Music 208 - Pop, Rock, and Soul
Pop, Rock, and Soul
Fall
2025
01
4.00
Lauron Kehrer
M W 10:50 AM - 12:05 PM
Smith College
MUS-208-01-202601
Sage 215
lkehrer@smith.edu
Popular music is deeply embedded in aspects of everyday life in the United States and can both reflect and resist pervasive notions regarding identity. But what is popular music, and what is its role in American culture? What makes music popular? What do people listen for when they listen to popular music? This course explores these questions and more as students study the history and development of popular music with a focus on music in the United States during the twentieth century. The course examines various genres and styles, including pop, rock, and soul, from a musical analytical perspective, as well as a social and cultural perspective. Students listen critically to popular music in order to better understand how it might reflect, shape, and/or challenge prevailing notions of American identity.