Book description
The rich history of popular music is built on a foundation of classic
songs. From Tin Pan Alley to the Brill Building, Bob Dylan to Kurt
Cobain, and Joni Mitchell to Amy Winehouse, gifted songwriters have
crafted a cherished body of music that has become part of our lives.
Imagine the Fifties without the magical clamor of “Tutti Frutti” and
“Hound Dog,” the Seventies without the anthemic “Le Freak” and “Anarchy
in the U. K.,” or the Noughties without the leftfield pop of “Toxic” or
“Crazy.” This music mirrors the times, both reflecting society at large
(“A Change is Gonna Come,” “The Message”) and mapping our own personal
highs (“God Only Knows”) or lows (“Hurt”). And from “Saturday Night Fish
Fry” to Saturday Night Fever, it has helped us simply forget our
problems and dance till dawn. 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die
picks through nearly a century of music to bring you an inspiring
selection of some of the greatest recordings ever made. Each entry in
this wonderfully browsable book tells the story of a great song. Find
out what inspired the songwriter, what makes the track so enduring,
which songs it influenced in turn, and which cover version to listen out
for. You'll also pick up a wealth of fascinating trivia along the way.
What links Lead Belly, Lonnie Donegan, and Black Betty? Whose gravestone
inspired Phil Spector's first hit? And when did Robert Dimery is a
freelance writer and editor who has worked on Tony Wilson's 24 Hour
Party People, Pump Up the Volume: A History of House, Breaking Into
Heaven: The Rise and Fall of the Stone Roses, and 1001 Songs You Must
Hear Before You Die, as well as a wide range of other popular music
publications. He has also worked for a variety of magazines, including
Time Out London and Vogue. Michael Lydon has been writing about pop
music since the 1960s and was a Founding Editor of Rolling Stone. He has
written profiles on Lennon and McCartney and has been on tour with the
Rolling Stones, B. B. King, and Johnny Cash. His books include Rock
Folk, Boogie Lightning and the definitive biography of Ray Charles: Man
and Music. He lives in New York City.
