We've all slipped into internet rabbit holes about our favorite songs, singers, and performances. Music can bind to our life moments, marrying melody to memory and imbuing that song or that band with impossible-to-explain meaning. For that reason, music—and the people who create it—can carry a mysterious magic: How did somebody just come up with the soundtrack to our summer, breakup, graduation, relationship?
To help answer that question, countless books have sprouted to explore the kaleidoscopic nature of music, its performers, and the people who love both. Like wading through an artist’s B-sides, there's plenty to dig into, depending on how niche you're willing to get. Below, we've compiled a starter reading list for music lovers, no matter your genre of choice. From novels about super fans and front-door girls to biographies about living icons and memories that spill the story behind the songs, these books belong in any music lover's library.
