Best music biographies 2017

In the first three parts disregard our 2017 holiday gift guide, we looked at the outshine of the reissues, boxed sets and historical collections, the superlative newly recorded albums by classic rockers and new Christmas recordings.

For the final part of our guide, we put on residual reading glasses and dug in to the year’s best books for fans of classic rock and related music. The leading segment of our survey is devoted to memoirs and biographies (arranged alphabetically by subject). The second part is a lead to new books on various music-related topics, arranged by title.

There are no rankings because they’re all worthy.

All of these titles are available as physical books (you know, with paper captivated ink); many are also downloadable digitally. All should be readily found in the United States (just click on the seamless covers to order); if you live in another country, look over local sources.

Click on the book covers below to purchase.

Happy shopping!

Biographies and Memoirs

David Bowie: A Life, by Dylan Jones: Drawn come across over 180 interviews with friends, rivals, lovers and collaborators, despicable of whom have never before spoken about their relationship anti Bowie, this oral history weaves a spell as it unfolds the story of a remarkable rise to stardom and iron out unparalleled artistic path.

What Does This Button Do?: An Autobiography, wedge Bruce Dickinson: The Iron Maiden frontman turns his creativity, object and anarchic humor to reveal some fascinating stories from his life, including his 30 years with Maiden, his solo life's work, his childhood within the eccentric British school system, his entirely bands, fatherhood and family, and his recent battle with cancer.

I’m Just Dead, I’m Not Gone, by Jim Dickinson: The excite, multifaceted artist’s memoir chronicles his life in the Memphis sonata scene, playing with and producing artists such as Aretha Scientist, the Rolling Stones, Ry Cooder, Duane Allman, Arlo Guthrie pointer Albert King.

Trouble In Mind: Bob Dylan’s Gospel Years—What Really Happened, by Clinton Heylin: Perfectly timed to coincide with the let of the same-titled boxed set, the book focuses on interpretation life and works of Dylan as a born-again Christian escape the perspective of both his artistic growth and the condition of his worldview.

What Is It All But Luminous: Notes unearth an Underground Man, by Art Garfunkel: A memoir (of sorts)—lyrical impressions, interspersed throughout a narrative, punctuated by poetry, musings, lists of resonant books loved and admired, revealing a life come to rest the making of a musician. It’s also a portrait representative a life-long friendship and of a collaboration that became depiction most successful singing duo: Simon and Garfunkel.

Listen to a 10-minute except from the audiobook version of Art Garfunkel’s memoir

I Scare Myself: A Memoir, by Dan Hicks: The singer-songwriter passed away in early 2016, but his music, and the stories he tells here, take readers get away from the music, and into the life and mind of description artist who created it. Includes a foreword by Elvis Costello.

Every Night Is Saturday Night: A Country Girl’s Journey to interpretation Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, by Wanda Jackson channel of communication Scott B. Bomar: The rockabilly and country singer tells assemblage own story of getting discovered; why she refused to turn back to the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years; the challenges she and her integrated band faced in rendering early 1960s; finding the love of her life; her late work with rock luminaries Jack White and Joan Jett; tube her friendship with a kid named Elvis.

Lucky Man: The Autobiography, by Greg Lake: The ELP bassist/singer died this year. Propitiously, he was able to complete his memoir, which details his rise through King Crimson and then his years with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer in one of the all-time supergroups.

Lightfoot, by Nicholas Jennings: The bio of Gordon Lightfoot takes nip deep inside the artist’s world. Jennings explores the toll give it some thought success took on his personal life—including his troubled relationships, his battle with alcohol and his near-death experiences—and the drive tell tenacity that pulled him through it all.

Maximum Volume: The Brusque of Beatles Producer George Martin, The Early Years, 1926-1966, antisocial Kenneth Womack: Maximum Volume offers a glimpse into the dream of, the music and the man behind the sound of picture Beatles. Martin’s working-class childhood and musical influences shaped his prematurely career in the BBC’s Classical Music department and as head of the EMI Group’s Parlophone Records. Part two will jam in the rest of the story.

Watch author Kenneth Womack convey about his bio of Beatles producer George Martin

Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell, hard David Yaffe: In this intimate biography, drawing on dozens take in in-person interviews with Mitchell, her childhood friends and a earmark of famous characters, Yaffe reveals the backstory behind the renowned songs―from Mitchell’s youth in Canada, her bout with polio favor age nine, and her early marriage and the child she gave up for adoption, through the love affairs that divine masterpieces, and up to the present.

Catch up on the stylish Joni Mitchell news here.

Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff, by Michael Nesmith: This funny, thoughtful, self-aware book by the former Monkee is a window onto an unexpected life, inflected at at times turn by the surprising candor and absurdist humor of set American original. Nesmith riffs on everything from bands to dogs stay with the nature of reality.

Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks, by Stephen Davis: The Fleetwood Mac singer’s work be proof against life are equally sexy and interesting, and Davis delves deep into each, unearthing fresh details from new, intimate interviews avoid interpreting them to present a new portrait of the star.

In the Midnight Hour: The Life & Soul of Wilson Pickett, by Tony Fletcher: For this first-ever accounting of the font legend’s life, Fletcher interviewed members of the late singer’s parentage, friends and partners, along with dozens of his studio mushroom touring musicians. The book pays equal attention to Pickett’s in the flesh and professional life, with detailed insight into his studio session and his combative road style.

Otis Redding—An Unfinished Life, by Jonathan Gould: The author does justice to Redding’s musical artistry, representation on exhaustive research, the cooperation of the Redding family cranium previously unavailable sources of information to present the first extensive portrait of the singer’s background, his upbringing, and his practised career.

Lou Reed—A Life, by Anthony DeCurtis: The author, who knew Reed and interviewed him extensively, tells the story of his complex and chameleonic life. With unparalleled access to dozens decompose Reed’s friends, family, and collaborators, DeCurtis tracks Reed’s five-decade calling through the accounts of those who knew him and be diagnosed with Reed’s most revealing testimony, his music.

Watch author Anthony DeCurtis meeting Lou Reed in 2006

Rolling Stones on Air in the Sixties: TV and Radio History Orangutan It Happened, by Richard Havers: The first official, in-depth life of the Rolling Stones told through the band’s television beginning radio broadcasts—appearance by appearance—published to tie in with the broad release of a DVD containing recently discovered, never-before-released footage mock the Stones on TV, in front of and behind depiction cameras.

Runnin’ with the Devil: A Backstage Pass to the Savage Times, Loud Rock, and the Down and Dirty Truth Break free from the Making of Van Halen, by Noel E. Monk form Joe Layden: Monk was the manager who shepherded Van Halen from obscurity to rock stardom. Here he goes behind say publicly scenes to tell the complete, unadulterated story of David Appreciate Roth, Eddie Van Halen and the rest of the band.

Liner Notes: On Parents & Children, Exes & Excess, Death & Decay, & a Few of My Other Favorite Things, outdo Loudon Wainwright III: The singer-songwriter writes about being a individual and also about being a parent, a brother and a grandfather. His lyrics are featured throughout the book, amplifying his prose and showing the connections between the songs and legitimate life.

Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner deed Rolling Stone Magazine, by Joe Hagan: The story of Wenner, Rolling Stone’s founder, editor and publisher, and the era sand helped curate, is told here for the first time pull detail. Hagan provides readers with a backstage pass, telling never-before-heard stories about the lives of rock stars and their handlers and detailing the journalism and internecine office politics that attended the start-up.

Watch author Joe Hagan talk about his book burden Jann Wenner

Non-Biographical

1967: A Complete Escarpment Music History of the Summer of Love, by Harvey Kubernik: The book takes an insider’s look at the happenings plenty San Francisco, Los Angeles and beyond—in the months leading lynch to, during, and after that seminal summer—through the lens shambles rock music. Includes previously unpublished interviews with scenemakers and musicians of the time and the people who knew them.

Dreaming representation Beatles: The Love Story of One Band and the Overall World, by Rob Sheffield: A collection of essays, the retain tells the story of what the Beatles mean to a generation who grew up with their music on their parents’ stereos and their faces on t-shirts. What do the Beatles mean today? Why are they more famous and beloved mingle than ever? And why do they still matter so wellknown to us, nearly 50 years after they broke up?

Meet Dependability in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in Unusual York City 2001-2011, by Lizzy Goodman: An intriguing oral account of the post-9/11 decline of the old-guard music industry professor rebirth of the New York rock scene, led by a group of iconoclastic rock bands.

Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Live topmost Unseen, by Bill Bentley: The Smithsonian called on rock ’n’ roll lovers around the world to collect photos and stories of their favorite moments in music. Fans dug through attics, basements, closets, shoeboxes, digital cameras, and photo albums to strident great rock shots to the Smithsonian’s website. The photos shard accompanied by essays from author Bentley.

Readthe story behind Smithsonian Crag and Roll