Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings

Sullivan is back with two more volumes of great popular song recordings. Volumes 1 and 2 (2013) featured entries for more than 1,000 titles. Volumes 3 and 4 add 1700 more noteworthy recordings. The format of this set is quite different from the earlier one’s. Volumes 1 and 2 are arranged by topic (e.g., ‘Crazy Blues,’ ‘Memories of You’) and then chronologically within each ‘playlist.’ That arrangement tells a story about how artists handled similar styles and emotions through the decades. The new set is 100- percent chronological. Each chapter/playlist features a different decade, beginning in 1890 and ending in 2016. This format tells the story of the evolution of popular music recordings as a whole. It also gives Sullivan the freedom to choose recordings regardless of topic or genre. Some of the selected songs received much less popular acclaim in their era than their ‘big hit’ counterparts but were chosen because they have been ‘undeservedly neglected.’ Once again, Sullivan’s depth of knowledge and extensive research shows. He consulted the same musical halls of fame, books, magazines, awards lists, and other sources as for the first volumes, in addition spending many hours listening to a satellite radio station as it presented a five-week marathon of ‘50 years of Top 40 hits.’ Each entry is written with authority and passion, includes references to each song’s rankings in various genre and award lists (e.g., Billboard, Grammy, Your Hit Parade), and concludes with an extensive bibliography and title and name-and-subject indexes. Highly recommended to academic and public libraries. * Booklist *
Sullivan, author of other works on popular culture, including volumes 1 and 2 of this encyclopedia, covers over 1,700 recordings arranged by recording date/chart debut; the arrangement contrasts to the thematic groupings he used in the previous volumes. This new organization, supplemented by chronologically interspersed musical and historical events, allows readers to see parallels among songs expressing the zeitgeist of each period. These additional ‘hits and familiar classics’ of marches, gospel, world, pop, rock, soul, country, jazz, blues, folk, and even Christmas songs by major and lesser-known artists are Sullivan's personal choices, but less a ‘best of’ than a celebration of unique recordings with distinctive appeal covering 12 periods from 1890 to 2016. The 1970s receive the most coverage with 230 recordings, then the 1950s with 220. Entries include title, performer(s), song writer(s), label/catalog number, and charting information. The heavily documented, 100- to 750-word commentaries discuss the performers/performances, including instrumentation, lyrics, and cultural context, with commentary from critics and other musical figures. Dave Marsh, prominent critic and author of The Heart of Rock and Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made (1999), is heavily represented, but Sullivan is keen to emphasize the music over philosophical discussion. While there are superb indexes to titles, names, and subjects, cross-references would help where recordings of the same song are separated chronologically. The electronic version is available from EBSCOhost ProQuest and from other vendors. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers. * CHOICE *
Continuing where his inaugural two volumes left off, Steve Sullivan explores additional selections of great but underappreciated song recordings in volumes three and four. Added are some 1,700 records and artists omitted from the earlier volumes for lack of space to complete Sullivan’s review of over a century and a quarter of Anglo-North American pop music. But as music writer Dave Marsh explains in his foreword, what sets Sullivan apart as a music critic is not his vast knowledge of what was recorded, but his passion for seeing how the songs connect across time. Calling it the ‘Smithsonian of Soul,’ Marsh praises Sullivan’s work for its ability to bring long-forgotten, soul-stirring songs back to life. While it is impossible to read an entry for a familiar song and not ‘hear’ it playing, it is equally possible to read an entry for an unfamiliar song and begin to ‘hear’ it playing—thanks to Sullivan’s exquisite descriptions.... This heavily footnoted music guide includes an extensive, themed bibliography and separate title and subject/name indexes.... Authoritative and a joy to browse, this goldmine will be an indispensable resource in pop culture collections and college libraries supporting music departments. * American Reference Books Annual *