Home › Genres & Styles › American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950
  • American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950 by Alec Wilder book cover
  • American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950 by Alec Wilder book cover
1 2

American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950

by Alec Wilder

Be the first to review this book

A revised landmark study of American popular song

$57.17 USD
$60.18 USD $57.17 USD
Save 5%

Paperback New English

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.
Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

AlbakiReads Editorial

A revised landmark study of American popular song

Covering innovators from 1900 to 1950, Alec Wilder’s study combines commentary on American popular song with musical examples. This third edition preserves Wilder’s distinctive, strongly opinionated voice while adding editorial footnotes that clarify and, where needed, correct the original text. Its musical material has been recast in lead-sheet notation with lyrics, replacing the earlier piano-score format. Robert Rawlins also expands the Irving Berlin chapter with more than sixty examples and adds a chapter on fifty-three additional songs by composers including Ann Ronnell, Fats Waller, and Jule Styne, followed by an examination of ten Wilder compositions.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Musicians who use lead sheets and want song examples alongside commentary
  • Students and enthusiasts of American popular song from 1900–1950
  • Readers interested in composers such as Irving Berlin, Fats Waller, and Jule Styne

Themes

American popular songSongwriting and composersMusic analysisLead-sheet notation1900–1950 music history

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"Wonderful"--The New York Times. "Provocative, opinionated, and never dull"--Down Beat. "A singular book."--Studs Terkel.

When it was first published, Alec Wilder's American Popular Song quickly became a classic and today it remains essential reading for countless musicians, lovers of American Song, and fans of Alec Wilder.

Now, in a 50th anniversary edition, popular music scholar Robert Rawlins brings the book fully up-to-date for the 21st century. Whereas previous editions featured only piano scores, the format has been changed to lead sheet notation with lyrics, making it accessible to a wider readership. Rawlins has also added more than sixty music examples to help complete the chapter on Irving Berlin.

One of the most fascinating features of the original edition was Wilder's inventive use of language, often revealing his strong and sometimes irreverent opinions. Wilder's prose remains relatively unaltered, but footnotes have been provided that clarify, elucidate, and even correct. Moreover, a new chapter has been added, discussing fifty-three songs by numerous composers that Wilder might have well included but was not able to. Songs by Ann Ronnell, Fats Waller, Jule Styne and many others are capped off with an examination of ten of Wilder's own songs.
Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews

You may also like

View all