Book excerpt: Based on Martin Strong's The Great Rock Discography, this is a compact version featuring 500 of the most influential figures in the history of popular music. It expands on the format of the previous title, in which full track listings for all albums, b-sides for all singles, labels, UK and US chart positions, band members, recommended listening, style analysis, band histories - from original line-ups to dissolution, solo projects, potted biographies, a pricing guide for rare albums and release dates are given.