Popular music

Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias can provide an introduction to a popular music theme or subject. Besides listing biographical information, statistics, recordings, and definitions, encyclopedia articles may also recommend further reading.

• The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music
  ML102 P66 G84 1995
• Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World
  ML102 P66 C66 2003
  • Comprehensive reference work on popular music of the world
  • Read articles by leading popular music scholars
  • Includes extensive bibliographies, discographies, sheet music listings, and filmographies
  • Certain volumes available online:
    • Volume 1: Media, Industry, Society
    • Volume 2: Performance and Production
    • Volume 8: Genres - North America
• The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music
  • Comprehensive resource with photographs, maps, musical and audio examples devoted to reserach about the music of Africa (V.1), South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (V.2), the United States and Canada (V.3), Southeast Asia (V.4), South Asia (V.5), the Middle East (V.6), East Asia (V.7), Europe (V.8), and Australia and Pacific Islands (V.9)
  • The 10th volume includes a glossary, a bibliography of literature and recordings by region, and personal essays by prominent ethnomusicologists on their careers and research practices.
  • Nine accompanying CDs are available from the 4th-floor desk
• The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll
  ML102 R6 R64 2001
• Encyclopedia of Canadian Rock Pop & Folk music
  ML102 P66 J33 1994
• Encyclopedia of Latin American Popular Music
  • Extensive coverage of topic, from the mambo and unique music instruments to the biographies of famous Latino musicians
  • Contains about 200 entries, organized alphabetically
  • Includes a chronology, discussion of themes in Latin American music, and 37 biographical sidebars of significant musicians and performers
• Allmusic
  http://www.allmusic.com

Bibliographies

• Popular Music Studies: A Select International Bibliography
  ML128 P63 P67 1997
• Popular Music: the Key Concepts
  • An essential reference text for those studying the social and cultural dimensions of popular music
  • Provides a comprehensive survey of key ideas and concepts in popular music culture
  • Fourth edition includes new and expanded entries on genres and subgenres, and explores the digital music revolution and changes in the way that music is manufactured, marketed and delivered
• Rock Music Scholarship
  ML128 R6 G37 1995
• A Guide to Popular Music Reference Books: An Annotated Bibliography
  ML128 P63 H34 1995
• Rock Stars/Pop Stars: A Comprehensive Bibliography, 1955-1994
  ML128 R6 L49 1994

• The Literature of Rock, volume I, volume II, and volume III (1954-1990)
  ML128 R6 H63 1995

Discographies

• The Great Rock Discography, 7th ed.
  ML156.4 R6 S8 2004
• Moanin’ Low: A Discography of Female Popular Vocal Recordings, 1920-1933
  ML156.4 W6 L35 1996 (4th floor)
• The Canadian Singles Chart Book: 1975-1996
  ML156.4 P6 L85 1996 (4th floor)
• The Billboard Book of Number One Hits
  ML156.4 P6 B76 1988 (4th floor)
• Billboard Top 1000 Singles, 1955-1986: The 1000 Biggest Hits of the Rock Era
  ML156.4 P6 W454 1986 (4th floor)

Browse the Music Library shelves at:

Enter one of the phrases below.

Popular music
Protest music
Punk rock music
Rock music
Folk music
Rap (Music)
Soul music
Country music
World music
Music and globalization
Rock musicians
Women rock musicians
Women in music
Gender identity in music
Feminism and music
Music and race
Music and technology
Sound recordings

Try adding these phrases to the headings above:

social aspects
political aspects
history and criticism
criticism and interpretation

For example: Punk rock music - history and criticism

• McGill users only
• Open access resource
• Free resource
• In-library use
• Catalogue record