Rock

World music commentator Milo Miles explores the continuing influence of punk rock on Japanese music in the second of his two-part examination of Japanese pop music. Milo looks at two Japanese groups -- The Plastics and The Frank Chickens.

The recent suicide of rocker Del Shannon triggered rock historian Ed Ward's reflections on his early fame and later obscurity. Shannon's fame came with his 1960 hit, "Runaway."

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles the Lovin' Spoonful, who came out of the Greenwich Village folk music scene, but who owed more to Chuck Berry than to Appalachian ballad-singers.

Rock critic Ken Tucker gives his picks for the best albums of 1989.

Rock historian Ed Ward look back ten years, to what was happening in music in 1980.

Rock historian Ed Ward profiles General Norman Johnson, and the long, convoluted path that led him to the group, the Chairmen of the Board.

Rock historian Ed Ward takes a look at the early days of the Yardbirds with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.

Rock historian Ed Ward looks back on Roy Orbison's early career at Sun Records. Ed says that early work shows that Orbison was a more versatile performer that his big hits would indicate.

Rock historian Ed Ward examines the performers that led the way for Jerry Lee Lewis. Lewis burst on the scene in the late 50s, but Ed shows that lots of other guys were pounding the keys way before the killer.

World music commentator Milo Miles explains how Peter Gabriel transformed folk music of the Middle East into the world pop sound that became the soundtrack for Scorsese's film "The Last Temptation of Christ."