New in Books: Apocalypse Jukeboxposted by Angie · March 5, 2009 9:21 AM

You know, I never really thought that much about music and how it ties into the apocalypse. The one exception being The Stand when it was made into a TV miniseries: it introduced me to Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult and reminded me of how much I love Don’t Dream it’s Over by Crowded House. (Seriously, I know the miniseries was cheese, but I loved it, and those two songs in particular did a fabulous job of promoting the creep factor in the first 2 hours.)

But now, apparently, there’s an whole entire book devoted to dissecting apocalyptic themes in popular music: Apocalypse Jukebox: The End of the World in American Popular Music by Edward Whitelock and David Janssen. Who knew?

Brief product description:

“From its indefinite beginnings through its broad commercialization and endless reinterpretation, American rock-and-roll music has been preoccupied with an end-of-the-world mentality that extends through the whole of American popular music. In Apocalypse Jukebox, Edward Whitelock and David Janssen trace these connections through American music genres, uncovering a mix of paranoia and hope that characterizes so much of the nation’s history.”

More details on Amazon.

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