11 Stellar Music Biographies and Memoirs

A legendary friendship is told through song in this revelatory music biography about John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The Beatles were nothing short of a cultural phenomenon — and John and Paul’s singular musical partnership was central to the band’s success. Yet their bond was far from simple. Indeed, the intricate relationship they shared often served a catalyst for the group’s complex and impassioned music. Tracing their love story through the music they made together, Ian Leslie presents a myth-shattering new portrait of the iconic duo. “Fans will love this fresh, insightful approach to the band” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

It was summertime in late-’60s New York City, and two young artists were falling in love. Just Kids tells the story of Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe as they carouse through the city at a time of rock ’n’ roll, poetry, and sexual and political transformation. A National Book Award winner, Just Kids is as much a love story as it is a portrait of an era.

If you know rock ’n’ roll, you know the Rolling Stones. In this stunning autobiography, Stones guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Keith Richards shares his memories of the rollicking road to fame with all of its highs and lows. From falling in love and fighting with Mick Jagger to the perils of addiction and composing eternal guitar riffs, Life gives you just what you want from a rock star’s story.

Musical genius Miles Davis steps out from behind his instrument in Miles: The Autobiography. The iconic jazz trumpeter and bandleader delves into his extraordinary musical career, offering unflinching details about the racism he faced both in and out of the industry, how he overcame addiction, and the women he loved. More than anything, Miles is about the music Davis made and the extraordinary players with whom he shared a stage.

Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon opens up in her bestselling memoir, Girl in a Band. Underground artists were on the rise in the 1980s and ’90s, and New York’s Sonic Youth was taking off. The group’s distinctive blend of dissonance and beauty propelled Gordon into the limelight for a generation of young women. In Girl in a Band, she shares the many facets of her life — as an artist, a mother, and an iconic woman on the stage of rock ’n’ roll.

Named a Book of the Year by NPR, Rolling Stone, The Telegraph, and more, Faith, Hope, and Carnage offers an intimate look at Nick Cave and his inner worl. Culled from more than 40 hours of conversation between Cave and journalist Seán O’Hagan, this unique music biography explores grief, love, art, and music with an honesty as raw and profound as Cave’s songs.

An instant #1 New York Times bestseller, Me by Elton John is the superstar’s official autobiography. When John hit the scene with his sensational outfits, larger-than-life performances, and extraordinary vocal prowess, he changed music forever. With an open and heartfelt voice, he chronicles the rejections of his early career, his rocket to fame, the dangers of success, and finding the love of his life. Me is a roller coaster of a story from an icon of the stage.

Britney Spears speaks for herself in her bestselling music memoir, The Woman in Me. The pop icon has been in the spotlight since childhood, from her early years on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club to her chart-topping musical career in the late 1990s and early 2000s, enduring relentless media scrutiny and paparazzi pressure. Finally, after decades of being spoken for, she tells her own story.

A powerhouse talent, singer–songwriter Sinéad O'Connor lived a life of fearless authenticity. In Rememberings, she recounts her difficult childhood in an abusive home, connecting to the power of song through a Bob Dylan record, and the rock star successes and controversies she faced in the ’80s and ’90s. Intimate and honest, O’Connor’s must-read memoir is “full of heart, humor, and remarkable generosity” (The Guardian).

Mo’ Meta Blues is a music memoir and then some by Grammy Award winner Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. The virtuoso drummer, producer, and TV bandleader shares his experiences growing up in 1970s West Philly, coming up in the industry with his band, The Roots, and grappling with post-modern blues. Alongside his own story and anecdotes about sharing the stage with Prince and Stevie Wonder, Questlove delves into hip-hop and the state of the genre as well as its critics in a dazzling narrative you won’t soon forget.

In his “astonishing” (Vanity Fair) music memoir, Bruce Springsteen shares his story. From his Catholic upbringing in New Jersey and cutting his teeth at bars in Asbury Park to his staggering rise to fame, Springsteen puts it all on the page with his signature storytelling skills and rock ’n’ roll lyricism. Rich and wide-ranging, just like his legendary marathon concerts, Born to Run is yet another excellent performance from The Boss.