Michael campbells best selling popular music in america 5th edition sets the industry standard for breadth of coverage readability and musical focus students follow the evolution of popular music from the mid 19th century to the present with discussions of connections contrasts and patterns of influence among artists styles and eras. Michael campbells best selling popular music in america 5th edition sets the industry standard for breadth of coverage readability and musical focus students follow the evolution of popular music from the mid 19th century to the present with discussions of connections contrasts and patterns of influence among artists styles and eras. Popular music in america and the beat goes on michael campbell no preview available 2008 about the author 2008 michael campbell is a writer and pianist a california native he is a phi beta kappa graduate of amherst college and holds a doctorate from peabody conservatory where he studied piano with leon fleisher. Popular music in america is a wide ranging survey of almost two centuries of popular music it offers a coherent and integrated account of the evolution of popular music from the parlor songs and minstrel show music of the 1840s to rock rap techno and other contemporary styles because it takes a broad view of popular music the text embraces not only mainstream examples of american