The world of rock--from the innovative pioneers to the colorful cult figures, from Brit Beat to Grunge--comes to life in this entertaining compendium. Created by a bestselling author and musician who has written books on such luminaries as Elvis, the Beatles, and Ray Charles, it goes back to the roots of rock; introduces seminal musicians and producers; and discusses major songwriters. Find out the biggest sellers of all time, meet the one-hit wonders, see which tunes were banned, and follow the age of the single and the rise of the album.