WThe 27s: The Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll is a 2008 book authored by Eric Segalstad and illustrated by Josh Hunter. Structured as a non-fiction narrative, it tells the history of rock & roll as seen through the lives and legacies of 34 musicians who all died at the age of 27. It was independently published, and distributed by Random House. The 27s won silver in the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Award for Popular Culture.
W33 1⁄3 is a series of books in which each volume is written about a single music album. The series title refers to the rotation speed of a vinyl LP, 33 1⁄3 RPM.
W1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time and the Artists, Stories and Secrets Behind Them is a compendium of notable popular recordings collected by Australian rock journalist and critic Toby Creswell. The book was initially published in 2005 by Hardie Grant Books and subsequently published in the United States by Thunder's Mouth Press in 2006. It is not a collection of songs, but of the stories behind what Creswell considers are the great songs of all time – from George Gershwin to Missy Elliott, from Bob Dylan to Alicia Keys, from Frank Sinatra to The Offspring, from Leonard Cohen to Pulp. The book also features over 400 photographs and album covers.
WWritten by Steven Blush, American Hardcore: A Tribal History is a journalistic book that relates the history of the hardcore punk movement that took place in Northern America between 1980 and 1986. It was first published by Feral House in October 2001.
WAssimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music is a 2013 book by S. Alexander Reed, published by Oxford University Press, and bills itself as "the first serious study published on industrial music."
WBefore I Hit the Stage: Backstage Rock 'n' Roll Moments in New York City (ISBN 978-1478739739) is a rock music photography book of images taken in concert dressing rooms and backstage hallways that capture artists in the moments before their performances. The authors claim that the book is the world's first photo-essay book of rock stars on tour in one city during one year.
WThe Bob Dylan Encyclopedia is a compendium of articles written by Michael Gray covering the life and work of Bob Dylan. It includes reviews of varying length for each album and numerous songs in Dylan's musical output, but is not just a work of music criticism. The topics for individual articles encompass Dylan's musical forebears, literary influences, personal acquaintances, key career events, musical associates, cultural context, forays into film and writing, and minutiae of all sorts.
WBob Dylan, Performing Artist is a series of three books written by music critic Paul Williams concerning the music of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Unlike many other books about Dylan, these are not biographical but focus primarily on the performances delivered at various concerts over a period of almost forty years. The performances Williams analyzes were either personally attended or reviewed from audio-tapes. In an interview published in Isis magazine's August 1990 issue, Williams told interviewer Derek Barker, "I didn't want to write about the person, I wanted to write about what this person has created, his art, his music." Bob Dylan, Performing Artist is considered one of the leading critical analyses of Dylan's songs and performances.
WChimes of Freedom: The Politics of Bob Dylan's Art is a major work on the music and politics of Bob Dylan, written by Mike Marqusee.
WChristgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s is a music reference book by American music journalist and essayist Robert Christgau. It was published in October 2000 by St. Martin's Press's Griffin imprint and collects approximately 3,800 capsule album reviews, originally written by Christgau during the 1990s for his "Consumer Guide" column in The Village Voice. Text from his other writings for the Voice, Rolling Stone, Spin, and Playboy from this period is also featured. The book is the third in a series of influential "Consumer Guide" collections, following Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981) and Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990).
WChristgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies is a music reference book by American music journalist and essayist Robert Christgau. It was first published in October 1981 by Ticknor & Fields. The book compiles approximately 3,000 of Christgau's capsule album reviews, most of which were originally written for his "Consumer Guide" column in The Village Voice throughout the 1970s. The entries feature annotated details about each record's release and cover a variety of genres related to rock music.
WChristgau's Record Guide: The '80s is a music reference book by American music journalist and essayist Robert Christgau. It was published in October 1990 by Pantheon Books as a follow-up to Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981).
WDetroit Rock City: The Uncensored History of Rock 'n' Roll in America's Loudest City is a book by Steve Miller, a Michigan-based journalist. It chronicles Detroit bands from 1967 to the 2000s. The book's narrative is told through verbatim quotes. It was released on June 25, 2013 by Da Capo Press.
WDon't All Thank Me At Once: The Lost Pop Genius of Scott Miller is a 2015 biography of pop musician Scott Miller, written by Brett Milano.
WDoom 94 is a semi-biographical novel by Latvian writer Jānis Joņevs about the generation living in Jelgava, Latvia in the 1990s that searches for their own identity and are fans of alternative culture. This is his debut novel. Since 2016, this book has been translated into 8 languages and a movie was released in September 2019.
WEx YU rock enciklopedija 1960 - 2006 is a book by Serbian author, journalist and music critic Petar Janjatović. Published in 2007, the book represents the third, expanded edition of Janjatović's 1998 book Ilustrovana YU rock enciklopedija 1960 - 1997. The book features information about most important acts of the rock scene of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as of scenes of the successor states.
WFargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural Nörth Daköta is a book written by Chuck Klosterman, first published by Scribner in 2001. It is a history of heavy metal music, with a particular emphasis on the glam metal that flourished during Klosterman's formative years in the mid-to-late 1980s, through its demise in the early 1990s, and potential rebirth in the late 1990s. It was awarded the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for criticism in 2002.
WFool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies is a 2005 book by Josh Frank and Caryn Ganz about the American alternative rock band Pixies. The book, written as an oral history, covers the career of the band from their inception, to their breakup in 1993 and eventual reunion in 2004. Fool the World features interviews and recollections from a range of characters involved with the band, including Surfer Rosa producer Steve Albini, Kim Deal's twin sister Kelley Deal and 4AD co-founder Ivo Watts-Russell, as well as each member of the band.
WThe Grateful Dead Family Album is a photographic music reference book by Jerilyn Lee Brandelius, cover art by Stanley Mouse with hundreds of intimate photographs and stories from members of the Grateful Dead and the Dead Family.
WGrateful Dead Origins is a graphic novel about the rock band the Grateful Dead. A work of non-fiction, it tells the story of the early days of the band and how it emerged as part of the San Francisco music scene amid the counterculture of the 1960s. The book was written by Chris Miskiewicz and drawn by Noah Van Sciver. It was edited by David Lemieux, colored by Aladdin Collar, and designed by Tyler Boss.
WGreetings From E Street: The Story of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is a book written by Robert Santelli, published in 2006. It chronicles the large career of the E Street Band, as well as details about their solo projects.
WHow Music Works is a non-fiction book by David Byrne, a musician, writer, and public figure best known for his work with the group Talking Heads. He discusses the form and influence of music in a non-linear narrative fashion, using a variety of experiences from his career to create something part autobiography and part music theory. The book was published through McSweeney's on September 12, 2012, and was named as one of Amazon.com's "Best Books of the Month" in that same month. It has received mainly positive reviews.
WI Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains is a book written by Chuck Klosterman, first published by Scribner in 2013. It is a collection of twelve essays examining the nature of villainy through the lens of popular culture, rock music, and sports. It is the eighth book released by Klosterman. The book debuted at number 5 on the New York Times bestseller list.
WInvisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes (1997) is a book by music critic Greil Marcus about the creation and cultural importance of The Basement Tapes, a series of recordings made by Bob Dylan in 1967 in collaboration with the Hawks, who would subsequently become known as the Band. (ISBN 0-8050-5842-7)
WJaprocksampler: How the Post-war Japanese Blew Their Minds on Rock 'n' Roll is a book written by author and musician Julian Cope and published by Bloomsbury on 3 September 2007.
WJuggalo: Insane Clown Posse, Their Fans, and the World They Made is a book by Steve Miller, a Michigan-based journalist. It chronicles the cult following of the Insane Clown Posse and its Psychopathic Records imprint. It was released in July 2016 by Da Capo Press.
WKilling Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story is a work of non-fiction written by Chuck Klosterman, first published by Scribner in 2005. The title is a reference to the 1973 song "Killing Yourself To Live", by the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It is Klosterman's third book and focuses on the premise of writing about the relationship between love and death, particularly deaths involving music celebrities. The original feature, published in Spin in 2003, shares some ideas and language with the book.
WLove for Sale: Pop Music in America is a 2016 book by The Nation music critic David Hajdu, in which he chronicles the 100-plus year history of pop music in the United States. The book features previously published material as well as interviews, including an interview with legendary folk singer Dave Van Ronk. Chronologically, Love for Sale takes the reader from the origins of ragtime in the 19th century through to the present era of streaming music. The author also sequential discusses the rise of tapes, CDs, and MP3s. The title of the book is derived from the 1930 Cole Porter song of the same name.
WA Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton, from Box Tops to Big Star to Backdoor Man is a 2014 biography of musician Alex Chilton, written by Holly George-Warren.
WMeet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001–2011 is an oral history which details the rebirth of the New York rock scene in the new millennium, written and compiled by music journalist Lizzy Goodman. It was published in May 2017 by Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. The book is named after the Strokes song of the same name from their 2003 album Room on Fire.
WMystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'N' Roll Music is a non-fiction book written in 1975 by Greil Marcus. It features critical essays centered around artists such as Elvis Presley, Sly Stone, Robert Johnson, and Randy Newman.
WNothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers and Emo is a book by Andy Greenwald, then a senior contributing writer at Spin magazine, published in November 2003 by St. Martin's Press.
WOur Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981–1991 is a book by Michael Azerrad. It chronicles the careers of several underground rock bands who, while finding little or no mainstream success, were hugely influential in establishing American alternative and indie rock, mostly through nearly constant touring and records released on small, regional independent record labels. Azerrad conducted many interviews with band members, and also conducted extensive research of old fanzines, as well as more mainstream newspapers and books.
WPerfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement is a 2004 biographical book written by Rob Jovanovic about the 1990s indie rock band Pavement.
WReckless: My Life as a Pretender is a memoir by the American musician Chrissie Hynde, a member of the rock band The Pretenders. The book was published on September 8, 2015 by Doubleday, New York and London. In it, Hynde documents her childhood and youth in the Midwest, the founding of The Pretenders, life on the road and interactions with other musicians.
WRock and the Pop Narcotic is a 1991 book of popular music criticism by Joe Carducci.
WSeason of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll is a 2014 non-fiction book by Peter Bebergal. It was released on October 16, 2014, through Tarcher and examines the occult's influence on music.
WSex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto is a book written by Chuck Klosterman, first published by Scribner in 2003. It is a collection of eighteen comedic essays on popular culture.
WThe Sound of Our Town: A History of Boston Rock and Roll is a 2007 book about the distinctive rock music scene of Boston, Massachusetts. It was written by Brett Milano, a Boston-based music critic and columnist.
WThe Spin Alternative Record Guide is a music reference book compiled by the American music magazine Spin and published in 1995 by Vintage Books. It was edited by rock critic Eric Weisbard and Craig Marks, who was the magazine's editor-in-chief at the time. The book features essays and reviews from a number of prominent critics on albums, artists, and genres considered relevant to the alternative music movement. Contributors who were consulted for the guide include Ann Powers, Rob Sheffield, Simon Reynolds, and Michael Azerrad.
WTakin' Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner is a 1999 autobiography by American musician Ike Turner with British writer Nigel Cawthorne.
W"There's No Love in Rock and Roll" is a 6-page comic book story from True Life Romance, No. 3 published by Ajax in August 1956. The plot concerns defiant teenager Shirley and the irritation she causes her parents by dating a boy who loves rock and roll. Shirley tells the reader on the first page: "No one understands the teenagers? That's because they don't want to be understood! It points out our flaws! Our pretense that were so important, that we have to have a world of our own!" She ultimately renounces the boy and meets a square-shooter who likes traditional adult music. Her parents are thrilled. Shirley states in the last panel, "Gee! I can't believe that I ever enjoyed that horrible rock and roll stuff—it's just plain noise!" The story was published in the infancy of rock and roll and was reprinted by indie publisher New England Comics in "My Terrible Romance" in 1994.
WThis Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of The Band is the 1993 autobiography of actor and musician Levon Helm, focusing on his career as a member of the rock group the Band. The book, written with music journalist Stephen Davis, traces Helm's life from his childhood in the deep south through his years as a drummer and singer for the Band, to his struggle to establish a professional identity in the wake of the group's official end in 1976.
WTouch and Go: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79–'83 is a 576-page trade paperback book containing all 22 issues of the Touch and Go punk zine, a punk rock magazine that chronicled the early hardcore punk and post-punk scenes.
WUtopia Avenue is a 2020 novel by David Mitchell. It is his eighth published novel, and his first since Slade House (2015). It was published by Sceptre on 14 July 2020. The novel tells the story of the fictional 1960s British rock band Utopia Avenue.
WWalk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith (ISBN 0-380-97594-7) is a book written by Stephen Davis, published by HarperCollins and released in October 1997. The book was co-written with the members of Aerosmith themselves. This biography contains the story of the band's life, legends, women, drugs and partying that nearly killed the Toxic Twins and split the band. The book ends with the release of the Nine Lives album.
WWilco: Learning How to Die is a book by Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot. The book was written with the cooperation of Wilco band members past and present. It covers the time period from when Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy was born, through the formation and breakup of Uncle Tupelo, and the career of Wilco through their 2004 album A Ghost Is Born. It is primarily written as an oral history, featuring interviews with Tweedy, John Stirratt, and other Wilco members, as well as manager Tony Margherita and Uncle Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn. The book's title comes from a lyric of Wilco's "War on War", which appears on their 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It was published on June 15, 2004 by Broadway Books. The book received positive reviews from outlets such as The New York Times.
WWouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story is the first memoir by American musician Brian Wilson, written with celebrity journalist Todd Gold and published by HarperCollins in 1991. The book was heavily criticized for the implausibility of Wilson being its actual author, and it inspired multiple defamation lawsuits from his family members and associates. He later disowned the book and testified that he had been interviewed for about "thirty-to-forty hours" and only skimmed through a rough draft before it was published. In 2016, it was superseded by I Am Brian Wilson, a new autobiography written with Ben Greenman.