Anyone interested in rock music should listen to Andrew Hickey’s podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs. Each episode focuses on one song and provides background information putting the song in its historical context. Hickey also has been putting his work into books.
The podcast episodes are presented in chronological order, tracing the early origins of rock music through the great recordings during the rock era. Each episode is not strictly only about one song, but Hickey provides the background leading up to the song, including information about the artist and related music.
Hickey, who is a writer from England who enjoys his privacy, does a great job presenting the music and lets his work speak for hitself. For those interested in supporting his work, his website provides some ways to do so. As of this date, he still is not halfway through his 500 songs.
Where to start? I suggest you check out the episodes on some of your favorite songs. Then, if you love the podcast, like me, you can go back to episode one and listen to the episodes in chronological order.
For an example, this episode focuses on the song “This Train” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
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