This book offers a unique examination of the development of popular
music function in film. It assesses the contribution of popular music to
the interpretation of the most significant films, covering the period
from rock 'n' roll's initial introduction at the opening of Blackboard
Jungle, to the backlash against disco, which followed soon after the
release of Saturday Night Fever. By dividing this period into five
phases--The Classical American Musical Phase, The British Invasion
Phase, The New Hollywood Alienation Phase, The Disco Phase and The
Post-Disco Conservative Phase--the book pinpoints key moments at which
individual developments occurred and lays out a path of expansion in
popular music function. Each chapter offers close analyses of this
period's most innovative films; examines the cultural, historical,
technical and industrial factors peculiar to each phase and considers
the influence of these upon the specific timing of functional
advances.