by Questlove
First published 2021
Multi-Grammy winner Questlove examines five decades of American history through the lens of popular music. Starting in 1971, he uncovers hidden connections across the cultural landscape, exploring how blaxploitation cinema transformed Black identity and how disco applied factory methods to Black creativity. The author weaves together his musical knowledge with personal memories as a fan, showing how pop culture became his teacher about America itself. Questlove digs deep into the relationship between sound and society, revealing patterns that shaped the nation from the 1970s through today. This New York Times bestseller offers both a chronicle of recent American history and an intimate dialogue with one of music's most original thinkers.
Genres: african-american, music, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-narrative, social-commentary
Period: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s
352 pages · Hardcover · Harry N. Abrams