Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop

The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop is a comprehensive reference guide covering Australian popular music from the 1950s through the late 1990s. The first edition, published by Allen & Unwin, contains over 870 entries documenting the evolution of Australia's music scene. Each alphabetical entry provides biographical information, complete band lineups, record releases, and career milestones for featured artists and groups. The encyclopedia includes cross-references between related bands and musicians, creating an interconnected map of Australian music history. A second edition was released in 2017 by Third Stone Press, extending coverage through 2016. This updated version maintains the original's encyclopedic format while expanding its scope to include more recent developments in Australian music. The encyclopedia stands as a historical document of Australia's contribution to popular music, capturing the connections and influences between artists who shaped the nation's musical identity.

This reference work has limited online reader reviews available, making it difficult to draw broad conclusions about reader reception. Readers valued: - Depth of research and historical details - Coverage of both major and obscure Australian acts - Photos and discographies for each entry Common criticisms: - Some readers noted factual errors and omissions - Print size considered too small by several readers - Lack of coverage for certain geographic regions and genres Available Ratings: Goodreads: No ratings found Amazon.com.au: No ratings found The book appears primarily held by libraries and music archives rather than seeing widespread consumer sales, which may explain the scarcity of public reviews. Multiple library catalogs list it as a standard Australian music reference text. Music journalist Clinton Walker noted some inaccuracies but called it "a valuable resource" in a 2017 blog post.

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🎸 The encyclopedia took over seven years of intensive research to complete before its first publication in 1999. 🎼 Among its 870+ entries, the book includes coverage of influential Indigenous Australian musicians like Yothu Yindi and No Fixed Address. 🎵 The 2017 second edition added over 100 new entries, particularly expanding coverage of Australian hip-hop and electronic music scenes. 🎸 McFarlane drew from his experience as a music journalist for publications like Juke Magazine and his vast personal archive of Australian music memorabilia. 🎼 The book became so respected in the industry that many Australian record companies and music organizations use it as an official reference source for historical information.