The Oxford Companion to Popular Music by Peter Gammond
This "Companion" encompasses in one A-Z sequence all that is notable within this vast subject, covering the history and style of all the major strands within Anglo-American popular music from operetta to blues and folk. There are biopgraphical entries on all the major exponents within each field - for example, composers, singers, librettists, performers, band leaders, conductors and their bands and orchestras. There are entries on major shows and films, detailing plot where appropriate and giving the number of performances, and on major songs. There are entries on the main instruments used in popular music, as well as entries on associated subjects - organizations, clubs, impresarios and publishers.