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What's Next? * Quick Links + Alert4U + Board of Trustees + Calendar of Events + Campus Maps + Campus Safety + Contact Us + D2L + FAQs + Give 2 MTSU + Important Disclosure Information + Jobs at MTSU + Library + MTSU Alumni + MT One Stop + MTSUNews.com + Privacy Policy + Research Centers + Resources + Schedule an Advising Appointment + Scorecard + SSC Campus + Tennessee Transfer + University Police MTSU NEWS * * * * MTSU NEWS MTSU to test tornado sirens ca.. READING World's largest punk archive to find new home at M... MTSU on WGNS: New to Blue orie.. World's largest punk archive to find new home at MTSU's Center for Popular Music * by mtsunews * 29 May 2025 * Faculty/Staff News [maxmium-ro] By Stacey Tadlock MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Middle Tennessee State University's Center for Popular Music, housed within the College of Media and Entertainment, is about to become the epicenter for punk archiving and exploration. The world's largest collection of punk records -- the iconic Maximum Rocknroll, or MRR, archive -- is relocating from the Bay Area in California to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The archive includes an estimated 60,000 vinyl records, photos, zines and documents spanning decades of punk rock's global evolution. Weighing in at around eight tons, the collection is a defining piece of music history -- and it will now be part of the Center for Popular Music's research legacy inside the College of Media and Entertainment Building. The world's largest collection of punk records -- the iconic Maximum Rocknroll archive -- is being packed up to be relocated from its current location in California to its new home at Middle Tennessee State University's Center for Popular Music located inside the College of Media and Entertainment. (Photo: maximumrocknroll.com)The world's largest collection of punk records -- the iconic Maximum Rocknroll archive -- is being packed up to be relocated from its current location in California to its new home at Middle Tennessee State University's Center for Popular Music located inside the College of Media and Entertainment. (Photo: maximumrocknroll.com) Founded in 1985, the Center for Popular Music is one of the world's oldest and largest research centers devoted to the study of American folk and popular music. It already houses more than one million items of music memorabilia. With the Maximum Rocknroll archive on the way, Center for Popular Music Director Greg Reish said the new addition "includes a ton of stuff that's quite rare, if not utterly unique." "We want people to realize that in one fell swoop, the Center for Popular Music is going to be the new epicenter of punk-related research," Reish told California media outlet SFGate.com. Dr. Greg Reish, director, Center for Popular Music at MTSUDr. Greg Reish Logan DaltonLogan Dalton The MRR archive, once headquartered in San Francisco, California, helped shape the punk underground worldwide. For decades, the magazine was considered the definitive voice of the movement. Its archive reflects the breadth of punk's social and political reach, with items from over 100 countries and countless subgenres. For Center for Popular Music librarian Logan Dalton, the collection's arrival is both personal and professional. "As an enthusiast of punk, DIY and zine culture and its role in social and political activism, learning about the CPM's impending acquisition of the Maximum Rocknroll archive was something that drew me to the librarian position when I was interviewing for it back in spring 2024," Dalton said. "I think that the MRR collection will open the Center for Popular Music to a whole new audience of researchers and visitors and gives us an opportunity to shine a light on lesser-known voices and scenes that may have otherwise been lost to time or streaming algorithms." Dalton is especially excited about exploring horror punk, queercore and regional artists from Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia -- genres and geographies that speak to their own roots. But the larger mission is just as vital. "As (a) librarian, I look forward to connecting with researchers around the world and helping them with projects related to this iconic collection in collaboration with my amazing colleagues in the archive and audio lab," Dalton continued. "I also look forward to utilizing items from the MRR collection for potential outreach events like listening parties, zine workshops and maybe even a punk gig in the reading room." Center for Popular Music logo Space has already been cleared in the Center for Popular Music's expansive facility, with cataloging the collection for online search and access set as a top priority. While an exact arrival date has not been set, MRR anticipates the transfer to be completed some time in June, according to its website. From public programming to potential panel discussions on punk's legacy, the Center for Popular Music is gearing up to make this iconic collection resonate far beyond its walls. With the acquisition, MTSU isn't just preserving punk history -- it's amplifying it for future generations. -- Stacey Tadlock (Stacey.Tadlock@mtsu.edu) The world's largest collection of punk records -- the iconic Maximum Rocknroll archive -- is being packed up to be relocated from its current location in California to its new home at Middle Tennessee State University's Center for Popular Music located inside the College of Media and Entertainment. (Photo: maximumrocknroll.com) [Archive_Arwen_Meghan_Zoe-500x381-1] Weighing in at around eight tons, the collection is a defining piece of music history -- and it will now be part of the Center for Popular Music's research legacy inside the College of Media and Entertainment Building. (Photo: maximumrocknroll.com) Related --------------------------------------------------------------------- TAGS Center for Popular Music, College of Media and Entertainment, Greg Reish, Logan Dalton, Maximum Rocknroll, Middle Tennessee State University, MTSU [44faba945c] mtsunews COMMENTS ARE OFF THIS POST Search for: [ ] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Recent Posts * MTSU center to host its first recycling 'pop-up event' for campus community June 5 June 3, 2025 * Leaders with MTSU, other community groups fly with Marines to celebrate corps birthday [+VIDEO] June 3, 2025 * MTSU students' creativity exhibited during 2025 Engineering Technology Mech-Tech expo [+VIDEO] June 3, 2025 --------------------------------------------------------------------- RSS News from MT Athletics * Middle Tennessee Men's Tennis Pickleball Social is a Huge Success Among the Murfreesboro Community June 1, 2025 * Middle Tennessee Wraps Up The NCAA East First Round June 1, 2025 * Brandon Oloumou chooses Blue Raiders May 29, 2025 * CUSA announces TV, kick times for football May 29, 2025 * Soccer signs Segovia del Hoyo, Jauregui, Fischer to 2025 roster May 29, 2025 Instagram ARTMAG Please Add Menu from here Facebook Icon Twitter Icon YouTube Icon Instagram Icon LinkedIn Icon True Blue --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee Transfer Pathway --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2025, Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132-0001 USA +1-615-898-2300 Middle Tennessee State University, in its educational programs and activities involving students and employees, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, age (as applicable), status as a covered veteran or genetic information. 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