Popular Music, 1920-1979: Cumulation by Bruce Pollock (Editor)

Product Details

Library Journal

Popular Music has long been the most comprehensive ready reference guide to the ``significant popular songs of our time.'' First published in six volumes by Adrian Press (1964-73), it covered important songs copyrighted between 1920 and 1969. In 1984 Gale reissued the set, adding two new volumes to bring coverage up through 1979. Gale's new three-volume cumulation is similar to the eight-volume set but much easier to use. The 18,142 songs listed are the same, as is the basic information given: composer, lyricist, publisher, performer(s) who made the song famous, and copyright data. Gone, however, is the awkward chronological arrangement in favor of a single alphabetical by song title listing. Eight separate title indexes are replaced by one, and publisher addresses are updated. Added is a much needed index to composers and lyricists and an ``important performances index.'' Libraries that have yet to upgrade the original Adrian set should seriously consider, since the price of the two supplements ($116) is more than half the cost of this far superior revision. Collections that already own all eight volumes will likely find the improvements not worth the expense. Thomas Jewell, Waltham P.L., Mass.