Monday, June 3, 2024

Major Labels

Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres by Kelefa Sanneh (2021) 496 pages

This has been on my reading list for a couple years, so I moved it to the top when I saw the Rhythm & Books book group was reading it. I did not finish it in time for the discussion, but I did enjoy it. I learned a lot. The Rock, R&B, and Country chapters were very informative and the most like a broad history. The author was a big fan of Punk and Hip-Hop, so those chapters switch to a more first-person point of view. Then the chapters on Dance music and Pop music are much shorter. Through the author's record store job as a teen, to his college radio DJ experience, to his work as a music critic for a couple different newspapers he shows how deeply he understands the business and art of popular music. The research and analysis is fascinating. My reading pace was a bit slow getting through it, but it could have been even slower if I stopped to make or find a playlist for all the songs mentioned.
 

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