Popular

For the purposes of this list, "POPULAR MUSIC" is rather loosely defined as that body of music that is not classical, jazz, or a type of ethnomusicology/world music.

Print

Ref. ML102 .P66 C66 2003 vs. I-VII Music Library and Tutt Library

This multi-volume work has “its genesis in the International Association for the Study of Popular Music”, which recognized the “need for a comprehensive and reliable reference work on popular music that would serve the needs of scholars, researchers, students, and information and media professionals, as well as the general public.” Its volumes are arranged by subject, each with a comprehensive index. It is conceived in three parts: Part I: 2 volumes; Media, Industry and Society, and Performance and Production; Part 2: 5 volumes; Locations, organized by continental regions. Part 3: Genres, and Part 4: Biographies are yet unpublished.

Ref. ML102 .P66 G84 1998 vs. 1-8 Music Library and Tutt Library

These volumes include brief biographies of pop artists and groups, as well as others involved in the popular music industry. Each article describing an artist or group concludes with a short list of recordings, complete with quality ratings. The final volume includes a bibliography, a very useful Song Title Index, and a general index.

Ref. ML102 .P66 H47 1998

Includes over 1000 composers and lyricists of the “finest and most popular songs of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.” Musical genres encompass early folk, minstrel, and parlor songs—to mainstream rock and pop. Entries typically entail a brief bio, with detailed information about works, including their relative position on hit charts. Index includes song titles and artists.

Ref. ML128 .P63 B55 2001, vs. 1-2.

Includes “popular, non-production songs of America’s greatest songwriters, songographies of the top American writers, and their production work for films, shows, nightclubs, etc. Arranged in alphabetical order by names of composers, lyricists.”

Ref. ML128 .S3 F47 1995

An index to 621 song books in the collection of the State Library of Louisiana. Indexed by song title only. Includes a list of the indexed song books.

Ref. ML156.4 .P6 G73 2002

Over 35,000 songs covering over a century of recorded music, from 1900-2002. All generations and genres of pop music included. Songs are categorized by concepts, e.g. “Dance-Danger & Disaster”, “Love-Can’t Get Over You”, “Sports-Surfing”.

Tutt Library has the main volume.

This source provides “a tool for finding words and music to folk songs, pop tunes, spirituals, hymns, children’s songs, sea chanteys and blues.” Coverage, including supplements, is from 1940 to 1981.

Ref. ML128 .F74 M5 1986 Tutt Library

Includes sources from books, doctoral dissertations, scholarly articles, some lengthy encyclopedia articles-from 1900 to the present. Emphasis on more recent materials. Features author and subject index.

Ref. ML156.4 .F5 M94 1998 Tutt Library

An A to Z guide to folk acts, compilation albums, publications, web sites, record labels, radio stations. Includes band member and folk category indexes. Accompanying CD available.

Ref. ML128 .P63 G66 1990

An index of 13,500 songs in 64 books. Contains three parts: a bibliography of books indexed, an index of titles, an index of composers.

Ref. ML3521 .F75 2003

30,000 entries by song title.

Ref. ML102 .R6 R63 1999

An unusual book, written by fans, rather than professional critics. Articles arranged alphabetically by band or artist. Includes a Directory of Bands and Artists, and a discography at the end of each article.

Electronic

http://popmusic.mtsu.edu/research.html#top

Web site for an archive and research center devoted to the study of American popular music. Established in 1985 as a Center of Excellence in the Tennessee Board of Regents system. Information on American popular music from pre-revolutionary era to the present provided by several research collections.

http://www.iaspm.net/iaspm/instit.html

Links to various sites related to popular music studies. Some dead links, but useful resources are found. Sources are gathered under Institutions, Archives, Organizations, Scholars, Mailing Lists, Databases & Linkpages, etc.

http://www.rockmine.music.co.uk/Cyclo.html

“…a full alphabetical listing of artists, giving band details, session details, brief biographies, photographs, links and much more.”

http://www.rapdict.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

A site with many ads, but useful dictionary and list of artists.

http://www.roughguides.com/music/rock.html

Search by artist or band.