Ten-step program for growing better ears -- Dionysus in theory and practice -- B.E.: a dozen moments in the prehistory of rock and roll -- Let's get busy in Hawaiian: a hundred years of ragged beats and cheap tunes -- Rock lyrics are poetry (maybe) -- "We have to deal with it": punk England report -- Rock 'n' roller coaster: the music biz on a joyride -- Not my fault, not my problem: classic rock a weekend in paradise: Woodstock '94 -- Afternoon of the roar: Lollapalooza '95 -- Staying alive: postclassic disco -- Compiling a canon: Harry Smith's anthology of American folk music -- Getting their hands dirty: Michael Azerrad's Our band could be your life a month on the town -- U.S. and them: are American pop (and semi-pop) still exceptional? and by the way, does that make them better? -- What I listen for in music -- Pops as pop: Louis Armstrong -- Not so misterioso: Thelonious Monk -- First lady of song: Billie Holiday -- Folksinger, wordslinger, start me a song: Woody Guthrie -- Frank Sinatra: 1915-1998 -- Chuck Berry: 1926-2017 -- Unnaturals: the coasters with no strings attached -- Black Elvis: Sam Cooke -- Tough love: Etta James -- The excitement! the terror!: Miles Davis's '70s -- Sister, oh sister: Kate and Anna Mcgarrigle -- Ramone -- Road to ruin -- Nevermore: Nirvana -- A long short story: the go-betweens -- Generation gaps: the Spice Girls -- Ooh, that sound: the Backstreet Boys -- Tear the sky off the mother: 'N Sync -- The world is his boudoir: Prince -- Queen of pop -- Familiar and fabulous -- Dylan back: world goes on -- Not dead yet -- How to survive on an apple pie diet: John Prine -- The unflashiest: Willie Nelson -- Music from a desert storm -- Ghost dance -- The Moldy Peaches slip you a roofie -- Attack of the chickenshits: Steve Earle -- Facing Mecca: Youssou N'dour -- Burning bright -- Quotations from Charmin M.I.A -- Right, the record -- Full immersion with suspect tendencies: Paul Simon's Graceland -- Fela and his lessers -- Vendant l'Afrique -- Dakar in gear -- A god after midnight: Youssou N'dour -- Franco de mi amor -- Years of history, thirty seconds of joy -- Tribulations of St. Joseph: Ladysmith Black Mambazo -- Music from a desert war -- Growing by degrees: Kanye west -- The slim shady essay: Eminem -- Career opportunity: the Perceptionists -- Good morning, little school girl: R. Kelly -- Master and sacrament: Buddy Guy -- The commoner queen: Mary J. Blige -- A hot little weirdo: Shakira -- What's not to like?: Norah Jones -- No-hope radio: Radiohead -- Rather exhilarating: Sonic Youth -- Grant Mclennan: 1958-2006 -- Ray Charles: 1930-2004 -- James Brown: 1933-2006 -- Old master: Bob Dylan -- Estudando Tom Zé -- Gypsy is his autopilot: Gogol Bordello -- Triumph of the id: Lil Wayne -- Brag like that: Jay-z -- Paisley's progress: Brad Paisley -- Smart and smarter: Vampire Weekend -- The many reasons to love Wussy -- Hearing her pain: Fiona Apple -- Firestarter: Miranda Lambert -- Monster anthems: Lady Gaga -- Dancing on her own: Robyn -- Spread out, reach high: M.I.A.'s Kala -- Illygirl stepping up -- Spelled backwards it's "AIM" -- The unassumingest: Lori Mckenna -- Who knows it feels it: Bob Marley -- Shape shifter: David Bowie: 1947-2016 -- The most gifted artist of the rock era: Prince: 1958-2016 -- Forever old: Leonard Cohen: 1933-2016 -- Sticking it in their ear: Bob Dylan -- Don't worry about nothing: Ornette Coleman -- Sensualistic, polytheistic: New York Dolls.