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The Death of Rhythm and Blues

by Nelson George

A history of Black popular music and cultural crossover

Regular price $23.14 USD
Regular price $36.16 USD Sale price $23.14 USD
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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A history of Black popular music and cultural crossover

Nelson George traces a half-century of Black music through the changing meanings and markets of “race music,” R&B, and crossover pop. The book links shifts in sound and radio visibility to a larger examination of Black culture’s precarious position within white American society. Its historical frame follows R&B from its rise to airwave dominance and considers the dilution and submergence of the genre as crossover music. Music history and cultural critique are treated together, making the evolution of commercial categories part of the book’s central subject.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in the history of R&B and Black popular music
  • Fans of music writing that connects industry trends with cultural politics
  • Readers exploring race and cultural crossover in American music

Themes

Black music historyR&BRace and cultureCrossover musicMusic industry

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

From Nelson George, supervising producer and writer of the hit Netflix series, "The Get Down," this passionate and provocative book tells the complete story of black music in the last fifty years, and in doing so outlines the perilous position of black culture within white American society. In a fast-paced narrative, Nelson George's book chronicles the rise and fall of "race music" and its transformation into the R&B that eventually dominated the airwaves only to find itself diluted and submerged as crossover music.
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