Focusing on the years 1971 to the present, Questlove finds the hidden connections in the American tapes- try, whether investigating how the blaxploitation era reshaped Black identity or considering the way disco took an assembly-line approach to Black genius. And these critical inquiries are complemented by his own memories as a music fan, and the way his appetite for pop culture taught him about America. A history of the last half-century and an...

"In this sweeping history of popular music in the United States, NPR's acclaimed music critic examines how popular music shapes fundamental American ideas and beliefs, allowing us to communicate difficult emotions and truths about our most fraught social issues, most notably sex and race."--Provided by publisher.

"Growing in tandem with each other, pop music and the business of creating and distributing it have become a relationship that defines modern cultural history. This book not only charts the music that we all know and love but also reveals our active participation in its development throughout generations"--

Over the past six decades, Burt Bacharach's songwriting has touched millions of listeners all over the world. Here, Bacharach steps out from behind the music to give an honest, engaging look at his life--from his work with Hal David, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello and many others, to his tumultuous marriages and the devastating fate of his beloved daughter. Growing up in Forest Hills, NY, during the 1930s and 1940s, Bacharach fell in love with music...