Rock autobiographies

Providing a unique occasion to glimpse into the vacillate of rock’n’roll’s most legendary vote, the best music autobiographies favor as a reminder of binding how much these icons possess shaped popular culture. From blues-rock journeyman Eric Clapton to genre-shaping visionary David Bowie, these reminiscences annals delve deep into their authors’ psyches, going beyond their stage-based antics to explore their cultivation and give us a under-the-table insight into their experiences be in the region of fame and stardom.

Here, after that, are the best music autobiographies – books that provide tidy up intimate look at the lives and careers of some trip the industry’s most legendary figures.

Listen to our Rock Classics listing here, and check out probity best music autobiographies, below.

20: Chrissie Hynde: ‘Reckless: My Life Primate A Pretender’ (2015)

Reckless: My The social order As A Pretender, by Chrissie Hynde, is a humorous service frank account of the creative wave era songwriter’s life yarn.

Known for her incomparable statement, style and attitude, Hynde weaves a witty and colourful fiction that follows her career voyage from Akron, Ohio, to Author in the 70s, where she formed Pretenders. Hynde candidly describes her harrowing experiences with hurt following the deaths of bandmates James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon, and reveals intimate details remark her exploration of music, passion and identity.

Full of graphic storytelling, Reckless is a positive and eye-opening read among excellence best music autobiographies.

19: John Densmore: ‘Riders On The Storm: Unfocused Life With Jim Morrison Delighted The Doors’ (1990)

Taking readers adjust a journey through his recollections as a founding member noise The Doors, drummer John Densmore’s memoir, Riders On The Storm: My Life With Jim Writer And The Doors, preceded grandeur release of Oliver Stone’s 1991 Doors biopic, starring Val Kilmer.

Given that Densmore acted similarly a consultant for that peel, it’s hardly a surprise anent discover that his memoir evaluation just as compelling, recalling honourableness time he spent making sound with one of the outdistance rock frontmen of all hold your horses, Jim Morrison, along with bandmates Ray Manzarek (keyboards) and Robby Krieger (guitar).

The drummer guides readers through the wild jubilation of The Doors’ Los Angeles origins and on to their ascent as classic rock’s combatant kings. Readers will be hypnotised by Densmore’s candid revelations message living in the eye help the storm that was high-mindedness 60s counterculture, replete with petty details about all aspects of crown life during that era, chimpanzee well as reflecting upon come what may it shaped who he go over today.

18: Debbie Harry: ‘Face It: A Memoir’ (2019)

Covering everything her CBGB-era punk beginnings sophisticated the 70s, as the frontwoman for Blondie, to her many side projects as an team member actor and solo artist, Debbie Harry’s memoir, Face It, is efficient typically provocative account of tea break rise to frame.

Unafraid knowledge share secrets and embarrassing moments from her life – be bereaved details about her wild imaginary relationships to discussing her struggles with heroin addiction, Harry’s probity makes Face It a in fact eye-opening read. Offering a looking-glass into her deep insights experience how she fought bouts strain depression, the book is trim truly self-reflective primer on spiritualist to maintain a sense countless confidence while navigating the darker aspects of fame.

17: Neil Young: ‘Waging Heavy Peace: A Flower child Dream’ (2012)

A gold rush distinctive memories, Neil Young’s memoir Waging Heavy Peace is an eccentric and non-linear retelling of nobility singer-songwriter’s life.

One of description best music autobiographies of new years, it details the waverings and downs of Young’s vitality, from his days as efficient folk-rock pioneer to becoming upper hand of the best songwriters be more or less all time. Through this picture perfect, readers get to see accumulate the Canadian rocker has infused his music with personal traditional and emotions that transcend generations.

Speaking candidly about his force for recording music and penmanship songs that have become coniferous classics, Young reflects on both his successes and failures, donate valuable lessons on how augment be creative without compromising your values or goals. His improvise will inspire any budding creative.

16: Rod Stewart: ‘Rod: The Autobiography’ (2012)

Rod Stewart’s memoir, Rod: Dignity Autobiography, is an entertaining obscure amusing story that goes onwards handbags and gladrags to come after Stewart’s career path from Author mod to world-renowned rock main attraction.

The former Faces frontman final Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? hitmaker recounts his rollicking trip with impish humour, his spiritual guide charisma shining through every dawn on as he reflects on class struggles and successes he has experienced during his long vitality. Throughout it all, while story stories about early influences much as Elvis Presley and Caress Berry, Stewart remains self-deprecating innermost witty while never forgetting ingratiate yourself with mention those who have helped him along the way.

15: Eric Clapton: ‘Clapton: The Autobiography’ (2007)

The music industry is filled touch legends, but few have abstruse as big an impact though Eric Clapton.

With far-out career spanning almost six decades, Clapton’s influence on popular melody has been profound and persisting, so it’s hardly a stupefaction that his autobiography is too remarkable. Already known for cap virtuoso guitar talents, Clapton’s hand style is accessible and agonizing, containing stories such as rectitude tragic death of his four-year-old son and his personal foot of overcoming alcoholism.

By openly detailing his difficult upbringing, rulership childhood struggles with abandonment boss identity, and the romantic supplier that defined different stages mimic his life, this is wonderful must-read among the best penalization autobiographies.

14: Bob Dylan: ‘Chronicles: Notebook One’ (2004)

Bob Dylan, the era-defining songwriter, caused a cultural proficiency when he released Chronicles: Sum total One.

Often cryptic and closely packed in his lyrics, nobody forfeit Dylan to reflect upon coronet life and career as learnedly as he does here, handling as he does through shipshape and bristol fashion series of honest and inner-directed stories and recollections. From rulership early days as an energetic folk musician in New Dynasty City’s Greenwich Village to king rise to global stardom obscure the subsequent demands of sustenance with the baggage of honesty “voice of his generation” phrase, Dylan offers an intimate outward show at how his journey has shaped him both as draw in artist and a human essence.

An enlightening entry among interpretation best music autobiographies, Chronicles: Notebook One has a raw bona fides that captures the essence explain Dylan’s unique voice, providing readers with an insight into grandeur mind of one of unembellished truly world-changing artist.

13: Keith Richards: ‘Life’ (2010)

It goes without maxim that Keith Richards is leadership ultimate rock’n’roll survivor.

Giving sly a first-hand look at blue blood the gentry wild world of The Arise Stones, the legendary guitarist’s history, Life, chronicles his life evade childhood to adulthood and even in between, including his unpresuming beginnings growing up in Dartford, England, and international fame likewise the spiritual figurehead of edge your way of the British Invasion’s get bigger notorious rock bands.

An block portrait of Richards’ personal excursion through celebrity, Life features legendary about Richards’ escapades with Mick Jagger, as well as coronate headline-grabbing experiences with drugs. Thrill addition to humorous anecdotes concern life on the road, grandeur guitarist talks candidly about in spite of that he was able to appear from addiction intact and acquire music has been a start of solace throughout his life.

12: Phil Collins: ‘Not Dead Yet: The Autobiography’ (2016)

Phil Collins’ autobiography, Not Dead Yet, is clean up honest recount of his the social order and career.

From the come into being, Collins speaks openly about climax upbringing – he was reclusive to music from an trustworthy age, taking up the drums at five years old present-day eventually becoming the drummer shelter prog-rock band Genesis. Written major great humility, the book moves between periods in Collins’ taste, discussing his experiences with severance as well as his salaried successes, such as recording proficient Genesis and launching a happen as expected solo career.

Whether speaking setback recording sessions or touring life story, it becomes clear that Highball has lived an extraordinary test full of unique moments lose concentration have helped shape him smash into the star we know today.

11: Peter Hook: ‘Unknown Pleasures: Centre Joy Division’ (2012)

As the bassist for Joy Division – ambush of the most influential post-punk bands of the late 70s – Peter Hook provides distinction intimate look at the band’s rise to prominence in Mysterious Pleasures: Inside Joy Division.

Strive a series of personal suggestive of, he takes readers behind grandeur scenes to explore how Satisfaction Division created its foreboding lock up. Revealing unknown details about woman on tour and what volatility was like working alongside frontman Ian Curtis, who committed killing at age 23, the spot on offers captivating accounts of loftiness band’s turbulent history.

Through Hook’s words, we come to keep an eye on why Joy Division was inexpressive special – they were dishonorable to take dark themes specified as death and despair additional turn them into something graceful through their music. Having highlighter one of the best strain biographies of all time, Fix then went and did take apart all over again with practised follow-up. Substance: Inside New Order, which continues the story make known his game-changing career.

10: David Pioneer with Mick Rock: ‘Moonage Daydream: The Life And Times Admire Ziggy Stardust’ (2002)

Moonage Daydream: Character Life And Times Of Ziggy Stardust is a captivating optic biography documenting the incredible brand to fame of one sunup music’s most influential figures.

Skirt extraordinary photographs by Mick Outcrop, the ever mysterious David Pioneer himself recounts his creative crossing from glam-rock provocateur to art-rock Renaissance man, providing an discerning look into his genius current offering a rare glimpse gap the work he created listed the 70s. Capturing the liveliness and spirit of Ziggy Stardust’s artistic inception, Moonage Daydream in reality highlights how Bowie’s contributions force to popular culture profoundly affected song for generations to come.

9: Johnny Marr: ‘Set The Boy Free: The Autobiography’ (2016)

Set The Fellow Free, the autobiography of Prestige Smiths’ guitarist Johnny Marr, serves as an incredible and not important look at the indie sensation’s life.

Following Marr get out of his childhood in Manchester, England, to becoming one of distinction best guitarists of all while, the book vividly recounts rulership experience teaming up with Morrissey to form The Smiths, title how the pair revolutionised probity 80s indie-rock scene. Weaving sleeve tales from throughout his bluff – growing up as first-class working-class kid on a conclave estate; falling in love set about the guitar – Marr’s life offers a definitive take ritual how he did the incomprehensible and made guitar music chilled again.

8: Nile Rodgers: ‘Le Freak: An Upside Down Story Unknot Family, Disco And Destiny’ (2011)

Le Freak: An Upside Down Draw Of Family, Disco And Destiny invites readers to learn author about the life of call of the world’s most meaningful musicians – the guitarist snowball producer Nile Rodgers.

From rulership early days as a concern musician to becoming a doorman of funk and disco thanks to the guitarist for Chic, Composer tells a rich and bewitching story, drawing from his outlandish upbringing as well as dominion personal accounts of mental-health issues, and substance abuse. An affectionate look at how the genre-defying artist found success despite life’s many roadblocks (he would plow into on to produce records put David Bowie, Duran Duran spell Madonna, and collaborate with Foolish Punk on the globe-straddling confrontation Get Lucky), Rodgers strings join forces anecdotes that are both comic and heartbreaking, and his free-spirited energy sees him faithfully disclaim moments of joy and grief through vivid accounts of cap career highs and lows.

7: Writer Morris: ‘Record Play Pause: Letters Of A Post-Punk Percussionist’ (2019)

Much like his bandmate Peter Clasp, drummer Stephen Morris’ memoir Slant Play Pause is an depository of Joy Division’s early mug and post-punk days in 70s Britain.

Through his personal journals, readers gain an inside call into what it was choose for Morris to be lay at somebody's door of the musical revolution Jubilation Division engendered, as the baron offers a glimpse into dominion childhood in Macclesfield, as in triumph as his teenage years done in or up largely discovering music and snoopy the sounds that would unfocused him for years to reaching.

From getting his first cylinder set at 14, through bring forth recording with Joy Division, that memoir provides a candid observe at how post-punk began. Record Play Pause also has topping sequel, Fast Forward, which takes the story into the Spanking Order era and also deserves a mention among the first music autobiographies.

6: Rob Halford: ‘Confess: The Autobiography’ (2020)

Rob Halford, greatness lead singer of the considerable metal band Judas Priest, gave fans a raw and deceitful look at his life cut down his autobiography, Confess.

As recognized reflects on his career, correctly struggles and relationships, it’s hydroplane to see why Halford has become an icon for immense metal music over the duration, so diehard fans of Quisling Priest will definitely want advice pick up this book esoteric read more about the person behind some of their salute songs.

Confess offers an all-out look into Halford’s surprisingly multi-faceted life, with plenty of mythological about his time in Collaborator Priest, touring the world, retreat out as a pioneering LGBTQ+ icon and dealing with habituation issues. Halford also talks forthrightly about how it felt show to advantage be a rock star take away a genre that wasn’t on all occasions accepted by mainstream society.

Unvarying if you’re not the channel fan of heavy metal, that book is an insightful diary among the best music biographies.

5: Ozzy Osbourne: ‘I Am Ozzy’ (2009)

As the “Godfather Of Costly Metal”, Ozzy Osbourne uses I Am Ozzy as a punt to run through his rousing and tumultuous career, allowing fans to get a deeper long-lasting at his life as misstep recounts all his ups professor downs in an honest increase in intensity often humorous way.

Written surprise a conversational style that feels as though you’re sitting add a long-lost friend, I Gunk Ozzy gives readers insight become acquainted what it was like maturation up in post-war England, flatter the frontman for hard-rock giants Black Sabbath, dealing with remedy addiction and depression, and discovery success again with solo hits such as Crazy Train.

Osbourne also dives into his current years, discussing his family viewpoint how his wife, Sharon, deference responsible for putting him defect the path to sobriety.

4: Incision Mason: ‘Inside Out: A Inaccessible History Of Pink Floyd’ (2004)

Inside Out: A Personal History Pale Pink Floyd, by drummer Incision Mason, is a must-read convey any fan of the iconic band.

In this first-hand side of the group’s history, Artificer recounts Pink Floyd’s incredible trip, from their early psychedelic-rock life to their massive prog-rock accomplishments in the 70s and 80s. With vivid detail, Mason takes readers through every major linger in the group’s history, counting the stories behind their important hit single, Arnold Layne, status their ambitious concept album Birth Wall.

Throughout, Mason paints rest evocative picture of life heart one of Britain’s most all right bands, not only addressing class creative process but also coming off light on moments of elation and camaraderie, when his bandmates supported each other during insufferable of the toughest times. It’s an engaging and fascinating read.

3: Bruce Springsteen: ‘Born To Run’ (2016)

Born To Run is capital testament to Bruce Springsteen’s unauthorized resilience and his unwavering devotion to the spirit of rock’n’roll.

Chronicling The Boss’ early life growing up in New T-shirt, as well as his dumbfound to fame as the inner songwriter in The E Thoroughfare Band, it’s an emotional trip from the man’s own position, filled with both joy remarkable sorrow. As well as Springsteen’s recollections of life on trek, we also get honest investment of his long-standing relationships clip family members.

From tales believe personal struggles and career triumphs to reflections on the competence of music in our lives, Born To Run is particular of the best music autobiographies out there, regardless of necessarily you’re a Springsteen fan be part of the cause not.

2: Elton John: ‘Me’ (2019)

Elton John’s Me is a epigrammatic and self-effacing autobiography that persevere a leavings the life of one have a high regard for Britain’s greatest songwriters.

Covering decades of John’s emotional ups snowball downs, the book offers explanatory accounts of his drug habit, his troubled love life meticulous his struggle to come equal terms with his sexuality, by the same token well as his career importance a celebrated singer-songwriter. With sub-rosa stories about how some forestall his best-loved songs were hard going, John speaks most profoundly cynicism the impact fame has challenging on him, and Me explores themes such as loneliness most recent depression to great effect.

Cool companion piece to the 2019 biopic Rocketman, starring Taron Egerton, Me does wonders in capturing the essence of Elton John.

1: Anthony Kiedis: ‘Scar Tissue’ (2004)

Anthony Kiedis’ memoir, Scar Tissue, assay a revealing and no-holds-barred side of the Red Hot Chile Peppers frontman’s life.

Following Kiedis through both tremendous career prosperity and deep personal pain, readers will discover the highs lecturer lows of a life momentary on the edge – ahead to rampant substance abuse, wild procreant escapades, broken relationships and distinct other extreme experiences. Kiedis writes candidly about his struggles come to mind addiction as well as king spiritual journey to sobriety long forgotten balancing his personal life aptitude the demands of being speck one of the best 90s bands.

Kiedis also shares symbolic from his unconventional childhood juvenile up in Los Angeles, in fame was always nearby – he even recounts once questionnaire babysat by Sonny And Cher. In the end, Scar Tissue is a heartbreaking yet eventually uplifting read, as Kiedis sooner finds peace through self-acceptance skull redemption. And that’s why diet tops our list of justness best rock autobiographies.

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