John Covach

The Stones didn’t need another hit. With six decades of chart-topping albums, sold-out tours, and songs woven into popular culture, their place in rock history has long been secure. Yet the band’s scheduled release of another studio album, “Foreign Tongues,” on July 10, raises questions about how late-stage work can impact the legacy of the Stones and other enduring musical acts. For John Covach, director of the Institute of Popular Music at the Univeristy of Rochester and a leading scholar of rock music, that’s where the real story is.  “Every late-career album asks us two questions,” Covach says. “What does it say about where the artist is now? And does it change how we hear everything that came before?” It’s a question that could be applied to artists from Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney to Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. Sometimes late work reflects an unexpected creative renaissance. Sometimes it simply reinforces an artist’s legacy. Sometimes it challenges audiences to rethink musicians they thought they already understood. Sometimes it becomes a footnote to their career. “An artist's latest act can in many ways be as revealing as their first,” Covach says. Covach, who co-edited The Cambridge Companion to the Rolling Stones (Cambridge University Press 2019) and whose online course on the music of the Rolling Stones has enrolled thousands of students worldwide, says reporters covering the Stones’ new album have an opportunity to explore broader issues that resonate across popular culture: Can new work meaningfully change an artist’s historical legacy? Why do some musicians continue creating well into their seventies and eighties while others stop? Can a new release introduce younger listeners to artists whose biggest hits predate them by decades? How do critics — and fans — judge new music from legendary performers differently than music by younger artists? What determines whether late-career work becomes an essential part of an artist's catalog — or a historical footnote? Covach has spent decades studying the evolution of popular music, and his books and scholarship have helped shape how the genre is taught. He is also a frequent media commentator on the cultural significance of major artists and musical milestones. Click on his profile to connect with him.

The world lost a heavy metal pioneer on Tuesday when Ozzy Osbourne, the frontman for the group Black Sabbath who went on to astounding commercial success as a solo artist, died at the age of 76. University of Rochester music professor John Covach can help frame the contributions the self-proclaimed “Prince of Darkness” made to the genre of heavy metal and popular music. “What’s That Sound?: An Introduction to Rock and Its History,” which Covach wrote with Carleton College professor Andrew Flory, is widely considered a landmark history of rock music. Covach can help distill heavy metal’s history and influences and Osbourne’s place in both. He recently helped The New York Times explain what made the album “Pet Sounds” a masterpiece for Beach Boys chief songwriter Brian Wilson. He has offered commentary to the New York Daily News on why artists might relinquish ownership of their music. Last year, he offered thoughts to The Boston Globe on the timeless appeal of aging rock ‘n’ rollers who are still packing arenas. Connect with Covach by clicking on his profile.

Attention music journalists: When there are developments in the music industry — whether it be the emergence of a new sound, a growing trend in experiencing and listening to music, or the death of an influential artist — John Covach lends valuable perspective to your stories. Covach, a prominent rock and pop music historian who directs the Institute of Popular Music at the University of Rochester, is regularly sought out by news outlets around the world. He recently helped The New York Times explain what made the album “Pet Sounds” a masterpiece for Beach Boys chief songwriter Brian Wilson. He has offered commentary to the New York Daily News on why artists might relinquish ownership of their music. Last year, he offered thoughts to The Boston Globe on the timeless appeal of aging rock ‘n’ rollers who are still packing arenas. “It doesn’t matter that they can’t sing the high notes anymore,” Covach told The Globe. “It doesn’t matter that they’re kind of stooped over. We’re seeing the person we remember from 40 or 50 years ago.” Covach is a wealth of knowledge and an accessible expert. Connect with him by clicking on his profile.