Publisher Description

Songs that sell the most copies become hits, but some of those hits become something more - iconic recordings that not only inspire a generation but also alter the direction of music. In this follow-up to his classic Anatomy of a Song, writer and music historian Marc Myers tells the stories behind fifty-five more rock, pop, R Joan Jett remembers channeling her rage against how she had been unfairly labeled and treated into 'Bad Reputation' and Ozzy Osbourne, Elvis Costello, Bob Weir, Sheryl Crow, Alice Cooper, Roberta Flack, John Mellencamp, Keith Richards, Carly Simon and many others reveal the emotions and technique behind their major works.

Author Biography

Marc Myers is a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal, where he writes about jazz, rock and soul, as well as the arts. He is the author of Rock Concert, Anatomy of a Song and Why Jazz Happened.

Table of Contents

1: Walk On By DIONNE WARWICK 2: Dancing in the Street MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS 3: Sunshine Superman DONOVAN 4: Good Vibrations THE BEACH BOYS 5: Up, Up and Away THE 5TH DIMENSION 6: Get Together THE YOUNGBLOODS 7: The Weight THE BAND 8: Fire THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN 9: Bad Moon Rising CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL 10: Crystal Blue Persuasion TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHONDELLS 11: Ain't No Mountain High Enough DIANA ROSS 12: Paranoid BLACK SABBATH 13: Truckin' GRATEFUL DEAD 8 14: I'm Eighteen ALICE COOPER 15: Bang a Gong (Get It On) T. REX 16: Roundabout YES 17: Doctor My Eyes JACKSON BROWNE 18: Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress THE HOLLIES 19: Rocket Man ELTON JOHN 20: I'll Be Around THE SPINNERS 21: Papa Was a Rollin' Stone THE TEMPTATIONS 22: Killing Me Softly with His Song ROBERTA FLACK 23: Smoke on the Water DEEP PURPLE 24: Hello It's Me TODD RUNDGREN 1 25: She's Gone HALL & OATES 26: Come and Get Your Love REDBONE 27: Sundown GORDON LIGHTFOOT 28: Why Can't We Be Friends? WAR 29: I'm Not in Love 10CC 30: Love Is the Drug ROXY MUSIC 31: The Boys Are Back in Town THIN LIZZY 32: Fly Like an Eagle STEVE MILLER BAND 33: Year of the Cat AL STEWART 34: Go Your Own Way FLEETWOOD MAC 35: Barracuda HEART 36: Nobody Does It Better CARLY SIMON 37: Peg STEELY DAN 38: My Best Friend's Girl THE CARS 39: The Gambler KENNY ROGERS 40: September EARTH, WIND & FIRE 41: What a Fool Believes THE DOOBIE BROTHERS 42: Accidents Will Happen ELVIS COSTELLO 43: The Devil Went Down to Georgia THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND 44: Good Times CHIC 45: Highway to Hell AC/DC 46: Cars GARY NUMAN 47: On the Radio DONNA SUMMER 48: Bad Reputation JOAN JETT 49: Rapture BLONDIE 50: Don't Stop Believin' JOURNEY 51: Come On Eileen DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS 52: Steppin' Out JOE JACKSON 53: Burning Down the House TALKING HEADS 54: The Power of Love HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS 55: Small Town JOHN MELLENCAMP 56: Take It So Hard KEITH RICHARDS 57: Being Boring PET SHOP BOYS 58: If It Makes You Happy SHERYL CROW

Review

Myers has a knack for capturing the artistry of songwriting and easily shows why these tracks are "iconic but not tired." This melodic collection will strike a chord with music fans. * Publishers Weekly *
Myers adds important context by interviewing and extensively quoting the principal artists, composers, and producers. Especially recommended for collections where the first book found favor. * Booklist *
Insightful...Pop-music fans of a certain age will enjoy this collection and might even use it as a playlist. * Library Journal *
Myers does a fine job of getting behind the hits...With snippets of business, creativity, techno-wizardry, and raw emotion, a pleasure for music fans. * Kirkus Reviews *
A treasure trove of music trivia between hard covers... [A] splendid volume. * Guardian on ANATOMY OF A SONG *
[T]he anecdotes give flesh to the meaning of the lyrics. Musical influences that get passed from artist to artist are equally fascinating - and often surprising... Myers' book is big-fun forensic musicology. * Mojo on ANATOMY OF A SONG *
A winning look at the stories behind 45 pop, punk, folk, soul and country classics. * Washington Post on ANATOMY OF A SONG *
A cultural history of the elusive hit single, focused on artists' recollections and studio alchemy . . . The book's strength lies in thoughtful, wry reflections from artists including Elvis Costello, Jimmy Cliff, Stevie Wonder, Booker T. Jones, Dr. John, and Debbie Harry. An entertaining record of the soundtrack of the baby boomer era. * Kirkus Reviews on ANATOMY OF A SONG *

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