Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2026 (23/02/2026 - 20/06/2026)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Music School
Introduction to the key concepts of popular music studies. Course provides a cultural, industrial and technological history of commercial rock and popular music from the 1950s onwards.
Popular music has underpinned the ascendancy of modern consumer culture. To understand the rise of rock music in the post-war period is to understand the processes that enabled popular culture to overtake its high-cultural predecessors—literature, theatre, classical music, etc.—as society’s emblematic cultural materials. MUSC1700 interrogates the cultural, industrial and technological history of popular music, from the 1950s through to the dismantling of traditional music industry models in the modern streaming era. In outlining the conventional rock narrative—from Elvis to The Beatles, Motown, James Brown, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, Madonna, U2, Nirvana, Eminem, Beyonce, K-pop, Billie Eilish and beyond—the course introduces the key concepts of popular music studies, many of which question the received tenets of rock history within popular memory, and contextualises recent anxieties regarding the ‘death’ of the global music business.
Course requirements
Assumed background
No musical skills are required.ﾠ
Course contact
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Please note that the lectures for this course take the form of online content available each week in the Learning Modules at Learn.UQ. Online materials may also be substituted for any tutorials that are pre-empted by public holidays, etc.
This is our weekly schedule of topics and key issues raised:ﾠ
Week 1:ﾠIntroduction—TheﾠRoots of Rock Music:ﾠAfrican American culture and migration
Week 2: 1955-1957—Elvis & the Rise of Rock & Roll:ﾠWhite appropriations of black culture
Week 3: 1958-1961—TheﾠBrillﾠBuilding and Girl Groups:ﾠGender; identity and agency
Week 4: 1962—Soul Music:ﾠUSﾠCivil Rights movement ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ
Week 5: 1963-1964—The Beatles & the British Invasion:ﾠCultural imperialism ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠﾠ
Week 6: 1965-1966—Blues Rock & Folk Rock:ﾠCultural authenticity versusﾠcommercialisation
Week 7: 1967-1968—Psychedeliaﾠ& the Counterculture:ﾠCounter-cultural revolution
Week 8: 1969-1972—Rock Returns to its Roots and Fragments:ﾠCommodificationﾠof youth culture
Week 9: 1970s (UK)—FromﾠGlamﾠto Punk:ﾠGender and transgressive performance
Week 11: 1970s (US)—From Funk to Disco:ﾠGay liberation
Week 12: 1980s—GlobalﾠMTV Stadium Superstars:ﾠGlobal commercial synergy
Week 13: 1990sﾠto today—Musical Mutation/MarketﾠFragmentation:ﾠDeath of the record industry
ﾠ
Aims and outcomes
MUSC1700 outlines the timeline of changes in popular musicﾠfrom the 1950s to today, as a means to explore key concerns within the field of popular music studies. Students will gain a greater appreciation of popular music, its cultural impact, and the mechanisms that shape it, by means of:
- An overview of popular music’s influences and the social, cultural and industrial conditions affecting its creation
- Analyses of the impact of popular music in society and its capacity to reflect issues of agency in race, gender and politics
- Analyses of key styles of rock and pop music since the 1950s via a survey of significant artists and repertoire
- An overview of the diverse academic field of popular music studies
MUSC1700 seeks to help improve academic literacy and communication skills via content that students may already be invested in, that is, the role of popular culture in our shared lived experience. Thus, theﾠtheﾠcourse will also provide students with an introduction to research tools and the mechanics of scholarly documentation, as well has enhancing critical thinking skills.
MUSC1700 does not assess musical performance or prior musical knowledge; a student’s ability to read (and listen)ﾠcritically, to obtain, absorb, recognise and employ key concepts, and write effectively and consistently, are more valuableﾠin thisﾠcourse.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Appreciate and more fully understand rock music and its relationships with the social circumstances surrounding its creation.
LO2.
Hear, identify and discuss the musical characteristics, musical elements and sonic production techniques that are employed in rock and popular musics.
LO3.
Demonstrate a foundational understanding of popular music studies and its areas of critical enquiry.
LO4.
Understand and apply research tools and scholarly documentation to the critical study of popular and rock musics.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection, Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Tutorial Discussion Participation
|
10% |
2/03/2026 - 22/05/2026
Discussion questions to be submitted via the Blackboard Assessment section by 9am each Tuesday, prior to weekly tutorials. |
| Quiz |
In-class Online Multiple-Choice Tests
|
20% |
18/03/2026 - 19/03/2026 15/04/2026 - 16/04/2026 13/05/2026 - 14/05/2026 27/05/2026 - 28/05/2026
You must be present from the commencement of your tutorial in weeks 4, 7, 11 and 13 to attempt the tests. You will have 30 minutes to complete 20 online multiple-choice questions; choose the correct answer: a, b, c, d or e. |
| Quiz |
Library Assignment
|
10% |
2/04/2026 5:00 pm
Submit via Learn.UQ Assessment section by 5pm Thursday in week 6. |
| Essay/ Critique | Major Essay | 60% |
29/05/2026 5:00 pm
Submit via the Blackboard Assessment section by the end of week 13, Friday 29/5 at 5pm. |
Assessment details
Tutorial Discussion Participation
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection, Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
2/03/2026 - 22/05/2026
Discussion questions to be submitted via the Blackboard Assessment section by 9am each Tuesday, prior to weekly tutorials.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
From weeks 2 through 12, prior to each week's tutorial, submit your own question for class discussion.
Appropriate discussion questions include:
· Questions seeking clarification regarding aspects of that week's readings (please cite relevant page number) or lecture
· Questions regarding a related area of study that the readings or lecture did not cover
· Questions seeking further detail regarding historical, cultural and social background information relevant to that week’s topic
· Questions that challenge aspects of that week's readings or lecture
· Questions based on your own knowledge of that week’s topic which are designed to stimulate class discussion
· Questions about more recent popular music that you believe relate to that week's topic
Inappropriate discussion questions include:
· Questions that lead only to speculation, such as 'What do you think will happen in the future?', or 'How would things be different now if (something) hadn't happened?'
· Questions that simply ask for a broad summary of one of the readings
· Questions that simply paraphrase one of the weekly multiple-choice questions
· Administrative questions
Submission guidelines
Submit your question for class discussion prior to tutorials via the Blackboard Assessment section. In order to earn the 1% mark each week, you must also present the question during your tutorial.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be granted afterwards.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
In-class Online Multiple-Choice Tests
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
18/03/2026 - 19/03/2026
15/04/2026 - 16/04/2026
13/05/2026 - 14/05/2026
27/05/2026 - 28/05/2026
You must be present from the commencement of your tutorial in weeks 4, 7, 11 and 13 to attempt the tests. You will have 30 minutes to complete 20 online multiple-choice questions; choose the correct answer: a, b, c, d or e.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04
Task description
In-class online multiple-choice tests, based on the course readings, held during tutorials in weeks 4, 7, 11 and 13.
Submission guidelines
Test 1, week 4, 18-19/3: content from weeks 2, 3 & 4; 30min; 20 questions
Test 2, week 7, 15-16/4: content from weeks 5, 6 & 7; 30min; 20 questions
Test 3, week 11, 13-15/5: content from weeks 8, 9 & 11; 30min; 20 questions
Test 4, week 13, 27-28/5: general course overview; 30min; 20 questions
A code will be provided during class for access on a single device of your choosing, e.g. laptop, tablet, phone (paper copies can be provided upon request). During the tests students may consult a document of their own notes from the weekly readings. However, students attempting to access any information other than those notes—e.g., having other windows open (including the course readings) or accessing a second device—will forfeit the test mark for that week.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be granted afterwards.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Library Assignment
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
2/04/2026 5:00 pm
Submit via Learn.UQ Assessment section by 5pm Thursday in week 6.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04
Task description
An online multiple-choice research questionnaire consisting of 20 randomly-generated questions testing your ability to locate specific facts via the UQ library system. More detailed instructions will be available in the Assessment section at Learn.UQ in week five.
Submission guidelines
The test will be available in the Blackboard Assessment section from Monday week 6 (30/3) at 8am. You will have four days to research your answers prior to submission on Thursday 2/4, 5pm (the day before the public holiday). You may progressively save your answers prior to final submission, but it is highly recommended that you also make a copy of your 20 randomised questions upon first viewing.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be granted afterwards.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Major Essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 60%
- Due date
29/05/2026 5:00 pm
Submit via the Blackboard Assessment section by the end of week 13, Friday 29/5 at 5pm.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Write and submit a 2000-word research-based essay analysing a specific aspect of popular music within a broader context as suggested by one of ten supplied topics. Detailed essay criteria and topic list will be available via the Assessment section at Learn.UQ from Week 6.
Submission guidelines
Essays to be submitted online as a Word document only, via the Turn It In link in the Assessment section at Learn.UQ by 5pm Friday in week 13. See criteria sheet and topic list for full details.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension requests must be received on or before the due date. No extensions will be granted afterwards.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work does not satisfy the basic requirements of this course. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Work does not satisfy the requirements of this course. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Work falls short of satisfying all requirements for a pass. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Sufficient grasp of the fundamental issues and concepts and an adequate demonstration of written skills. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates an ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and facts going beyond mere replication of content knowledge to show an understanding of central ideas and subject matter. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates an understanding of some of the more subtle aspects of the course with an ability to identify and debate critical issues while also demonstrating a broad knowledge of the course. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates initiaitive, imagination, originality and flair. Work should also demonstrate competence and proficiency and a thorough knowledge of the course. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
This course evaluates student’s abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Other course materials
Recommended
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Reebee Garofalo, Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the U.S.A. 6th ed. (Boston: Pearson, 2013). | ||
| Shuker, Roy, Popular Music: The Key Concepts (London: Routledge, 2017). |
Additional learning resources information
Access to these sources, as well as the weekly course readings, is available via the Talis Aspire link at Blackboard.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Tutorial |
Interactive Tutorial Series Tutorials centre on discussions inspired by student-generated questions submitted via Blackboard (see 6.1 Assessment). They also help prepare the student for assessment requirements, as well as assisting in the development of each student's academic research and cultural analysis skills. Tutorials do not run during the School of Music Project Week. Schedule Week 1: Introduction—The Roots of Rock Music Topics: Blues; rhythm & blues; country & western; race; US South; African American culture and migration; post-WWII music industry; independent record labels; course admin Readings: 1. Reebee Garofalo, ‘“Good Rockin’ Tonight”: The Rise of Rhythm and Blues’. Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the U.S.A. 6th ed. (Boston: Pearson, 2013), pp.55-80. 2. Guthrie P. Ramsey, ‘“It’s Just the Blues”: Race, Entertainment and the Blues Muse’. Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop. (Berkeley University of California Press, 2004), p.44-75. Week 2: 1955-1957—Elvis & the Rise of Rock & Roll Topics: Rock ‘n’ roll/rockabilly; race; white appropriations of black culture; growth of the record industry; rise of pop radio Readings: 1. Michael T. Bertrand. ‘Elvis Presley and the Politics of Popular Memory’. Southern Cultures, Volume 13, Number 3, Fall 2007, pp. 62-86. 2. Ken Hey (1974) ‘“I'll give it a 95”: An approach to the study of early rock ‘n’ roll’, Popular Music and Society, 3:4, 315-328. Week 3: 1958-1961—The Brill Building and Girl Groups Topics: Doo wop/vocal groups; gender; identity and agency; music publishing industry; song writing; rise of the record producer Readings: 1. Ian Inglis. ‘“Some Kind of Wonderful”: The Creative Legacy of the Brill Building’. American Music, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Summer, 2003), pp. 214-235. 2. Mary E. Rohlfing (1996) “Don’t say Nothin’ bad about my baby”: A re‐evaluation of women's roles in the Brill building era of early rock ‘n’ roll’, Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 13:2, 93-114. Week 4: 1962—Soul Music Topics: Gospel music; rhythm & blues; race; identity and agency; Civil Rights movement; black record labels Readings: 1. Portia K. Maultsby (1983), ‘Soul Music: Its Sociological and Political Significance in American Popular Culture’. The Journal of Popular Culture, 17: 51–60. 2. Fitzgerald, Jon, ‘Black Pop Songwriting 1963-1966: An Analysis of U.S. Top Forty Hits’. Black Music Research Journal; Fall 2007; 27. Week 5: 1963-1964—The Beatles & the British Invasion Topics: Rock ‘n’ roll in the UK; skiffle; the BBC; cultural imperialism; Beatlemania; 1960s social change Readings: 1. Laura E. Cooper and B. Lee Cooper. ‘The Pendulum of Cultural Imperialism: Popular Music Interchanges Between the United States and Britain, 1943-1967’. The Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 27, Issue 3, pages 61–78, Winter 1993. 2. Sercombe, Laurel. ‘“Ladies and Gentlemen…” The Beatles: The Ed Sullivan Show, CBS TV, February 9, 1964’. Performance and Popular Music: History, Place and Time. Ian Inglis (ed) (London: Ashgate, 2006), pp1-15. Week 6: 1965-1966—Blues Rock & Folk Rock Topics: Folk music; blues; authenticity; art versus commerce; protest; ‘rock ideology’; masculinity Readings: 1. Simon Frith (1981). ‘The magic that can set you free’: the ideology of folk and the myth of the rock community. Popular Music, 1, pp 159-168. 2. David Shumway (2014), ‘The Rolling Stones: Rebellion, Transgression, and Excess’ in Rock Star: The Making of Musical Icons from Elvis to Springsteen, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Week 7: 1967-1968—Psychedelia & the Counterculture Topics: Acid rock; hippies/freaks; drugs; cultural revolution; social unrest/generation gap anxiety; rock albums Readings: 1. Ryan Moore. ‘Break on through: the counterculture and the climax of American modernism’, Sheila Whiteley and Jedediah Sklower (eds). Countercultures and Popular Music. London: Ashgate, 2014, pp.29-43. 2. Powers, Devon. "Long-Haired, Freaky People Need to Apply: Rock Music, Cultural Intermediation, and the Rise of the ‘company Freak’." Journal of Consumer Culture 12.1 (2012): 3-18. Week 8: 1969-1972—Rock Returns to its Roots and Fragments Topics: Country rock; singer-songwriters; heavy metal; Woodstock; hype; music critics Readings: 1. Olivia Carter Mather. "Taking It Easy in the Sunbelt: The Eagles and Country Rock’s Regionalism." American Music 31.1 (2013): 26-49. 2. Devon Powers (2011). ‘Bruce Springsteen, Rock Criticism, and the Music Business: Towards a Theory and History of Hype’, Popular Music and Society, 34:02, 203-219. Week 9: 1970s (UK)—From Glam to Punk Topics: Art rock; glam rock; punk; gender and performance; transgression; class Readings: 1. Andrew Branch (2012). ‘All the young dudes: educational capital, masculinity and the uses of popular music’. Popular Music, vol.31, no.1. 2. Andy Bennett (2007). ‘The forgotten decade: rethinking the popular music of the 1970s’. Popular Music History, vol.2, no.1. Week 11: 1970s (US)—From Funk to Disco Topics: Gay liberation movement; production standardisation; commercial homogenisation; blockbuster albums Readings: 1. Gillian Frank. ‘Discophobia: Antigay Prejudice and the 1979 Backlash against Disco’. Journal of the History of Sexuality, Volume 15, Number 2, May 2007, pp. 276-306. 2. Charles Kronengold. ‘Exchange Theories in Disco, New Wave, and Album-Oriented Rock’. Criticism, Winter 2008, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 43–82. Week 12: 1980s—Global MTV Stadium Superstars Topics: Rap/hip hop; black/white musical hybridity; record industry recession and boom; commercial synergy; global entertainment corporations; music video; femininity and performance Readings: 1. Andrew Broertjes (2013) ‘“He's Sending His People Messages out of His Pain”: Michael Jackson and the Black Community’, Popular Music and Society, 36:5, 677-698. 2. E. Ann Kaplan. ‘Madonna Politics: Perversion, Repression or Subversion?’ Cathy Schwichtenberg (ed). The Madonna Connection: Representational Politics, Subcultural Identities, and Cultural Theory (Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1993), pp.149-166. Week 13: 1990s to now—Market Fragmentation and Musical Mutation Topics: ‘Alternative’ musics; grunge, EDM; digitization; internet; ‘death of the music industry’; streaming Readings: 1. Marc Lafrance , Lara Worcester & Lori Burns (2011). 'Gender and the Billboard Top 40 Charts between 1997 and 2007', Popular Music and Society, 34:5, 557-570. 2. Bethany Klein, Leslie M. Meier & Devon Powers (2017). ‘Selling Out: Musicians, Autonomy, and Compromise in the Digital Age’, Popular Music and Society, 40:2, 222-238. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Not Timetabled |
Online Modules Online materials and activities introduce students to key concepts within popular music studies. Accessible in Learn.UQ. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Not Timetabled |
Course Readings Weekly course readings (accessible via Talis Aspire in Learn.UQ) provide important theoretical, historical and critical perspectives on the course content. They are also the source material for the in-class online tests in weeks 4, 7, 11 and 13. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
- Recording of Teaching Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course:
- School of Music site