The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum


Other Resources - 1950s, 1960s

This list offers a starting point for the investigation of topics in popular music studies. For further information on specific artists, please see our inductee bios.

1950s

  • Berry, Chuck. “The Autobiography.” Hal Leonard, 1986.
  • Brown, Ruth and Andrew Yule. “Miss Rhythm: The Autobiography of Ruth Brown, Rhythm and Blues Legend.” Diana Publishing Co., 1996.
  • Cash, Johnny with Patric Carr. “Cash: The Autobiography.” San Francisco: Harper, 1998.
  • Charles, Ray, and David Ritz. “Brother Ray:Ray Charles’ Own Story.” Da Capo, 2004.
  • Escott, Colin and Martin Hawkins. “Good Rockin’ Tonight: Sun Records and the Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991.
  • Guralnick, Peter. “Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley.” Back Bay Books, 2000.
  • Guralnick, Peter. “Feel Like Going Home: Portraits in Blues and Rock’n’Roll.” Back Bay Books, 1999.
  • Guralnik, Peter. “Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley.” Boston: Little-Brown, 1994.
  • Guralnik, Peter. “Lost Highway: Journeys and Arrivals of American Musicians.” Back Bay Books, 1999.
  • Jackson, John A. “Big Beat Heat:Alan Freed and the Early Years of Rock & Roll.” Diane Pub Co., 1991.
  • Lehmer, Larry. “The Day The Music Died: The Last Tour of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens.” New York: Schiermer Books, 2004.
  • Perkins, Carl and David McGee. “Go, Cat, Go! The Life and Times of Carl Perkins.” New York: Hyperion, 1996.
  • Pruter, Robert. “Doowop The Chicago Scene.” Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1997.
  • Streissguth, Michael, ed. “Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Reader.” Da Capo, 2002.
  • Tosches, Nick. “Hellfire: The Jerry Lee Lewis Story.” Grove Press, 1997.
  • White, Charles. “The Life and Times of Little Richard.” Omnibus Press, 2003.

 

1960s

  • Abbott, Kingsley, ed. “Back to the Beach, a Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys Reader.” Helter Skelter Publishing, 2002.
  • Barnes, Richard. “The Who: Maximum R & B.” Plexus Publishing, 2004.
  • Booth, Stanley. “The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones.” New York: Vintage Books, 1985.
  • Brightman, Carol. “Sweet Chaos: The Grateful Dead’s American Adventure.” Pocket, 1999.
  • Bromell, Nicholas. “Tomorrow Never Knows: Rock and Psychedelics in the 1960s.” Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
  • Brown, James with Bruce Tucker. “James Brown: The Godfather of Soul.” Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2003.
  • Cantwell, Robert. “When We Were Good: The Folk Revival.” Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997.
  • Clemente, John. “Girl Groups: Fabulous Females That Rocked the World.” Iola: Krause Publications, 2000.
  • Coleman, Ray. “Clapton!” New York: Warner Books, 1988.
  • Coleman, Ray. “Lennon: The Definitive Biography.” Perennial Currents, 1992.
  • Davies, Hunter. “The Beatles. 2nd Edition.” W.W. Norton & Company, 2004.
  • Dylan, Bob. “Chronicles, Vol. 1.” Simon & Schuster, 2004.
  • Dylan, Bob. “Lyrics: 1962-2001.” Simon & Schuster, 2004.
  • Early, Gerald. “One Nation Under a Groove: Motown and American Culture.” University of Michigan Press, 2004.
  • Echols, Alice. “Scars of Sweet Paradise: The Life and Times of Janis Joplin.” Owl Books, 2000.
  • Everett, Walter. “The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul.” Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
  • Everett, Walter. “The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology.” Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
  • Fox, Ted. “Showtime at the Apollo: The Story of Harlem’s World Famous Theater.” Mill Road Enterprises, 2003.
  • Friedman, Myra. “Buried Alive: The Biography of Janis Joplin.” Three Rivers Press, 1992.
  • Gaines, Steven. “Heroes and Villains: The True Story of The Beach Boys.” Da Capo Press, 1995.
  • Gans, David. “Conversations with the Dead: The Grateful Dead Interview Book.” Da Capo Press, 2002.
  • George, Nelson. “The Death of Rhythm and Blues.” Penguin, 2003.
  • Guralnick, Peter. “Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm & Blues & the Southern Dream of Freedom.” Back Bay Books, 1999.
  • Haralambos, Michael. “Soul Music: The Birth of a Sound in Black America.” New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1985.
  • Henke, James, ed. “I Want To Take You Higher: The Psychedelic Era 1965-1969.” San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1997.
  • Hirshey, Gerri. “Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music.” New York: Da Capo Press, 1994.
  • Joplin, Laura. “Love, Janis.” New York: Perennial, 2005.
  • Lesh, Phil. “Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead.” Little, Brown, 2005.
  • Marcus, Greil. “Like A Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads.” PublicAffairs, 2005.
  • Marsh, Dave. “Before I Get Old: The Story of The Who.” Plexus Publishing, 2003.
  • Martin, George, with Jeremy Hornsby. “All You Need Is Ears.” New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1994.
  • Murray, Charles Shaar. “Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix and the Post-War Rock and Roll Revolution.” St. Martin’s Press, 1991.
  • Neill, Andrew and Matthew Kent. “Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of The Who (1958-1978).” Friedman, 2002.
  • Norman, Philip. “Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation.” Fireside, 2003.
  • Pichaske, David. “A Generation in Motion: Popular Music and Culture in the Sixties.” Ellis Press, 1989.
  • Ribowsky, Mark. “He’s A Rebel: The Truth About Phil Spector — Rock and Roll’s Legendary Madman.” Cooper Square Press, 2000.
  • Sanchez, Tony. “Up and Down with the Rolling Stones.” New York: Da Capo Press, 1996.
  • Scaduto, Anthony. “Bob Dylan.” Helter Skelter Publshing, 2001.
  • Schumacher, Michael. “Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton.” Citadel Press, 2003.
  • Shapiro, Harry. “Electric Gypsy: Jimi Hendrix.” St. Martin’s, 1995.
  • Sounes, Howard. “Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan.” New York: Grove Press, 2002.
  • Whitburn, Joel. “Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Sixties.” Menonomee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research, Inc., 1995.