[ajmadesc]

Most answers here kind of imply that listening is enough, but I don't think that's true.

You'll learn a lot more reading about / listening to podcasts about music[0].

Step 1) Read the American music history Wikipedia article[1]

Step 2) Familiarize yourself with each genre listed.

How? Listen to the biggest hits in each. Explore the full discography of the genres popular artists. Understand the history and cultural context of each era.

Learn about how each generation was inspired by the previous. And don't forget to Read about the music.

If you don't know how to find info about this stuff try your local librarian!

Edit: don't just take it genre by genre. Go through the decades.

[0]]https://www.switchedonpop.com [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_history_of_the_United_St...