Let's Do It

Pop music didn't begin with the Beatles in 1963, or with Elvis in 1956, or even with the first seven-inch singles in 1949. There was a pre-history that went back to the first recorded music, right back to the turn of the 20th century …

Let's Do It is the first book to tell the definitive story of the birth of pop, from the invention of the 78 rpm record at the end of the 19th century to the beginnings of rock and the modern pop age. Taking in superstars such as Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra alongside the unheralded songwriters and arrangers behind some of our most enduring songs, Stanley vividly depicts pop music's formative years, uncovering the threads binding the form together.

Bringing the eclectic, evolving world of early pop to life - from ragtime, blues and jazz to Broadway, country, crooning and beyond - Let's Do It is essential for all music lovers.