Music Lists Are Us: Favorite Books About Music with brief comments

Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth: The Dark History of Prepubescent Pop, From the Banana Splits to Britney Spears. edited by Kim Cooper & David Smay (2001; a fun historical anthology of writing on a mostly neglected musical sub-genre)

The Blues: The Authentic Narrative of My Music and Culture by Chris Thomas King. (2021)  The author, who is also a blues performer and the son of a blues performer, makes a compelling case for the primacy of New Orleans as the proper birthplace of the blues (rather than the Mississippi Delta). Also that the previous "expert" historians of jazz and blues have usually been white, non-artists, from the north, rather than black, southern, blues artists--who might be closer to the truth of the history. He also argues for "Jazz" being an improper designation for that style of music, which is properly a branch of blues (look at the titles of early "jazz" songs; most are called blues in the title of the piece. The term "Jazz" was deliberately used by northern, white, non-performers, who were seeking to separate the genre from its black blues roots). This is a work that needs to be read. (I don't claim to be a blues expert, but CTK seems to know of which he speaks--he is breaking from the previously accepted orthodoxy on the blues, but I find him completely convincing)

Eating the Dinosaur.  by Chuck Klosterman (2009; not about music only, but whether music or some other aspect of culture, Klosterman's writing is always entertaining)

Chronicles, Vol. 1 by Bob Dylan (2004; When, if ever, will he release Vol. 2 of this autobiography?)

I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie by Pamela Des Barres (1987; behind-the-scenes with many of her era's [that would be the 60s and 70s] most famous musicians)

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (1995; Made into a great 2000 feature film, and a great 2020 TV series)

All Time Top 1000 Albums.  by Colin Larkin (1998; Outdated now, & flawed even then, but pretty good for what it is, with lots of additional info)

Hammer of the Gods. by Stephen Davis (1985; unauthorized Led Zeppelin biography, The band has rejected it for inaccuracies and it isn't always flattering to them, but it has been reprinted three times for a reason.  It is a rollicking read)

Musichound Rock: The Essential Music Guide. edited by Gary Graff & Daniel Durchholz (1998; no book of this sort is going to make everyone happy, and this is 24 years old now, but it helped me wade through a lot of stuff back in the day, and I learned a lot too)

Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved my Life by John Sellers (2007; the author's search for the greatest band leads him through Joy Division, Sonic Youth, Pavement & others, ultimately to Guided By Voices)

To Air is Human: One Man's Quest to Become the World's Greatest Air Guitarist. by Bjorn Toroque & Dan Crane (2006; just-for-fun memoir of a musical road-less-traveled)

Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story. by Chuck Klosterman (2005; A road trip memoir reflecting on rock, death and the author's relationships)

Let's Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies by Pamela Des Barres (2007; the author turns to stories of other groupies in this one)

40 Watts from Nowhere: A Journey Into Pirate Radio. by Sue Carpenter (2004; entertaining true tale of the author's creation of two thriving "independent" radio stations while trying to avoid the FCC.  This is my top pick for a book that should be a movie--either a feature film or a documentary, or some cool amalgam of both [like the movie, American Splendor] ATTENTION FILMMAKERS: THIS SHOULD BE A MOVIE). AND NOW IT IS. I haven't seen it yet, but I am excited that eventually I will.

Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley & Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley.  both by Peter Guralnick (1994 & 1999; definitive 2 volume biography of Elvis Presley)

The List: Based on the Hit TV Series.  compiled by the editors of VH1 (2001, re-ignited my music list making interests--along with the TV series itself)

Fargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural North Dakota.  by Chuck Klosterman (2001; a history of heavy metal and glam metal, specifically from the '80s to the early '90s)

Cash: The Autobiography.  by Johnny Cash (1997; name-checked in the John Cusack movie High Fidelity, as his character's favorite book--maybe not my absolute favorite, but very good)