If you love music, then you likely keep your favorite bands’ or artists’ albums, posters, and other merchandise. Maybe you listen to them every morning or in your free time.But aside from listening to music, you can also learn more by reading books about them. Some books can tell you lots of information about your favorite bands, artists, and music genres, while other books can give you some ideas about what type of music or songs werepopular in different periods.
We are going to share with you tenmusic books that you’ll want to read if you’re a fan of 80s music or if you simply want to know more about it.
1. Songs of the 1980s: The New Decade Series with Online Play-Along Backing Tracks
Songs of the 1980s is a songbook by Hal Leonard Corp. Aside from being a songbook, it also doubles as a time capsule because it preserves more than 80 of the 80s best-arranged tracks, which will enable you to play and sound like a pro. This book will give you access to stream or download the records online. Some of the songs included in this music book are, “Addicted to Love”, “Don’t Stop Believin’”, “Every Breath You Take”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, “The Way It Is”, “The Wind Beneath My Wings”, and many more.
2. Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s Music Book
Mad World is a book written by Lori Majewski. It is an oral history that will tell you all about the New Wave music phenomenon of the 1980s through interviews with 35 of the most famous artists of the period. Each chapter of this book starts with a talk about the artists’ most popular songs and leads to the stories of the songs’ histories. Aside from that, this book also includes mixtape suggestions, fashion sidebars, and quotes from contemporary admirers. Some of the popular artists featured in this book are The Smiths, Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, New Order, Thompson Twins, Devo, INXS, and Adam Ant. This is a wonderful book to own if you want to know more about New Wave music.
3. 80s Music Trivia Quiz Book: 350 Multiple Choice Quiz Questions from the 1980s (Music Trivia Quiz Book – 1980s Music Trivia)
Clint Glover writes the 80s Music Trivia Quiz Book. If you think you know a lot about the artists, songs, and popular hits of the 1980s, then you need to try this book. Aside from seeing how much you know, this book will also take you to a trip down memory lane and remember all the great music from the 80s. It’s also a great book to read with your friends if you want to test your knowledge of 1980s music. This book includes 35 quiz rounds with 350 questions covering the whole of the fantastic 1980s decade of music.
4. Man in the Music 2nd Edition (The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson)
If you’re a fan of Michael Jackson, then the Man in the Music 2nd Edition book by Joseph Vogel is perfect for you. It is about the creative life and work of Michael Jackson. His songs such as Off the Wall and Thriller have shattered records, collected awards, and set a new standard for popular music. His songs are still being played today.However, they are rarely given serious critical attention.
This is the first book that is dedicated to Michael Jackson’s creative work. It will guide you through an unparalleled analysis of his recordings, album by album. It features rare archival material and dozens of original interviews with songwriters, producers, engineers, and collaborators who helped in bringing his music into the world. This book reveals Michael Jackson’s inspirations, demos, studio sessions, and as well as his failures and triumphs. This is also an excellent book to give all Michael Jackson fans.
5. The Most Requested Songs of the ’80s
The Most Requested Songs of the ‘80s is a songbook by Hal Leonard Corp. It contains the most popular songs of the ‘80s which are often requested on the radio. This songbook will make you remember jamming to your favorite 80s songs while wearing shoulder pads and parachute pants. Some of the songs included in this songbook are, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”, “Hello”, “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, “Time After Time”, “Uptown Girl”, “Down Under”, and many more. If you want to remember all the songs you’ve requested back in the ‘80s, this is the perfect book for you.
6. The Official Eighties Hits Book
The Official Eighties Hits Book is written by Graham Betts. It is a companion volume to The Official Albums and Singles Chart books of the 1980s which replicate the weekly charts throughout the eighties. This book, on the other hand, takes the data and produces artist by artist listings of hit singles and albums.
You will also find in this book brief biological information of artists, including the date and place of their birth, and as well as their awards and honors. It also contains singles and albums that reached silver, gold, platinum, and multi-platinum status. If you want to know more about the hit music in the 80s, this is the best chart trivia book you can have.
7. The Virgin Encyclopedia of 80s Music
The Virgin Encyclopedia of 80s Music is written by Collin Larkin. This is a complete handbook that is filled with information and opinion about the history of 80s music, which is considered to be the most fragmented and frequently maligned decade in the history of popular music. This book contains a thousand entries on the bands, musicians, songwriters, producers, record labels, and everyone who had an important impact on the development of rock and pop music in the 80s.
In this book, you’ll be able to read about the New Romantics who brought color and image and as well as about stadium acts who provided a launchpad for Live Aid. It also includes the giants of the 1980s music such as artists who flourished briefly and yet were exemplary to the decade. If you are looking for the perfect mix of fact and informed opinion about 80s music, then this is an excellent book for you to have.
8. WLS Weekly Music Charts: The Eighties
WLS Weekly Music Charts is a book written by Frank W. Hoffman. From the 1960s through the 1980s, WLS was the leading Top 40 AM radio outlet in Chicago. Its signal was able to reach much of North America at night. This book is dedicated to WLS, and it reproduces many of the station’s pop music surveys from the 80s. Aside from that, this book also includes a tribute to Larry Lujack, who’s a deejay employed by the station from the 60s to the 80s.
The goal of this book is to provide a convenient chronological compilation of weekly surveys. The author of this book used multiple sources in compiling each radio chart volume to provide you with the most accurate data. If you’d like to know about the weekly music charts in the 80s, this is the perfect book for you.
9. One-Hit Wonders of the 80s
One-Hit Wonders of the 80s is a book written by Frank DeAngelis. It is a comprehensive reference guide to the artists who only got to the Top 40 portion of the Billboard Hot 100 chart one time. The information that this book contains was researched from written and video interviews. There is also some information that was directly from band members.
This book documents more than 230 artists including their chart positions, dates, and stories about their one hit singles that brought them mainstream fame in the 80s. If you want to know every one-hit wonder from the 80s, from pop, rock, the British invasion, new wave, instrumentals, and more, then this is the best book for you.
10. The 80s Music Compendium (1st Edition)
The 80s Music Compendium is a book written by Dave Kinzer. It is an entertaining and informative book for those who love 80s music and for music geeks everywhere as well. This book can be your ultimate source of 80s music, deejay, and cover band. The author of this book compiled 113 lists that include over 3600 songs after listening to over 4000 songs that made Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the 80s.
Aside from those, this book also contains 80s music trivia, facts, and tidbits that music trivia buffs will surely love. It is also a great book for music teachers because it includes songs with countermelodies, syncopation, ostinatos, and foreign languages. Deejays can also find this book handy because it comes with ready-made playlists.
These are 10 of the best 80s music books we found that you’ll want to read. All of these books can give you additional knowledge about 80s music. They are wonderful to have, especially if you’re a fan of the 1980s music, or if you simply want to know more about the music in that decade.