Best books about music from memoirs to historical deep dives
Attempting to sum up the best books about music is a near-impossible task. Like trying to rank the most prolific artists to ever walk the Earth, there are simply too many options to choose from. Yet, here we are, with a (highly subjective) swing at it.
Music is the most universal form of artistic expression. Unlike fine art or film which often requires context to be enjoyed to the full, music is an accessible creative vehicle for all to engage with, whether you’re a Swiftie or die-hard Metallica fan.
Nietzsche argued that music was the purest form of expression as melody appeals directly to a person’s instinctive, chaotic emotions and not to their rational, reasoning mind. In this way, music is escapist, but it can also mirror our feelings with more clarity than anything else. Listen to Joni Mitchell after a breakup and you’ll know what we mean - hits the nail on the head every time.
The universal pull of music has sparked centuries of discussion. The Ancient Greeks began penning musical intervals, a fact proven by aand , and 2016 witnessed the birth of TikTok which forever changed the charts system. Music is at the very core of global culture.
