Marc Platt: 19 books

“They Rocked Hard and Died Young” (Includes Video Notebooks at the End of the Manuscript) There are so many young rock and rollers who died before their time. We can only guess what they would have produced into middle age or beyond. If you look at bands like The Who and Rolling Stones who...

Of all the genres of popular music, defining the singer-songwriter is tough because they all crossover into each other. Taylor Swift is a very different type of singer-songwriter than Bruce Springsteen, yet they both fall into this category.I’m sure you (like me) think of the CLASSIC singer-songwriters...

“Music That Matters: Classic Rock” (Includes 11 Video Notebooks at the End of the Manuscript)Whether or not you are a fan of Classic Rock, it certainly is an important part of the history of Pop and Rock music. A lot of these bands were staples of both AM and FM radio and are still played...

The millennials are rightfully dominating the popular music scene these days. Artists like Taylor Swift, One Direction and Bruno Mars have all figured out a way to crossover into the mainstream in most current genres. These artists were all born after 1980, which makes them Generation Y or more popularly...

“So You Want To Be a Rock N’ Roll Star (Why Songwriting Matters)”: If you are a budding songwriter, producer and performer, I am one of you and have been for more than 30 years.I have played solo and in bands. I’ve had songs placed in television and film. I’ve played little clubs, bigger...

"The Who For Starters" (Includes Video and Audio links at the End of The Manuscript)First they were The Detours and then they were Mods and Rockers who took London and the rest of the free world by storm by the end of the 1960s. They are always mentioned in the same breath with The Beatles, Rolling Stones...

“The Big British Bands”: The British may not have originated rock n’ roll, but they certainly exploited it much better than the American artists who started the ball rolling in 1956. In England, they had their own stars who did their own versions of folk, pop and rock n’ roll music and the kids...

“The R & B, Soul and Funk Trunk” (Includes Video Notebook Links at the End of the Manuscript)This eBook traces as far back as Fats Domino and that version of R & B all the way until Disco started to infiltrate the international psyche. James Brown, Aretha, Michael Jackson, they are all there in the...

“The Modern History of Power Pop” (Includes 9 Video and 17 Audio Notebooks at the End of the Manuscript) Read, Watch and Listen about the underrated genre of Power Pop Music, which began with The Beatles, was carried on through great acts like Badfinger and The Raspberries and made its way...

“Music That Matters (Classic Pop)” (Includes 11 Video Notebooks at the End of the Manuscript)What makes music have a lasting impact on your soul minutes, days, months, years and decades after you first experienced a particular group, song or album? Chances are you were experiencing something emotionally...

“The Fab Four (Solo Years)” (Includes Video Notebooks at the End of the Manuscript) There is nothing subjective about this eBook on The Beatle’s solo work after the break-up in 1970. I have definitive opinions on the quality of the solo work put out by these amazing artists once they left the “Beatles...

“American Music (From Elvis to Nirvana)”:  Elvis Presley drove a truck, finding his way to Sun Recording Studios in 1954 and later into the national psyche. In America, music was a disposable commodity from the 1920’s on. One man’s trash is another man’s gold and that is what this book delves...

“The Girls Can’t Help It” (Includes Video Notebooks at the End of the Manuscript)There has been a rich history of Girl Groups in the American and world culture for decades. The music has been written by professional writers and by many of the acts themselves. The most important factor has always...

“Thirty Six Albums That Matter”: (With Several Video Links at the End of Manuscript) You could argue what are the BEST 36 albums of all time until the cows come home. That is NOT what this book is about. This is about the culture of popular albums. Each one of these albums (or CDs) contributed something...