The author chats about delving deep into the history of "45 iconic hits that changed rock, R&B and pop."
"They're not the obvious choices, although they are extremely well-known. Everybody knows all the songs and all the artists, but they're songs that are not on the interstate. You kind of have to drive a little bit on the rural road."
On the latest Chart Beat Podcast, Marc Myers chats with host Gary Trust about the author's new book, Anatomy of a Song, The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop, which grew out of Myers' popular Wall Street Journal column, "Anatomy of a Song." The book traces the history of the rock era in 45 compelling chapters, each of which tells the backstory of a song that influenced pop music's arc via a bevy of in-depth interviews.
Lloyd Price's 1952 release "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" begins the Anatomy of a Song narrative and R.E.M.'s 1991 smash "Losing My Religion" wraps it, bookending other big hits and more obscure tracks by the likes of Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith.