MUSIC

In 1985, Queens, New York–based rap group Run-DMC teamed with heavy metal producer Rick Rubin to record their breakthrough album and one of the most influential songs in rap and rock.
The album, Raising Hell, went double platinum and sold over 3 million copies.
The song, a collaboration with rock group Aerosmith covering that band’s 1975 hit “Walk This Way,” is credited with pushing hip-hop into the mainstream and launching the rap-rock genre.
Illustrated with performance and off-stage photography, as well as select memorabilia, this beautiful slipcased hardcover is the ultimate word on a work that had a towering impact on both rap and rock and is an essential addition to the collection of any fan.

Lana Del Rey offers a comprehensive exploration of the life and career of one of the most captivating and controversial artists of the twenty-first century.

Pet Shop Boys – Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – are the most successful duo in the history of pop music. Three-time Brit Award winners and six-time Grammy nominees, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, including No. 1 hits such as ‘West End girls’, ‘It’s a sin’, and ‘Always on my mind’, and platinum-selling albums Please, Actually, and Very.

Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the release of their first album in 1986, Pet Shop Boys Volume is the definitive retrospective of the duo’s career. Expanding upon Pet Shop Boys Catalogue, published two decades ago, it presents their entire visual output to date, year by year. Sleeve artworks and packaging, stills from every video, film, and performance, stage sets and costume designs, photoshoots, publications, and even Christmas cards all feature, as does every collaboration with luminaries including Mark Farrow, Wolfgang Tillmans, Martin Parr, Bruce Weber, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Derek Jarman, Scott King, Zaha Hadid, Tom Scutt, and Es Devlin.

In Fender Telecaster 75 Years, guitar historian Dave Hunter traces Telecaster® guitars across seven-plus decades, beginning with Leo Fender’s breakthrough design in his modest Fullerton, California, workshop. Along the way, Hunter contextualizes the evolving Telecaster within the contemporary guitar industry and shows the relationships that admired players throughout the decades have enjoyed with this guitar, including Muddy Waters, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen, and Joe Strummer...

Black Sabbath, “Crazy Train,” one alleged unfortunate bat…Ozzy Osbourne is widely considered the founder of heavy metal, an artist whose outlandish off- and onstage antics and songcraft spanned the entirety of the genre.

To celebrate the upcoming 50th anniversary of the legendary Motörhead, here are gathered some of the greatest musicians (Ozzy Osbourne, Lars Ulrich, Slash, Chrissie Hynde, Dave Navarro), writers (Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock), pro-wrestlers (Triple H, Corey Graves). TV & Film (Matt Pinfield, Penelope Spheeris) and bandmates (Phil Campbell, Mickey Dee, Slim Jim Phantom) to their personal stories of encounters with the man of Rock & Roll, Lemmy Kilmister.

A must-read for any metalhead, Metallica: The Stories Behind the Songs breaks down the writing and recording of every track from each of the band's studio albums, including classic records such as Master of Puppets (1986) and Metallica ('The Black Album') (1991), right through to 2023's 72 Seasons.

Written by former Metal Hammer publisher Chris Ingham and Illustrated with hundreds of stunning photos spanning more than 40 years, this updated entry in the bestselling Stories Behind the Songs series explores the influences behind more than 100 of the band's most celebrated tracks, offering fans a unique perspective into the creation, evolution and performance of their favourite songs.

A must-have for every Pearl Jam fan, this beautifully designed volume traces 35 years of the groundbreaking grunge group through photos, interviews, and all the fascinating facts.

Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder, and Matt Cameron are Seattle’s own alternative rock band that sprang to the top of the charts (and into the angsty hearts of millions of global fans) in the 1990s. Though each of the members and the band itself has faced their ups and downs in the four decades since they came together, they continue to release new music and maintain a loyal fan base.

Discover the full story behind every single song Beyoncé has ever released.

From Destiny's Child to Cowboy Carter, this is the definitive guide to one of music's greatest ever talents, covering hundreds of songs , hidden gems, soundtracks, cover versions and more.

In 1995, one year before Tupac Shakur was shot dead in Las Vegas, he was jailed for two months inside New York City's notorious Rikers Island. While there, he received a letter from a stranger - Angela Ardis, acting on a casual bet with her friends. She included her photo and phone number... and soon found herself answering a call from Tupac himself. Remarkably, their near-daily contact grew into a complex kinship of souls that neither could define - and touched both in unexpected ways. Alive in letters and original poems - some available nowhere else - Tupac's ever-relevant heart beats within these pages.

Taylor Swift's stratospheric rise to mega stardom is the story of the century. Charming fans straight out the gate as a teen country music sensation, Swift has gone on to dominate the music industry as a pop titan.

She is the first woman to have four albums in the Billboard chart's Top Ten at the same time, is the recipient of fourteen Grammys and forty American Music Awards and her recent Eras tour broke records to become the first music event to surpass $1 billion in revenue, making it the highest-grossing tour in history.

From the bustling streets of Dublin in 1976 to the grandest arenas on the planet, follow U2's extraordinary ascent as they transform from a group of ambitious young musicians into global music icons.

Music journalist Bradley Morgan delves deep into the band's early days, offering an intimate look at their formation and the roots of their distinctive sound. From Boy to The Joshua Tree to Achtung Baby and beyond, witness how each album marked a creative evolution and cemented their status as musical pioneers.

From lead singer and guitarist of the Wailers, to his international solo success in the 1970s, Bob Marley is largely credited with the popularization of Reggae music worldwide. Having died in 1981, Marley's legacy is clearly evident within society today, and the recent biopic, One Love (2024), achieved widespread success.

Amidst the chaos that was the Sex Pistols, it's often forgotten just what a powerful band they were, and what great records they made. The Sex Pistols were no ordinary group.

Their story might be short, and not without its casualties, but their legacy is undoubted; one listen to their ferocious, raw rock and roll will soon tell you that. No British band since the Beatles has done as much to shape the nation. Musically, the Pistols' impact was enormous and continues to resonate; they didn't just kick down doors; they trashed the music industry's house. For a band who (really) only released one album and four incandescent singles - "Anarchy in the U.K.," "God Save the Queen," "Pretty Vacant" and "Holidays in the Sun" - they gave birth to a sea of imitators and inspired a DIY aesthetic still alive today. Not bad for a band that 'couldn't play.'

Formed in 1965, the four-piece of Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Rick Wright and Nick Mason fused English pastoral whimsy with electrifying instrumental voyages. Their gigs at underground clubs, such as UFO and Middle Earth, are the stuff of psychedelic legend. But Barrett's days were numbered, and in 1968 his drug dependency led to his replacement by guitarist David Gilmour, cementing the line-up that would persist through most of the band's career.

Fully illustrated throughout, Pink Floyd: Behind The Music is a history of a band moulded by the vision of its various members.

Joy Division and New Order: two globally successful groups that defied their times and overturned the musical landscape.

First, there was Joy Division, their music reflecting the bleak urban landscape of 1970s Manchester and singer Ian Curtis’s melancholic introspection. Then came New Order, rising from Joy Division’s ashes after the death of Curtis. Their music bridged the chasm between indie and dance, inspiring a generation and making their club, The Haçienda, a legendary destination.

Go behind the scenes with stunning photography, and hear from key figures including Bernard Sumner, Stephen Hook, and Peter Morris via archive interviews.

This handsome biography is simply a must for fans, charting Harry Styles's career to date, from X Factor audition to global acclaim.

One of the most-streamed and most-followed celebrities of the twenty-first century, Styles is undoubtedly the breakout pop star of our times.

From the ashes of Nirvana, Dave Grohl rose as a one-man band with a self-titled album: Foo Fighters. Now, almost 30 years on, and having recruited (and lost) additional band members, Grohl's vision has grown into a rock solid outfit that, despite the tragic death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022, is still playing music to its legions of fans across the world.

Paying homage to the band's enduring longevity, this updated edition of Foo Fighters: The Band That Dave Made is a comprehensive look at their career from backstory to their most recent album.

Blondie were the most successful rock act to emerge from New York's seminal and anarchic downtown punk scene of the mid-70s. Their beautiful and multi-talented lead singer, Debbie Harry, became the most photogenic and photographed rock performer of all time. Picture This is a startling and energetic record of the band that spawned power pop at the peak of their success. It explores in depth, both visually and verbally, the unique natural charm and charisma of Debbie's Punk Marilyn Monroe persona in its prime, and her successful reinvention of that persona for Blondie's glorious comeback of recent years.

Robert Shelton met Bob Dylan when the young singer arrived in New York in 1961. He became Dylan's friend, champion and critic. His book, first published in 1986, was hailed as the definitive unauthorized biography of this moody, passionate genius. Shelton tells the intimate and first-hand story of Dylan's formative years in Greenwich Village NYC, and it is the only biography that has been written with his active cooperation.
Following his Nobel Prize for Literature Award in 2016, Dylan's standing is higher than at any time since the 1960s and Shelton's book is now seen as a classic.

Usually when the alternative rock revolution' of the early 1990s is discussed, Nirvana's Nevermind is credited as the recording that led the charge. Yet there were several earlier albums that helped pave the way, including the Pixies' Doolittle, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Mother's Milk, Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking and especially Primus' 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese. This fascinating and beautifully curated oral history tells the tale of this truly one-of-a-kind band that merged funk, punk, rock and experimental music, with Les Claypool's distinctive humour.'

Punk has been romanticised and embalmed by the media. A youth revolt that became a worldwide fashion statement, punk s idols were the Sex Pistols and Johnny Rotten was its sneering antichrist. Rotten is a history of punk: angry, witty, poignant and crackling with energy. Malcolm McLaren, Sid Vicious, the 1970s, the Pistols story are all here, in one of the best books ever written about youth culture, by one of its most notorious figures.

Richly illustrated with over 100 photographs.
For almost fifty years, Leonard Cohen's mournful ballads of desire, heartbreak and lost faith have captivated audiences the world over. Continuing to make music until weeks before his death in November 2016, the award-winning Canadian songwriter, novelist and poet is revered as a cultural icon and master of his craft.

The Ramones gave birth to punk rock. Their progeny fertilised every significant punk band, from the Sex Pistols to Nirvana and Green Day. Ramones: The Complete Twisted History tells their story at the breakneck pace of their own blitzkrieg bop . From their early career to Joey Ramone s untimely death in 2001, it tells the tale of life taken to extremes, too soon, plus the story of their music.

Tupac Shakur is one of the greatest and most controversial artists of all time. More than a quarter of a century after his tragic death in 1996 at the age of just twenty-five, he continues to be one of the most misunderstood, complicated and prolific figures in modern history. Tupac's unapologetic lyrics, for which he was villainized by many at the time, read in these pages as prophecy. His cry of outrage in a country that repeatedly told Black men and women that their lives did not matter, continues to inspire his fans around the world.

This intimate photo chronicle by Polly Samson documents both the recording of David Gilmour's No. 1 album Luck and Strange and the acclaimed tour which saw the Pink Floyd legend playing sellout shows in Rome, London, LA and New York.

Samson, who is Gilmour’s partner and creative collaborator, as well as an acclaimed novelist / photographer in her own right, captures the process as the album takes shape: from conception and recording, off-duty and studio immersion, to release and live performance; from candid behind-the-scenes shots, to theatrical stage moments. We see an artist at work, the collaborative process, the moments of light relief – and the focus as the work takes flight.

Last Rites is the shocking, bitterly hilarious, never-before-told story of Ozzy's descent into hell. Along the way are reflections on an extraordinary life and career, including his marriage to wife Sharon, and what it took for him to return to the stage for the triumphant Back to the Beginning concert, streamed around the world, where Ozzy reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates for the final time.

Celebrating 50 years of Iron Maiden, this magnificent visual book, incorporating commentary by band members past and present, and never-before-seen photography from the Iron Maiden archives, chronicles the evolution of heavy metal’s most prestigious band.
Presenting iconic album and single artworks, photographs of the band’s instruments past and present, stage props, hand-written lyrics and artefacts from the archive and the band’s personal collections, as well as landmark photographs by Ross Halfin and John McMurtrie, Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams is rife with revelatory stories and intriguing insights from pivotal band members and management.

If ever there were Satanic Majesties of rock their name was Led Zeppelin. The band that out-sold the Rolling Stones and made Robert Johnson's deals with the devil look like a playground game of conkers were as high, inflated and glorified as their namesake.

In Stephen Davis's scorching account of their phenomenally successful career, no aspect - however disquieting - is ignored. The narcotic, alcoholic and psychotic wreckage they wreaked, the disturbing influence of the notorious mage Aleister Crowley on lead guitarist Jimmy Page and the death of John Bonham are all recorded.