Pump up the volume on these incredible real-life stories celebrating some of the most iconic movements and people in music history.

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Must-Reads for Music Lovers:

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

From the legendary music producer, a master at helping people connect with the wellsprings of their creativity, comes a beautifully crafted book many years in the making that offers that same deep wisdom to all of us.

“A gorgeous and inspiring work of art on creation, creativity, the work of the artist. It will gladden the hearts of writers and artists everywhere, and get them working again with a new sense of meaning and direction. A stunning accomplishment.”—Anne Lamott

Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.

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The Come Up: An Oral History of the Rise of Hip-Hop by Jonathan Abrams

The essential oral history of hip-hop, from its origins on the playgrounds of the Bronx to its reign as the most powerful force in pop culture—from the award-winning journalist behind All the Pieces Matter, the New York Times bestselling oral history of The Wire.

The Come Up is Abrams at his sharpest, at his most observant, at his most insightful.”—Shea Serrano, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hip-Hop (And Other Things)

“A masterpiece in book form. After conducting over 300 interviews over the course of three years, [Jonathan] Abrams has accomplished the incredible feat of detailing the rise of hip-hop straight from the creators of the genre themselves.”—Spin

Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.

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Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music by David Remnick

The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and editor of The New Yorker gathers his writing on some of the essential musicians of our time—intimate portraits of Leonard Cohen, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, and more.


The Book of Jose: A Memoir by Fat Joe and Shaheem Reid

Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum–selling artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Fat Joe pulls back the curtain on his larger-than-life persona in this gritty, intimate memoir about growing up in the South Bronx and finding his voice through music.

“Fat Joe’s memoir reads just like his hits sound, brimming with flashy style, street smarts, and survivor’s strength.”—Kirkus Reviews

Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.

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Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop by Danyel Smith

American pop music is arguably this country’s greatest cultural contribution to the world, and its singular voice and virtuosity were created by a shining thread of Black women geniuses stretching back to the country’s founding. This is their surprising, heartbreaking, soaring story—from “one of the generation’s greatest, most insightful, most nuanced writers in pop culture” (Shea Serrano).

“Sparkling . . . the overdue singing of a Black girl’s song, with perfect pitch . . . delicious to read.”—Oprah Daily

“Rarely has a narrator been so perfectly matched to her subject. A lyrical, long-overdue feat of personal memory, cultural history, synthesis, and love.”—Isabel Wilkerson, author of Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns

Available Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.

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Easily Slip into Another World: A Life in Music by Henry Threadgill and Brent Hayes Edwards

An autobiography of one of the towering figures of contemporary American music and a powerful meditation on history, race, capitalism, and art.

“Threadgill and Edwards have crafted an invaluable literary experience: a real-life Bildungsroman, plainspoken, erudite, and searingly honest. This book will be savored and cherished for generations.”—Vijay Iyer, Composer and Pianist; Rosenblatt Professor of the Arts, Harvard University

After reading this book, full of insight and humor and even a tiger passing in the night, I suggest you turn on some of Threadgill’s music and do as he says: listen.”—Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Sympathizer

Available May 16th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.

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To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse by Howard Fishman

The mysterious true story of Connie Converse—a mid-century New York City songwriter, singer, and composer whose haunting music never found broad recognition—and one writer’s quest to understand her life.

“Connie Converse’s songs are a revelation, finely wrought, wry, as beautiful as they are weird. I’m so grateful this enigmatic writer and her catalog are being explored and celebrated, in this book and beyond.”—Anaïs Mitchell, Tony-and Grammy-winning creator of Hadestown, and author, Working on a Song

“The mystery of American composer Connie Converse’s disappearance in 1974 is ongoing, and she may be lost forever. But her spectacular work has been rescued and elevated to a marvelous level by Howard Fishman. Her music belongs to an America that barely knows it exists.”—William Kennedy, Pulitzer-prize winning author of Ironweed

Available May 2nd in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.

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Declassified: A Low-Key Guide to the High-Strung World of Classical Music by Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch

“A refreshingly fun guide” that reads “as if you’re a fly on the wall in conservatory auditions, cutthroat competitions and the obsessive practice routines of professional musicians.” (The New York Times)

“[An] informed, funny, delightfully unjaded music-appreciation survey.”—The Wall Street Journal

“This is a fantastic no-nonsense read for anyone interested in an introduction to the beautiful—and sometimes daunting—world of classical music.”—Kevin Olusola, The Pentatonix

Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.

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Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius by Nick Hornby

From the bestselling author of Just Like You, High Fidelity, and Fever Pitch, a short, warm, and entertaining book about art, creativity, and the unlikely similarities between Victorian novelist Charles Dickens and modern American rock star Prince.

“An ardent fan letter from Hornby that makes you want to re-read Great Expectations while listening to Sign o’ the Times.”Vogue

“His book is both a love letter to two artists who have nourished him and the story of how they ‘caught fire and lit up the world.’”—The Guardian

Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.

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Sideman: In Pursuit of the Next Gig by Mark Rivera; Foreword by Ringo Starr

While most successful sidemen are lucky to spend a decade in the music business, multi-instrumentalist Mark Rivera is working on his fifth.

Best known as Billy Joel’s saxophonist as well as Musical Director for Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band, Rivera has shared the stage with some of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s greatest performers, including John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Simon & Garfunkel, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Tony Bennett, Sheila E., Joe Walsh, Hall & Oates, and Peter Gabriel.

Full of optimism, humor, and candor, Rivera turns the spotlight on the sideman’s life, revealing not only what it takes to climb the industry ladder (and stay there), but something more surprising: a bit of ourselves rocking out amongst all those superstars.

Available in Hardcover and eBook Editions.

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Fresh Fly Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip Hop Style by Elizabeth Way and Elena Romero; Foreword by Slick Rick

On a hot summer night in August of 1973, DJ Kool Herc and his sister, Cindy, put on a “back to school jam” in the rec room of their apartment block at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the West Bronx. The rest is history. The birth of hip hop rippled out across the globe, influencing music and fashion for generations.

Fresh Fly Fabulous is the definitive source for hip hop style, brought to life by the groundbreaking photographers who captured it firsthand, including Janette Beckman, Jamel Shabazz, and Ernie Paniccioli.

Available in Hardcover.

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Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story, in Music Lessons by Jeremy Denk

A beautifully written, witty memoir that is also an immersive exploration of classical music—its power, its meanings, and what it can teach us about ourselves—from the MacArthur “Genius” Grant–winning pianist.

“Jeremy Denk has written a love letter to the music, and especially to the music teachers, in his life.”—Conrad Tao, pianist and composer

“Lucid and bittersweet . . . Like Bach, whose ‘Goldberg Variations’ he has recorded with great rigor and warmth, Denk knows how to spin rich counterpoint out of multiple lines. And like Mozart, who with a harmonic sleight of hand can find the sublime in mere scales, Denk knows how to make art out of ‘a love for the steps, the joys of growing and outgrowing and being outgrown.’”—The New York Times

Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.

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Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres by Kelefa Sanneh

An epic achievement and a huge delight, the entire history of popular music over the past fifty years refracted through the big genres that have defined and dominated it: rock, R&B, country, punk, hip-hop, dance music, and pop.

“An essential document from an inimitable critic.”—Vulture

“A lively, heartfelt exploration of the many worlds of popular music . . . Throughout, the author shows himself to be a master of the mot juste . . . but it’s clear that he’s listened to just about everything with ears and mind wide open. A pleasure—and an education—for any music fan.”Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Available in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.

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Must-Listens for Music Lovers:

Hear musicians—and music aficionados—share the stories behind the music. Check out our Music & Musicians Audiobook Collection!

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