This monograph offers a unique analysis of social protest in popular music. It presents theoretical descriptions, methodological tools, and an approach that encompasses various fields of musicology, cultural studies, semiotics, discourse analysis, media studies, and political and social sciences. The author argues that protest songs should be taken as a musical genre on their own. He points out that the general approach, when discussing these songs, has been so far that of either analyzing the lyrics or the social context. For some reason, the music itself has been often overlooked. This book attempts to fill this gap. Its central thesis is that a complete overview of these repertoires demands a thorough interaction among contextual, lyrical, and musical elements together. To accomplish this, the author develops a novel model that systemizes and investigates musical repertoires. The model is then applied to four case studies, those, too, chosen among topics that are little (or not at all) frequented by scholars.

This monograph offers a unique analysis of social protest in popular music. It presents theoretical descriptions, methodological tools, and an approach that encompasses various fields of musicology, cultural studies, semiotics, discourse analysis, media studies, and political and social sciences. The author argues that protest songs should be taken as a musical genre on their own. He points out that the general approach, when discussing these songs, has been so far that of either analyzing the lyrics or the social context. For some reason, the music itself has been often overlooked. This book attempts to fill this gap. Its central thesis is that a complete overview of these repertoires demands a thorough interaction among contextual, lyrical, and musical elements together. To accomplish this, the author develops a novel model that systemizes and investigates musical repertoires. The model is then applied to four case studies, those, too, chosen among topics that are little (or not at all) frequented by scholars.

Ground-breaking dual biography that explores pop music's two most influential songwriters, offering new insights into their creative thinking.

A comprehensive analysis of every album recorded by John Lennon during his solo years from the end of the Sixties to his death in 1980, as well as the posthumous work that followed. A lively and provocative commentary of every song is interspersed with comments from Lennon on his final decade. Features a song by song analysis, a song index for easy reference, details of compilations and live albums and details of posthumous releases. From his early experimental work with Yoko Ono, through the startling sound of the Plastic Ono Bandk, the chart-topping Imagine, the political years in New York, the 'lost weekend' in Los Angeles, retirement, the comeback with Double Fantasy and his tragic assasination in December 1980 - Rogan leaves no stone unturned. Johnny Rogan is the author of the best-selling Morrissey And Marr: The Severed Alliance, one of the most acclaimed music biographies ever written, and still a best seller since its first publication in 1992. He has written high-profile biographies on The Byrds, Neil Young, George Michael and his latest, Van Morrison: No Surrender was featured in the Sunday Times' best books of 2005.