This is the last of three volumes designed, in the author's words, to tell 'the story of America's popular songs, the people who wrote them, and the business they created and sustained'. Volume III, covering the twentieth century, discusses vaudeville, music boxes, the relationship of Hollywood to the music business, the 'fall and rise' of the record business in the 1930s, new technology after the Second World War, the dominance of rock'n'roll and the huge increase in the music business in the 1950s and 1960s, and, finally, the changing scene from 1967 to 1984, especially regarding government regulations, music licensing, and the record business.

This is the second of three volumes designed, in the author's words, to tell 'the story of America's popular songs, the people who wrote them, and the business they created and sustained'. Volume II concentrates on the 19th century, and among the topics discussed are: the effect of changing technology upon the printing of music; the growth of the American musical theatre; popular religious music; black music (including spirituals and ragtime); music during the Civil War; and 'music in the era of monopoly' (covering copyright, changing technology and distribution, the invention of the phonograph, and the establishment of Tin Pan Alley).