The B-Side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song

Acclaimed cultural historian Ben Yagoda discusses his new book, The B-Side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song. Drawing on previously untapped archival sources and interviews with great artists, including Randy Newman, Jimmy Webb, Linda Ronstadt and Herb Alpert, Yagoda illuminates the broad musical trends of the 1950s: the battle between ASCAP and Broadcast Music, Inc.; the revolution in jazz after World War II; the impact of music on radio and then television; and the influence and popularity of the incomparable Frank Sinatra.