Providing an encyclopedic overview of the impact of music on American life is a Herculean task. Music saturates American culture. It is experienced in a vast variety of ways, ranging from movie soundtracks to commercial jingles to the intimate iPod. Music in American Life attempts to frame “the significant role music has played in American life” (xxiii).

This four-volume set, also available as an e-book, contains more than 500 entries, focusing specifically on American music and musicians. Foreign artists are mentioned but only within broader articles related to American culture (for example, The Beatles are mentioned in articles on “British Influences on Rock Music,” “Musicians as Actors,” and others). The writing level is appropriate for high school students and higher. Articles provide suggestions for further reading, and occasional cross-references. The final volume includes a selected bibliography and discography, a listing of music festivals, and related websites.

The principle failing of this resource lies in its coverage. While the editor wisely warns the readers of the perils inherent with such an ambitious undertaking—“not every artist, band, or topic can be included as a main entry” (xxiii)—there is no further clarification as to the decisions and guidelines used when deciding who and what would be included. This results in a hodgepodge of entries with no apparent logical criteria for the user to depend on. The encyclopedia states that “the emphasis of these volumes is on the first decades of the twenty-first century” (xxvi), and there are articles on current artists such as Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga, but other comparable artists such as Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, and P!nk are missing. Why does Grandmaster Flash have an article devoted to him, but not Run-D.M.C. or the Beastie Boys? Neither Stevie Wonder nor Diana Ross has an entry (although there is a short article on The Supremes). Conversely, there are also entries that seem out of place because they are included: Eric Whitacre and Frank Ticheli, for example. While both are current, accomplished composers in “classical” or “art” music, they do not have the same level of cultural recognition and familiarity held by the others representing this genre: Sousa, Foster, Copland, and Bernstein. Without a clear discussion of inclusion criteria, there is no way to know why they made the cut while other contemporary composers of similar music did not.

Of course, this is not to say that the musicians who are included do not merit the coverage; however, in a resource of this size and scope, readers should be able to assume that careful, systematic planning drives the selection process. When that process is not explained and questions about omissions cannot be answered, the entries seem haphazard.

That said, there are some interesting articles in the set. Topical entries such as “Cheerleading Music,” “Astronaut Music,” and “Soap Opera Music” provide thoughtful commentary on the music specific to these aspects of American culture. Yet, would the average reader think to look for those topics? It is perhaps here where the e-book, and the ability to search by keyword, might provide more avenues of discovery for the user.

Priced at over $400, this is an expensive set. Libraries that already have access to Grove Music Online, and/or Larkin’s Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Oxford University Press, 2006) would be wise to find another use for the money. As a reference librarian, the content is too unpredictable for me to use regularly. Bottom line: If I’m not sure what it covers (and maybe more importantly, what it does not), I’ll go to another source first. Not recommended.