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10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about music , sound , and the music industry . Music. Sound. The Music Industry. Harvey G. Cohen shares the 5 best books on American popular music history.
- Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King by Lloyd Bradley
- The Force of Listening by Lucia Farinati and Claudia Firth
- Personal Stereo by Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow
- The Autobiography of Gucci Mane by Gucci Mane with Neil Martinez-Belkin
- How Music Works by David Byrne
- Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
- Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick
- Miles: The Autobiography by Miles Davis and Quincy Troupe
- Can’T Stop Won’T Stop: A History of The Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang
- The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings by Richard Cook and Brian Morton
“The first major account of the history of reggae, black music journalist Lloyd Bradley describes its origins and development in Jamaica, from ska to rock-steady to dub and then to reggae itself, a local music which conquered the world.”
“Written as a constructed dialogue, The Force of Listeningdraws from conversations with artists, activists and political thinkers which took place during 2013–14, in the aftermath of the wave of protests and occupations against austerity.”
“In Personal Stereo, Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow takes us back to the birth of the (Walkman), exploring legal battles over credit for its invention, its ambivalent reception in 1980s America, and its lasting effects on social norms and public space.”
“For the first time Gucci Mane tells his story in his own words. It is the captivating life of an artist who forged an unlikely path to stardom and personal rebirth. Gucci Mane began writing his memoir in a maximum-security federal prison. Released in 2016, he emerged radically transformed. He was sober, smiling, focused, and positive—a far cry fro...
“How Music Worksis David Byrne’s incisive and enthusiastic look at the musical art form, from its very inceptions to the influences that shape it, whether acoustical, economic, social or technological.”
“In Musicophilia, (Oliver Sacks) shows us a variety of what he calls ‘musical misalignments.’ Among them: a man struck by lightning who suddenly desires to become a pianist at the age of forty-two; an entire group of children with Williams syndrome, who are hypermusical from birth; people with ‘amusia,’ to whom a symphony sounds like the clattering...
“Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presleyis the first biography to go past that myth and present an Elvis beyond the legend. Based on hundreds of interviews and nearly a decade of research, it traces the evolution not just of the man but of the music and of the culture he left utterly transformed, creating a completely fresh portrait of Elv...
“For more than forty years Miles Davis has been in the front rank of American music. Universally acclaimed as a musical genius, Miles is one of the most important and influential musicians in the world. The subject of several biographies, now Miles speaks out himself about his extraordinary life.”
“Forged in the fires of the Bronx and Kingston, Jamaica, hip-hop became the Esperanto of youth rebellion and a generation-defining movement. In a post-civil rights era defined by deindustrialization and globalization, hip-hop crystallized a multiracial, polycultural generation’s worldview, and transformed American politics and culture.”
“Firmly established as the world’s leading guide to jazz, this celebrated reference book is a mine of fascinating information and insightful, often wittily trenchant, criticism. For this completely revised edition, Richard Cook and Brian Morton have reassessed each artist’s entry and updated the text to incorporate thousands of additional CDs and a...
Nov 22, 2022 · The best music books, whether they are history, cultural criticism, memoir, or some hybrid of all three, give you new ears with which to listen.
- Pitchfork
Jul 11, 2011 · There are chronicles of remarkable individual talents like Miles Davis, Neil Young, and Marvin Gaye, as well as histories of scenes and phenomena—the American 1980s indie rock underground, ’90s...
- Pitchfork
Dec 16, 2020 · Our 15 Favorite Music Books of 2020. From Jeff Tweedy’s practical advice and Mariah Carey’s decadent memoirs to scene-defining oral histories and deep-dives into the cultural archives, these ...
- Pitchfork
Sep 16, 2016 · From tomes on Armstrong to Zappa, these music books have best captured the essence of musicians, genres, musicals, and more.
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May 15, 2024 · News. The 14 Best Books for Music Lovers. Like your favorite song, these page turners—fiction and nonfiction alike—will stay with you. (Image credit: Future) By Liz Doupnik. published 15 May...
