Sex. Drugs. Loud music. Wild costumes. Dazzling light shows. These words can all describe a great rock concert or a hot dance club, but they were also part and parcel of the ancient cultural phenomenon known as the “Mystery religions.” In this book, author Christopher Knowles shows how the long-dead Mystery religions got a secular reincarnation when a new musical form called rock 'n' roll burst onto the scene. Knowles shows how the Mysteries prefigured subcultures as diverse as Santeria, Freemasonry and Mardi Gras, and explains exactly how ancient rituals and music found their way to the New World.

In the process, The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll traces the development of rock's most popular genres such as punk and metal, and reveals how many of rock's most iconic artists fill the same archetypal roles as the ancient gods. You'll see how many of the rituals, customs and musical styles of our postmodern society have stunning ancient parallels. You'll meet history's first pop divas, headbangers and guitar heroes and read the untold story of the Puritan Woodstock. Get ready for a wild ride that will take you from the Stone Age to the Space Age.