PBS
Pbs Kids: Don't Buy It: Get Media Smart!: Create a Pop Star
Follow the story line to create a pop star. You must make good financial choices to achieve success. You can also quiz yourself about commercials and other uses of music.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sam and Dave
Sam and Dave were known as "the greatest of all soul duos". Read about the history behind this famous duo and learn about their music and songs. They were 1992 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 22: Youth Culture and the Rock Festival
The major rock festivals have been viewed as seminal mileposts of the counterculture era. Not only were there significant musical performances from the festivals themselves, but music was created before and after these concerts to...
Other
History of Rock 'N' Roll: Roy Orbison
Biographical summary of the life of Roy Orbison, a legend in popular music in the 1960s.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Stairway to Heaven Examining Metaphor in Popular Music
Contains plans for two lessons that ask students to make connections between literary texts and popular culture texts like song lyrics. After checking popular culture texts for literary elements, these elements are then examined in...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Inventor of the Week: Robert Moog
Robert Moog fused his love music and electronics when he invented the synthesizer. This website includes background information on the creation of the synthesizer and provides several links.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Earth, Wind, and Fire
Read background information and the history of the music of the popular Grammy award winning band of the 1970s, Earth, Wind, & Fire.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Martha and the Vandellas
Read biographical details on Sixties pop-soul female group, Martha and the Vandellas, 1995 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events, recommended reading list, and essential songs.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Luther Vandross
Summarizes the life and career of Luther Vandross, an American soul and pop singer, songwriter, and producer whose widespread popularity and reputation as a consummate stylist began in the early 1980s.
Other
New Wave City: Home Page
A good, informative site describing New Wave music and fashion. Includes a history of New Wave City and how it has played a role in new wave music from 1977 to 1985.
Other
Roughstock Productions: History of Country Music
A short history of the Nashville Sound, "A blend of pop and country." Find brief biographies of Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, and Eddy Arnold.
Library of Congress
Loc: Lyrical Legacy: 400 Years of American Song and Poetry
Explore eighteen American songs and poems each represented by an original primary source document, along with historical background information and, in many cases, sound recordings and alternate versions.
Other
African Australian Online Resource
This site offers dozens of reviews of African recordings, new and re-released. Well-known musicians Zap Mama and Femi Kuti, as well as up and coming ones, are reviewed. Links to individual Web sites and audio files are also featured here.
PBS
Pbs: American Masters: Paul Simon
Along with Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon was part of one of the most popular bands of the 1960's. Still popular today, read about his career in this biography from PBS.
Buck Institute
Buck Institution for Education: Pblu: Cyrano's Funk
Check out how students paralleled Cyrano de Bergerac to popular music hits during a project-based learning lesson in English class.
Other
Pop and Rock Music in the 60s: A Brief History
This site has an web-article of the origins of 60s rock. Sections include "The Roots of Rock 'n' Roll," "The 1960's Begin," "The British Invade," and "1968 & 1969: The Unraveling." Also includes a bibliography section called...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: The Drifters
Considered one of the greatest vocal groups of the 1950s and 1960s, The Drifters were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988 and have three songs on the list of the top 500 most influential songs.
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies
Mocomi: Paul Mc Cartney
Interesting biographical information about Paul McCartney, the "most successful musician, and composer in popular music history".
Other
Carly simon.com: Carly Simon
This page has everything you would want to know about Carly Simon. It is her official web site with links on: news, music, books, store, timeline, audio/images, and more. Click link to find out.
Stanford University
Stanford University: Alcohol, Tobacco Staples of Movies
This site from Stanford University shows how you can learn how the entertainment industry sends both positive and negative messages concerning substance use through movies and music. This article summarizes government research that...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Prince
Explore detailed biographical information on black funk/white rock star musician, Prince, a 2004 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a recommended reading list and essential songs.
The Newberry Library
Newberry Library: World War I in u.s. Popular Culture
Learning module from the Newberry Library uses primary source materials to explore the impact of WWI on the American public and how WWI was promoted or criticized through the popular culture of the day. With questions for discussion.
PBS
Pbs: American Masters: David Hockney
From the PBS series, American Masters, this is the featured essay on British pop artist, David Hockney.