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Popular Music
 Websites presented in alphabetical order ¡Azúcar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz 
 Companion to an exhibit about this Cuban singer who was known as the "Queen of Salsa." The site features an illustrated overview of her life (including her move to the United States in 1961), images of album covers and posters, music and video clips, a discography, and images of some of her costumes. In English and Spanish. From the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. http://americanhistory.si.edu/celiacruz/ Topics: Holidays & Observances, Music, Musical Genres, Musicians Last updated May 23, 2005 A&M Records Collection
"Founded by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962, A&M Records helped shape the history of American music. This legendary company featured an all-star roster of artists including Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, The Carpenters, Joe Cocker," and others. This exhibit "celebrates A&M's intellectual and creative history" with annotated images of record sleeves, photos, gold records, promotional material, and more. From the University of California, Los Angeles, Library. http://www.library.ucla.edu/amrecords/ Topics: Industries, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Aug 2, 2006 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs
A handy reference to this somewhat arbitrary list of 100 "top movie songs of all time." Lists song and movie names, and rankings. Also find all 400 songs nominated by the American Film Institute. No sound files included. Criteria and selection methodology are unclear. An online companion to an AFI television show first broadcast in June, 2004. http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/songs.aspx Topics: Film, Movies, & Video, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Jun 29, 2004 African American Sheet Music, 1820-1920
Images of hundreds of pieces of sheet music, including "songs from the heyday of antebellum blackface minstrelsy in the 1850s and from the abolitionist movement of the same period." Indexed by title, subject, or creator. Also includes links to essays that provide history and context. From the John Hay Library at Brown University. http://dl.lib.brown.edu/sheetmusic/afam/ Topics: Black Resources, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Mar 7, 2006 African-American Sheet Music, 1850-1920: Selected from the Collections of Brown University
Over 1,300 pieces of music associated with antebellum blackface minstrelsy, the abolitionist movement, the Civil War, and on into the 20th century. Composers include James Bland, Ernest Hogan, Bob Cole, James Reese Europe, and Will Marion Cook. "Particularly significant in this collection are the visual depictions of African Americans which provide much information about racial attitudes over the course of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries." From the American Memory Project, Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/sheetmusic/brown/ Topics: Black Resources, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Dec 21, 2006 American Roots Music
Explore roots music: blues, country, gospel, bluegrass, cajun, zydeco, tejano, and Native American music. This is a companion site to the four-part PBS series, with each part individually summarized. Included are Oral Histories of some of the artists, a discography for each episode, and histories of the songs and instruments heard in the programs. Additionally, there are related links and lesson plans. http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/ Topics: Lesson Plans, Music, Musical Genres, Nonfiction by Genre Last updated Dec 20, 2001 Billboard.com
Daily music news, weekly charts with music samples, this day in music, new releases, and more. Also has Review Finder, with tens of thousands of original album reviews from 1970 through today. Also find many audio clips. http://www.billboard.com/ Topics: Magazines, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Aug 10, 2009 Bing Crosby Collection
Harry Lillis Crosby, better known as "Bing," was born in Tacoma, Washington, and attended Gonzaga University in Spokane. This site describes the large Gonzaga Foley Center Library collection of Crosby memorabilia, which includes "his 1944 Oscar for 'Going My Way,' gold and platinum records, trophies and awards, photographs, correspondence, newsclippings, radio disks, records and cassettes, and other memorabilia." http://www.gonzaga.edu/Academics/Libraries/Foley+Library/Departments/Special+Collections/Collections/Bing+Crosby+Collection/default.asp Topics: Film, Movies, & Video, Musical Genres, Musicians, Notable People, Performing Arts, Photograph Collections Last updated Jun 14, 2007 Bob Dylan
Companion to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) American Masters documentary "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan," which "focuses on the singer-songwriter's life and music from 1961-66." Site features a description of the film, excerpts from Dylan's 2004 autobiography "Chronicles: Volume One," and a biographical essay. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/bob-dylan/about-the-film/574/ Topics: Activism, Film: Genres & Themes, Music, Musical Genres, Musicians Last updated Jan 2, 2009 Bob Dylan Who's Who
The browsable Bob Dylan Who's Who "lists information about people relevant to Bob Dylan's work, including characters mentioned in his songs." Contains over 400 entries. http://www.expectingrain.com/dok/who/who.html Topics: Music, Musical Genres Last updated Oct 25, 2004 Both Sides Now Publications
With its origins in the author's interest in stereo recordings, this site focuses on "any popular music that came out before the mid-1980s." The core of the site, LP Discographies , has detailed discographies of hundreds of record labels and over twenty label histories (see name of label followed by Story ). There's also a discussion board (archived back to June 1997), an informative essay About Oldies CDs , and information on the Both Sides Now Stereo Newsletter (quarterly, available by subscription). Searchable. http://www.bsnpubs.com/ Topics: Internet, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Oct 18, 2000 Bound For Glory: The Life and Times of Woody Guthrie
Devoted to folksinger Woody Guthrie, this site "integrates history, music, photographs, essays, poems, letters and drawings." Profiles Guthrie's early years in Oklahoma and time spent in California, the Pacific Northwest (Grand Coulee Dam songs), and New York (Almanac Singers). Includes sheet music for a few of Guthrie's well-known songs. From the Museum of Musical Instruments . http://www.themomi.org/museum/Guthrie/ Topics: Music, Musical Genres, Musicians Last updated Oct 1, 2004 Buena Vista Social Club
Online companion to the album and film entitled The Buena Vista Social Club , a "re-living of the classic era of Cuban popular music." Features information on director Wim Wenders and musician Ry Cooder, a timeline of Cuban music history, a glossary of related terms, profiles of the musicians and excerpts of the songs featured in the film (including lyrics in English and Spanish), photographs, and interviews. From PBS Online . http://www.pbs.org/buenavista/ Topics: Musical Genres, Photograph Collections Last updated Apr 23, 2002 Buffy Sainte-Marie
The Web site for artist, musician, activist, and educator Buffy Sainte-Marie features biographical information, a career-spanning gallery of portraits (including her Sesame Street years), a discography, audio clips and lyrics for songs, and a gallery of her digital art. Includes links to Sainte-Marie's nonprofit Native American education foundation, the foundation's teaching project, and an online forum where young adults can discuss cultural and racial issues. http://www.creative-native.com/ Topics: Activism, Music, Musical Genres, Musicians, Native Americans, Notable People, Notable People: Women Last updated Oct 25, 2004 Charles H. Templeton Sheet Music Collection
A searchable collection of sheet music from late 19th century to early 20th century America, divided into the categories of blues, rags, movie and show tunes, foxtrots, popular songs, war songs, minstrel songs, songs of Irving Berlin, and specialty songs. From Mississippi State University Libraries. http://digital.library.msstate.edu/collections/sheetmusic/index.html Topics: Musical Genres Last updated Mar 8, 2009 Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project
Digital collection of over 6,000 cylinder recordings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "Cylinder recordings, the first commercially produced sound recordings, are a snapshot of musical and popular culture in the decades around the turn of the 20th century." Searchable by keyword, or browsable by performer, title, issue number/label, or year of release. Includes a history of cylinder recordings and cylinder radio shows. From the University of California, Santa Barbara Library. http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu Topics: Music Last updated Jul 25, 2006 Digital Archive: Popular American Music
Contains images of sheet music for hundreds of popular American songs published from 1885 through 1953. Searchable, and browsable by title and date. From the Digital Library Program, University of California, Los Angeles. http://digital.library.ucla.edu/apam/ Topics: Music, Musical Genres Last updated Feb 28, 2005 Dismuke's Virtual Talking Machine: Vintage Phonograph Recordings, 1900-1939
"This site is devoted to vintage music from the early decades of the 20th Century. All recordings have been transcribed into streaming Real Audio from the original 78 rpm discs in my personal collection." Includes Radio Dismuke , an online radio station; Hit of the Week ; and a browsable collection of recordings. http://dismuke.org/ Topics: Internet, Music, Musical Genres Last updated May 12, 2004 Filk Frequently Asked Questions
From "What the heck is filk music?" (for those who don't know what it is) to "Where else can I find filk?" (for those who do know), this FAQ gives information about "the folk music of the science fiction/fantasy fan community." Contains information about filk etiquette, events, the Pegasus Awards, newsgroups, vendors, and more. http://www.kayshapero.net/filkfaq.htm Topics: Literature: Fiction, Music, Musical Genres, Nonfiction by Genre, Sports, Recreation, & Entertainment Last updated Sep 2, 2005 Grammy Awards
Their Winner's Search is a searchable database that has winners from the first awards in 1958 through this year's winners. Also includes the Latin Grammy Awards. http://www.grammy.com/awards/ Topics: Music, Musical Genres Last updated Dec 21, 2002 GRAMMY.com: Latin Recording Academy
The Latin GRAMMY Awards "recognize excellence and create a greater public awareness of the cultural diversity of Latin recording artists and creators, both domestically and internationally." The site includes news, Hall of Fame members, articles, and more. Also available in Spanish. http://www.grammy.com/latin_academy/ Topics: Music, Musical Genres Last updated Jun 13, 2004 Historic American Sheet Music
Digitized images of over 3000 pieces of American sheet music from 1850 to 1920, along with their full-color cover art and advertisements, in this searchable index. Search for specific criteria such as subject or date, or browse by cover. From The Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library at Duke University. http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/hasm/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Aug 19, 2008 The Hoagy Carmichael Collection
A searchable and browsable collection of lyrics, sound files, photographs, correspondence, and supplemental research material about this songwriter. Research contains a brief biography, a bibliography, and a list of songs including copyright date, lyricist, and publisher. Also included are a genealogy and timeline. From the Indiana University Digital Library Program. http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/hoagy/ Topics: Music, Musical Genres, Musicians, Notable People, Photograph Collections Last updated May 21, 2002 Inventions of Note: Sheet Music Collection
"This sheet music collection consists of popular songs and piano compositions that portray technologies (old and new alike) as revealed through song texts and/or cover art." Technologies include automobile, airplane, radio, and telephone, and most items date from 1890-1920. A small number of entries include sound files (such as "Kissing Papa through the Telephone"). Browsable by title. From the Lewis Music Library, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). http://libraries.mit.edu/music/sheetmusic/ Topics: Music Last updated Sep 28, 2006 Jamnation
This 2004 article features musician opinions about the jam band scene, based on the idea that "the term 'jam band' is an ill-defined label applied to a wide range of improvisational music, everything from the New Orleans funk jazz of Galactic, to the liquid guitar excursions of Steve Kimock." From the North Coast Journal, a publication from Humboldt County, California. http://www.northcoastjournal.com/090204/preview0902.html Topics: Music Last updated Jun 20, 2006 Joan Baez Web Pages
Includes news and tour information about Joan Baez, a biographical chronology, photos, and lyrics to all the songs written or co-written by the folksinger. http://www.joanbaez.com/ Topics: Activism, Music, Musical Genres, Musicians Last updated Mar 14, 2005 Judy Collins
This site features a biography, news, concert information, a discussion forum, sound files, selected lyrics (see For the Fans ), and links related to the folk singer/songwriter. http://judycollins.com/ Topics: Musical Genres, Musicians Last updated Oct 25, 2004 The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music
This collection spans the years 1780 to 1960, but its strength is 19th and early 20th-century American popular music. Thousands of pieces of music are searchable by keyword or browsed by box number or cover art. Information includes title; composer; lyricist; arranger; publication; instrumentation; first line; first line of chorus; dedicatee; artist; and subject. Part of Special Collections at the Milton S. Eisenhower Library of The Johns Hopkins University. http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/ Topics: Libraries & Archives by Type, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Sep 30, 2006 Lift Every Voice: Music in American Life
An exploration of the history of the ballads, hymns, spirituals, patriotic odes, minstrel and musical works, and protest songs of the United States. "Virginiana" features audio clips of songs from each musical style explored. The exhibition’s title is taken from a hymn composed by African-American brothers James Weldon and J. Rosamond Johnson in the 1800s that has come to be an anthem for Black Americans. From the University of Virginia Library. http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/music/ Topics: Activism, Black Resources, Music, Musical Genres, September 11 & Beyond Last updated Nov 11, 2004 The Maine Music Box
A digitized collection of rare, unique, and historically important sheet music and manuscript scores, including popular, classical, and sacred music from about 1845 onward. Entry content varies depending on copyright status. Most include covers and bibliographic record; public domain materials may also have full scores and sound files. From the collections of the Bagaduce Music Lending Library, Blue Hill, Maine, and the Bangor (Maine) Public Library. http://mainemusicbox.library.umaine.edu/ Topics: Internet, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Jul 16, 2007 Malvina Reynolds: Singer/Songwriter/Activist 1900-1978
Features a biographical essay on the San Francisco-born composer of "Little Boxes" and many other songs. From Notable American Unitarians, 1936-1961 , an online project of the First Parish and the First Church in Cambridge (Unitarian Universalist), Massachusetts. http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/reynolds.html Topics: Activism, Music, Musical Genres, Musicians, Notable People Last updated Oct 25, 2004 Mojam Live Concert Search
This calendar of live music events covers the world although most concerts listed are in the United States. Searchable by performer/group, city, venue, event. From Wolfgang's Vault, a commercial source of vintage concert recordings. http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/concerts/ Topics: Music, Musical Genres, Ready Reference & Quick Facts Last updated Nov 1, 2009 The Official George and Ira Gershwin Web Site
Gershwin fans will enjoy this site about the American songwriting team whose memorable music and lyrics reflected the Jazz Age of the twentieth century. Visitors can listen to portions of sound recordings, view a timeline and photographs of the brothers' lives, and read their personal profiles. Includes references, descriptions of selected films and shows, and lists of concert schedules and happenings. Requires Macromedia Flash Player. http://www.gershwin.com/ Topics: Music, Musical Genres, Musicians, Notable People Last updated Feb 26, 2003 Pollstar: The Concert Hotwire
This site covers popular music in such categories as Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country. Fans can find information on musicians, groups, tour dates, gossip, and a featured Artist of the Week. Search a database by artist, venue, or city. http://www.pollstar.com/ Topics: Music, Musical Genres, Musicians, Ready Reference & Quick Facts Last updated Aug 8, 2002 Relix: Music for the Mind
Companion website to this print magazine (originally called Dead Relix) that "has slowly moved its emphasis away from the Grateful Dead to coverage of 'jambands' that have filled the void, as well as other, non-mainstream, types of music." The website features interviews, podcasts, photos, and news briefs (covering topics such as album releases, concerts, and the Jammy Awards for live improvisational music), and related content. http://www.relix.com Topics: Music Last updated Aug 10, 2009 RoJaRo
A searchable index of "articles, discographies, live-/record-reviews in the music press worldwide" from January 1992 to August 2000, including rock, jazz, roots music, blues, country, rap, and world music. Search options include Names (of artist/group), Festival reports , Book reviews , Title of reviewed material , and Reviews of collected concerts . Go to Tutor reviews for searches by instrument, genre, and medium (book, cassette, and video). Covers nearly 750,000 entries, with plans for future updating. Contains an annotated list of indexed magazines. Citations provide name, date, and page number of source; they do not include full text, authors, or titles of the articles. http://www.rojaro.com/ Topics: Magazines, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Aug 10, 2009 The Roots of Tejano and Conjunto Music
"Music excerpts, liner notes, and photos" about the music of Mexican-Americans. Includes information on Tejanos; Norteños; musical styles of conjunto , orquesta tejana , Tex-Mex, and La Onda Chicana (The Chicano Wave); musicians Beto Villa, Isidro Lopez, Narciso Martínez, and Lydia Mendoza; early commercial recordings; record producers Armando Marroquín and Hymie Wolf; and accordions. Originally appeared on recordings from El Cerrito, California-based Arhoolie Records. From Craig Schroer, a librarian at the University of Texas at Austin. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/benson/border/arhoolie2/raices.html Topics: Music, Musical Genres Last updated Jun 4, 2002 Second Hand Songs: A Cover Songs Database
"Find out who performed the original version of a particular song, or who covered that song." Features a database searchable by song, artist, or album, lists of newly added and recent songs, and related material about cover songs. The "Guidelines" section includes the website's definitions of original and cover songs, partial covers, samples, remixes, and other terminology. From a "group of fanatic cover song lovers." http://www.secondhandsongs.com/ Topics: Musical Genres Last updated Nov 16, 2006 Singer-Songwriter Directory
This contains "links to sites dedicated to singer/songwriters. You can find links to official home pages as well as fan sites, to well-known artists as well as starting musicians." This searchable site also features links to music publishers, organizations, record companies, and recording studios. http://singer-songwriter.com/ Topics: Music, Musical Genres, Musicians, Notable People Last updated May 13, 2001 Somewhere a Voice is Calling: American Irish Musical Interpreters, 1850-1975
"Through the lives and careers of a few public musical figures, this exhibit shows some of the breadth of 'American Irish' vocal and instrumental music." Features essays, images, and sound clips of music by P.S. Gilmore, John McCormack, Michael Coleman and James Morrison, Francis O'Neill, Annie "Ma" McNulty, and the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. From Boston College University Libraries. http://www.bc.edu/libraries/about/exhibits/oneill/2007summer/ Topics: Musical Genres, United States History Last updated Feb 23, 2009 The Songs Inspired By Literature (SIBL) Project
"The SIBL Project uses the language of music to inspire people to learn to read and write." The heart of the site is the list of over 250 rock artists, their songs, and the titles of literature that were the influence behind the songs. Artists include the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Axyl Rose, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Sheryl Crow, and many more. From the nonprofit group Artists for Literacy. http://www.artistsforliteracy.org/sibl.html Topics: Education, English Language, Librarianship, Literature & Books, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Jan 18, 2004 Songwriters Hall of Fame Virtual Museum
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is "dedicated to recognizing and honoring the accomplishments and lives of those men and women who create the popular songs that serve as the soundtrack of our lives." The "Inductee Exhibits" section features biographies, discographies, selected audio clips, and related material for hundreds of songwriters. Includes songwriters from early American (1600-1879), Tin Pan Alley (1880-1953), and the rock-and-roll (1953-present) eras. Also includes material about numerous performers. http://songwritershalloffame.org/ Topics: Musical Genres, Musicians Last updated Jun 30, 2009 The Spin on Ireland: Irish Music Cover Art Since 1950
The albums featured in this exhibit "were used during weekly broadcasts of Dorothy Hayden's local radio program 'Irish Memories.'" The images "reveal the ways in which such commercial art constructed an image of a nation and its people in American popular culture." Click on the album covers in the exhibit sections for a larger, higher-quality image. Includes brief essays. From the Archives of Irish America at New York University Libraries. http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/research/aia/exhibits/0012_spin/ Topics: Musical Genres Last updated Mar 5, 2009 Stephen Foster
Companion to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) American Experience program about 19th century songwriter Stephen Foster, who composed some 200 songs, including "Oh! Susanna," "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair," and "Camptown Races." Features an illustrated timeline, a gallery of printable sheet music and associated audio clips, an essay on blackface minstrel shows, and more. Also includes a teacher's guide. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/ Topics: Musical Genres, Musicians Last updated Jan 8, 2007 Taylor's Traditional Tunebook
Instrumental audio files, most accompanied by lyrics, of dozens of traditional songs from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, the United States, and Canada. http://www.contemplator.com/tunebook/ Topics: Internet, Music, Musical Genres Last updated Aug 19, 2003 Tom Rush
This site about the singer/songwriter features a complete discography, a biography, a FAQ, and news. http://www.tomrush.com/ Topics: Music, Musical Genres, Musicians, Notable People Last updated Oct 25, 2004 Vogue Picture Records, 1946-1947
Companion to an exhibit of images from the center of record albums produced in 1946 and 1947. These images reflect post-World War II attitudes and optimism and "are highly prized by collectors for their colorful designs." Includes images from records of popular and dance band music, Latin music, and country music. From the Department of Special Collections, Donald C. Davidson Library, University of California, Santa Barbara. http://www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/exhibits/vogue.html Topics: Music, Musical Genres Last updated Jun 24, 2009 The Wonders of Brazilian Music
This site features profiles of nearly seventy artists, lots of reviews of albums, and information on various Brazilian musical styles, including a glossary of musical terms. The author's interest in the subject is "primarily musical, not literary" and provides commentary on music rather than lyrics. http://www.slipcue.com/music/brazil/brazillist.html Topics: Music, Musical Genres Last updated Sep 1, 2002 Woody Guthrie
This site has a biography of the singer/songwriter and explores his roles as Dust Bowl balladeer, American folk hero, and postmodern hero. http://xroads.virginia.edu/%7E1930s/RADIO/woody/introframe.html Topics: Agriculture, Musical Genres, Musicians Last updated Feb 25, 2004 Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives
Theis foundation holds the archives of this prolific songwriter, singer, and folklorist of American history. Best known for "This Land is Your Land" and his Dust Bowl Ballads, Guthrie also wrote songs for children, unions, and his politically radical group the Almanac Singers. This site has a biography, many digitizations of his original notebooks, a discography, and other publications. http://www.woodyguthrie.org/ Topics: Agriculture, Music, Musical Genres, Musicians Last updated May 26, 2002 |
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