THE SOCIOLOGY OF ROCK by Simon Frith

Condition: Good. Clean, firm copy with bright cover and minimal edge wear.

The study begins with an analysis of youth culture and leisure, arguing that to understand youth music one must first understand the social structures of youth life. Frith then turns to the economics of the record industry, the mediation of radio and press, and the ways the music business turns creativity into commerce. In its concluding sections, he treats rock as ideology, tracing its contradictory impulses of rebellion and conformity, and assessing its role as both art and commodity.

Friths style is accessible yet conceptually rich, making this not only a sociological classic but also a cultural document of the 1970s critical engagement with mass media and authenticity.