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Book Riot's 50 Must-Read Books About Music

"Have you ever been asked, on a first date or by someone who is trying to carry a conversation with you, but can't, "Do you like music?" How do you answer that? "What kind of monster doesn't like music?" No? Too much? Makes sense. Much better to launch into a story about one of these 50 must-read books about music. Here's the thing, though: everyone does like music! That's why we compiled this list of 50 must-read books about music."
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High Fidelity (Nick Hornby)
High Fidelity
1
Nick Hornby
Jazz (Toni Morrison)
Jazz
2
Toni Morrison
The Commitments (Roddy Doyle)
The Commitments
3
Roddy Doyle
Coming Through Slaughter (Michael Ondaatje)
Coming Through Slaughter
4
Michael Ondaatje
Love in Vain: A Vision of Robert Johnson (Alan Greenberg)
Love in Vain: A Vision of Robert Johnson
5
Alan Greenberg
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
The Great Gatsby
6
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Bel Canto (Ann Pratchett)
Bel Canto
7
Ann Pratchett
Nocturnes (Kazuo Ishiguro)
Nocturnes
8
Kazuo Ishiguro
A Visit From the Goon Squad (Jennifer Egan)
A Visit From the Goon Squad
9
Jennifer Egan
Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)
Invisible Man
10
Ralph Ellison
An Equal Music (Vikram Seth)
An Equal Music
11
Vikram Seth
Station Eleven (Emily St John Mandel)
Station Eleven
12
Emily St John Mandel
The Fortress of Solitude (Jonathan Lethem)
The Fortress of Solitude
13
Jonathan Lethem
Doctor Faustus (Thomas Mann)
Doctor Faustus
14
Thomas Mann
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (Oscar Hijuelos)
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love
15
Oscar Hijuelos
Dancer (Colum McCann)
Dancer
16
Colum McCann
The Vampire Lestat (Anne Rice)
The Vampire Lestat
17
Anne Rice
Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell)
Cloud Atlas
18
David Mitchell
The Ground Beneath Her Feet (Salman Rushdie)
The Ground Beneath Her Feet
19
Salman Rushdie
Cavedweller (Dorothy Allison)
Cavedweller
20
Dorothy Allison
Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King (Lloyd Bradley)
Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King
21
Lloyd Bradley
The Force of Listening (Lucia Farinati & Claudia Firth)
The Force of Listening
22
Lucia Farinati & Claudia Firth
Personal Stereo (Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow)
Personal Stereo
23
Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow
Autobiography of Gucci Mane (Mane)
Autobiography of Gucci Mane
24
Mane
Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music (Ann Powers)
Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music
25
Ann Powers
How Music Works (David Byrne)
How Music Works
26
David Byrne
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain (Oliver Sacks)
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
27
Oliver Sacks
Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Peter Guralnick)
Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley
28
Peter Guralnick
Miles: The Autobiography (Miles Davis With Quincy Troupe)
Miles: The Autobiography
29
Miles Davis With Quincy Troupe
Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation (Jeff Chang)
Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation
30
Jeff Chang
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (Richard Cook and Brian Morton)
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings
31
Richard Cook and Brian Morton
Decoded (Jay-Z and Dream Hampton)
Decoded
32
Jay-Z and Dream Hampton
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession
33
Rock She Wrote: Women Write About Rock, Pop, and Rap (Evelyn Mcdonnell and Ann Powers)
Rock She Wrote: Women Write About Rock, Pop, and Rap
34
Evelyn Mcdonnell and Ann Powers
Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye (David Ritz)
Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye
35
David Ritz
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us (Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib)
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us
36
Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib
The Art of Asking (Amanda Palmer)
The Art of Asking
37
Amanda Palmer
The Music of Black Americans: A History (Eileen Southern)
The Music of Black Americans: A History
38
Eileen Southern
Blues People: Negro Music in White America (Leroi Jones)
Blues People: Negro Music in White America
39
Leroi Jones
How Music Got Free (Stephen Witt)
How Music Got Free
40
Stephen Witt
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