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If you loved
Books like The Rest Is Noise
A sweeping, symphonic journey through the turbulent twentieth century, heard through the brilliant and chaotic music it produced. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with The Rest Is Noise.
- intellectual
- immersive
- turbulent
- awe-inspiring
- 01
The history of jazz
Ted Gioia · 1997
An immersive, brilliantly portrayed journey through the breakthrough styles and legendary figures of a defining musical era.
- 02
How Music Works
David Byrne
An expansive, deeply curious exploration of how physical spaces, technology, and human nature collaborate to create the sounds that move us.
- 03
A history of western music
Donald J. Grout · 1960
A monumental, scholarly journey through the centuries of sound that shaped the Western world.
- 04
What to Listen for in Music
Aaron Copland
A warm, illuminating masterclass that transforms passive hearing into active, joyful listening.
- 05
Mood Machine
Liz Pelly
An unsparing, deeply researched look behind the curtain of modern music consumption that will permanently alter how you hear your favorite playlists.
- 06
Postwar
Tony Judt · 2005
A magisterial, sweeping journey through the ashes of a shattered continent as it painstakingly rebuilds its identity and its borders.
- 07
Natasha's Dance
Orlando Figes
A sweeping, deeply textured journey into the soul of a nation, told through the artists, peasants, and dreamers who shaped it.
- 08
The Enjoyment of Music
Kristine Forney and Joseph Machlis
An academic yet accessible journey that transforms passive hearing into active, enlightened listening.
- 09
This Is Your Brain on Music
Daniel J. Levitin
A backstage pass to the neuroscience of your favorite playlist, revealing why a simple melody can make you weep or dance.
- 10
Perfecting Sound Forever
Greg Milner
A fascinating, century-spanning exploration of how technology has shaped the very nature of what we hear and believe to be real.
- 11
The new Rolling Stone album guide
Nathan Brackett
An authoritative and immersive deep-dive into the sounds, personalities, and enduring legacies of contemporary popular music.
- 12
The song machine
John Seabrook
A backstage pass into the hyper-engineered, psychologically manipulative, and endlessly fascinating factory of modern pop music.
