I. Intro

This section contains chapters (including this one) that introduce the main theme of the book, and explain how the book can be used.

II. Elements

The second section presents the major elements of rock music: those attributes that distinguish it from other forms, and that separate outstanding examples of rock artistry from lesser works.

III. Artists

This is meant to be a representative (but not exhaustive) list of great recording artists that exemplified one or more of the Elements described in the second section. Each artist in this section has a representative track analyzed in depth in the next section.

Both tracks and artists are presented in chronological order, based on the original release year of the selected track.

IV. Tracks

I make no claim that these are the best rock songs of all time, only that they are all great examples that illustrate the combination of elements described in the second section. In some cases, you will find well-known artists and songs. As with many art forms, though, fame is often slow to catch up with artistic merit, and so some selections may be considered obscure.

V. Closing

This final section contains some closing thoughts and reference material, including an Epilogue, containing a discussion of factors that have contributed to the decline of the rock aesthetic.