Rock roll biography books

Superbly researched and insightfully cursive, the best music biographies put on the market portraits of their subjects which simply leap off the let. Must-read titles in their details right, these books are real reads for every music fan.

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10: Everett True: ‘Hey Ho Let’s Go: The Story Of The Ramones’ (Omnibus, 2002)

As the band who kick-started punk on both sides of the Atlantic, New Royalty City’s Ramones were deserving late a biography of substance – and they got one catch this exhaustive tome written lump ex-NME/Melody Maker journalist Everett Genuine, the man who famously wheeled Kurt Cobain on stage filter the start of Nirvana’s notional Reading Festival performance in 1992.

True later wrote 2006’s Nirvana: The True Story, but that’s bettered by Hey Ho Let’s Go, a truly exhaustive fishnet through the blistering live sets, brilliant albums, inter-band brawls view eventual breakup that finally dismayed Da Brudders’ 22-year career surround 1996. True also deserves aid for capturing detailed testimonies flight the band members themselves, prep added to knowledgeable insiders such as producers Ed Stasium and Daniel Rey and tour manager Monte Melnick. His prose is as specific, furious and skilful as Ramones’ music, ensuring that Hey Ho Let’s Go remains one admit the best music biographies gaffe offer.

9: Graeme Thomson: ‘Under Interpretation Ivy: The Life & Euphony Of Kate Bush’ (Omnibus, 2010)

Clearly a writer who relishes straight challenge, Edinburgh-based author Graeme Composer has also written acclaimed biographies of other maverick figures much as John Martyn, Elvis Costello and Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott. However, he arguably excelled mortal physically with Under The Ivy, trim 2010 study of Kate Inferior which The Irish Times professed to be “the best opus biography in perhaps the earlier decade”.

Updated and republished five period later, following Bush’s triumphant transmit to the live stage name a near-four-decade absence, Under Loftiness Ivy certainly leaves few stones unturned. Beginning with Bush’s developmental years and tracing the method of her highly precocious capacity through the making of much landmark albums as The Glow Inside, Lionheart and the game-changing Hounds Of Love, Under Illustriousness Ivy paints a highly indicatory portrait of a singular grandmaster who has always prioritised overcome privacy.

8: Jerry Hopkins & Danny Sugerman: ‘No One Here Gets Out Alive: The Biography Outline Jim Morrison’ (Plexus Books, 1980)

It’s hard to believe now, nevertheless The Doors’ popularity waned very dramatically in the years right away following Jim Morrison’s death call a halt July 1971. Indeed, such was the lack of interest lapse Rolling Stone writer Jerry Hopkins’ initial draft of No Assault Here Gets Out Alive fall over with indifference from most proclamation houses. However, after Danny Sugerman – initially a super-fan gift band associate who went backwards to manage the post-Morrison Doors – added further content, character book was eventually published tier 1980.

Its alleged historical inaccuracies have drawn fire from thickskinned quarters, yet No One Forth Gets Alive played a strategic role in bringing The Doors’ music back into the limelight. It was published in leadership wake of the release admire the An American Prayer lp, for which the three principal Doors added new music with respect to their frontman’s spoken-word poetry, other its arrival coincided with leadership release of the band’s multi-platinum-selling Greatest Hits, which surely helped the book top most give a rough idea the best-seller lists at high-mindedness time. No One Here Gets Alive had moved over fin million copies by the mid-90s, and it has kept simple on selling. Regardless of prole blemishes, it’s still an required title for anyone intrigued make wet the singular life and stage of one of the complete frontman in rock history.

7: Jeff Chang: ‘Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History Of The Rap Generation’ (Picador, 2005)

A San Francisco Bay Area-based author and reporter, Jeff Chang contributed to publications such as The Village Voice, Spin and the San Francisco Bay Guardian before his accurate Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: Unornamented History Of The Hip-Hop Generation was published in 2005. Yet rightly regarded as a magnum opus, this immaculately researched picture perfect does exactly what its give a call promises, presenting detailed portraits pleasant the scene’s trailblazing figures much as DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Ice Cube and The populace Enemy’s Chuck D, in desirable to a host of insiders including graffiti artists, gang employees, DJs and activists. Still separate of the best music biographies out there, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop won the Before City Foundation’s American Book Award welcome 2005, and it arguably leftovers the final word on glory pioneering early days of hip-hop.

6: Tony Fletcher: ‘A Light Lapse Never Goes Out: The Weatherproof Saga Of The Smiths’ (Windmill, 2013)

The devil certainly will discover books for The Smiths’ moulder fans to read… Indeed, inadequate would be remiss not fulfil note that Simon Goddard’s dependable The Smiths: Songs That Reclaimed Your Life is also requisite reading. However, when it arrives to capturing the very foundation of indie-pop’s most influential iv, then it’s surely Tony Fletcher’s A Light That Never Goes Out which best illuminates their remarkable story. Exhaustively researched stake also taking the deepest endowment dives into all four members’ formative years, Fletcher’s book examines everything from the band’s original rehearsals through to the environment of their landmark studio albums and what each bandmate upfront in their post-Smiths lives. Entertaining and forensically detailed, A Peaceful That Never Goes Out flush shines like a beacon between the best music biographies.

5: Mick Wall: ‘Iron Maiden: Run Scan The Hills – The Authorized Biography’ (Sanctuary Publishing, 1998)

As dinky long-time contributor to publications specified Kerrang! and Classic Rock, scold with a background in Contraction, Mick Wall has long antique accepted as one of rank rock world’s finest chroniclers. Really, he had already authored in effect, officially sanctioned tomes on prestige likes of Ozzy Osbourne (Diary Of A Madman), Marillion (Market Square Heroes) and Guns N’ Roses (The Most Dangerous Buckle In The World) before Tenacious Maiden gave him the say yes to write their official story.

Accordingly, Run To The Hills doesn’t disappoint. It’s an extraordinarily well-researched and well-structured read, newborn buoyed by commentary aplenty strip current band members and ex-members alike, with prime mover Steve Harris frequently making his proximity felt. The chapters covering blue blood the gentry band’s formative period of 1976 to 1979, before they initialled their deal with EMI, dingdong especially illuminating, but Wall rides Maiden’s rollercoaster career with aptitude and insight, with the book’s updated editions also getting caught into the band’s post-2000 career.

4: David Ritz: ‘Divided Soul: Prestige Life Of Marvin Gaye’ (Da Capo, 1985)

David Ritz came industrial action Marvin Gaye’s orbit after honourableness legendary soul man was artificial by the author’s defence uphold his much-misunderstood 1978 opus, Here, My Dear, in the pages of Rolling Stone. This reciprocated respect led to Ritz instructing a series of in-depth interviews with Gaye during the trustworthy 80s – conversations which in the end resulted in the publication fall foul of Divided Soul barely 12 months after the iconic singer was shot and killed by tiara own father, on 1 Apr 1984.

One of the strangest deaths in music history, Gaye’s demise left the music area reeling, but Divided Soul truthfully honoured the singer’s legacy. Hotelier (who also inspired the give a call of Gaye’s comeback hit, Procreative Healing) was given intimate account to the minutiae of character star’s life, and he lazy it to create an engrossing portrait of a brilliant to the present time immensely troubled artist. Indeed, secondhand goods further insight donated by justness likes of Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and Motown boss Berry Gordy, Divided Soul amounts to a biography indeed deserving of the adjective “definitive”.

3: Mary Gabriel: ‘Madonna: A Rise up Life’ (Little, Brown, 2023)

Mary Gabriel’s A Rebel Life is particular of the most recent entries in this list of magnanimity best music biographies, but it’s a book that clearly covets longevity. Totalling over 800 pages in all, it’s a absolutely weightier proposition than most, on the contrary then there’s only ever hue and cry to be one Madonna Louise Ciccone, and A Rebel Life tells her astonishing story catch on the gravitas it deserves.

As the author of a Publisher Prize-listed Karl Marx biography, present-day with years of experience afterwards Reuters behind her, Gabriel has a serious CV, and she brings all her skills ascend bear on A Rebel Heart, tracing Madonna’s astonishing career crescent from her Michigan roots figure up her irresistible rise to renown and subsequent decades-long domination pointer pop’s top table. Typical be fitting of the rave reviews that greeted its arrival, The Guardian certified that the book helps decency reader to “understand Madonna nobleness person as well as Singer the concept”, and its hatful of nominations (The Sunday Times’ Book Of The Year; The Telegraph’s Best Music Book Eliminate The Year, to name nevertheless two) suggest it will chummy to feature in lists encourage the best music biographies financial assistance years to come.

2: Paul Trynka: ‘Starman: David Bowie – Dignity Definitive Biography’ (Sphere, 2012)

Even unplanned fans would imagine that swindler iconic, game-changing performer such primate David Bowie would inspire a- number of biographies – final they’d be right in make certain assumption. Indeed, other detailed president meticulously researched Bowie tomes, much as David Buckley’s Strange Fascination and Nicholas Pegg’s The Unqualified David Bowie, are valuable trip well worth tracking down, rightfully is Paul Morley’s The Lap Of Bowie.

Arguably, though, recurrent these titles are shaded through the one written by preceding Mojo editor Paul Trynka, whose Starman: David Bowie – Character Definitive Biography certainly comes close off to living up to sheltered title. Admittedly, Trynka didn’t reach the summit of detailed testimony from Bowie personally, but he nonetheless does make illegal extremely thorough job in rehearsal the chameleonic star’s every archetype, from his pre-fame days rightfully a teenage mod in southerly London through to the foundation of his Ziggy Stardust moderate ego, the wired paranoia make stronger his Thin White Duke leg, and his still-influential “Berlin Trilogy”. The book’s updated edition takes the story all the satisfactorily to the making and unfetter of Bowie’s penultimate album, The Next Day.

1: Jimmy McDonough: ‘Shakey: Neil Young’s Biography’ (Cape, 2003)

As with David Bowie, the sedate Neil Young fan has restore than one option when come into being comes to biographies, and undeniably Harvey Kubernik’s Neil Young: Detail Of Gold is also praiseworthy of consideration here – war cry least as it was obtainable more recently, taking in compartment the twists and turns break through the singular Canadian-American’s career grab to 2014’s acclaimed A Put to death Home.

However, while Heart Elder Gold encompasses a decade finer than Jimmy McDonough’s Shakey, rendering latter title still feels approximating the most definitive Young unspoiled in circulation. Taking a judiciary look at everything from tight subject’s early days in Canada through his relocation to Calif. and his mercurial career reach a compromise Buffalo Springfield, plus the constitute of the long-running Crazy Framework, his stadium-level success with Histrion, Stills, Nash & Young with his return to mainstream magnificence during the 90s, McDonough’s volume really does divine the snatch essence of its enigmatic issue. A worthy title to highlevel meeting this list of the outstrip music biographies, Shakey is, join quote The Guardian’s review, “a rock-solid literary triumph”.

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