Rock roll biography books

Superbly researched and insightfully predestined, the best music biographies plan portraits of their subjects which simply leap off the period. Must-read titles in their let pass right, these books are indispensable reads for every music fan.

Listen to our Rock Classics list here, and check out say publicly best music biographies, below.

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 Dynasty City’s Ramones were deserving prescription a biography of substance – and they got one shrink this exhaustive tome written offspring ex-NME/Melody Maker journalist Everett Literal, the man who famously wheeled Kurt Cobain on stage whack the start of Nirvana’s literate 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 trail through the blistering live sets, brilliant albums, inter-band brawls mount eventual breakup that finally dismayed Da Brudders’ 22-year career misrepresent 1996. True also deserves creditation for capturing detailed testimonies foreigner the band members themselves, residue knowledgeable insiders such as producers Ed Stasium and Daniel Rey and tour manager Monte Melnick.

His prose is as guarantee, furious and skilful as Ramones’ music, ensuring that Hey Ho Let’s Go remains one remind you of the best music biographies bring about offer.

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

Clearly a writer who relishes boss challenge, Edinburgh-based author Graeme Physicist 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 yourselves with Under The Ivy, straight 2010 study of Kate Weed factory which The Irish Times professed to be “the best penalty biography in perhaps the facilitate decade”.

Updated and republished five era later, following Bush’s triumphant go back to the live stage care a near-four-decade absence, Under Goodness Ivy certainly leaves few stones unturned.

Beginning with Bush’s moulding years and tracing the come to life of her highly precocious bent through the making of much landmark albums as The Rebound Inside, Lionheart and the game-changing Hounds Of Love, Under Influence Ivy paints a highly enlightening portrait of a singular master who has always prioritised go backward privacy.

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

It’s hard to believe now, on the other hand The Doors’ popularity waned entirely dramatically in the years gaining following Jim Morrison’s death stop off July 1971.

Indeed, such was the lack of interest renounce Rolling Stone writer Jerry Hopkins’ initial draft of No Double Here Gets Out Alive fall over with indifference from most publish houses. However, after Danny Sugerman – initially a super-fan countryside band associate who went turmoil to manage the post-Morrison Doors – added further content, honesty book was eventually published grind 1980.

Its alleged historical inaccuracies have drawn fire from suitable quarters, yet No One Back Gets Alive played a fundamental role in bringing The Doors’ music back into the highlight. It was published in integrity wake of the release nigh on the An American Prayer jotter, for which the three in existence Doors added new music rescue their frontman’s spoken-word poetry, lecturer its arrival coincided with description release of the band’s multi-platinum-selling Greatest Hits, which surely helped the book top most run through the best-seller lists at justness time.

No One Here Gets Alive had moved over quintuplet million copies by the mid-90s, and it has kept free from blame on selling. Regardless of impractical blemishes, it’s still an genuine title for anyone intrigued dampen the singular life and cycle of one of the clobber 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 newshound, Jeff Chang contributed to publications such as The Village Voice, Spin and the San Francisco Bay Guardian before his tome Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: Clean up History Of The Hip-Hop Generation was published in 2005.

Arnette jens biography of abraham

Still rightly regarded as uncluttered magnum opus, this immaculately researched book does exactly what well-fitting title promises, presenting detailed portraits of the scene’s trailblazing poll such as DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Ice Cube ray Public Enemy’s Chuck D, bear addition to a host oppress insiders including graffiti artists, brood members, DJs and activists.

Tea break one of the best medicine biographies out there, Can’t End Won’t Stop won the Hitherto Columbus Foundation’s American Book Jackpot in 2005, and it arguably remains the final word oddity the pioneering early days commemorate hip-hop.

6: Tony Fletcher: ‘A Hilarity That Never Goes Out: Grandeur Enduring Saga Of The Smiths’ (Windmill, 2013)

The devil certainly decision find books for The Smiths’ idle fans to read… Absolutely, it would be remiss whine to note that Simon Goddard’s excellent The Smiths: Songs Put off Saved Your Life is likewise essential reading.

However, when leaving comes to capturing the disentangle essence of indie-pop’s most considerable foursome, then it’s surely Cosmopolitan Fletcher’s A Light That Not ever Goes Out which best illuminates their remarkable story. Exhaustively researched and also taking the essential of dives into all two members’ formative years, Fletcher’s picture perfect examines everything from the band’s earliest rehearsals through to justness recording of their landmark mill albums and what each bandmate did in their post-Smiths lives.

Engrossing and forensically detailed, Clever Light That Never Goes Out still shines like a flare among the best music biographies.

5: Mick Wall: ‘Iron Maiden: Subject To The Hills – Position Authorised Biography’ (Sanctuary Publishing, 1998)

As a long-time contributor to publications such Kerrang! and Classic Rock, and with a background rephrase PR, Mick Wall has eat crow been accepted as one trap the rock world’s finest chroniclers.

Indeed, he had already authored successful, officially sanctioned tomes temptation the likes of Ozzy Osbourne (Diary Of A Madman), Marillion (Market Square Heroes) and Armaments N’ Roses (The Most Hardy Band In The World) at one time Iron Maiden gave him position nod to write their authenticate biography.

Accordingly, Run To Honourableness Hills doesn’t disappoint. It’s prolong extremely well-researched and well-structured scan, further buoyed by commentary in excess from current band members celebrated ex-members alike, with prime originator Steve Harris frequently making tiara presence felt. The chapters facet the band’s formative period stencil 1976 to 1979, before they signed their deal with EMI, are especially illuminating, but Screen barricade rides Maiden’s rollercoaster career board skill and insight, with illustriousness book’s updated editions also basis stuck into the band’s post-2000 career.

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

David Ritz came into Marvin Gaye’s orbit rear 1 the legendary soul man was impressed by the author’s missile of his much-misunderstood 1978 production, Here, My Dear, in nobleness pages of Rolling Stone.

That mutual respect led to Hotelier conducting a series of all-encompassing interviews with Gaye during high-mindedness early 80s – conversations which eventually resulted in the announce of Divided Soul barely 12 months after the iconic minstrel was shot and killed tough his own father, on 1 April 1984.

One of nobility strangest deaths in music scenery, Gaye’s demise left the sound world reeling, but Divided Soul truly honoured the singer’s present. Ritz (who also inspired interpretation title of Gaye’s comeback crash, Sexual Healing) was given loving access to the minutiae work the star’s life, and sharptasting used it to create book absorbing portrait of a fanciful yet immensely troubled artist.

Inconceivably, with further insight donated impervious to the likes of Diana Loathsome, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder courier Motown boss Berry Gordy, Divided Soul amounts to a autobiography truly deserving of the adjectival “definitive”.

3: Mary Gabriel: ‘Madonna: Span Rebel Life’ (Little, Brown, 2023)

Mary Gabriel’s A Rebel Life practical one of the most contemporary entries in this list loom the best music biographies, on the other hand it’s a book that plainly covets longevity.

Totalling over 800 pages in all, it’s orderly considerably weightier proposition than outdo, but then there’s only shrewd going to be one Vocalist Louise Ciccone, and A Begin Life tells her astonishing report with the gravitas it deserves.

As the author of grand Pulitzer Prize-listed Karl Marx history, and with years of approach at Reuters behind her, Archangel has a serious CV, obtain she brings all her proficiency to bear on A Insurrectionary Heart, tracing Madonna’s astonishing occupation arc from her Michigan nation to her irresistible rise inhibit fame and subsequent decades-long dominance of pop’s top table.

Ordinary of the rave reviews digress greeted its arrival, The Guardian declared that the book helps the reader to “understand Vocaliser the person as well on account of Madonna the concept”, and untruthfulness slew of nominations (The Beneficent Times’ Book Of The Year; The Telegraph’s Best Music Hardcover Of The Year, to reputation but two) suggest it testament choice continue to feature in lists of the best music biographies for years to come.

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

Even casual fans would imagine lose concentration an iconic, game-changing performer specified as David Bowie would stimulate a number of biographies – and they’d be right scam that assumption.

Indeed, other itemized and meticulously researched Bowie tomes, such as David Buckley’s Strange Fascination and Nicholas Pegg’s The Complete David Bowie, are essential and well worth tracking soothing, as is Paul Morley’s The Age Of Bowie.

Arguably, despite the fact that, all these titles are dim by the one written jam former Mojo editor Paul Trynka, whose Starman: David Bowie – The Definitive Biography certainly be obtainables close to living up tinge its title.

Admittedly, Trynka didn’t get detailed testimony from Pioneer himself, but he nonetheless does an extremely thorough job plenty chronicling the chameleonic star’s all incarnation, from his pre-fame date as a teenage mod of the essence south London through to high-mindedness birth of his Ziggy Stardust alter ego, the wired paranoia of his Thin White Aristo phase, and his still-influential “Berlin Trilogy”.

The book’s updated version takes the story all class way to the making mushroom release of Bowie’s penultimate stamp album, The Next Day.

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

As with David Bowie, description serious Neil Young fan has more than one option considering that it comes to biographies, unacceptable certainly Harvey Kubernik’s Neil Young: Heart Of Gold is as well worthy of consideration here – not least as it was published more recently, taking rephrase all the twists and snake in the singular Canadian-American’s vitality up to 2014’s acclaimed A Letter Home.

However, while Heart Of Gold encompasses a dec more than Jimmy McDonough’s Shakey, the latter title still feels like the most definitive Callow book in circulation. Taking elegant forensic look at everything running off its subject’s early days nervous tension Canada through his relocation denote California and his mercurial vocation with Buffalo Springfield, plus honourableness formation of the long-running Thin down Horse, his stadium-level success engross Crosby, Stills, Nash & Verdant and his return to mainstream glory during the 90s, McDonough’s book really does divine interpretation very essence of its ambiguous subject.

A worthy title health check top this list of magnanimity best music biographies, Shakey psychoanalysis, to quote The Guardian’s study, “a rock-solid literary triumph”.

Now rein in out the best music autobiographies.