October has become the unofficial month to celebrate rock, pop, and rap new releases and performances. Join us as we read through a current selection of books about the people, locations, and genres that make Rocktober so special. This list was made by a librarian at the Seattle Public Library. (September 2024)
60 Songs That Explain the '90s
The Ringer staff writer Harvilla debuts with a fun and freewheeling look back at the music of the 1990s. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View 60 Songs That Explain the '90sJimi
Legions of Jimi Hendrix fans will enjoy this lushly illustrated tribute. Recommended for all popular-music collections. (Library Journal)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View JimiLong Road
A comprehensive look from the perspective of a devoted (if not sometimes concerned) fan, this book is organized like Hyden's favorite Pearl Jam mixtape, into chapters corresponding to a specific song and then elaborating from there, taking the reader to many fascinating, surprising places that aren’t well-known about the Seattle icons. (Spin Magazine)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View Long RoadThe Greatest Band That Ever Wasn't
Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin provides his own spin on the story of The Screaming Trees. (Under the Radar)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View The Greatest Band That Ever Wasn'tA Really Strange and Wonderful Time
Maxwell, a former member of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, paints a vibrant portrait of Chapel Hill, N.C.'s flourishing indie rock community in the 1990s. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View A Really Strange and Wonderful TimeThe Other Fab Four
A fascinating and tender look at the Liverbirds and their extraordinary lives. (Library Journal)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View The Other Fab FourIllustrated History of Rock
Trace the history of rock and roll with this playful journey through the decades, artists and styles that make this such a diverse and beloved art form. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View Illustrated History of Rock69 Exhibition Road
[Prior's] exuberant commentaries, each presented as a stand-alone episode, illustrate the multilayered nature of the London music, art, and fashion worlds of the late 1970s, and the overlap between the early punk scene with the city's rapidly evolving club and queer cultures. (Publisher description)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
View 69 Exhibition RoadThis Must Be the Place
Music historian Rifkin presents themed chapters focusing on the musicians and performance venues in lower Manhattan from the 1950s to the present. (Library Journal)
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
View This Must Be the PlaceCorporate Rock Sucks
Ruland offers an illuminating if baggy look at SST Records, which signed some of the most successful alternative bands of the 1980s yet struggled to stay afloat. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
View Corporate Rock Sucks