Attempting to sum up the best books about music is a near-impossible task. Like trying to rank the most prolific artists to ever walk the Earth, there are simply too many options to choose from. Yet, here we are, with a (highly subjective) swing at it.
Music is the most universal form of artistic expression. Unlike fine art or film which often requires context to be enjoyed to the full, music is an accessible creative vehicle for all to engage with, whether you’re a Swiftie or die-hard Metallica fan.
Nietzsche argued that music was the purest form of expression as melody appeals directly to a person’s instinctive, chaotic emotions and not to their rational, reasoning mind. In this way, music is escapist, but it can also mirror our feelings with more clarity than anything else. Listen to Joni Mitchell after a breakup and you’ll know what we mean - hits the nail on the head every time.
The universal pull of music has sparked centuries of discussion. The Ancient Greeks began penning musical intervals, a fact proven by a carved tombstone dated back to 100 AD. Music criticism developed in the 17th and 18th centuries, the 1960s saw the establishment of iconic publications Rolling Stone and Creem, and 2016 witnessed the birth of TikTok which forever changed the charts system. Music is at the very core of global culture.
So it comes as little surprise that books about music are always in demand. Whether searching for an encyclopaedic retelling of classical music history or Britney Spears’ The Woman in Me, there are endless titles to peruse.
Previous bestsellers include revealing memoirs by Keith Richards, Sir Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl and Patti Smith among other musical icons. Not to mention more philosophical takes on how to hear music and extensive guides about musical movements from hip-hop to K-Pop.
We delved into the never-ending canon of music in order to unearth the very best music books on the market. Shop the edit below and skim the surface of the best music books published throughout the years.
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Life by Keith Richards
The ultimate sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll memoir, Life by Keith Richards is probably on the bookshelf of every musician's home.
The extensive read offers a deep dive into the journey of the Rolling Stones and British rock music, in addition to personal accounts surrounding marriage and family. From creating the iconic riffs in Jumping Jack Flash and Honky Tonk Women to falling in love with Anita Pallenberg and the death of Brian Jones, Richards doesn’t hold back in the epic retelling of his legendary life.
Buy now £12.99, Waterstones
While We Were Getting High: Britpop & the ‘90s by Kevin Cummins
Reminisce about the glory days of Cool Britannia and Britpop with photographer Kevin Cummins’ While We Were Getting High: Britpop & the ‘90s.
Behind the cover lies 256 pages of striking images, many of which are seen for the first time in this book, making readers feel instantly transported to the days when Oasis and Blur ruled the roost. Fellow Britpop artists mentioned in the book include Suede, Pulp, Supergrass and The Charlatans to name a few.
Complete with accounts by Nineties icons including Noel Gallagher and Brett Anderson, While We Were Getting High is a captivating portrait of a decade that put indie British band culture on the map.
Buy now £26.79, Amazon
The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present by Paul McCartney
While the author certainly needs no introduction, his best-selling memoir does. The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present by Sir Paul McCartney is a window into the genius mind of one of the greatest songwriters to come out of the UK.
The book spans seven action-packed decades, from McCartney’s early Liverpudlian upbringing through the journey of The Beatles, Wings and his life’s second act: an esteemed solo career. The autobiography merges revealing commentaries with insights into his relationship with John Lennon, wife Linda and much more.
A must-buy for Beatles fans across the globe.
Buy now £17.68, Amazon
Gold Dust Woman: The Biography of Stevie Nicks by Stephen Davis
The story of Fleetwood Mac continues to enchant music lovers. Shrouded in complex love stories from fall-outs to falling in love, the band’s narrative remains a hot topic of conversation today.
Discover all you need to know from frontwoman Stevie Nicks perspective in Stephen Davis’ memoir. A rock legend celebrated for her hypnotic stage presence, Nicks and her story are closely detailed by Davis in this must-read.
Discover how she and Lindsay Buckingham were asked to join Fleetwood Mac and how they turned the band into stars, as well as all the affairs that led to the band’s greatest songs and albums like Rumors.
Buy now £17.17, Amazon
The Beautiful Ones by Prince
A No.1 New York Times best-seller, The Beautiful Ones by Prince is an autobiographical, coming-of-age tale about one of music’s most celebrated figures.
Featuring never-before-seen images, original scrapbooks and lyric sheets, this moving memoir was penned by the musician before his untimely death in 2016. Allow Prince to guide you across his life from childhood to superstardom, which oversaw the creation of hits such as Purple Rain and Raspberry Beret.
This demystifying read allows a rare insight into Prince’s life and work across the years, and details how his gritty-funk tunes and glittering persona reached icon status.
Buy now £14.80, Amazon
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl
Rock fans, rejoice! Dave Grohl has written a book. Revered for taking grunge into the mainstream with Nirvana before fronting Foo Fighters, Grohl is an undisputed music legend (and perhaps the nicest man in rock).
Read Grohl’s recounting of the wild ride of his stellar career, which bounces from childhood to jamming with Iggy Pop, drumming for Tom Petty and hanging out with Sir Paul McCartney. Epic anecdotes will have you chuckling along or stunned in awe at practically every page.
Buy now £10.99, Waterstones
My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand
There was plenty of hype surrounding Barbra Streisand's highly-anticipated memoir - and for good reason. The Sunday Times Bestselling Autobiography and Music Book of the Year 2023 boasts one thousand pages of exhilarating insights into the star’s life and work. The heavyweight text addresses rumours and misrepresentations of her personal life and career, from nearly missing out on A Star is Born to dating Pierre Trudeau, Omar Sharif and Marlon Brando. Brutally honest retellings of her experience on and off set culminates in an extraordinarily deep memoir, which the New Yorker coined ‘The mother of all memoirs.’
Buy now £23.92, Amazon
The Woman in Me: Britney Spears
As one of the biggest pop performers on the planet, she needs no introduction. But for all the viral moments, sensational headlines and column inches written about Britney Jean Spears, The Woman in Me offers a personal account on her own terms (and written in her characteristic Instagram post style). Despite her well-documented battles, Spears's story is one of power, compassion and optimism. From music-industry misogyny to trauma at the hands of those closest to her plus massive flaws in the American legal system, The Woman in Me serves as a cautionary tale of superstardom.
Buy now £12.50, Amazon
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, Dolly Parton
The legendary country music icon is perhaps as known for her epic back catalogue as she is for the outfits she performs them in. Allowing readers a peek into her wardrobe, Dolly Parton charts her formidable career through the prism of her unique wardrobe with full-colour photos and laugh-out-loud anecdotes. Camp and colourful but no less inspiring, this book is for fans old and young alike.
Buy now £39.99, Waterstones
Morning Glory on the Vine: Early Songs and Drawings by Joni Mitchell
Colour your coffee table with Joni Mitchell’s beautiful offering Morning Glory on the Vine: Early Songs and Drawings.
The perfect flick-through number for slow Sunday afternoons, the illustrative book compiles hundreds of Mitchell’s hand-written lyrics and reproductions of many of her drawings spanning portraits, abstracts, random concertgoers and more.
Originally handcrafted in 1971 as a stunning gift for friends and family, this edition is now available for all to marvel at.
Buy now £12.16, Amazon
How to Listen to Jazz by Ted Gioia
How To Listen To Jazz by award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia is an animated introduction to the colourful world of jazz music.
Readers are spoiled with stories of iconic figures from Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis and accounts of how their innovative sound altered the music world for the better. Lose yourself in a deep dive of jazz history and discover the building blocks of improvisation.
A must-read for those wanting to expand their jazz vocabulary, this book is perfect for beginners wanting to learn everything there is to know about the jazz movement.
Buy now £13.75, Amazon
A Brief History of Classical Music: A Tale of Time, Tonality and Timbre by Arthur Wenk
Musicologist Arthur Wenk offers an extensive guide into the history of classical music in this didactic read. Discover what distinguishes the major periods in music history including Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern, while learning about certain composers’ use of time, tonality and timbre. The perfect pick for beginners wanting to explore classical music in all its glory, A Brief History of Classical Music provides a clear, unique approach to classical musical appreciation.
Buy now £9.82, Amazon
The Vintage Guide to Classical Music: An Indispensable Guide for Understanding and Enjoying Classical Music by Jan Swafford
A chronically ordered, thorough introduction to the world of classical music, Jan Swafford’s forensic offering details all you need to know about the past 500 years of song. From historical deep dives to explorations into classical musicians’ intricate personalities and work,The Vintage Guide to Classical Music covers all corners of the complex genre. Inside, you’ll find chronologically arranged essays on nearly 100 composers, from Guillaume de Machaut to Aaron Copland, that marry biography with detailed analyses of major works and their influence on society.
Buy now £20.99, Amazon
Art of Jazz: A Visual History by Alyn Shipton
Discover the symbiotic relationship between art and jazz in Alyn Shipton’s Art of Jazz: A Visual History. The perfect gift for creative minds, the colourful text explores how jazz infiltrated the art world, influencing album art, posters and promotional photography. Helpfully arranged chronologically, each chapter of this incredible read covers a key period in jazz history, from the early twentieth century to contemporary postmodern jazz.
Buy now £12.37, Amazon
