Music

Barbra Streisand is an undisputed multitalent: She has won all four EGOT awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) and has made everything from beloved pop records to acclaimed films. Now, the notoriously private Streisand enters the book world with a comprehensive and definitive account of her life, in her words, at just under a thousand pages. With never-before-seen photos from Barbra’s personal collection, this buzzy memoir is sure to satisfy even the most devoted fan. 

—Yves

Whether for his music, poetry, or politics, or because of his untimely death, Tupac Shakur is an immortal icon of our culture. With this new authorized biography, Staci Robinson gives us a great gift: She lets us actually know the man, the one few knew—a sweet, passionate artist who felt and cared deeply. The brief years of his life light up, as do the people in it, his story sliding so easily through these pages, making you ache all over again for his loss, and smile for having known him. 

—Jocelyn

This book is a must-have for anyone who is entranced by everything that sparkles! Dolly’s trademark humor and class shine through in these pages. Her beautiful, handcrafted costumes, as iconic as her music, are the backdrop she uses to talk about her astonishing 67-year career. Filled with personal Dolly anecdotes and oodles of fashion-inspo, this is the perfect coffee table book for your favorite maximalism enthusiast. 

—Mo

As a child of the ’70s who religiously watched Soul Train, I certainly remember the awesome music of Sly and the Family Stone. What I didn't know at the time was how revolutionary Sly Stone's multiracial, multigendered group was. In Thank You, Stone recounts the incredible highs and lows of his life and pioneering career, from the electrifying performances and soaring music filled with joy, possibility, and freedom, to drug addiction and crashing out. It's been a wild ride, and Stone lays it all out in this gripping memoir.

—S.B.

Just as Elton John is a musical genius, Bernie Taupin is a lyrical one, and their partnership created some of the best (and bestselling) music of the 20th century. Now the spotlight-averse—some say reclusive—Taupin shares his take on that partnership and his life in music. Instead of a straight-ahead chronology, the book moves in and out of moments and scenes, underscoring the surreal and dreamlike life of a kid from rural England who hit the rock ’n’ roll big-time. 

—Rico

Saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, is known for his fearless improvisation and creativity. He is also reserved, reflective, modest, and private—which is why this comprehensive biography is so special. Based on 200 interviews with Rollins, his collaborators, family, and friends, as well as unprecedented access to diaries, letters, journals, and photos, Saxophone Colossus is a highly detailed account of every recording session, gig, and collaboration of Rollins’s career. Equally important, it is an enlightening and humanizing portrait of the jazz legend who is a deep thinker devoted to spiritual enlightenment. Pick up a copy, put on Rollins’s music, and enjoy.

—S.B. 

If you’re familiar with Mary Gabriel’s previous works (Ninth Street Women and Pulitzer Prize finalist Love and Capital, among others), you know this will be a comprehensive, singularly engrossing, beautifully written biography. Tracing the iconic rock star’s life from birth, Gabriel contextualizes her journey in history and pop culture, while bringing the woman herself, and those around her, to vivid life. A hefty tome for an artist still creating, yet you will lose yourself in this book, (re)living the decades of Madonna’s life and rise. 

—Jocelyn

Much like her rocking, soulful music that has pulsed through my life for decades, Melissa Etheridge’s memoir engages on many levels. It is her life story, candidly told, from her childhood start in Kansas to her musical success and relationships in LA, but it is also her spiritual journey, one honest and hard earned, one through life’s hardest challenges. Like in her songs, she finds a path for herself with vulnerability and love, and thus, provides a light for us all. 

—Melinda

This book felt like a crash course in music—the industry, the production, and above all, the science of why we like what we like. If you’ve ever tried to explain to a friend just why sea shanties tickle you so, or why Lizzo is a force of nature, Rodgers and Ogas give you the language and understanding of how your personal taste intersects with music. Complete with fun examples that illustrate different musical terms, this is perfect for the die-hard music lover and for those looking to expand their knowledge.

—Jax

Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch, with both credentials (Juilliard graduate) and witty disdain, speaks plainly about the common perception of classical music being for snobs and addresses the importance of better access to the arts in schools. She is passionate about making the classics accessible, and her strategy of helping people cultivate curiosity and of giving permission to not like whatever you don’t like, is surprisingly successful in demystifying the very broad category of classical music. 
—JENNY