Anatomy of 55 More Songs

The Oral History of Top Hits That Changed Rock, Pop and Soul

By: Marc Myers

Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray

Songs that sell the most copies become hits, but some of those hits become something more—iconic recordings that not only inspire a generation but also change the direction of music. In Anatomy of 55 More Songs, based on his column for the Wall Street Journal, music journalist and historian Marc Myers tells the story behind fifty-five rock, pop, R&B, country, and soul-gospel hits through intimate interviews with the artists who wrote and recorded them.

Part oral history, part musical analysis, Anatomy of 55 More Songs ranges from Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" to Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By," The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations," and Black Sabbath's "Paranoid." Bernie Taupin recalls how he wrote the lyrics to Elton John's "Rocket Man;" Joan Jett remembers channeling her rage against how she had been unfairly labeled and treated as a female rocker into "Bad Reputation;" and Ozzy Osbourne, Elvis Costello, Bob Weir, Sheryl Crow, Alice Cooper, Roberta Flack, John Mellencamp, Keith Richards, Carly Simon, and many others reveal the emotions and technique behind their major works.

Through an absorbing chronological, song-by-song analysis of the most memorable post-war hits, Anatomy of 55 More Songs provides a sweeping look at the evolution of pop music between 1964 and today.

©2022 Marc Myers (P)2022 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

An interesting romp through rock

Worth the listen. Well written & narrated. A few interesting tidbits here and there. Enjoy - you will!

Must read/listen for baby boomers!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book and after each chapter, I would stop the book, listen to the song on YouTube and understand everything that was said in the chapter.