Best Seller Biographies of Music Stars
1. Louise Wener – Different For Girls: My True Life Adventures In Pop (2010)
The first half of this book is predominantly Wener describing her life before fame and what it was like growing up in the suburbs in the 80s vs 90s. She talks about her experiences with Top of The Pops and mentions famous music stars that she toured with, such as Elvis Costello. Many comments are made on the Britpop era which is particularly interesting coming from an insider pop star perspective. Wener is very honest and upfront throughout and opens up about the areas she believed that she lacked talent. And also about all of the band’s adventures, including the alcohol abuse, drug-taking etc. This book communicates the realities of being a pop star during this time and an inside view into the music industry.
2. David Buckley – Strange Fascination: David Bowie – The Definitive Story (1999)
The world-renowned English singer-songwriter superstar David Bowie sadly passed away in 2016. Shortly after, Buckley decided to pay tribute to him with this biography. He is unquestionably a ”superfan” who shares knowledge of all details of Bowie’s music career. It takes you on a journey through each decade of Bowie’s career with in-depth descriptions of each iconic performance. He thanks Bowie for how he’s shaped the music industry forever and changed fans lives with his unique style and image. And teaching them to never be afraid to stand out from the crowd! Bowie fans claim that it’s the best Bowie biography ever written!
3. Ian MacDonald – Revoution In The Head: The Beatles’ Records And The Sixties (1994)
If you’re a Beatles fan (who isn’t), then you’ll definitely want to get your hands on a copy of this book. It gives in-depth details of how, why and when each famous Beatles track was recorded. Including their most famous hits! such as I Want to Hold Your Hand (1964), All You Need is Love (1967), Hey Jude (1968) and Here Comes The Sun (1969). It features an informative essay on how The Beatles music changed and shaped music culture. It’s not just an examination of The Beatles song releases but also the culture in the 1960s. And then compares to the popular music since!
4. Mark Lewisohn – The Beatles: All These Years Volume One – Tune In (2013)
This is also a book for The Beatles fans! Many argue that Mark Lewisohn has written the best Beatles biography because his opinions are more informed and less biased than other authors. Lewisohn is trusted on his accounts of many information given about The Beatles lives. This is because he has constructed hundreds of interviews about the full story of the work and lives of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. It dives deep into each man’s childhood and upbringing to discover the real identity behind each man in the band. And also entails the band’s adventures around the world touring and what they entailed! As well as the stories behind some of their most famous songs.
5. Travis Barker – Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums (2015)
This book unravels his rags-to-riches story and the struggles he faced throughout his life. In particular, it focuses on a plane crash that occurred in 2008 in Columbia that almost took his life. It explains how the crash changed his perspective and pushed him forward in his career. It’s honest, vulnerable but also entertaining. He doesn’t hide from any of his mistakes and past troubles and even includes others opinions of him. From his past colleagues to his ex-wife (Shanna Moakler) to friends. All in their own handwriting so no alterations were made! It gives an enlightening insight into how he proceeded to become so successful in the industry despite the many unfortunate events he faced.