Music

18 November, 1741. George Frideric Handel, one of the world's greatest composers, arrives in Dublin - the second city of the Empire - to prepare his masterpiece, Messiah, for its...

In SCAR TISSUE Anthony Kiedis, charismatic and highly articulate frontman of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, recounts his remarkable life story, and the history of the band itself. Raised in...

In 1989, a young Michael Ball landed the lead role in the musical Aspects of Love. It was a moment that changed his life forever. It was the first time...

'A whopping biography of the pop phenomenon and queen of reinvention. Life is a mystery - hers oughtn't to be after reading this.' THE TIMES, ' biggest books for autumn''A...

THE SUNDAY TIMES MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEARA DAILY TELEGRAPH BEST MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEARA TELEGRAPH BEST MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEARA NEW STATESMAN BEST BOOK OF THE YEARFaith,...

Adventures in Wonderland is an extraordinary true life story, giving the most brilliant insights ever into the fascinating, often exhilarating – and sometimes emotionally devastating – world of contemporary music...

The Philosophy of Modern Song is Bob Dylan's first book of new writing since 2004's Chronicles: Volume One - and since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. Dylan,...

'The rock memoir of the decade' Daily Mail'The rock star's gloriously entertaining and candid memoir is a gift to the reader' Sunday TimesIn his first and only official autobiography, music...

The long-awaited memoir of Booker T. Jones, leader of the famed Stax Records house band, architect of the Memphis soul sound, and one of the most legendary figures in music....

'Mike Heron, as part of the Incredible String Band, changed the way I looked at music. Read it!' Billy Connolly'Mike Heron's lyrics always sparkled with wit and warmth and his...

She recorded and performed with stars like Billie Jo Spears, Ray Lynam, Foster and Allen, Charley Pride, Big Tom and Brian Coll, shared festival line-ups with Tammy Wynette, Glen Campbell,...

'Almost as miraculous as the songs it exists to celebrate.' PETE PAPHIDES'The only ABBA book that the world will ever need.' TONY PARSONS'Writing perfection on musical perfection: book heaven.' CAITLIN...

You will hear a Nile Rodgers song today. It will make you happy. Legendary producer and co-founder of Chic, Nile wrote 'We are Family' for Sister Sledge and 'I'm Coming...

A deeply personal and powerful memoir from beloved music icon Neneh Cherry.'Neneh is cool, Neneh is wise, Neneh is a legend. Her memoir is a treasure. I loved it.' ZADIE...

Chances are you ve seen the numerous iconic pictures by legendary rock photographer Lynn Goldsmith. A key staple of the music world, Goldsmith has photographed every important rock musician of...

'Essential reading' RECORD COLLECTOR'Darcus Beese is a formidable cat' CHUCK D'An inspiration' ANNIE LENNOXThe must-read memoir from Darcus Beese - the first black president of Island Records and one of...

The music industry is one of the most exciting, glamorous and fun places you could ever work in. It's also a fiercely competitive world, both for jobseekers and those already...

A name synonymous with ground-breaking music, Tony Visconti has worked with the most dynamic and influential names in pop, from T.Rex and Iggy Pop to David Bowie and U2. This...

Strum it like Satriani and pluck it like Page! Breaking new ground with an all-visual approach to mastering the guitar, this is the most comprehensive playing manual ever devised. From...

'It ain't where you're from, it's where you're at'. "Where You're At: Notes from the Frontline of a Hip Hop Planet" is an examination of the world-wide hip hop phenomenon....

An Independent Best Non-Fiction Book for 2024 Celebrated music critic Ann Powers explores the life and career of the legendary Joni Mitchell What you are about to read is not...

This book is inspired by true events but is not a biography.The truth is My Truth is not The Truth, and that's as honest as I can be. It's partially...

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'A unique and thoughtful musical memoir' Observer'Gritty coming-of-age story . . . plenty of anecdotes to keep us hooked, and his memories of Joy Division's Ian Curtis...

Founding member and guitarist of Joy Division and the lead singer of New Order, Bernard Sumner has been famous over the years for his reticence. Until now... An integral part...

COWBOYS AND INDIES is the story of the 'record men' - the mavericks and moguls who have shaped the music industry from the first sound machines of the 1850s through...

With words by Ed Sheeran and illustrations by his childhood friend, artist Phillip Butah (who produces artwork for Sheeran's albums and singles), and accompanying photos, Ed Sheeran: A Visual Journey...

Fearlessly jump and fall into the world of Taylor Swift with this illustrated appreciation of her music by Swiftian Theory co-founder Satu Hameenaho-Fox.This is the book for all Swifties of...

Eminem is currently the world's biggest and most controversial music star. He has been blasted for what many of his critics regard as overtly homophobic and misogynistic lyrics, and resented...

Few people rode the popular wave of the sixties quite like Tara Browne. One of Swinging London's most popular faces, he lived fast, died young and was immortalized for ever...

Tax & Drugs & Rock'n'Roll is the story of how an influx of British pop stars in the early 1980s was a significant catalyst in the miraculous transformation of Ireland...

The inside story of The Cure'Beautifully realised' Irish TimesComing of age in Thatcher's Britain in the late 70s and early 80s was really tough, especially if you lived in Crawley....

The Chieftains have become international superstars as well as being an institution in Folk Music. They have performed and recorded with such stars such as Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The...

Peter Doherty's is the last of the great rock 'n' roll stories - bad boy and public enemy. To his devoted fans, he is a cult hero, a modern-day Rimbaud....

Popoff turns the microphone outward to an assembled panel of Lizzy scholars and devotees. Together, the moderator and his brain trust deconstruct each of Thin Lizzy's 12 studio albums and...

Ireland s love affair with the Eurovision began with the National Song Contest in 1965, when Brendan Bowyer and Dickie Rock participated. Over the past fifty years, no country has...

Since she signed her first professional contract at the age of sixteen, Shirley Bassey has become one of the most prestigious singers of her time. Her work has inspired and...

The New York Times bestselling memoir from the legendary Gucci Mane spares no detail in this "cautionary tale that ends in triumph" (GQ). For the first time Gucci Mane tells...

Iconic drummer Stephen Morris presses play once more to the tune of the long-awaited second volume of memoirs . . .Poised on the brink of success, the dizzying heights of...

By the time he was forty, Lorenzo Da Ponte had been a poet, priest, lover and libertine, a friend of Casanova, collaborator then enemy of Salieri, and ultimately the librettist...

In partnership with lyricist Bill Martin, Phil Coulter has composed a number of global hits, including Puppet on a String (for Sandie Shaw), Congratulations (Cliff Richard), Shang-A-Lang (Bay City Rollers),...

Kenneth MacMillan's ballets are in constant demand by world-famous companies, particularly Romeo and Juliet, Manon and Mayerling. However, MacMillan was tormented by an acute sense of being an outsider, and...

Bob Dylan's impact on popular music has been incalculable. Having transformed staid folk music into a vehicle for coruscating social commentary, he then swept away the romantic platitudes of rock...

Explosive autobiography of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver bass guitarist Duff McKaganDuff McKagan was a co-founder of Guns N' Roses, with a 13-year tenure on bass in what was...

This is the combined life story of Mick Foster and Tony Allen, revealing how these most unlikely of stars toured the world and entered the record books. A charming narrative...

The all new, must-read memoir by legendary Kinks guitarist Dave Davies'BOOK OF THE DAY' - Guardian'This powerful tell-all from the Kinks guitarist puts the spotlight on his own bad behaviour,...