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the Story of Pop Music From Bill Haley to Beyoncé
Jul 08, 2015lukasevansherman rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Usually when someone writes a book about pop music they focus on a particular artist (Iggy Pop, Kurt Cobain), a particular genre (punk, hip-hop), or a particular period (NYC in the 70s, Seattle in the 90s). Pop music is so big and so splintered, that few people attempt a comprehensive history anymore. Someone didn't tell Bob Stanley, who plays in the indie band Saint Etienne. As the subtitle indicates, Stanley goes all in with this spirited, opinionated, wide-ranging, and very funny book. Everyone will find something to argue about, but also find new insights to familiar artists. Stanley is like a guy who run into at a party who turns out to know everything about every band ever. It could be annoying, but Stanley is a highly entertaining guide, as he moves from punk to indie to reggae to hip-hop to techno and more. This book is a far more successful version of Greil Marcus's recent snooze-fest "A History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs." One of the best music books in recent memory. I hope he writes another. "Bob Marley was as niche-marketed and musically simplified as the Bay City Rollers."