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What instructors receive
- Temporary, full-course review access at no cost or obligation
- Complete lessons, media, activities, and assessment components
- Flexible adoption options with implementation assistance
- Setup and implementation support
4th edition · Lower-division undergraduate; no prior musical training required
History of Rock and Roll
A chronological survey of rock and roll's roots, stylistic periods, cultural context, and evolving technologies.
Course at a glance
- Intended use
- General-education popular-music history and music appreciation courses
- Student level
- Lower-division undergraduate; no prior musical training required
- Edition
- 4th edition
- Authors
- Donald D. Megill, David W. Megill
- Structure
- 14 lessons
- Format
- Digital access code; complete online course with no separate physical textbook
- Student price
- $79.99 USD
- ISBN
- 978-1-7350385-3-7
History of Rock and Roll follows the historical threads that shaped rock as a developing art form, from its forerunners through the British Invasion, Motown, punk, MTV, grunge, hip-hop, and electronic music. Readings, listening, quizzes, and timed listening notes develop informed listening.
Learning outcomes
- Describe major stylistic periods, artists, technologies, and cultural contexts in rock history.
- Recognize selected styles and recordings through guided listening.
- Explain how media, technology, commerce, and social movements influenced rock.
- Defend historical and aesthetic judgments in concert and writing assignments.
Course design
Complete online lessons combine readings, multimedia, activities, and assessments in a sequenced course foundation.
- Guided listening paired with readings and quizzes
- Timed listening notes for referenced recordings
- Aural-recognition reviews, concert reports, and a capstone argument
Table of contents
- Rock, You & the Big Picture
- Forerunners of Rock & Roll
- The Elvis Factor
- Review 1: Early Rock Aural Recognition & Concert Reports
- Folk, Acid Rock & Social Protest
- The British Invasion
- The Black Voice: Motown & Soul
- The Growth of Rock
- Protest to Corporate
- Rock Fashion: Punk to MTV
- Classic Rock & Generation X
- The Challenge to Rock: Technology, Hip-Hop & Electronic Music
- Review 3: 1970s to the Present, Aural Recognition
- The Top Five of All Time
What students receive
- Access to all assigned course readings, media, activities, and assessments
- One digital access product; no separate physical textbook
- Technical and accessibility support for Course Orbit materials
Assessments and instructor control
Listening-recognition exercises, quizzes, concert reports, discussions, and written assignments; instructors retain grading authority.
Instructors may adjust pacing, due dates, grading, policies, supplementary materials, and permitted LMS settings while preserving licensed course content.
Delivery, accessibility, and requirements
Delivery choices
- Import into an institution's supported LMS using a standard course cartridge
- Choose a supported adoption path when institutional LMS delivery is not preferred
Course cartridges are intended for cartridge-compatible LMS environments. Course Orbit confirms the institution's version and setup during implementation rather than guaranteeing every configuration.
Accessibility
Course content is developed toward WCAG 2.1 AA. Accommodation questions and issue reports are routed to [email protected]. Read the accessibility statement.
Technical requirements
- A current browser with JavaScript, cookies, audio, and video enabled as required by course media
- Reliable internet access and institution-supported LMS credentials when delivered through an institutional LMS
- Speakers or headphones for listening-based activities
Support
Instructors receive implementation support; students receive Course Orbit material and access support. Institutions remain responsible for institutional credentials, rosters, policies, and LMS administration. View instructor resources.
Authors
Donald D. Megill
Donald D. Megill develops music-history and appreciation course materials that have been refined across multiple published editions.
Additional academic credentials and current affiliations are pending publisher verification and are not presented as endorsements.
David W. Megill
David W. Megill develops music-history and appreciation course materials that have been refined across multiple published editions.
Additional academic credentials and current affiliations are pending publisher verification and are not presented as endorsements.
Related evaluation resources
- Digital Textbook Versus Complete Digital Course — Understand the practical differences among eBooks, homework platforms, complete digital courses, and flexible course adoption.
- How to Evaluate a Complete Digital Course — A practical checklist for reviewing content, assessments, accessibility, delivery, instructor control, student cost, and support before adoption.
- What to Ask About LMS Integration — Questions for evaluating course import, grades, student access, support responsibilities, accessibility, and adoption options.
Review History of Rock and Roll before you decide.
Instructor review access is free and temporary during evaluation. The adoptions team follows up within one business day with access and implementation details.