MUSIC 1247 - THE MUSIC OF LED ZEPPELIN

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course will focus on the life and music of the band Led Zeppelin and the social and cultural conditions of the 1970s. Recipients of a Kennedy Center Honor for "lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts," Led Zeppelin is widely considered to be one of the most innovative, successful, and influential bands in the history of rock music. We will consider the band's formative influences; stylistic cross-influences with contemporary artists; and the song-writing and musical styles of individual band members. In this course, the band serves as a lightening rod for analyzing social issues of musical appropriation and race; gender and sexuality; Orientalism; and cultural rights and copyrights. We will pay close attention to the band's repertoire of songs (87 in all), which are astonishing for their variety and innovation. As progenitors of heavy metal, the course will assess the influence of Led Zeppelin during the last fifty years, and their place in the history of rock music. By the end of the semester, students will submit a paper that embraces critical thinking about music from analytical, historical, cultural, and multi-disciplinary perspectives. There are no prerequisites for this course; everyone is welcome. This course does not overlap with other courses in the Department of Music.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

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