How To Find Popular Music Information Online
When it comes to popular music, there is a never-ending world of information online. You can use these resources to find various types of information related to popular music. If you are looking for information about specific artists or bands, lyrics, performance schedules, finding music to purchase, or anything else relating to popular music, you're in the right place!
General Sources
- All Music Guide
As the name suggests, the AMG is a comprehensive guide to all forms of pop, rock and related music. It includes complete discographies of artists in a wide range of musical styles and genres, searchable by artist, album title, song title, musical style, and record label. The site also allows you to explore music by country, instrument, mood, theme, and genre.
- ARChive of Contemporary Music
The ARChive is a non-profit music library and research center specializing in pop music created since 1950.
- ArtistDirect: Music
ArtistDirect is a comprehensive mainstream site with information on artists, charts, news, and links to listen to music and watch music videos.
- Billboard Magazine
Long the main industry magazine, Billboard is famous for its top sellers charts. The site includes much useful information, especially relating the business side of pop music. Besides the charts, it also offers reviews, lists of new releases by date, and a section on tunes heard on TV.
- Experience Music Project
This virtual site, connected to the Experience Music Project in Seattle, includes information on the history and present of rock music.
- MTV Online
MTV's website is a good source for videos and information on the mainstream music scene.
- Popular Music Glossary
From Fact Monster/Information Please, this site offers a glossary of some genres of popular music.
- Rolling Stone Magazine
Rolling Stone is a good source for reviews and other information on the current music scene. It offers biographies, albums, songs, and news. In the biography section the site lists the contemporaries, influences, and followers of the artist.
- United States Popular Music Timeline
This is a list of major events in popular music history.
- VH1 Online
VH1's site contains programming information, music news, online music, and artist information.
- A-Z Lyrics
This collection of lyrics can be searched by album, song, or artist.
- Leo's Lyrics
An extensive site where you can search by song title, artist, phrase, or by scattered words. The site also allows one to browse by artist, album, or song title.
Blues
- The Mudcat Café
The Mudcat Café includes an extensive database of lyrics to delta and other blues, as well as folk songs, and many other features.
Folk
- Digital Tradition
A collection of lyrics and digitized music files for more than 8000 folk songs. Both keyword searching and title browsing is possible.
- Folk Music Index
The Folk Music Index covers recorded folk music, browsable by title, performer, or publisher, or searchable by keyword.
- Folk Music of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales & America
This site is about Irish, British, and American folk, traditional, and popular songs. For each song it includes lyrics, a MIDI file, and background information.
Gospel
- The American Gospel Directory
The American Gospel Directory offers links to various artists and other Gospel-related sites.
- Cyberhymnal
This site contains Christian hymns & Gospel songs from many denominations. You'll find lyrics, scores, MIDI files, pictures, history, and more.
Hip Hop/Rap
Jazz
- Jazz Online
Jazz Online has articles, reviews, links to record labels, and an "Artist Korner" and "Blues Room".
- Red Hot Jazz Archive
The Red Hot Jazz Archive is a source for information and discographies of jazz musicians prior to 1930, including some sound clips. The web site also has information on jazz films.
World
Artist web sites are a great way to find information on a specific musician or group. Artist web sites often have discographies, lyrics, and performance schedules. Official web sites (run by the group) are the most reliable source for information, but unofficial web sites (run by a fan) can be extremely useful as well. To find a specific artist's web site you can use a search engine like Googleand search for the artist's name. Below are some examples of some official and unofficial artist web sites.
Official
Unofficial
Where to Listen to Internet Radio
- Pandora Radio
Pandora is a free automated music recommendation and Internet radio service created by the founders of the Music Genome Project. It enables Internet users to create customized "radio stations" that play music based on their preferences. Links to iTunes and Amazon also enable users to purchase selected songs and CDs.
- City Paper Events Calendar
The City Paper's site is good for finding events taking place in the Baltimore area.
- Jambase
Jambase is a great source for "jam band" music and more.
- PollStar
Pollstar is not only a source of worldwide concert tour schedules, but also has information on ticket sales results, music industry contact directories, trade news, and unique specialized data services. In addition to publishing the concert industry's leading trade publication, Pollstar also maintains the world's largest database of international concert tour information.
- Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster is the world's leading ticketing company, providing ticket sales and distribution through its website.
If you need more help
This guide should enable you to find information about music online. If you have questions, please call the Sights and Sounds Department at (410) 396-4616 or e-mail us through our Ask A Librarian service.
