Where Were You When... the Music Played?: 120 Unforgettable Moments in Music History

Heatley, Michael. Where Were You When...the Music Played?: 120 Unforgettable Moments in Music History. Reader's Digest, dist. by Penguin Group (USA). 2008. 256p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-7621-0988-3. $29.95. MUSIC~Verdict: This is an engrossing and rewarding introduction to modern rock music and musicals, but one with puzzling omissions of significant artists and events. This book may serve young adult library patrons better than adults; libraries seeking a more comprehensive title should purchase Luke Crampton and Dafydd Rees's Rock & Roll Year by Year. Background: In the vein of the popular ""Before You Die"" series from Rizzoli (e.g., 1001 Historic Sites You Must See Before You Die), this is a colorful and fun-to-read year-by-year chronicle of music history since 1955. Heatley (Dave Grohl) devotes four to six pages to a given year, with longer articles featuring significant events and artists, and quotes and music charts populating the edges of the pages. Much of the writing is from a British perspective, and there is frustratingly little or no coverage of important artists (e.g., Joe Cocker) and events (e.g., Kurt Cobain's suicide).-Todd Spires, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, IL.