This refreshingly current, best-selling text provides a highly readable, chronological examination of the roots and history of American popular music, from 1840 to the present. The focus is on the development of style-oriented listening skills; the heritage and diversity of popular music; the underlying kinship among its many styles; and the evolution of popular music from minstrel show music to rap and alternative. This refreshingly current, best-selling text provides a highly readable, chronological examination of American popular music's roots and history, from 1840 to the present. The focus is on basic music fundamentals as well as the elements of each style; the heritage and diversity of popular music; the underlying kinship among its many styles; and different styles' movement from "outsider" to "mainstream" status. The text's opening chapter introduces students to the elements of popular music through two familiar musical examples. The text is available with an exclusive, high-quality 3-CD set that contains a variety of recordings from the early twentieth century to the present. Each selection discussed in depth in the text is available on the CD set. When packaged with the text, the CDs are available at a substantial discount.