LITMIR.BIZ

       Introduction

      They believed in magic. They could see for miles. They had many rivers to cross. And so, as soon as the musical trailblazers of the past sixty years were old enough to leave wherever it was they didn’t want to be anymore, they followed the siren call of melody and rhythm that told them to walk on the wild side. Whether you listened to the phonograph, the radio, the hi-fi, the stereo, a walkman, or an iPod – or watched their concerts live – then you heard that same call. As popular music gave a voice to each generation’s need to break away from the past, chart-topping hits, experimental basement tapes, dance-floor favorites, and arena-shaking rock shows turned everyday moments into epic scenes of hope and love, loss and wonder.

      Most of all our favorite musicians gave us a place to put feelings so urgent and all consuming that they couldn’t merely be spoken aloud, trapped on paper, or hung in a museum. They could only be airborne, traveling the way they had for thousands of years, on waves of sound, across our yards and gardens like a cup with a string to our best friend’s house, then further, across miles, oceans, and the ages. For many, great songs have been a life force, the most direct and universally understood answer to the question “How do you feel?” A reason (we just asked for one) to keep dreaming on.

      In the trivia questions that follow, ranging from the years of bebop and swing before rock ’n’ roll, up through the decades of doo-wop, protest songs, punk and indie rock, metal, hip hop, Britpop, and rap all the way to the present, you’ll find the stories behind the bands, the real people behind the magazine covers, the breakthrough hits, the secret muses, the one-hit wonders, the bizarre cover versions, the record-breakers, the weirdest misheard lyrics, before-they-were-famous factoids, B-side esoterica, and major turning points in this ethereal world of operatic splendor, seedy tabloid fodder, and everything in between. There’s even a section for true music geeks (the ones who can, for example, read actual music). Multiple-choice and true-or-false questions, fill-in-the-blanks and matching games will help you prove just how much of an expert you are on everything – from Chuck Berry’s signature walk to U2’s original name to the song Beyoncé performed at the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Ball.

      At the end, check your answers against the back of the book, tally up your points, and, if you believe in the gospel of music, you’ll find out just how good a shot at redemption you have. Maybe you’ll end up mystified and struggling for answers. If so, you’re in the right place too. Music has always lured us out of our comfort zones and traditions with the promise of adventure and escape, if only we’re willing to let that screen door slam. We may not know where we’ll wake up the next morning, but we hope it will be to the sound of music with someone named Mary hovering over us, speaking words of wisdom. But if the words don’t come, don’t worry. You don’t really need them. As long as you listen to the music, you’ll get what you need.