Rock 'n' Roll Plays Itself: A Screen History

A raucous cultural history of rock's relationship with the moving image.

When rock 'n' roll burst into life in the 1950s, the shockwaves echoed around the world, amplified by images of untamed youth projected on cinema screens. But for the performers themselves, corporate showbusiness remained very much in control, contriving a series of cash-in movies to exploit the new musical fad.

In this riveting cultural history, John Scanlan explores rock's relationship with the moving image over seven decades in cinema, television, music videos, advertising, and YouTube. Along the way, he shows how rock was exploited, how it inspired film pioneers, and, not least, the film transformations it caused over more than half a century.

From Elvis Presley to David Bowie, and from Scorpio Rising to the films of Scorsese and DIY documentarists like Don Letts, this is a unique retelling of the story of rock--from birth to old age--through its onscreen life.

Author: John Scanlan
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Published: 07/20/2022
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.19lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.60w x 1.30d
ISBN13: 9781789145724
ISBN10: 1789145724
BISAC Categories:
- Performing Arts | Film | General
- Music | Genres & Styles | Rock

About the Author
John Scanlan is a cultural historian and the author of several books for Reaktion Books, including Easy Riders, Rolling Stones: On the Road in America, from Delta Blues to '70s Rock and Sex Pistols: Poison in the Machine.