Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977

This marks the third time I have read Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977 by James Miller. As with the last time I read it, it was for class. This is the final textbook for my class "Black, White, and Blue: Race Relations in the U.S. through the Blues." And yes, while this book does cover rock and roll, it also does a fine job of discussing race and the development of rock and roll out of the blues.

Miller takes an interesting approach to this book by breaking it into various sections that offer vignettes on various songs, artists, or milestones in the creation and rise of rock and roll. Some favorites on which Miller focuses are Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. One of the things I like about this book is that Miller takes time to also describe what is happening socially in addition to what is happening in the world of music. Sometimes these descriptions are rather brief, but they are important in providing context around the music and musicians.

This is a great book for anyone interested in reading about rock and roll and the progression of the music industry. Miller does a great job of bringing some important figures in the world of rock to life and can also make the reader wish to revisit some of these old songs.

Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977