History of rock n roll
For the final course exam, your task will be to select one of the following prompts and write a 5-6 page, double spaced paper addressing it. Additional sources of information outside the Covach text should be cited in MLA format, and the grading for this assignment will break down as follows:
Appropriate length and formatting: 10 points
Correct grammar and syntax: 10 points
Subject matter relevant to the topic prompt: 20 points
Prompt: The Careers of Artists Spanning Multiple Decades
We have discussed many different musical artists this quarter, many of which experience mainstream and/or commercial success within a specific time frame, such as rock and roll’s first wave in the late 1950s or the Psychedelic rock of the late 1960s. However, we have also looked at artists that defy this connection to one particular period – musicians that enjoyed longer careers and whom frequently evolved and changed in terms of their musical style. These artists offer us a window into the changes occurring from one decade to the next – in that the differences between an artist’s output in the 1970s and 1980s often reflects broader transitions between the two decades. For this prompt, select 2 artists covered in the Covach text that enjoyed success in multiple time periods and examine their musical careers. For each artist, select an album and/or single from each representative period and examine both; then, compare and contrast the songs/albums and use them to tie together a bigger picture of how the artist developed as a musician over time. There are NUMEROUS artists who meet this criterion, feel free to email me if you are unsure whether your chosen artists work for this prompt. As a starting point, please find several musicians with decade-spanning careers listed below:
Bob Dylan
The Rolling Stones
AC/DC
Michael Jackson
Yes
Genesis
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Tom Petty
