HOT SUMMER JAMS is all about pop music that celebrates warm weather, getaways to the beach, travel to exotic locations, sex, romance and the joy of fun in the sun. The lyrics and melodies of these songs are a reflection of our passionate connection to the summer season and the art of escaping the everyday. HOT SUMMER JAMS features critiques of over 500 American and international pop songs released between 1975 and 2005. Some directly reference summer themes or suggest travel and tropical p...

Beginning early in the 1980s, dance-pop music artists in Europe and the UK ignited a high energy firestorm that burned across international borders. As exciting new beats flooded radio airwaves and filled the clubs, a generation of hitmakers got the world on its feet and brought people together as never before. In this book of original interviews, 33 celebrated singers, songwriters, producers and industry professionals who reached the top of the European, British and American charts during...

The 1990s produced some of the greatest artists and hits in dance music history. And the decade was among the genre's most successful in terms of energy, sales and global popularity. In this retrospective, 29 singers, songwriters, producers, DJs and industry professionals who enjoyed stardom on the club circuit and on pop radio candidly discuss their careers.Interviewed artists include Richard and Fred Fairbrass of Right Said Fred ("I'm Too Sexy"), Nicki French ("Total Eclipse of t...

Dance music has seen an unprecedented explosion in the 21st century as a stampede of subgenres, such as dance pop and EDM (electronic dance music), have come to define the pop music scene worldwide. In this collection of original interviews, 33 hitmakers from 11 countries discuss their lives and careers in this still-unfolding new age--including Alcazar's Andreas Lundstedt, Dave Aude, Bart & Baker, Bimbo Jones, Chris Cox, Darude, Inaya Day, Deepend, Freemasons, D.O.N.S./Warp Brothers' Oliv...

In this candid retrospective of the disco era, 40 men and women who reigned over the dance music industry of the 1970s and 1980s recall their lives and careers before, during and after the genre's explosion. Artists interviewed include Alfa Anderson, formerly of Chic ("Good Times"); Ed Cermanski and Robert Upchurch of The Trammps ("Disco Inferno"); Sarah Dash ("Sinner Man"); producer John Davis ("Ain't That Enough for You"); Janice Marie Johnson of A Taste of Honey ("Boogie Oogie Oogie"); ...

The female vocalists who pioneered the disco genre in the '70s and early '80s were an extraordinarily talented group who dazzled the world with an exciting blend of elegance, soulful passion and gutsy fire. In this book of original interviews, 32 of these women tell their stories, explaining how they view their music, careers, connection to gay audiences, and their places in dance music history.Interviewed artists include: The Andrea True Connection; Claudja Barry; Pattie Brooks; M...

Beginning early in the 1980s, a dance music revolution swept across Europe and Britain, merging rock, new wave, disco and worldbeat sounds. The resulting explosion of high-energy, increasingly electronic dance-pop caused a sensation worldwide.In this book of original interviews, 32 of the era's most celebrated artists, producers and industry professionals discuss their lives and careers: Thomas Anders (Modern Talking's "You're My Heart, You're My Soul"), Pete Burns (Dead or Alive's...

What links Lead Belly, Lonnie Donegan and Black Betty? Whose gravestoneinspired Phil Spector's first hit? And for which song did Johnny Rotten replace the singer from Def Leppard?The rich history of popular music is built on a foundation of classic songs. From Tin Pan Alley to the Brill Building, Bob Dylan to Kurt Cobain, and Joni Mitchell to Amy Winehouse, gifted songwriters have crafted a cherished body of music that has become part of our...

"You have to bear in mind that [Questlove] is one of the smartest motherf*****s on the planet. His musical knowledge, for all practical purposes, is limitless." --Robert ChristgauA punch-drunk memoir in which Everyone's Favorite Questlove tells his own story while tackling some of the lates, the greats, the fakes, the philosophers, the heavyweights, and the true originals of the music world. He digs deep into the album cuts of his life and unearths some pivotal moments in black art...

"An utterly satisfying examination of the business of popular music." —Nathaniel Rich, The AtlanticThere’s a reason today’s ubiquitous pop hits are so hard to ignore—they’re designed that way. The Song Machine goes behind the scenes to offer an insider’s look at the global hit factories manufacturing the songs that have everyone hooked. Full of vivid, unexpected characters—alongside industry heavy-hitters like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Max Martin, and ...

An entertaining trivia compendium flush with fun facts about all things music.From boogie-woogie to Beethoven, from Prince to Pavarotti, from the bards of Broadway to the rebels of rock 'n' roll—it's all here. Uncle John has created this harmonious collection of tuneful tales for music lovers everywhere.Uncle John has proven once again that he is in tune with our legion of loyal readers. This 516-page musical masterpiece dedicated to all things noteworthy r...

"A winning look at the stories behind 45 pop, punk, folk, soul and country classics" in the words of Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper and more ( The Washington Post).Every great song has a fascinating backstory. And here, writer and music historian Marc Myers brings to life five decades of music through oral histories of forty-five era-defining hits woven from interviews with the artists who created them, including such legendary tunes as the Isley...