 1964–1977: The Beatles, the Stones, and the Rise of Classic Rock Spiral-Bound | November 19, 2019

From Ed Ward, the former rock and roll historian for NPR's Fresh Air, comes a sweeping, definitive, and engrossing cultural history of rock's most exciting era

Rock historian Ed Ward shares the behind-the-scenes stories of the musicians, DJs, record executives, concert promoters, and producers who were at the forefront of this incredible time in music history. The story begins with the Beatles landing in New York where the NYPD, swarms of fans, and a crowd of 200 journalists await their first American press conference, which opens with the question "Are you going to get a haircut in America?" and ends with a reporter tugging on Paul McCartney's hair in an attempt to remove his nonexistent wig. This is where volume two of The History of Rock & Roll kicks off. Chronicling the years 1964 through 1977, this latest volume covers the most exciting era of rock history which saw a massive outpouring of popular and cutting-edge music.

Ward expertly weaves together an engrossing narrative that not only covers the most famous stars like the Beatles, the Stones, Hendrix, and Dylan but also the artists trailblazing new territory in the same era such as Aretha Franklin, George Clinton, Elton John, and more. For all music lovers and rock fans, this sweeping history will reveal how different sounds, harmonies, and trends came together to create the music we all know and love today.