SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 10: Patti Smith performs the album Horses live on stage during the 50th Anniversary Tour at Paramount Theatre on November 10, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jim Bennett/Getty Images)
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As it has been for at least 20 years now, the popularity of music memoirs and music-themed books in the publishing industry shows no signs of flagging — and 2025 was no different. For music fans who are also avid readers, there were plenty of offerings, whether in the form of autobiographies by legends (Patti Smith, Yusuf/Cat Stevens); oral histories (the Beatles, the Doors); and photography (the Grateful Dead, Annie Lennox). Here, in no particular order or ranking, is a partial list of some of those types of books that were published this year.
Cover of ‘Giant Steps’ by Derek Shulman.
credit: Outline Press
Giant Steps: My Improbable Journey From Stage Lights to Executive Heights
By Derek Shulman with Jon Wiederhorn
Derek Shulman is proof that there are second acts in life. In the 1970s, he was the singer of the popular British progressive rock group Gentle Giant. After that group disbanded in 1980, he became a record executive who signed hit artists such as Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Dream Theater and Pantera. His adventures within his former band and in the music industry are told in his new memoir, Giant Steps.
Cover of Annie Lennox’s ‘Retrospective.’
credit: image provided by Rizzoli
Retrospective
by Annie Lennox
The legendary Scottish singer — best known as one-half of the duo Eurythmics and a successful solo artist — recounts her life and long career through photographs taken of her over the years in this sumptuous collection curated by Lennox herself.
Cover of Peter Wolf’s ‘Waiting on the Moon.’
credit: Little, Brown and Company
Waiting on the Moon
by Peter Wolf
“Dull” is definitely not a word that describes the former lead singer of the J. Geils Band. His recent memoir, Waiting on the Moon, doesn’t read so much as a straightforward narrative memoir but as a collection of fascinating tales from his decades in rock and roll. Among Wolf’s stories are his encounters with such artists as Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson and the Rolling Stones.
Cover of Mike Campbell’s ‘Heartbreaker.’
credit: Grand Central Publishing
Heartbreaker
By Mike Campbell with Ari Surdoval
The lead guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers recounts his experiences with the beloved and legendary band by tracing his early life as an aspiring musician from Gainesville, Florida, to his friendship and partnership with the group’s late namesake leader.
cover of ‘The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told.’
credit: Shore Fire Media
The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told
By Bill Janovitz
Author and Buffalo Tom singer-guitarist Bill Janovitz takes a fascinating deep dive into the not-often-told story of the popular Boston New Wave band known for such hits as “Just What I Needed,” “Shake It Up” and “Drive.” Not just a history of the Cars and their successes, but the book is also a sobering glimpse of what it’s like to be in a band through the highs and lows.
Cover of ‘David Gilmour: Luck and Strange: Studio/Live.’
credit: courtesy of Thames & Hudson
David Gilmour: Luck and Strange: Studio/Live
By Polly Samson
This book of photographs by the writer Polly Samson documents her husband, former Pink Floyd guitarist/singer David Gilmour, as he worked on and toured behind his then-new 2024 album Luck and Strange. For those who attended last year’s shows in Los Angeles, New York, London and Rome, this collection is bound to stir some fond memories of Gilmour performing his solo material and Floyd favorites.
Cover jacket of ‘The Lost Voice.’
credit: Harper
The Lost Voice
By Greta Morgan
In her memoir, singer-songwriter Greta Morgan, who is known for her work in the indie pop band The Hush Sound and as a touring musician with Vampire Weekend, recalls losing her voice after contracting COVID in 2020. She also examines how that devastating loss led her on a journey of self-discovery and perseverance.
Cover of ‘Don’t Stop’ by Alan Light.
credit: Atria Books
Don’t Stop: Why We (Still) Love Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours’
By Alan Light
Even after nearly 50 years, Fleetwood Mac’s classic Grammy-winning album Rumours continues to resonate—and surprisingly with members of Gen Y and Z. Music journalist Alan Light looks at the album and its ongoing cultural impact with today’s younger audiences who weren’t even born when Rumours came out.
Cover of ‘Night Divides the Day’ by the Doors.
credit: © Genesis Publications
Night Divides the Day: The Doors Anthology
By The Doors
The definitive and authorized story of the iconic 1960s Los Angeles-based rock band is told by all four members — Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore and Robby Krieger — in their own words and accompanied by photos and images of memorabilia, gear and archival objects.
Cover of ‘The Beatles Anthology.’
credit: Chronicle Books
The Beatles Anthology
By The Beatles
Twenty-five years after its original release, The Beatles Anthology book has been reissued to coincide with the recent re-broadcast of the docuseries now streaming on Disney+. There are plenty of Beatles books on the market, but this authorized volume features the Fab Four in their own voices, telling the complete story of the band. It also contains over 1,300 images, including those from the members’ personal archives.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 13: Mark Ronson attends the cocktail reception hosted by Audemars Piguet for Mark Ronson’s new book, “Night People: How to be a DJ in 90’s New York City” at AP House New York on November 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Audemars Piguet)
Getty Images for Audemars Piguet
Night People: How to Be a DJ in ’90s New York City
By Mark Ronson
Before becoming a hugely successful record producer (whose credits include Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars and Duran Duran) and musician, Mark Ronson first cut his teeth in the music world during his time as an aspiring DJ. Akin to Lizzy Goodman’s Meet Me in the Bathroom, Night People is a love letter to the ’90s when Ronson spun discs at now-long-gone New York City venues and spent time cratedigging for the perfect record to get the crowd moving.
Cover of Iron Maiden’s ‘Infinite Dreams.’
credit: courtesy of Thames & Hudson
Infinite Dreams
By Iron Maiden
Infinite Dreams is a 350-page celebration of the hugely popular British metal band’s 50 years of rocking audiences around the world. In addition to chronicling Iron Maiden’s history, Infinite Dreams (which has a foreword by founding member/bassist Steve Harris) contains a wealth of photos depicting the band on and off stage as well as images of memorabilia, gear and album-related artwork. And of course, the band’s favorite and wickedly demented mascot, Eddie, is featured in this heavy-duty coffee-table biography.
Cover of ‘The Grateful Dead by Jim Marshall.’
credit: Chronicle Books
The Grateful Dead
By Jim Marshall
The late and great music photographer Jim Marshall documented the Grateful Dead from 1966 through 1977. Featured in this new collection are hundreds of photos — many of them previously unseen — that Marshall took of the band on stage and during intimate moments. Among those making cameos in the book are Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and members of Traffic and Jefferson Airplane. Published on the 60th anniversary of the group’s formation, this title is a perfect gift for the ultimate Deadhead.
Cover of ‘Bread of Angels’ by Patti Smith
credit: Random House
Bread of Angels
By Patti Smith
The follow-up to her previous books, the acclaimed Just Kids and M Train, Bread of Angels is Patti Smith’s latest memoir that touches on various aspects of her life, such as the emergence and development of her music career in the 1970s that include the making of her iconic album Horses (which fittingly marks its 50th anniversary this year); her retreat from music during the 1980s to raise a family; and her return to performing in the late 1990s after the loss of both her husband Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith and brother Todd Smith.
Cover of Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ ‘On the Road to Find Out.’
credit: Genesis Publications
On the Road to Findout
By Yusuf/Cat Stevens
In On the Road to Findout, Yusuf/Cat Stevens finally details his incredible professional and spiritual journey: from a British folk pop troubadour who had an astonishing run of hits in the ‘70s with such songs as “The Wind,” “Wild World” and “Morning Has Broken”; through his conversion to Islam at the height of his fame and the controversy surrounding him and author Salman Rushdie in the 1980s; to his surprising and welcomed return to recording and performing music in the 2000s.
Cover of ‘Blondie: Against the Odds.’
credit: Z2
Blondie: Against the Odds
Blondie’s story has been previously told in books, including the recent memoirs by band co-founders Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. But Against the Odds takes on a very different and unique approach by recounting Blondie’s history in graphic novel form. First published in 2023, the novel was reissued with a new dust jacket this past fall to mark Local Comic Shop Day. In addition to recounting Blondie’s history and featuring an essay by longtime band chronicler Victor Bockris, Against the Odds showcases 15 artists spinning their own tales through the lens of some of Blondie’s famous songs.
Cover of Paul McCartney’s ‘Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run.’
credit: LIVERIGHT/W. W. NORTON
Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run
By Paul McCartney
Where do you go after the end of the Beatles? That was a question all four members of the iconic band faced after their breakup in 1970. For Paul McCartney, the answer was to start a new band, Wings, which went on to achieve a run of hits throughout the 1970s (among them “Band on the Run,” “My Love,” “Silly Love Songs” and “Listen to What the Man Said). But in the shadow of the Beatles, Wings — featuring McCartney, his wife Linda, and guitarist/singer Denny Laine as the constants — have been somewhat underrated. Which is why this new oral history about Wings is much needed, featuring commentary by McCartney and all the members of Wings from the different lineups, as well as from John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, George Martin and many others.
Cover of Cameron Crowe’s ‘The Uncool.’
credit: Simon and Schuster
The Uncool
By Cameron Crowe
Before he became a renowned screenwriter and film director (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky), Cameron Crowe was a young, budding reporter for Rolling Stone magazine during the 1970s. Back then, he covered such major acts as Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones and the Eagles — a period in his life that inspired his beloved 2000 comedy-drama film Almost Famous. This time around, Crowe recounts his adventures as a music journalist from that era in his new memoir.
Cover of Audrey Golden’s ‘Shouting Out Loud: Lives of the Raincoats.’
credit: Da Capo Press
Shouting Out Loud: Lives of the Raincoats
By Audrey Golden
Having written about the late ‘70s British indie label Factory Records in I Thought I Heard You Speak, author Audrey Golden revisits the post-punk era to focus on a very unique and groundbreaking U.K.-based group: the Raincoats, led by singer/guitarist Ana da Silva and singer/bassist Gina Birch. Shouting Out Loud is the first and definitive biography of the group thate released their acclaimed 1979 self-titled debut album and earned admiration from generations of alt-rock musicians, including Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna. Featuring a foreword by esteemed music critic Greil Marcus, Golden’s book features interviews with the past and present members of the Raincoats, along with their manager Shirley O’Loughlin; Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis; Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon; Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein; and Liz Phair.
Cover of ‘Musik: The 1960s Photographs’ by Bent Rej.
credit: Chronicle Books
Musik: The 1960s Photographs
By Bent Rej
In the 1960s, the late Danish photographer Bent Rej witnessed and shot many of the iconic music acts of the decade—among them the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Who, the Kinks, and especially the Rolling Stones. Sized in the shape of a vinyl record, the beautiful assembled Musik, featuring over 200 images, captures those acts performing on stage and in intimate moments away from the public eye.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidchiu/2025/12/09/patti-smith-paul-mccartney-the-grateful-dead-a-survey-of-2025s-music-themed-books/
