Black History: Music

Explore African American history through musical traditions with essential academic works selected by RCL editors. Resources for College Libraries (RCL) features 90,000+ core titles for academic libraries, curated by Choice/ACRL subject specialists and available at rclweb.net.

Updated January 2, 2026
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The power of Black music interpreting its history from Africa to the United States
Floyd, Samuel A.
Ebook
When Jimi Hendrix transfixed the crowds of Woodstock with his gripping version of "The Star Spangled Banner," he was building on a foundation reaching back, in part, to the revolutionary guitar playing of Howlin' Wolf and the other great Chicago bluesmen, and to the Delta blues tradition before him....
Blues, funk, rhythm and blues, soul, hip hop, and rap a research and information guide
Meadows, Eddie S.
Paper Book
Despite the influence of African American music and study as a worldwide phenomenon, no comprehensive and fully annotated reference tool currently exists that covers the wide range of genres. This much needed bibliography fills an important gap in this research area and will prove an...
The spirituals and the blues: an interpretation
Cone, James H.
Paper Book
Cone explores two classic aspects of African-American culture--the spirituals and the blues. He tells the captivating story of how slaves and the children of slaves used this music to affirm their essential humanity in the face of oppression. The blues are shown to be a "this-worldly" expression of...
Black noise : rap music and black culture in contemporary America
Rose, Tricia.
Paper Book
A comprehensive look at the lyrics, music, cultures, themes, and styles of rap music. Winner of the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation (1995) From its beginnings in hip hop culture, the dense rhythms and aggressive lyrics of rap music...
The music of black Americans: a history
Southern, Eileen.
Paper Book
A new edition of the classic text on African American music.
Hidden in the mix : the African American presence in country music
Pecknold, Diane
Ebook
Country music's debt to African American music has long been recognized. Black musicians have helped to shape the styles of many of the most important performers in the country canon. The partnership between Lesley Riddle and A. P. Carter produced much of the Carter Family's repertoire; the...
Blues legacies and Black feminism : Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday
Davis, Angela Y.
Paper Book
The author of "Women, Race and Class" suggests that "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday represent a black working-class, feminist ideology and historical consciousness. Davis' illuminating analysis of the songs performed by these artists provides readers with a compelling and...
Spirits rejoice! : jazz and American religion
Bivins, Jason
Ebook
In Spirits Rejoice! Jason Bivins explores the relationship between American religion and American music, and the places where religion and jazz have overlapped.Much writing about jazz tends toward glorified discographies or impressionistic descriptions of the actual sounds. Rather than providing a...
Blacksound : making race and popular music in the United States
Morrison, Matthew D.
Ebook
"No book from this past year better explains American popular music than professor Matthew Morrison's Blacksound."--A Rolling Stone Best Music Book of 2024 A new concept for understanding the history of the American popular music industry. Blacksound explores the sonic history of...

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