Electric, outrageous, erotic, blatant, vital. The adjectives that describe rock music also apply to the artwork created to sell it. Add to this list sumptuous, dazzling, definitive, ultimate, and you've described The Art of Rock as well. From the 1950s through today, here is the complete visual history of the rock concert poster: the funkiest bills advertising Elvis, B.B. King, and Howlin' Wolf; the multicolored psychedelic hallucinations promoting the Grateful Dead, Dylan, and the Doors; the deliciously tasteless art for the Sex Pistols, Crime, and the Clash. From the Red Dog Saloon in San Francisco, where the psychedelic scene started, to CBGB, New York's punk Mecca, and beyond. 1,500 images searched out world-wide from clubs, attics, and bedrooms--as well as more formal collections--are reproduced in their original blazing colors.

Replete with firsthand history--including exclusive interviews with scores of insiders, poster artists, musicians, and promoters--this is the ultimate high for the rock music fan, required reading for the poster collector, a treasure trove for the graphic artist, and a riotous feast for anyone who digs pop culture.