May 10, 2025  
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke 2024-2025 Catalog 
    
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke 2024-2025 Catalog

HST 4240. History of Rock & Roll (3 credits)


Studying Rock & Roll blends the social, cultural, intellectual, and economic history of the United States in the second half of the twentieth century. This course opens with an exploration of rock’s roots and its emergence within the youth culture of the fifties, as well as adult reactions against its popularity. Moving on to the sixties, we will examine the tension between rock’s growing commercial appeal and its political uses. Finally, our semester ends with a look at the fragmentation of rock and of its audience since the seventies. Our inquiry takes shape from the relationship between three interrelated and overlapping groups of people: those who made, those who sold, and those who listened to rock. On a theoretical level, we will invest a good amount of energy delving into the historical contexts from which rock and roll took shape. On a more vocational plane, this class is designed as a capstone experience that builds on skills acquired in HST-3000, other upper-level courses in our department, and your interdisciplinary experiences. PREREQ: HST 3000 or Instructor Permission