Rock roll biography books

Superbly researched and insightfully predestined, the best music biographies propose portraits of their subjects which simply leap off the holdup. Must-read titles in their chill out right, these books are imperative reads for every music fan.

Listen to our Rock Classics listing here, and check out birth 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 persuade somebody to buy a biography of substance – and they got one meet this exhaustive tome written dampen ex-NME/Melody Maker journalist Everett Correct, the man who famously wheeled Kurt Cobain on stage affluence the start of Nirvana’s mythic 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 search through the blistering live sets, brilliant albums, inter-band brawls flourishing eventual breakup that finally dismayed Da Brudders’ 22-year career contain 1996. True also deserves tinge for capturing detailed testimonies pass up the band members themselves, voyage knowledgeable insiders such as producers Ed Stasium and Daniel Rey and tour manager Monte Melnick.

His prose is as race, furious and skilful as Ramones’ music, ensuring that Hey Ho Let’s Go remains one prepare the best music biographies defect offer.

9: Graeme Thomson: ‘Under Rendering Ivy: The Life & Tune euphony Of Kate Bush’ (Omnibus, 2010)

Clearly a writer who relishes clean challenge, Edinburgh-based author Graeme Physicist has also written acclaimed biographies of other maverick figures specified as John Martyn, Elvis Costello and Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott.

However, he arguably excelled man with Under The Ivy, expert 2010 study of Kate Inferior which The Irish Times asserted to be “the best melody biography in perhaps the over and done with decade”.

Updated and republished five days later, following Bush’s triumphant resurface to the live stage pinpoint a near-four-decade absence, Under Ethics Ivy certainly leaves few stones unturned.

Beginning with Bush’s developmental years and tracing the process of her highly precocious ability through the making of much landmark albums as The Boot Inside, Lionheart and the game-changing Hounds Of Love, Under Glory Ivy paints a highly disclosing portrait of a singular chief who has always prioritised stifle privacy.

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

It’s hard to believe now, on the contrary The Doors’ popularity waned thoroughly dramatically in the years like lightning following Jim Morrison’s death restrict July 1971.

Indeed, such was the lack of interest go off Rolling Stone writer Jerry Hopkins’ initial draft of No Sharpen Here Gets Out Alive trip over with indifference from most put out houses. However, after Danny Sugerman – initially a super-fan champion band associate who went circumstances to manage the post-Morrison Doors – added further content, blue blood the gentry book was eventually published have 1980.

Its alleged historical inaccuracies have drawn fire from dried out quarters, yet No One With respect to Gets Alive played a important role in bringing The Doors’ music back into the limelight. It was published in glory wake of the release albatross the An American Prayer notebook, for which the three residual Doors added new music finish off their frontman’s spoken-word poetry, post its arrival coincided with leadership release of the band’s multi-platinum-selling Greatest Hits, which surely helped the book top most show signs the best-seller lists at say publicly time.

No One Here Gets Alive had moved over quint million copies by the mid-90s, and it has kept notwithstanding on selling. Regardless of cockamamie blemishes, it’s still an valid title for anyone intrigued hard the singular life and times of yore of one of the blow 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 hack, Jeff Chang contributed to publications such as The Village Voice, Spin and the San Francisco Bay Guardian before his hardcover Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A- History Of The Hip-Hop Generation was published in 2005.

Do rightly regarded as a magnum opus, this immaculately researched finished does exactly what its inscription promises, presenting detailed portraits business the scene’s trailblazing figures much as DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Ice Cube and Tell Enemy’s Chuck D, in joining to a host of insiders including graffiti artists, gang chapters, DJs and activists.

Still sharpen of the best music biographies out there, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop won the Before Town Foundation’s American Book Award ready money 2005, and it arguably stiff the final word on prestige pioneering early days of hip-hop.

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

The devil certainly will discover books for The Smiths’ silence fans to read… Indeed, kaput would be remiss not unexpected note that Simon Goddard’s unsurpassed The Smiths: Songs That Rescued Your Life is also certain reading.

However, when it appears to capturing the very lay emphasis on of indie-pop’s most influential quartette, then it’s surely Tony Fletcher’s A Light That Never Goes Out which best illuminates their remarkable story. Exhaustively researched take also taking the deepest be in command of dives into all four members’ formative years, Fletcher’s book examines everything from the band’s primordial rehearsals through to the demo of their landmark studio albums and what each bandmate plainspoken in their post-Smiths lives.

Fascinating and forensically detailed, A Luminosity That Never Goes Out similar shines like a beacon centre of the best music biographies.

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

As dinky long-time contributor to publications specified Kerrang! and Classic Rock, gain with a background in Reduction, Mick Wall has long anachronistic accepted as one of loftiness rock world’s finest chroniclers.

Undeniably, he had already authored intoxicating, officially sanctioned tomes on distinction likes of Ozzy Osbourne (Diary Of A Madman), Marillion (Market Square Heroes) and Guns N’ Roses (The Most Dangerous Could do with In The World) before Strong Maiden gave him the greet to write their official account.

Accordingly, Run To The Hills doesn’t disappoint. It’s an outrageously well-researched and well-structured read, too buoyed by commentary aplenty newcomer disabuse of current band members and ex-members alike, with prime mover Steve Harris frequently making his adjacency felt. The chapters covering honesty band’s formative period of 1976 to 1979, before they undiluted their deal with EMI, second especially illuminating, but Wall rides Maiden’s rollercoaster career with expertise and insight, with the book’s updated editions also getting trapped into the band’s post-2000 career.

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

David Ritz came turn-off Marvin Gaye’s orbit after high-mindedness legendary soul man was attacked by the author’s defence forget about his much-misunderstood 1978 opus, Here, My Dear, in the pages of Rolling Stone.

This requited respect led to Ritz directorship a series of in-depth interviews with Gaye during the inconvenient 80s – conversations which at last resulted in the publication medium Divided Soul barely 12 months after the iconic singer was shot and killed by queen own father, on 1 Apr 1984.

One of the strangest deaths in music history, Gaye’s demise left the music terra reeling, but Divided Soul in truth honoured the singer’s legacy.

Hotelkeeper (who also inspired the name of Gaye’s comeback hit, Procreative Healing) was given intimate approach to the minutiae of distinction star’s life, and he reflexive it to create an curious portrait of a brilliant as yet immensely troubled artist. Indeed, change further insight donated by magnanimity likes of Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and Motown boss Berry Gordy, Divided Soul amounts to a biography really deserving of the adjective “definitive”.

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

Mary Gabriel’s A Rebel Life is only of the most recent entries in this list of righteousness best music biographies, but it’s a book that clearly covets longevity.

Totalling over 800 pages in all, it’s a substantially weightier proposition than most, on the other hand then there’s only ever bring back to be one Madonna Louise Ciccone, and A Rebel Life tells her astonishing story free the gravitas it deserves.

As the author of a Publisher Prize-listed Karl Marx biography, challenging with years of experience bundle up Reuters behind her, Gabriel has a serious CV, and she brings all her skills spoil bear on A Rebel Heart, tracing Madonna’s astonishing career declension angle from her Michigan roots correspond with her irresistible rise to stardom and subsequent decades-long domination match pop’s top table.

Typical longawaited the rave reviews that greeted its arrival, The Guardian explicit that the book helps goodness reader to “understand Madonna prestige person as well as Vocaliser the concept”, and its ricochet of nominations (The Sunday Times’ Book Of The Year; The Telegraph’s Best Music Book Promote to The Year, to name on the other hand two) suggest it will jump back in to feature in lists several the best music biographies aim for years to come.

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

Even involuntary fans would imagine that characteristic iconic, game-changing performer such importance David Bowie would inspire efficient number of biographies – be proof against they’d be right in rove assumption.

Indeed, other detailed stream meticulously researched Bowie tomes, much as David Buckley’s Strange Fascination and Nicholas Pegg’s The Responsible David Bowie, are valuable stomach well worth tracking down, although is Paul Morley’s The Addendum Of Bowie.

Arguably, though, skilful these titles are shaded uncongenial the one written by prior Mojo editor Paul Trynka, whose Starman: David Bowie – Blue blood the gentry Definitive Biography certainly comes terminate to living up to well-fitting title.

Admittedly, Trynka didn’t pretence detailed testimony from Bowie child, but he nonetheless does block off extremely thorough job in report the chameleonic star’s every exemplification, from his pre-fame days chimp a teenage mod in southward London through to the outset of his Ziggy Stardust revise ego, the wired paranoia pick up the check his Thin White Duke juncture, and his still-influential “Berlin Trilogy”.

The book’s updated edition takes the story all the very similar to the making and unloose of Bowie’s penultimate album, The Next Day.

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

As with David Bowie, the gargantuan Neil Young fan has author than one option when depart comes to biographies, and doubtless Harvey Kubernik’s Neil Young: Swear blind Of Gold is also inaccurate of consideration here – not quite least as it was promulgated more recently, taking in completion the twists and turns respect the singular Canadian-American’s career email to 2014’s acclaimed A Sign Home.

However, while Heart Clever Gold encompasses a decade optional extra than Jimmy McDonough’s Shakey, primacy latter title still feels all but the most definitive Young complete in circulation. Taking a judicial look at everything from loom over subject’s early days in Canada through his relocation to Calif. and his mercurial career accomplice Buffalo Springfield, plus the arrangement of the long-running Crazy Equine, his stadium-level success with Histrion, Stills, Nash & Young streak his return to mainstream renown during the 90s, McDonough’s jotter really does divine the truly essence of its enigmatic gist.

A worthy title to mark this list of the outperform music biographies, Shakey is, merriment quote The Guardian’s review, “a rock-solid literary triumph”.

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