The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

Last updated
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music - 4th Edition (10 volumes)
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music - 4th Edition by Colin Larkin.jpg
Author Colin Larkin
CountryUnited Kingdom, United States
LanguageEnglish
Subject Music, Reference work
Publisher Oxford University Press
Publication date
2006
Media typePrint Hardback
Pages8876
ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music - 5th Concise Edition
Author Colin Larkin
Country United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Subject Music, Reference work
Genrenon-fiction
Publisher Omnibus Press
Publication date
2007
Media typePrint Hardback
Pages1600
ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7

The Encyclopedia of Popular Music is an encyclopedia created in 1989 by Colin Larkin. It is the "modern man's" equivalent of the Grove Dictionary of Music , which Larkin describes in less than flattering terms. [1] It was described by The Times as "the standard against which all others must be judged". [2]

Contents

History of the encyclopedia

Larkin believed that rock music and popular music were at least as significant historically as classical music, and as such, should be given definitive treatment and properly documented. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music is the result. In 1989, Larkin sold his half of the publishing company Scorpion Books to finance his ambition to publish an encyclopedia of popular music. Aided by a team of initially 70 contributors, he set about compiling the data in a pre-internet age, "relying instead on information gleaned from music magazines, individual expertise and a hideous amount of legwork". [1] He financed and founded a new company, Square One Books, to publish the encyclopedia. The first edition of the encyclopedia "pushed Larkin to the brink of bankruptcy". [3] It was a four-volume set and went into print in 1992.

There have been three further editions of the multi-volume encyclopedia and dozens of single-volume spin-offs of five concise versions of the main encyclopedia, including four editions of jazz. [1]

In 1995, Microsoft licensed the text for their CD-ROM, Microsoft Music Central, which sold 497,000 copies. [4]

In 1997, Larkin's company, along with the Encyclopedia, was sold to the data company Muze Inc. (the UK name was changed to Muze UK), because Larkin wanted "to guarantee its future" in the fast changing world of information and communications technology. He became full-time editor-in-chief on the project, running a "surprisingly small scale cottage industry", stating "There are now fewer than 10 contributors on the team...People don't believe it's done on such a small scale, but in terms of words we are producing an Agatha Christie novel a month..." [4]

Status

The Encyclopedia of Popular Music covers popular music from the early 1900s, including folk, blues, country, R&B, jazz, rock, heavy metal, reggae, electronic music and hip hop.

"Each biography contains a thorough synopsis of the performer and their body of work, following their career from beginning to end. The 4th Edition is 10,000 pages long in 10 separate volumes with over 8 million words and 27,000 entries. The nature of popular music and jazz is such that it is ever changing, evolving and growing and therefore needs a new edition much more frequently than more static subjects." [5]

Guinness Publishing, Virgin Publishing and Omnibus Press have produced the spin-offs on each subject and Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums is produced as a companion volume. The large single volume of the Concise edition of The Encyclopedia of Popular Music is in its 5th edition as of 2007. [6]

The total sales of the EPM series since 1992 is over 650,000 copies.

In May 2011 Omnibus Press released the Amazon Kindle edition of The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. [7] The text for this edition has not been updated and the Kindle edition has the same content as the 2007 edition.

Editions

Concise Editions

Spin offs

Guinness Who's Who

The Virgin Encyclopedia

The Virgin Illustrated Encyclopedia

  • Larkin, Colin, (ed) The Virgin Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, Virgin Books (UK), 1998. (also published in the US as The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock. (US 1998)
  • Larkin, Colin, (ed) The Virgin Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pop & Rock, Virgin Books (UK), 2002, (also published in the US as The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pop & Rock (US 2002).

All-Time Top 1000 Albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Graham</span> American bassist and singer

Larry Graham Jr. is an American bassist and baritone singer, both with the psychedelic soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station. In 1980, he released the single "One in a Million You", which reached the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100. He is credited with the invention of the slapping technique on the electric bass guitar, which radically expanded the tonal palette of the bass, although he himself refers to the technique as "thumpin' and pluckin'".

<i>Traffic</i> (Traffic album) 1968 studio album by Traffic

Traffic is the second studio album by the English rock band of the same name, released in 1968 on Island Records in the United Kingdom as ILPS 9081T (stereo), and United Artists in the United States, as UAS 6676 (stereo). The album peaked at number 9 in the UK Albums Chart and at number 17 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. It was the last album recorded by the group before their initial breakup.

<i>His n Hers</i> 1994 studio album by Pulp

His 'n' Hers is the fourth studio album by English rock band Pulp, released on 18 April 1994 by Island Records. It proved to be the band's breakthrough album, reaching number nine on the UK Albums Chart, and was nominated for the 1994 Mercury Music Prize. In 1998, Q magazine readers voted it the seventieth greatest album of all time, while it was placed at number 110 in the book Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums.

Omnibus Press is a publisher of music-related books. It publishes around 30 new titles a year to add to a backlist of over 300 titles currently in print.

<i>Feats Dont Fail Me Now</i> 1974 studio album by Little Feat

Feats Don't Fail Me Now is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1974, on the Warner Bros. label. The cover was designed by Neon Park.

<i>Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus</i> 1970 studio album by Spirit

Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus is the fourth album by the American rock band Spirit. It was produced by David Briggs, who is best known for his work with Neil Young. The original LP was released in November 1970 by Epic. The band's lowest charting album to that point, it peaked at #63 on the Billboard 200 in February 1971, spending only fourteen weeks on the chart. However, it sold well as a catalog item and became the band's only album to ultimately attain a RIAA gold certification in the U.S., achieving that status in 1976. On the Canadian RPM Magazine Top 100 charts, the album reached #49 and was in the top 100 for 10 weeks.

<i>John Barleycorn Must Die</i> 1970 studio album by Traffic

John Barleycorn Must Die is the fourth studio album by English rock band Traffic, released in 1970 as Island ILPS 9116 in the United Kingdom, United Artists UAS 5504 in the United States, and as Polydor 2334 013 in Canada. It marked the band's comeback after a brief disbandment, and peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, making it their highest-charting album in the US, and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA. In addition, the single "Empty Pages" spent eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 74. The album was marginally less successful in the UK, reaching number 11 on the UK Albums Chart.

Blyth Power are a British rock band formed in 1983 by singer and drummer Joseph Porter, formerly of anarcho-punk bands Zounds and The Mob. The band's music shows strong influences from punk rock and folk music and Porter's lyrics often centre on themes from mythology and history.

Lionrock was a British big beat group, comprising record producer Justin Robertson, MC Buzz B, and producer, engineer, programmer and synthesist Roger Lyons. Lyons replaced recording engineer Mark Stagg in 1995. Their biggest chart success came in 1998, when "Rude Boy Rock" reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Song Book</i> 1956 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book is a 1956 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Buddy Bregman, focusing on the songs written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

<i>Tim Hardin 2</i> 1967 studio album by Tim Hardin

Tim Hardin 2 is the second album by folk artist Tim Hardin, released in 1967.

<i>Sailor</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Steve Miller Band

Sailor is the second studio album by American rock group Steve Miller Band, released in October 1968 by Capitol Records. It was recorded in Los Angeles, California, and was produced by the band along with Glyn Johns. The album was the last Steve Miller Band album to feature contributions by original members Boz Scaggs and Jim Peterman.

Irving A. Aaronson was an American jazz pianist and big band leader. Aaronson's orchestra was one of the most popular in America during the Roaring Twenties. His most popular song, "The Loveliest Night of the Year", was not recorded with his band but was adapted by Aaronson in 1950 for the Mario Lanza film The Great Caruso.

<i>Travels</i> (Pat Metheny Group album) 1983 live album by Pat Metheny Group

Travels is a live double album by the Pat Metheny Group recorded in July, October, and November 1982 and released on ECM the following year. The quintet features pianist Lyle Mays and rhythm section Steve Rodby and Dan Gottlieb, with guest Nana Vasconcelos.

<i>Genius + Soul = Jazz</i> 1961 album by Ray Charles

Genius + Soul = Jazz is a 1961 album by American musician Ray Charles, featuring big band arrangements by Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns. Charles is accompanied by two groups drawn from members of The Count Basie Band and from the ranks of top New York session players. It was recorded at Van Gelder Studio in two sessions on December 26 and 27, 1960 and originally released on the Impulse! label as Impulse! A–2.

The Vipers Skiffle Group – later known simply as The Vipers – were one of the leading British groups during the skiffle period of the mid to late 1950s, and were important in the careers of radio and television presenter Wally Whyton, coffee bar manager Johnny Martyn, wire salesman Jean Van den Bosch, instrument repairer Tony Tolhurst, journalist John Pilgrim, record producer George Martin, and several members of The Shadows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Larkin</span> British writer

Colin Larkin is a British writer. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Along with the ten-volume encyclopedia, Larkin also wrote the book All Time Top 1000 Albums, and edited the Guinness Who's Who of Jazz, the Guinness Who's Who of Blues, and the Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock. He has over 650,000 copies in print to date.

Yaggfu Front is a hip hop group from North Carolina. Their group name is an acronym which stands for You Are Gonna Get Fucked Up Front. Band members are Spin 4th, D'Ranged & Damaged and Jingle Bel. Working as late night DJs at NCSU Radio Station WKNC, they landed a record deal with Mercury Records and released their first single, "Lookin’ For A Contract" in early 1993. In 1994, they released their first studio album, Action Packed Adventure, a concept album with jazz influences. The album received 3.5 mics out of 5 in the hip-hop magazine The Source in February 1994. The album was barely promoted and did not sell well, prompting the group to request that they be released from PolyGram Records. They disappeared until 2002, around which point some members of the group were working with the Demigodz. Around that time, they released The Secret Tapes, a compilation of material recorded during their most successful stint in the game, 1992 to 1995.

<i>All Time Top 1000 Albums</i> Book by Colin Larkin

All Time Top 1000 Albums is a book by Colin Larkin, creator and editor of the Encyclopedia of Popular Music. The book was first published by Guinness Publishing in 1994. The list presented is the result of over 200,000 votes cast by the public in record shops, universities, schools and the French music trade show MIDEM – and ranked in order. Each album's entry is accompanied by an annotation with a 100-word review, details of its creation, and notes about the band or artist who recorded it.

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Times, The Knowledge, Christmas edition, 22 December 2007 – 4 January 2008.
  2. This information was obtained from Hi-Arts.co.uk Archived 15 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. '"Who'd put The Everly Brothers above Elvis", Evening Standard, 20 December 2006.
  4. 1 2 The Collector, No. 20 COLIN LARKIN, Record Collector, Issue 314, September 2005.
  5. OUP online
  6. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, concise 5th edition, pub. Omnibus Press July 2007.
  7. "The Encyclopedia of Popular Music eBook: Colin Larkin: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2019.