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Major Labels
- A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres
- Narrated by: Kelefa Sanneh
- Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins
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Publisher's summary
One of Oprah Daily's 20 Favorite Books of 2021 • Selected as one of Pitchfork's Best Music Books of the Year
“One of the best books of its kind in decades.” (The Wall Street Journal)
An epic achievement and a huge delight, the entire history of popular music over the past 50 years refracted through the big genres that have defined and dominated it: rock, R&B, country, punk, hip-hop, dance music, and pop
Kelefa Sanneh, one of the essential voices of our time on music and culture, has made a deep study of how popular music unites and divides us, charting the way genres become communities. In Major Labels, Sanneh distills a career’s worth of knowledge about music and musicians into a brilliant and omnivorous reckoning with popular music - as an art form (actually, a bunch of art forms), as a cultural and economic force, and as a tool that we use to build our identities. He explains the history of slow jams, the genius of Shania Twain, and why rappers are always getting in trouble.
Sanneh shows how these genres have been defined by the tension between mainstream and outsider, between authenticity and phoniness, between good and bad, right and wrong. Throughout, race is a powerful touchstone: Just as there have always been Black audiences and White audiences, with more or less overlap depending on the moment, there has been Black music and White music, constantly mixing and separating. Sanneh debunks cherished myths, reappraises beloved heroes, and upends familiar ideas of musical greatness, arguing that sometimes, the best popular music isn’t transcendent. Songs express our grudges as well as our hopes, and they are motivated by greed as well as idealism; music is a powerful tool for human connection, but also for human antagonism. This is a book about the music everyone loves, the music everyone hates, and the decades-long argument over which is which. The opposite of a modest proposal, Major Labels pays in full.
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Critic reviews
Vox's Top Fall Books Not to Miss • A holiday gift guide pick from The Boston Globe, Mental Floss, and Paste
“Major Labels [is] ecumenical and all-embracing. . . . [Sanneh] has a subtle and flexible style, and great powers of distillation. . . . The best thing about Sanneh may be that he subtly makes you question your beliefs.”—New York Times
“Sanneh brings a contagious zeal for genres and cross-fertilizations to artists and records that are now playlists for an increasingly diverse America.”—Oprah Daily
“Mr. Sanneh, a staff writer for the New Yorker, gets high marks both for his encyclopedic knowledge and his breadth of taste. He also writes like an angel, making Major Labels one of the best books of its kind in decades.”—Wall Street Journal
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Down the Highway is an essential biography for Bob Dylan fans and all music enthusiasts, delivering the full, fascinating story of the life and work of this great artist. Author Howard Sounes interviewed more than 250 key people in Dylan’s circle, and gained access to previously unseen documents, to create a fresh and compelling book that takes the reader on a journey from Dylan’s childhood in a Minnesota mining town, through his rise to fame in the 1960s, to his current status as the senior figure in popular music.
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I'm a little late to the party
- By BrassHat on 06-05-17
By: Howard Sounes
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The History of Gangster Rap
- From Schoolly D to Kendrick Lamar, the Rise of a Great American Art Form
- By: Soren Baker, Xzibit - foreword
- Narrated by: James Shippy, Soren Baker
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The History of Gangster Rap is a deep dive into one of the most fascinating subgenres of any music category to date. Sixteen detailed chapters, organized chronologically, examine the evolution of gangster rap, its main players, and the culture that created this revolutionary music. From still-swirling conspiracy theories about the murders of Biggie and Tupac to the release of the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton, the era of gangster rap is one that fascinates music junkies and remains at the forefront of pop culture.
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Brilliant chronicle
- By R. C. DeJesus on 03-12-21
By: Soren Baker, and others
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Dig If You Will the Picture
- Funk, Sex, God and Genius in the Music of Prince
- By: Ben Greenman
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Ben Greenman, New York Times best-selling author, contributing writer to The New Yorker, and owner of thousands of recordings of Prince and Prince-related songs, knows intimately that there has never been a rock star as vibrant, mercurial, willfully contrary, experimental, or prolific as Prince. Uniting a diverse audience while remaining singularly himself, Prince was a tireless artist, a musical virtuoso and chameleon, and a pop-culture prophet.
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Reads like a indepth career review & analysis
- By herb on 05-18-17
By: Ben Greenman
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Cool Town
- How Athens, Georgia, Launched Alternative Music and Changed American Culture
- By: Grace Elizabeth Hale
- Narrated by: Emily Cauldwell
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In 1979, the self-titled debut album by the B-52s burst onto the Billboard charts, capturing the imagination of fans and music critics worldwide. The fact that the group had formed in the sleepy southern college town of Athens, Georgia, only increased the fascination. Soon, more Athens bands followed the B-52s into the vanguard of the new American music that would come to be known as "alternative", including R.E.M., who catapulted over the course of the 1980s to the top of the musical mainstream.
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I feel like I was there when it happened
- By Joseph Suciu on 01-11-23
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Never a Dull Moment
- 1971 - the Year That Rock Exploded
- By: David Hepworth
- Narrated by: David Hepworth
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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On New Year's Eve, 1970, Paul McCartney told his lawyers to issue the writ at the High Court in London, effectively ending The Beatles. You might say this was the last day of the pop era. The following day, which was a Friday, was 1971. You might say this was the first day of the rock era. And within the remaining 364 days of this monumental year, the world would hear Don McLean's "American Pie", The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar", The Who's "Baba O'Riley", Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven", and more.
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A blast from the past
- By Amazon Customer on 07-30-16
By: David Hepworth
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Light & Shade
- Conversations with Jimmy Page
- By: Brad Tolinski
- Narrated by: Robert Fass, John Lee
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
More than 30 years after disbanding in 1980, Led Zeppelin continues to be celebrated for its artistic achievements, broad musical influence, and commercial success. The band's notorious exploits have been chronicled in bestselling books; yet none of the individual members of the band has penned a memoir nor cooperated to any degree with the press or a biographer.
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Production History, FY!
- By Amy Peacock on 02-21-17
By: Brad Tolinski
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Country Music
- A History
- By: Dayton Duncan, Ken Burns
- Narrated by: Brian Corrigan, Dayton Duncan, Ken Burns
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The rich and colorful story of America's most popular music and the singers and songwriters who captivated, entertained, and consoled listeners throughout the 20th century - based on the upcoming eight-part film series to air on PBS in September 2019.
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Immersed in country music!
- By Lori Hanson on 09-30-19
By: Dayton Duncan, and others
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Skydog
- The Duane Allman Story
- By: Randy Poe, Billy F. Gibbons - foreword
- Narrated by: Arthur Flavell
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Revised and expanded, with a new afterword by the author, this is the definitive biography of Duane Allman, one of the most revered guitarists of his generation. Skydog reveals the complete story of the legendary guitarist: his childhood and musical awakening; his struggling first bands; his hard-won mastery of the slide guitar; his emergence as a successful session musician; his creation of the Allman Brothers Band; his tragic death at age 24; and his thriving musical legacy.
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duane was the best great story
- By OBIE on 08-08-23
By: Randy Poe, and others
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Here We Are Now
- The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain
- By: Charles R. Cross
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Simply stated, Kurt Cobain changed the cultural conversation in his all-too-brief life, and even after his shattering death. With interviews and commentary from all corners of the pop culture universe, from the people who knew Cobain to those who continue to help his legend grow, Here We Are Now explores what a singular life meant, and how that meaning can be measured, when and if it can be.
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An amazing afterword on culture post Cobain
- By Rebecca F. on 06-11-15
By: Charles R. Cross
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Your Song Changed My Life
- From Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, Smokey Robinson to Hozier, Thirty-Five Beloved Artists on Their Journey and the Music That Inspired It
- By: Bob Boilen
- Narrated by: Bob Boilen
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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From the beloved host and creator of NPR's All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts comes an essential oral history of modern music, told in the voices of iconic and up-and-coming musicians, including Dave Grohl, Jimmy Page, Michael Stipe, Carrie Brownstein, Smokey Robinson, and Jeff Tweedy, among others - published in association with NPR Music.
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Cool if you know all interviewed artists
- By Farfield on 12-05-16
By: Bob Boilen
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1965
- The Most Revolutionary Year in Music
- By: Andrew Grant Jackson
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
During 12 unforgettable months in the middle of the turbulent '60s, America saw the rise of innovative new sounds that would change popular music as we knew it. In 1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music, music historian Andrew Grant Jackson (Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of The Beatles' Solo Careers) chronicles a groundbreaking year of creativity fueled by rivalries between musicians and continents, sweeping social changes, and technological breakthroughs.
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Seems like a good overview
- By wylie smith on 01-12-23
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Solid State
- The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles
- By: Kenneth Womack, Alan Parsons - foreword
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
In February 1969, the Beatles began working on what became their final album together. Abbey Road introduced a number of new techniques and technologies to the Beatles' sound and included "Come Together", "Something", and "Here Comes the Sun", which all emerged as classics. Womack's colorful retelling of how this landmark album was written and recorded is a treat for fans of the Beatles. Solid State takes listeners back to 1969 and into EMI's Abbey Road Studios, which boasted an advanced solid state transistor mixing desk.
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It's all about the recording studios
- By Tina on 02-18-20
By: Kenneth Womack, and others
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Uncommon People
- The Rise and Fall of The Rock Stars
- By: David Hepworth
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The age of the rock star, like the age of the cowboy, has passed. Like the cowboy, the idea of the rock star lives on in our imaginations. What did we see in them? Swagger. Recklessness. Sexual charisma. Damn-the-torpedoes self-belief. A certain way of carrying themselves. Good hair. Interesting shoes. Talent we wished we had. What did we want of them? To be larger than life but also like us. To live out their songs. To stay young forever. No wonder many didn't stay the course.
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INSIGHTFULL!
- By CLAUDIA R KENNEDY on 02-18-18
By: David Hepworth
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Fornication
- The Red Hot Chili Peppers Story
- By: Jeff Apter
- Narrated by: Adrian Mulraney
- Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Despite an epic reputation for exhibitionism, drug taking, and drunkenness, through it all the Chili Peppers have continued to produce records that shock, challenge, and intrigue their fans. Jeff Apter tells the complete Red Hot Chili Peppers story, from their first meeting at a Los Angeles high school to the creation of such career-defining albums as BloodSugarSexMagik, Californication and By The Way.
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Cabron
- By Amazon Customer on 10-02-19
By: Jeff Apter
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All Shook Up
- How Rock ‘n’ Roll Changed America
- By: Glenn C. Altschuler
- Narrated by: Jack Garrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
As Glenn Altschuler reveals in All Shook Up, the rise of rock 'n roll--and the outraged reception to it--in fact can tell us a lot about the values of the United States in the 1950s, a decade that saw a great struggle for the control of popular culture. Altschuler shows, in particular, how rock's "switchblade beat" opened up wide fissures in American society along the fault-lines of family, sexuality, and race.
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50's Rock&Roll was more of a force than I thought
- By James on 10-19-11
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In late-1940s America, few writers commanded attention like Bernard DeVoto. Alongside his brilliant wife and editor, Avis, DeVoto was a firebrand of American liberty, free speech, and perhaps our greatest national treasure: public lands. But when a corrupt band of lawmakers, led by Senator Pat McCarran, sought to quietly cede millions of acres of national parks and other western lands to logging, mining, and private industry, the DeVotos entered the fight of their lives.
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Fascinating history of a great conservationist
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So much valuable insight, please read
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How do we talk about bias? How do we address racial disparities and inequities? What role do our institutions play in creating, maintaining, and magnifying those inequities? What role do we play? With a perspective that is at once scientific, investigative, and informed by personal experience, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt offers us the language and courage we need to face one of the biggest and most troubling issues of our time. She exposes racial bias at all levels of society - in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and criminal justice system.
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hoped for more on why bias and how to avoid it
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Hollywood Ending
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Twenty years ago, Ken Auletta wrote an iconic New Yorker profile of the Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, who was then at the height of his powers. The profile made waves for exposing how volatile, even violent, Weinstein was to his employees and collaborators. But there was a much darker story that was just out of reach: rumors had long swirled that Weinstein was a sexual predator. Auletta confronted Weinstein, who denied the claims. Since no one was willing to go on the record, Auletta and the magazine concluded they couldn’t close the case.
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Compelling but too long, with some strange errors
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Sold Out
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Today, your favorite products are missing from store shelves, caught in supply chain limbo somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. But what does this supply chain disruption look like six months, or even three years, from now? While we hope that post-pandemic recovery will absolve these issues, the reality is that digital currency, meme stonks, and social media can’t solve the age-old problem of producing and moving physical goods across oceans and continents. Jim Rickards argues that consumer frustration is only the tip of a large, menacing iceberg that threatens global economic collapse.
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Hard to like this. Book is really Dull.
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Art Is Life
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Overall
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Jerry Saltz is one of our most-watched writers about art and artists and a passionate champion of the importance of art in our shared cultural life. Since the 1990s he has been an indispensable cultural voice: Witty and provocative, he has attracted contemporary listeners to fine art as few critics have.
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WRONG for audio program
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Spam Nation
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In Spam Nation, investigative journalist and cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs unmasks the criminal masterminds driving some of the biggest spam and hacker operations targeting Americans and their bank accounts. Tracing the rise, fall, and alarming resurrection of the digital mafia behind the two largest spam pharmacies - and countless viruses, phishing, and spyware attacks - he delivers the first definitive narrative of the global spam problem and its threat to consumers everywhere.
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Risky topic, but Br. Krebs hits it out of the park
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The Filthy Thirteen
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Overall
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Since World War II, the American public has become fully aware of the exploits of the 101st Airborne Division, the paratroopers who led the Allied invasions into Nazi-held Europe. But within the ranks of the 101st, a sub-unit attained legendary status at the time, its reputation persisting among veterans over the decades. Primarily products of the Dustbowl and the Depression, the Filthy13 grew notorious, even within the ranks of the elite 101st. Never ones to salute an officer, or take a bath, this squad became singular within the Screaming Eagles.
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Best WW2 book ever
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Probable Impossibilities
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Can space be divided into smaller and smaller units, ad infinitum? Does space extend to larger and larger regions, on and on to infinity? Is consciousness reducible to the material brain and its neurons? What was the origin of life, and can biologists create life from scratch in the lab? Physicist and novelist Alan Lightman explores these questions and more - from the anatomy of a smile to the capriciousness of memory to the specialness of life in the universe to what came before the Big Bang.
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Mumbler
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Some Assembly Required
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Over billions of years, ancient fish evolved to walk on land, reptiles transformed into birds that fly, and apelike primates evolved into humans that walk on two legs, talk, and write. For more than a century, paleontologists have traveled the globe to find fossils that show how such changes have happened.
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Interesting but thin. ANNOYING narration
- By MSB on 04-10-20
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Conquistadores
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- By: Fernando Cervantes
- Narrated by: Luis Soto
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- Unabridged
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Over the few short decades that followed Christopher Columbus' first landing in the Caribbean in 1492, Spain conquered the two most powerful civilizations of the Americas: the Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas of Peru. Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, and the other explorers and soldiers who took part in these expeditions dedicated their lives to seeking political and religious glory, helping to build an empire unlike any the world had ever seen. But centuries later, these conquistadors have become the stuff of nightmares.
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A fresh mature perspective on the Spanish conquest
- By Chencheno111 on 03-19-22
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Sonic Life
- A Memoir
- By: Thurston Moore
- Narrated by: Thurston Moore
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Thurston Moore moved to Manhattan’s East Village in 1978 with a yearning for music. He wanted to be immersed in downtown New York’s sights and sounds—the feral energy of its nightclubs, the angular roar of its bands, the magnetic personalities within its orbit. But more than anything, he wanted to make music—to create indelible sounds that would move, provoke, and inspire. His dream came to life in 1981 with the formation of Sonic Youth, a band Moore cofounded with Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo.
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Disembodied Art and Intellect
- By Kris on 11-02-23
By: Thurston Moore
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In Montparnasse
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- By: Sue Roe
- Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
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In Montparnasse begins on the eve of the First World War and ends with the 1936 unveiling of Dalí’s Lobster Telephone. As those extraordinary years unfolded, the Surrealists found ever more innovative ways of exploring the interior life, and asking new questions about how to define art. In Montparnasse recounts how this artistic revolution came to be amidst the salons and cafés of that vibrant neighborhood.
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Great Second of Two Books
- By Robert Keith on 10-26-19
By: Sue Roe
What listeners say about Major Labels
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- Anonymous User
- 09-08-23
A must for music lovers
a great analysis and history of trends in music, not really about specific bands or people but the trends, ideas and cultures around them
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-17-22
Music lover?
As someone who classifies himself as eclectic when it comes to their musical likes and don’t likes. I found this book to be incredibly interesting. The music historian in me that loves the history of music was like a giddy child reading this book.
I found myself taking way longer than I should’ve to get through this book but every time he mentioned bands, I had forgotten about. I would go into my streaming library and pull up their catalogs and listen to some old tunes. don’t even appreciate him, turning me onto new artist that I had not even heard of.
I do have a couple of things I did take some issues with and wish I could ask the author about. My first issue is in his rap genre. He does not cover West Coast rap as much as I think he should. It is very East Coast biased and as someone who lives on the West Coast I appreciate the history but I think he missed a lot of what happened on our side of the US.
My second issue comes in the pop of genre when there is only a feeding mention of Michael Jackson “the king of Pop “as someone to me who defined pop music. I would just want to hear the author spots on my two takes.
I highly recommend this book to any music fan or anyone you know who loves music I cannot stop recommending this book to anyone I talk to about music or about audiobooks .
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- Rolando Jimenez
- 03-25-23
Flawless!
such an amazing book filled with fun information and incredibly, no biases. This is a must read for anyone that loves music
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- Matt G
- 11-01-24
the overview of modern music history everyone needs to listen to.
this book gave me an education that I had, through needless neglect and unwillful sheltering, never received growing up. the author's work was erudite and informative without being dryly academic, and Riley humorous when appropriate. I would hardly recommend this book to anyone looking to either confirm, or broaden, their musical base of knowledge and opinion.
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- A. Yerkes
- 11-09-21
Pure Pleasure Cultural History
I was surprised upon finishing this listen that it was 19 hours long. The time slipped right by as I found myself absorbed in this book's brisk histories. What they lack in comprehensive depth they make up for in clarity and pacing. The chapters on genres I knew little about were as interesting as the ones on genres I know well (played those chapters at double speed). I found myself pausing to call up Spotify to listen to various milestone recordings raised in the narrative. While listeners versed in the genres under discussion might notice some of the leaps that such a broad discussion has to make, skipping over crucial bands (no St. Etienne in the discussion of UK 90s dance culture bummed me out) that does not take away from the pleasure of this work -- its stranger-than-fiction origin stories and the music it will point the listener to along the way.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Greg Adamson
- 11-20-21
Humbling
I can’t tell which of the genres would be the least favorite of the author. The genres that I knew well were covered as completely as I would have wished them to be. By extension, those that I knew less about seemed equally dense, and as carefully detailed. As I am a music fanatic with 8,000 vinyl records; decades of club, wedding, and radio DJing experience; and managed a record store for many years, I still only felt confident in two or three of the genres. As such, I am humbled and amazed at how much time must have been spent working through all seven genres. Bravo, and my sincerest thanks!
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5 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-24-23
Kelefa never disappoints...
...even when you disagree with him. A great writer, thinker, and my favorite music critic!
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- Anonymous User
- 10-13-21
A fascinating experience
I was hooked from the very first sentence. This book was thoroughly researched, expansive, and engaging. The author did a brilliant job reading it as well.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-14-22
my favorite listen in a long time
very fun and informative, especially in this format as I was tempted to pause at times and go listen to songs and artists being discussed.
Kelefa has a great critical style of presenting arguments and thoughts in a very casual and disarming way. I learned a lot about genres I had no interest in, some I still wont listen to but even then I found the information and stories behind those genres engaging to listen to.
this is a book ill be recommending to people for the foreseeable future.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Keith
- 10-23-22
Wildly Uneven and Overly Broad
The frustrating nature of the book is mostly due to Sanneh's attempt to write a history of American popular music in a single volume. While he tries on occasion, it is impossible to add much depth or detail when covering so much ground. Instead, the very design of the project pushes his writing into broad generalizations and passing references to major (and some minor) figures. There are some insightful moments here and there, but too few to justify the glowing praise for the book. Structurally, the book is a mess, with Sanneh seemingly confusing himself as he jumps back and forth chronologically and imposing awkward groupings by breaking up his chapters into a series of subtopics. Ultimately, the book works best when it deviates from trying to function as a history and instead focuses on Sanneh's evolving personal relationship with various genres. His chapters on punk and dance music have much more granular detail and compelling commentary than the rest of the book largely because of the author's personal investment in the genres. Still, both chapters having gaping holes and primarily stick to the eras in which Sanneh was an active listener. The chapters on pop and hip-hop have their moments, but it is clear that he has less of a personal investment. The first three chapters of the book, however, are mostly useless to anyone with even a passing knowledge of popular music. The rock chapter is laughably broad and undercooked, reading like a high school textbook. While he professes his love for the genre, it is clear that Sanneh only has a casual interest in country music and simply summarizes major talking points. The R&B chapter is the absolute low point of the book, with Sanneh showing that he is completely out of his depth by demonstrating almost zero knowledge about the genre. This chapter is embarrassing. Throughout the book, his writing often serves as a lit review, summarizing points made elsewhere which will be familiar to many readers. Perhaps this book is meant to be one stop shopping for the reader, saving them time from working through a beginner's bibliography of popular music criticism. He relies too heavily on certain voices, such as Nelson George, whom he labels as a "historian," which is both funny and telling of the limitations to be expected from Sanneh. Lastly, the book reinforces an old adage. Question: How do you know if someone went to Harvard? Answer: Wait two minutes and they'll work it into the conversation.
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2 people found this helpful