Best Popular Music Books on Goodreads

101.
Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?
Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? 3.54 avg rating — 14,195 ratings
102.
Main Lines, Blood Feasts, and Bad Taste: A Lester Bangs Reader
Main Lines, Blood Feasts, and Bad Taste: A Lester Bangs Reader 3.95 avg rating — 2,343 ratings
103.
Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles
Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles 4.29 avg rating — 6,426 ratings
104.
Beastie Boys Book
Beastie Boys Book 4.53 avg rating — 13,805 ratings
105.
Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon - and the Journey of a Generation
Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon - and the Journey of a Generation 3.75 avg rating — 6,226 ratings
105.
The History of Hip Hop
The History of Hip Hop 3.43 avg rating — 30 ratings
105.
The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah"
The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah" 3.66 avg rating — 1,998 ratings
105.
The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles
The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles 4.10 avg rating — 3,351 ratings
105.
Hushabye: The Mystics, the Music, and the Mob
Hushabye: The Mystics, the Music, and the Mob 4.16 avg rating — 25 ratings
105.
Master of Reality
Master of Reality 4.07 avg rating — 2,212 ratings
105.
Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music
Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music 4.14 avg rating — 443 ratings
112.
Words Without Music: A Memoir
Words Without Music: A Memoir 4.13 avg rating — 2,033 ratings
112.
Hotel California: The True-Life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles, and Their Many Friends
Hotel California: The True-Life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles, and Their Many Friends 3.84 avg rating — 2,144 ratings
114.
Faithfull
Faithfull 4.01 avg rating — 3,340 ratings
114.
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone 4.17 avg rating — 1,541 ratings
114.
Beethoven
Beethoven 4.19 avg rating — 1,757 ratings
117.
From the Velvets to the Voidoids: A Pre-Punk History for a Post-Punk World
From the Velvets to the Voidoids: A Pre-Punk History for a Post-Punk World 3.91 avg rating — 1,724 ratings
118.
Absolutely on Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa
Absolutely on Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa 3.90 avg rating — 6,805 ratings
118.
Changing Lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, and the Transformative Power of Music
Changing Lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, and the Transformative Power of Music 4.11 avg rating — 161 ratings
118.
Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America
Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America 4.20 avg rating — 1,991 ratings
121.
Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970
Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970 3.85 avg rating — 2,513 ratings
121.
The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart
The Art of Practicing: A Guide to Making Music from the Heart 4.10 avg rating — 2,034 ratings
121.
The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven
The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven 4.23 avg rating — 1,494 ratings
121.
Of Mozart, Parrots, Cherry Blossoms in the Wind: A Composer Explores Mysteries of the Musical Mind
Of Mozart, Parrots, Cherry Blossoms in the Wind: A Composer Explores Mysteries of the Musical Mind really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16 ratings
121.
Bob Dylan in America
Bob Dylan in America 3.84 avg rating — 1,856 ratings
126.
I, Me, Mine
I, Me, Mine 4.05 avg rating — 5,328 ratings
126.
Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday
Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday 4.28 avg rating — 1,707 ratings
126.
Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore
Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore 3.96 avg rating — 2,066 ratings
129.
We Owe You Nothing, Punk Planet : The Collected Interviews
We Owe You Nothing, Punk Planet : The Collected Interviews 3.97 avg rating — 1,299 ratings
129.
Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed
Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed 3.87 avg rating — 1,947 ratings
131.
I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution
I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution 3.89 avg rating — 4,794 ratings
131.
Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues
Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues 4.02 avg rating — 1,471 ratings
131.
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey 4.23 avg rating — 2,233 ratings
134.
This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band
This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band 4.27 avg rating — 4,457 ratings
134.
Low
Low 3.90 avg rating — 1,512 ratings
134.
The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic
The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic 4.06 avg rating — 2,333 ratings
137.
Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now
Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now 4.17 avg rating — 4,039 ratings
137.
Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within
Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within 4.22 avg rating — 2,627 ratings
139.
Trombone Shorty
Trombone Shorty 4.29 avg rating — 4,908 ratings
139.
Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta
Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta 4.22 avg rating — 1,994 ratings
139.
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 3.97 avg rating — 2,168 ratings
142.
Lords of Chaos
Lords of Chaos 3.68 avg rating — 8,664 ratings
142.
Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture
Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture 4.11 avg rating — 1,562 ratings
142.
Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul
Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul 3.90 avg rating — 2,879 ratings
145.
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die
by: Tom Moon
4.03 avg rating — 1,124 ratings
145.
Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven
Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven 4.08 avg rating — 1,681 ratings
147.
Who I Am
Who I Am 3.71 avg rating — 9,410 ratings
147.
Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures)
Poetics of Music in the Form of Six Lessons (The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures) 4.11 avg rating — 1,265 ratings
147.
No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan
No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan 4.11 avg rating — 2,245 ratings
150.
Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix
Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix 4.17 avg rating — 10,214 ratings
150.
Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original
Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original 4.31 avg rating — 2,520 ratings
152.
Music, The Brain, And Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination
Music, The Brain, And Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,097 ratings
153.
We Sold Our Souls
We Sold Our Souls 3.71 avg rating — 30,699 ratings
153.
Space is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra
Space is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra 4.21 avg rating — 1,313 ratings
153.
A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead
A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead 4.25 avg rating — 2,910 ratings
156.
Blues People: Negro Music in White America
Blues People: Negro Music in White America 4.15 avg rating — 2,386 ratings
156.
Never a Dull Moment: 1971 The Year That Rock Exploded
Never a Dull Moment: 1971 The Year That Rock Exploded 3.94 avg rating — 2,868 ratings
156.
Mozart
Mozart 4.11 avg rating — 1,229 ratings
156.
The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones
The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones 4.08 avg rating — 2,418 ratings
160.
Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love & Karaoke
Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love & Karaoke 3.64 avg rating — 3,366 ratings
160.
Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age
Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age 3.83 avg rating — 1,132 ratings
160.
Guitar Girl
Guitar Girl 3.63 avg rating — 3,649 ratings
160.
You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup
You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup 4.12 avg rating — 2,707 ratings
164.
Kind Of Blue: The Making Of The Miles Davis Masterpiece
Kind Of Blue: The Making Of The Miles Davis Masterpiece 4.26 avg rating — 1,329 ratings
164.
The Haters
The Haters 3.41 avg rating — 6,278 ratings
164.
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea 3.90 avg rating — 2,440 ratings
167.
Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph
Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph 4.25 avg rating — 1,829 ratings
167.
The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed
The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed 4.38 avg rating — 4,632 ratings
167.
The Vinyl Princess
The Vinyl Princess 3.58 avg rating — 1,562 ratings
167.
Zen Guitar
Zen Guitar 4.03 avg rating — 2,555 ratings
171.
Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad
Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad 4.35 avg rating — 6,300 ratings
171.
A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of The Smiths
A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of The Smiths 4.05 avg rating — 1,217 ratings
171.
XOXO
XOXO
by: Axie Oh
3.80 avg rating — 43,738 ratings
171.
The Cello Suites: J.S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece
The Cello Suites: J.S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece 4.02 avg rating — 2,514 ratings
175.
The Beatles Are Here!: 50 Years after the Band Arrived in America, Writers, Musicians & Other Fans Remember
The Beatles Are Here!: 50 Years after the Band Arrived in America, Writers, Musicians & Other Fans Remember 3.65 avg rating — 135 ratings
175.
Your Favorite Band is Killing Me
Your Favorite Band is Killing Me 3.80 avg rating — 3,118 ratings
177.
Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir
Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir 3.91 avg rating — 7,575 ratings
177.
Love Me Do!: The Beatles' Progress
Love Me Do!: The Beatles' Progress really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 600 ratings
177.
Love Goes To Buildings On Fire: Five Years In New York That Changed Music Forever
Love Goes To Buildings On Fire: Five Years In New York That Changed Music Forever 3.90 avg rating — 2,631 ratings
180.
Fab4 Mania
Fab4 Mania 3.56 avg rating — 100 ratings
180.
But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz
But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz 4.24 avg rating — 3,185 ratings
182.
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen 4.30 avg rating — 228,802 ratings
182.
The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story
The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story 3.96 avg rating — 2,661 ratings
182.
Let it Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs, America's Greatest Rock Critic
Let it Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs, America's Greatest Rock Critic 3.90 avg rating — 2,466 ratings
185.
Baby's in Black: Astrid Kirchherr, Stuart Sutcliffe, and The Beatles
Baby's in Black: Astrid Kirchherr, Stuart Sutcliffe, and The Beatles 3.76 avg rating — 2,296 ratings
185.
Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music
Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music 3.39 avg rating — 3,134 ratings
187.
The History Of Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros: Vision Of A Homeland
The History Of Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros: Vision Of A Homeland 3.34 avg rating — 29 ratings
187.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970 4.47 avg rating — 2,693 ratings
189.
Will the Circle be Unbroken: Country Music in America
Will the Circle be Unbroken: Country Music in America 4.20 avg rating — 65 ratings
189.
Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead
Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead
by: Phil Lesh
4.17 avg rating — 3,607 ratings
191.
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help 3.92 avg rating — 36,425 ratings
191.
The Haçienda: How Not to Run a Club
The Haçienda: How Not to Run a Club 3.84 avg rating — 3,525 ratings
191.
We Got the Neutron Bomb : The Untold Story of L.A. Punk
We Got the Neutron Bomb : The Untold Story of L.A. Punk 3.97 avg rating — 2,738 ratings
194.
Echo
Echo 4.36 avg rating — 46,466 ratings
194.
Route 19 Revisited: The Clash and London Calling
Route 19 Revisited: The Clash and London Calling 4.14 avg rating — 155 ratings
194.
Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley
Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley 4.09 avg rating — 3,067 ratings
197.
The Beatles: The authorized biography
The Beatles: The authorized biography 4.12 avg rating — 4,824 ratings
197.
Testimony: A Memoir
Testimony: A Memoir 4.20 avg rating — 4,012 ratings
199.
The Real Frank Zappa Book
The Real Frank Zappa Book 4.13 avg rating — 6,580 ratings
199.
A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song
A Hard Day's Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song 4.18 avg rating — 3,152 ratings
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