The most popular music books of 2026

Music books are for listeners and players alike. Read the stories of musicians and bands, the history of genres from classical to hip-hop, and what goes on inside the industry. You will also find guides to theory and to learning an instrument, whatever your level. This list shows the ones first published in 2026.

Cover of ABBA

ABBA

Jeneanne DeBois

Published 2026

24 pages

Cover of Movies to Listen To Great Scores and Their Composers

Movies to Listen To Great Scores and Their Composers

Megan E. Goldstein, Pamela A. Marx

Published 2026

235 pages

Cover of Lee Scratch Perry

Lee Scratch Perry

Lee Scratch Perry

Published 2026

600 pages

Cover of Stiff Little Fingers' Inflammable Material

Stiff Little Fingers' Inflammable Material

Kevin Dunn

Published 2026

112 pages

Cover of Mazzy Star’s So Tonight That I Might See

Mazzy Star’s So Tonight That I Might See

Anthony Gomez III

Published 2026

144 pages

Cover of The Beatles

The Beatles

Kait Kerrigan

Published 2026

72 pages

Cover of What Mattered Most A Memoir

What Mattered Most A Memoir

David Ritz, Ty Herndon

Published 2026

272 pages

Cover of Musicians and Copyright A History of Collective Rights Management in the Music Industry

Musicians and Copyright A History of Collective Rights Management in the Music Industry

Véronique Pouillard, Marius Buning, Mala Loth

Published 2026

296 pages

Cover of The Journal of Beatles Studies (Volume 4, Issue 1)

The Journal of Beatles Studies (Volume 4, Issue 1)

Paul Long, Holly Tessler

Published 2026

184 pages

Cover of The Journal of Beatles Studies (Volume 3, Issue 2)

The Journal of Beatles Studies (Volume 3, Issue 2)

Tessler

Published 2026

184 pages

Cover of With a Little Help from Their Friends The Beatles and the People Who Made Them

With a Little Help from Their Friends The Beatles and the People Who Made Them

Stuart Maconie

Published 2026

368 pages

Cover of Girls Invented Punk Rock Stories and Photos from the Frontlines

Girls Invented Punk Rock Stories and Photos from the Frontlines

John Susoeff

Published 2026

192 pages

Cover of Hanns Eisler and His Circle in Republican Spain Music, Antifascism, War

Hanns Eisler and His Circle in Republican Spain Music, Antifascism, War

Diego Alonso Tomás

Published 2026

288 pages

Cover of Best Seat in the House The Music, Musicians, and Performances of a Lifetime

Best Seat in the House The Music, Musicians, and Performances of a Lifetime

Winston Webber

Published 2026

300 pages

Cover of The Real Alma Mahler Composer, Socialite, Rebel and Influencer

The Real Alma Mahler Composer, Socialite, Rebel and Influencer

Judith Grohmann

Published 2026

240 pages

Cover of Spice Girls - Song by Song

Spice Girls - Song by Song

Anne Harrison

Published 2026

160 pages

Cover of The Who - Song by Song

The Who - Song by Song

Christian Suchatzki

Published 2026

160 pages

Cover of Iron Maiden - Song by Song

Iron Maiden - Song by Song

Christer Bakke Andresen

Published 2026

160 pages

Cover of Britney Spears - Song by Song

Britney Spears - Song by Song

Steve Bishop

Published 2026

176 pages

Cover of Chris Rea - Song by Song

Chris Rea - Song by Song

Jamie Hailstone

Published 2026

160 pages

Cover of Sparks - Song by Song, Volume 1

Sparks - Song by Song, Volume 1

Ruud Swart

Published 2026

224 pages

Cover of Loud Pictures A History of the Cinema of Rebellion and the Greatest Rock and Roll Films of All Time

Loud Pictures A History of the Cinema of Rebellion and the Greatest Rock and Roll Films of All Time

Marc Spitz

Published 2026

352 pages

Cover of The Gold Standard

The Gold Standard

Lenny Santiago

Published 2026

192 pages

Cover of Audible Ancestors Tamborazo Music and Indigenous Memory in the Borderlands

Audible Ancestors Tamborazo Music and Indigenous Memory in the Borderlands

Luis Chávez-González

Published 2026

240 pages

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