Twelve songs, seventy-five years and a nation's chart obsessionEvery December, Britain waits for the one chart result that still matters: the Christmas number one. In an age when the singles chart has lost much of its cultural power, the festive top spot remains fiercely contested by pop stars, novelty acts, charity campaigns and the occasional underdog.The Twelve Songs of Christmas tells the story of this uniquely British obsession through a dozen...

‘This is the last great untold story of the beat boom era – and Bob Stanley is the perfect person to tell it. I blazed through it’ Pete Paphides'Bob's book brings alive one of the greatest bands that rock n roll ever gave birth to' Sir Cliff RichardThe definitive biography of one of the most influential UK bands of all time, featuring a foreword by Cliff Richard.This is the first definitive biography of the Shadows,...

The incredible story of the resurrection of Elvis, from 50’s crooner to late 60’s King of Rock n Roll.“Goddard not only knows his Elvis, but deftly weaves in the cultural background of the era.” –MOJOAs 1968 dawns, the once King of rock‘n’roll faces cultural oblivion. While elsewhere the Sixties are swinging, for Elvis they’re sinking– in terrible films, drug addiction, paranoia, religious mania and the mercenary wiles of his psych...

Modern pop began in 1952 when the first British chart was published and the first 7" singles were released. It ended (perhaps) in 1995 when Robson and Jerome reached the top of the charts with the first number one not to be available on vinyl since 1953. The internet age ushered in the death rites of over 40 years of pop.A Complete History Pop describes the journey that leads from 'Rock Around the Clock' to 'Crazy in Love'. Raw, thrilling, surprising and sometimes downrigh...

The prequel to Bob Stanley's universally acclaimed Yeah Yeah Yeah, Let's Do It is the only book that brings together all genres to tell the definitive story of the birth of Pop, from 1900 to the mid-fifties.'An absolute landmark/joy/gossip-fest/door to Narnia: the history of pop music before rock'n'roll. Fascinating. I can't recommend it enough.'CAITLIN MORAN'An encyclopaedic introduction to the fascinating and ofte...

THE LOUDER THAN WAR #1 BOOK OF THE YEARA ROUGH TRADE, THE TIMES, MOJO, UNCUT, THE HERALD BOOK OF THE YEARThis is not a book about a rock band. This is not even a book about Mark E Smith. This is a book about The Fall group - or more precisely, their world.'To 50,000 Fall Fans: please buy this inspired ### inspiring, profound ### provocative, be...

"[Stanley is] as clear-eyed about music as he is crazy in love with it." —Mikael Wood, Los Angeles TimesA monumental work of musical history, Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! traces the story of pop music through songs, bands, musical scenes, and styles from Bill Haley and the Comets’ “Rock around the Clock” (1954) to Beyoncé’s first megahit, “Crazy in Love” (2003). Bob Stanley—himself a musician, music critic, and fan—teases out the connections and tensions tha...

Stud came to the city to seek his fortune--but the innocent country boy soon discovered that he already had the endowment he needed to ensure success with every female he encountered.

A Times Book of the YearA Telegraph Book of the YearA Waterstones Book of the YearA Mojo Music Book of the YearA Classic Pop Book of the YearA Shindig Book of the YearAn Uncut Book of the YearEveryone has their favourite era of the Bee Gees' career, but so much is still ...

Yeah Yeah Yeah is a landmark and addictive work that audaciously charts the entire story of pop music. Unlike other books, it comprehensively covers the genre's history, spanning from the advent of the music charts in the 1950s to the digital transition of the year 2000. It covers an astonishing range of artists, from Billy Fury and Roxy Music to TLC and Britney, including giants like Led Zeppelin and Donna Summer. This book will remind you exactly why you first fell in love with pop.

Pop music didn't begin with the Beatles in 1963, or with Elvis in 1956, or even with the first seven-inch singles in 1949. There was a pre-history that went back to the first recorded music, right back to the turn of the 20th century . . .Let's Do It is the first book to tell the definitive story of the birth of pop, from the invention of the 78 rpm record at the end of the 19th century to the beginnings of rock and the modern pop age. Taking in superstars such as Louis Armstrong, ...

THE LOUDER THAN WAR #1 BOOK OF THE YEARA ROUGH TRADE, THE TIMES, MOJO, UNCUT, THE HERALD BOOK OF THE YEARThis is not a book about a rock band. This is not even a book about Mark E Smith. This is a book about The Fall group - or more precisely, their world.'To 50,000 Fall Fans: please buy this inspired ### inspiring, profound ### provocative, be...