Recs if you like How Music Works...

i'm obsessed with explorations and extrapolations of music in nonfiction, both under a microscope of a certain band and the broader lens of a genre or culture. all of these books read to me or seem to be reviewed as love letters to the sounds they explore, from the personal to the historical. the digital to the physical (just like the books themselves!) mainly this is inspired by my hero hanif abdurraqib, who does it all with a poet's heart 🎧💓

This list is for books about understanding music in so many ways! From history to theory to neuroscience to philosophy, this list can offer a comprehensive guide to understanding music. Currently has a lot of books on Black Americans and their influences on modern music.

A mash-up of two of the most wonderful things in life books and music! 😌 A collection of non-fiction from biographies, genre histories, and social and pop histories. These are going to be unfortunately skewed toward my taste and those artists who I have knowledge of and/or admire. So recommend me artists you know!! (As long as they aren’t “problematic” ie, Michael Jackson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, etc.)

from fiction to memoirs and everything in between, all of these books were written by (mostly recognizable) musicians!

As always, recommendations for additional titles are super appreciated! 🫶🏻

I've been addicted to watching Smosh all summer, here is a list of the casts and crew's favorite books from the Shayne Guesses video ;p I haven't read like... any of these.

books I’m reading to prep for my masters !! <3

Non-fiction books on music and culture that I’ve read (….or need to read) for my PhD in music cognition.

books about music & its social aspects that I want to read (excluding biographies), but lots of suggestions aren't on pb yet! note: v much american-focused

“Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.”

We met in the wild and made a book club about it, and now it’s everybody’s problem