10 books that all music lovers need to read

It's always fun to get a little nerdy about the music we listen to, so for this World Book Day CBC Music decided to put together a list of books every music lover, regardless of musical preference, should read. 

The books listed below explore a range of subjects and styles, from memoirs by Canadian music legends Robbie Robertson and Martha Wainwright, to genre-specific breakdowns on the history of pop and hip-hop, to granular deep dives into music scenes in major cities including Toronto, Montreal and London. 

Happy reading!

Testimony by Robbie Robertson 

Robbie Robertson tells the candid and endearing story of his journey from a kid growing up on Six Nations of the Grand River to becoming an internationally renowned songwriter and guitarist. Testimony is a personal story interwoven with the revolutionary spirit of the '60s and '70s, as Robertson gives readers a behind-the-scenes look into the inner workings of the Band and the making of longstanding hits including "The Weight" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."

Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton 

Dolly Parton is a country music icon and a prolific songwriter whose lyrics have been sung by Whitney Houston, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and more. In Songteller, with the help of music historian and journalist Robert K. Oermann, Parton shares the real-life stories behind 175 of her songs, including "9 to 5," "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You." 

Inner City Pressure: The Story of Grime by Dan Hancox 

As much as Dan Hancox's Inner City Pressure is a study of the rise of grime music and its connection to U.K. garage and jungle, it's also a celebration of the immigrant and working class histories of London. With almost two decades of interviews and research, Hancox is an expert who writes like a best friend letting you into the secret club that led to the rise of artists including Wiley, Skepta and Dizzee Rascal. 

Hearts on Fire: Six Years That Changed Canadian Music by Michael Barclay

Michael Barclay's Hearts on Fire positions the years 2000 to 2005 as pivotal in Canadian music history — the six years when a new generation of independent Canadian music artists made an unprecedented splash on the world stage. Through two decades of research and more than 100 interviews, Barclay spotlights scenes across the country that birthed a new era of artists, with a non-exhaustive list including Broken Social Scene, Arcade Fire, Metric, Blue Rodeo, Tegan and Sara, Peaches, Feist and Alexisonfire.

Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest by Hanif Abdurraqib 

Much has been written over the years about the legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, but nothing as expansive or empathetic as Hanif Abdurraqib's Go Ahead in the Rain. Through his signature blend of poetry and prose, Abdurraqib presents critical essays about ATCQ's approach to production, the connection between jazz and hip-hop, and the rise of the group's members as teens and 20-somethings in 1990s Queens, N.Y., all the while weaving in personal reflections about the magnitude of ATCQ's influence on his own life. 

Dilla Time by Dan Charnas 

Every so often musical geniuses come along who don't get the recognition they deserve while they're alive, and Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm tells the story of one such unsung hero. An inspiration to the likes of Michael and Janet Jackson, Questlove, Madlib, Kanye West and more, J Dilla's legacy lives well beyond his 32 short years, and Dan Charnas's book is both a biography and textbook that teaches readers to see music composition through the virtuoso's eyes. 

Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop by Danyel Smith

In Shine Bright, award-winning journalist Danyel Smith argues that pop music is America's greatest cultural export, and that Black women have always been at the forefront of that movement. Smith creates a timeline going back to the country's founding of all the Black women who had a role in shaping the pop landscape, from an enslaved singer named Phillis Wheathley to Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin and Mariah Carey. 

Bedroom Rapper by Rollie Pemberton 

With the recent release of Cadence Weapon's latest album, Rollercoaster, it's the perfect time to revisit the rapper and writer née Rollie Pemberton's 2022 book, Bedroom Rapper: Cadence Weapon on Hip-Hop, Resistance and Surviving the Music Industry. While tracing his journey as an artist, Pemberton gives readers an insider look into hip-hop scenes across continents and time periods, from '70s New York to '90s Edmonton to early 2000s Montreal. 

The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan 

Across 66 essays in The Philosophy of Modern Song, Bob Dylan provides insights on popular music cultivated over six decades as a songwriter. Looking at 80 years of music released between 1924 and 2004, Dylan expertly — and sometimes comically — explores what makes or breaks a song. Some of the singers and bands whose music get the Dylan treatment are Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Nina Simone, Judy Garland, Ray Charles and the Who. 

Stories I Might Regret Telling You by Martha Wainwright 

Martha Wainwright's Stories I Might Regret Telling You is rife with candour that mirrors the singer-songwriter's defiant lyricism. A member of the illustrious Canadian music family that includes Kate McGarrigle (her mother), Loudon Wainwright III (her father) and Rufus Wainwright (her brother), Martha was charged with finding her own path. Her memoir chronicles stories of her childhood, love and loss (the bedrock of many great songs), as well as motherhood, divorce and her journey navigating the music industry.