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The History Of Rock

Publication date: 1982 to 1984

A UK rock magazine that was published in the UK by Orbis Publishing between 1982 and 1984. The magazine appeared weekly. Binders holding 12 issues were available. 122 issues were published. The magazine was intended to be a history of rock 'book' that could be bought in weekly instalments. The page numbering is continuous from issue 1 to 122. Each issue had a main theme and occasional unrelated additional articles or photos.

The Grateful Dead featured heavily in The History Of Rock 46: Acid Rock. The main articles in this issue were;

  • SF Fantasies - the growth of the counterculture
  • Long Strange Trip - the Grateful Dead
  • Aiplanes and Starships - the various Jefferson Airplane related groups
  • Quicksilver Messengers - QMS
  • Rocking East To West - the Fillmores and the radio revolution
  • Street Life - the decline of Haight-Ashbury
The Grateful Dead and other Bay Area groups are also mentioned in issue 55: Flower Power.

The main theme of each issue was as follows.

Issue 1: The Year It All Came Together - 1967

Issue 2: The Haley Story, Bill Haley, also Louis Jordan, Hank Williams and Honky Tonks

Issue 3: Elvis The Early Years

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Issue 4: Black Sounds, Chuck Berry, Doo Wop, Clyde McPhatter, Frankie Lymon and others.

Issue 5: Elvis, Col.Tom Parker

Issue 6: Rockabilly Lives

Issue 7: Rise of Rock 'n' Roll in Britain, Lonnie Donegan, Skiffle, Tommy Steele

Issue 8: New Orleans rock, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Lloyd Price

Issue 9: Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll, diary of 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Big Bopper

Issue 10: Buddy Holly, Norman Petty, Buddy Knox, Ritchie Valens

Issue 11: Rock at the movies, diary of 1958, Presley on film, payola scandal

Issue 12: Romantic side of rock, Everly brothers, Nashville, white doo-wop

Issue 13: Internationally of rock, Eddie Cochran

Issue 14 : Music industry. Major record companies and the indipendents

Issue 15: The Alchemists, diary of 1959, Leiber and Stoller, the Drifters, the Coasters and the Platters

Issue 16: Young stars of rock and roll, Ricky Nelson, Paul Anka, Pat Boone, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee

Issue 17: Roots of Soul, Ray Charles, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Little Willie John

Issue 18: American Bandstand, Philadelphia pop, Bobby Darin, Charlie Gracie, Dick Clark

Issue 19: Britain's Talent, Cliff Richard, Adam Faith

Issue 20: Instrumental Groups, The Shadows, Johnny and the Hurricanes, Duane Eddy

Issue 21: Shades of Pop, Johnny Tilloston, Dion and the Belmonts, Roy Orbison, Del Shannon

Issue 22: Billy Fury, Helen Shapiro, Johnny Kidd, Joe Meek

Issue 23: Weavers of Dreams, pop production line, the song writers, Neil Sedaka, Bobby Vee

Issue 24: Motown

Issue 25: Dance, Chubby Checker, Little Eva, Gary US Bonds, Hank Ballard, Freddy Cannon

Issue 26: ?

Issue 27: Mersey Sounds, Brian Epstein, The Searchers, Hamburg Clubs

Issue 28: The Beatles 1956-1964

Issue 29: Diary of rock 1963, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, The Four Seasons

Issue 30: The Blues, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Georgie Fame, Crawdaddy, Marquee

Issue 31: The Beat Boom, The Hollies, Dave Clark Five, Freddie and the Dreamers, The Tremeloes

Issue 32: Includes Lloyd Price, Brenda Lee, Ben E. King

Issue 33: Blues Unlimited; The Yardbirds, Manfred Mann, The Animals

Issue 34: Folk and Protest, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, politics before profit

Issue 35: The British Invasion, Herman Hermits, The Zombies, The Beatles, The Dave Clark Five

Issue 36: Includes Marvin Gaye, Four Tops

Issue 37: Solo Stars, Gene Pitney, Dusty Springfield, P.J. Proby, Tom Jones, Diary of 1965

Issue 38: Rock and Fashion

Issue 39: West Coast sound, Beach Boys, Jan and Dean

Issue 40: Soul, Booker T and the MG's, James Brown, Joe Tex, Bobby Bland

Issue 41: Includes The Small Faces

Issue 42: Folk Goes Electric, Buffalo Springfield, Byrds; Doug Sahm and the Sir Douglas Quintet, Sonny and Cher, Mamas and Papas

Issue 43: Rock on Stage, Rock on TV and at the movies

Issue 44: Rock in New York, The Lovin Spoonful; Garage; The Young Rascals

Issue 45: The Rolling Stones

Issue 46: Acid Rock

Issue 47: Heyday of Soul, Otis Redding, Stax, Solomon Burke, Sam and Dave; Wilson Pickett

Issue 48: Includes Marmalade, The Troggs, Walker Brothers

Issue 49: Third World Rock, influences from Africa, India and the West Indies, Reggae

Issue 50: Pop for Profit, Monkees, The Turtles, Rock diary of 1967

Issue 51: Velvet Underground, Doors, The Fugs, Arthur Lee

Issue 52: Cream

Issue 53: Includes Motown, Diana Ross, Isley Brothers

Issue 54: Jimi Hendrix

Issue 55: Flower Power, Procol Harum, Country Joe, Rock Festivals

Issue 56: Blues Power, Lightnin Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, B.B. King, John Mayall, Canned Heat, Fleetwood Mac

Issue 57: Includes Simon & Garfunkel, Donovan

Issue 58: The Beatles 1964-70

Issue 59: White Soul, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, The Box Tops, Joe South, Mitch Ryder, Rock diary of 1969

Issue 60: Second City Sounds, Birmingham (UK), The Move, The Spencer Davis Group, Steve Winwood, Moody Blues

Issue 61: Bob Dylan

Issue 62: Blues Guitar, Steve Miller, Jeff Beck, Johnny Winter, Taj Mahal, Mike Bloomsfield

Issue 63: Festivals including Woodstock, Knebworth

Issue 64: The Who

Issue 65: Rock and Art, photographers, designers, album covers

Issue 66: Pink Floyd

Issue 67: Rock in Print, rock books, American music press, rock weeklies, Rolling Stone magazine

Issue 68: The Singer And The Song, inc Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, Judy Collins

Issue 69: Includes Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple

Issue 70: Rock music and LSD, poster power, audio technology, Eastern enlightenment

Issue 71: Space Age Soul, Sly Stone, Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield

Issue 72: Includes Gary Glitter, T-Rex, Slade

Issue 73: Heading South, Leon Russell, Delaney and Bonnie, Doctor John, Creedence Clearwater Revival

Issue 74: Folk Heroes, Lindisfarne, Roy Harper, Steeleye Span

Issue 75: Includes Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Iggy Pop

Issue 76: A Touch Of Stardust, Osmonds, David Cassidy,Bay City Rollers,Mael Brothers, David Essex, Alvin Stardust

Issue 77: Includes Chicago, Miles Davis

Issue 78: New Pioneers, Van Morrison, Tim Buckley, Gram Parsons, The Band, Ry Cooder, Rock diary of 1972

Issue 79: Includes Jethro Tull

Issue 80: ?

Issue 81: Allmans, Leslie West, Grand Funk Railroad, the James Gang

Issue 82: David Bowie

Issue 83: Country music, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings

Issue 84: One Man Bands, Elton John, Stevie Wonder

Issue 85: Prog rock, Yes, Rick Wakeman, ELP

Issue 86: Singer Songwriters, Rock diary of 1973, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Carole King, Melanie, Randy Newman

Issue 87: Includes Status Quo

Issue 88: Progressive Rock, ELO, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Supertramp, Rock diary of 1974

Issue 89: ?

Issue 90: Gospel, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, The Staple singers, Roberta Flack, Billy Preston

Issue 91: Includes Queen, Roxy Music

Issue 92: Includes Suzi Quatro, The Sweet

Issue 93: Arena Rock, Lynryd Sknyrd, Nils Lofgren, Aerosmith, Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, Bob Seger, Little Feat

Issue 94: Includes Kiss, Alice Cooper, The Tubes

Issue 95: Reggae special

Issue 96: Inlcudes King Crimison, Steely Dan, Mike Oldfield

Issue 97: Inlcudes Dr Feelgood, Ian Dury

Issue 98: Includes Abba, Carpenters, Cliff Richard

Issue 99: The Beatles

Issue 100: ?

Issue 101: Includes Patti Smith, Devo, Ramones

Issue 102: 70s Middle Of The Road, Gerry Rafferty, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Frampton

Issue 103: Includes Sex Pistols

Issue 104: Includes The Clash, Buzzcocks, Damned, X-Ray Spex

Issue 105: Includes Tom Petty, Springsteen

Issue 106: ?

Issue 107: Includes Meatloaf, Van Halen, Styx

Issue 108: Includes Sham 69, Siouxie and the Banshees

Issue 109: Includes Earth Wind & Fire, George Benson

Issue 110: Includes Police, Dire Straits, Stranglers

Issue 111: 2 Tone: The Specials, Selecter, Madness

Issue 112: Metal Mania: AC/DC, Def Leppard

Issue 113: Includes The Jam, Boomtown Rats

Issue 114: Includes Sex Pistols, U2

Issue 115: Includes Blondie, Talking Heads, B52s

Issue 116: Includes Human League, Gary Numan

Issue 117: Includes Adam Ant, Toyah, Kate Bush

Issue 118: Includes Spandau Ballet, Japan

Issue 119: Includes Men At Work

Issue 120: Eighties pop, Nick Heywood, Haircut 100, The Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Culture Club

Issue 121: Includes Madonna, Wham

Issue 122: Index