Popular Music Since 1955

Essay Questions
& Sample Multiple Choice Questions

(Sample Multiple Choice Questions for Exam No. 1)  

(Sample Multiple Choice Questions for Exam No. 2)  

(Sample Multiple Choice Questions for Exam No. 3)

Essay Questions

Exam No. 1. Answer either question. (30 points)

A. Discuss the social context for the emergence of rock & roll in the mid-1950s up to the emergence of the Teen Idol and Popular Folk movements of the early 1960s. In what respects was this a unique period in recent American history and how did that uniqueness affect the development and reception of rock & roll? What were the typical responses to rock & roll in the 1950s and how did those responses reflect generational differences? To what extent was the audience homogeneous or fragmented and why? How did the established popular music industry attempt to deal with this new style and its new audience?

B. Compare the two major styles of early rock & roll: rockabilly and R&B rock & roll (including both soloists and vocal groups). What were the similarities and differences between these two musical styles? To what extent do they share the same influences or have separate and distinctive influences? Include in your essay a discussion of three of the major figures associated with each style and the "images" which they projected.

Exam No. 2. Answer one question. (30 points)

 A. Compare the stylistic evolution and major achievements of the Beatles with the stylistic evolution and major achievements of the Rolling Stones. Discuss influences on both groups and the various styles both groups worked in, including major recordings for each group. Also describe the ways in which both groups changed styles during the course of their careers. Which of the two groups had the most significant impact on popular music? Why?

B. Discuss the development of the Uptown Rhythm and Blues, Motown, and Soul styles in the 1960s and 1970s. How do the Motown and Soul styles differ from one another? What do they have in common? What are the social implications of each? Discuss the style of four major performers or groups associated with Soul and/or Motown in this period (including style changes that may occur within their career if any).

Exam No. 3. Answer one question. (30 points)

A. Discuss the Psychedelic, Heavy Metal and Art Rock styles as they emerge in the late 1960s and develop in later years (even into the present). Discuss at least two major figures in the Psychedelic/Heavy Metal styles and two major figures in the Art Rock style. Do these different styles tend to appeal to the same audiences and carry the same "social messages"? Why or why not?

B. Discuss the emergence of the New Wave and Punk Rock movements in the late 1970s and 1980s, including major figures/groups representative of each. What do they have in common and how do they differ? Compare were the social implications of each movement and the ways in which they reacted to (against?) the mainstream rock styles of their period. What aspects of both styles (if any) have continued into the 2000s?

C. Discuss three figures/groups of your own choice currently active in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Describe their musical styles, including any influences on them, the type of lyrics associated with their songs, and their social significance. What (if anything) do these three figures/groups have in common? How do they differ from one another?