What's That Sound?: An Introduction to Rock and Its History

The music―front and center.

The leading text in the market, What’s That Sound? strengthens students’ listening skills and deepens their understanding of rock, first and foremost, as music. New listening guides and author videos reinforce this classic strength, while also providing additional historical and cultural context that allows students to make connections between the music and the times.

John Covach (Professor of Music, University of Rochester and Eastman School of Music) received his Bachelor of Music (1983), Master of Music (1985), and PhD (1990) in music theory from the University of Michigan. He was also a Fulbright student in Vienna, Austria, in 1987–88. The recipient of several teaching awards and citations, Professor Covach teaches theory and analysis as well as courses in popular music. Since 1993, he has taught large lecture courses on rock at University of North Texas, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, and University of Rochester, and has lectured across North America and Europe. He is coeditor of Understanding Rock (Oxford 1997), American Rock and the Classical Music Tradition (Harwood 2000), and Institutions, Traditions, and American Popular Music (Harwood 2000). His extensive writings on twentieth-century music, popular music, and the philosophy of music have appeared in numerous books and journals. Professor Covach also maintains an active career as a performing and recording musician.

Andy Flory (Carleton College), a Motown expert, assisted John Covach at UNC Chapel Hill in teaching one of the largest rock history courses in the world. Flory has witnessed the textbook’s development―from conception through two published editions―and he has taught rock history to several hundred students in large lecture halls, online sections, and small sections at Carleton. He brings to this edition close consultation with Covach, classroom experience, emerging professional credentials, and youthful vigor.