Annie Zaleski

In the '80s, the Birmingham, England, band Duran Duran became closely associated with new wave, an idiosyncratic genre that dominated the decade's music and culture. No album represented this rip-it-up-and-start-again movement better than the act's breakthrough 1982 LP, Rio. A cohesive album with a retro-futuristic sound-influences include danceable disco, tangy funk, swaggering glam, and Roxy Music's art-rock-the full-length sold millions and spawned smashes such as "Hungry Like the Wolf" and the title track. However, Rio wasn't a success everywhere at first; in fact, the LP had to be buffed-up with remixes and reissued before it found an audience in America. The album was further buoyed by colorful music videos, which established Duran Duran as leaders of an MTV-driven second British Invasion, and the group's cutting-edge visual aesthetic. Via extensive new interviews with band members and other figures who helped Rio succeed, this book explores how and why Rio became a landmark pop-rock album, and examines how the LP was both a musical inspiration-and a reflection of a musical, cultural, and technology zeitgeist.

Duran Duran's Rio

A visually stunning, definitive tribute to rock’s most enigmatic, enduring, and stylish icon, Stevie Nicks, written by New York Times bestselling music journalist Annie Zaleski. This beautifully illustrated book goes beyond the glitter and shawls to explore the raw artistry, resilience, and magic that define Stevie Nicks’s five-decade career. From singing “Are You Mine” with her grandfather in Phoenix to becoming the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, Stevie’s story is as sweeping and bold as her stage presence. Stevie Nicks in 50 Songs covers it all: her early musical roots, folk and country influences, first guitar at sixteen, and fateful harmony with Lindsey Buckingham on “California Dreamin’”—a moment that launched one of rock’s most complicated partnerships. This is not just a music biography. It’s a deep dive into Stevie’s powerful songwriting and mythmaking. The book analyzes iconic tracks like “Rhiannon,” inspired by Welsh mythology, “Landslide,” written during a pivotal moment in her relationship with Buckingham, and “Stand Back,” created with an uncredited synth assist from Prince. It covers breakout Fleetwood Mac hits like “Dreams” and “Gold Dust Woman,” along with cult classics from the Buckingham Nicks era and her solo work, like “Edge of Seventeen.” The book also offers surprising insights into her personal life: her friendships, her struggle with addiction, her political engagement, and advocacy work. Nick's unmatched fashion legacy shines through these pages, too. A dedicated section explores her famous shawls and capes, her di Fabrizio boots, the mystical Rumours look, and her real-life wardrobe inspirations. Beyond the music and style, Stevie Nicks in 50 Songs dives into the artist's cultural impact, like her pop mentorship of artists Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and more. Featuring rare photos, extensive track breakdowns, and revealing quotes, Stevie Nicks in 50 Songs is not just a celebration of a career. It’s a celebration of a woman who twirled through heartbreak and fame and emerged bolder than ever.

Stevie Nicks in 50 Songs

"From her humble beginnings as a teenage country singer to her record-breaking Eras Tour, Taylor Swift's career is incomparable both in her mastery over multiple genres and the pure scale of her fan base and success. By weaving effortlessly through country, rock, pop, indie, and folk music, Swift has created a style of her own. [This book provides] a comprehensive review of her entire songbook to date, covering all eleven studio albums and more than 200 songs that tell a dramatic story of life, love, and triumph"--

Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs

A celebration of disco music and the female pioneers that defined them.

Queens of Disco

The first blow-by-blow look at the stories and songcraft behind the complete discography of voice of a generation, Taylor Swift. From her humble beginnings as a teenage country singer to her record-breaking Eras stadium tour, Swift's career is incomparable both in her mastery over multiple genres and the pure scale of her fanbase and success. Weaving effortlessly through country, pop, indie and folk she has created a league of her own – and this comprehensive review of Taylor's songbook is dedicated to all ten studio albums and the 200+ masterpieces within them. An expertly written celebration of an icon.

Every single track, explored and explained

Taylor Swift - The Stories Behind the Songs

Celebrate the merriest season of the year with award-winning author and music journalist Annie Zaleski's collection of the 100 most popular and beloved holiday songs of all time. 'Tis the season! Break out the eggnog, hang the mistletoe, blast those Christmas songs, and settle down in your favorite armchair with this beautifully illustrated volume exploring well-known and lesser-known behind-the-scenes stories of the 100 most cherished holiday songs of all time and their everlasting impact. From artists such as Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald all the way up to Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande, this all-encompassing collection of holiday favorites is sure to warm your heart during the merriest season of the year. What song was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling single of all time? Which popular Christmas tune was reportedly written to commemorate Thanksgiving? What holiday song led to a special meet-and-greet between the song's 10-year-old singer and a 700-pound hippopotamus? Spanning musical genres and decades of classics and modern hits, some of the featured songs include: “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey "Deck the Halls" by Mannheim Steamroller “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" by The Beatles “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Gene Autry "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" by Gwen Stefani “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” by NSYNC “Run Rudolph Run” by Chuck Berry And many more! Including full-color illustrations throughout, this gorgeously packaged compendium is the perfect gift for you and your loved ones to experience the holiday magic year after year.

The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits

This Is Christmas, Song by Song

Neil Gaiman

Tori Amos

Margaret Atwood

Marc Andreyko

Leah Moore

Derek McCulloch

Kelly DeConnick

Cat Mihos

Gibson Twist

Gianna Meola

Celebrating 30 years of Tori Amos' breakout album: Little Earthquakes! The official graphic novel celebrating 30 years of Tori Amos's breakout album: Little Earthquakes. The landmark release that established her iconic thematic voice, as well as her live intensity behind the keys with unflinching lyrics and songs that would inspire generations of artists and musicians. This graphic novel demonstrates the lasting influence of this defining work with 24 stories inspired by the 12 songs on the album, as well as the 12 'B-sides' that accompanied the album and its associated singles. With star writers such as Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood being assembled by Z2 editor Rantz Hoseley, who previously edited the multi-award-winning Comic Book Tattoo, and who painted the cover for her recent Christmastide EP.

Tori Amos Little Earthquakes Variant Cover

Barbara Kesel

Catherynne Valente

Hannah Templer

Amanda Deibert

Laurenn McCubbin

Joan Jett

Z2 Z2 Comics

Jazzlyn Stone

Evgenia Vereli

Jamaica Dyer

Wiktoria Radkiewicz

Winner Winner Twins

Desi Alicea Aponte

Pau Scorpi

Camilla Zhang

Leonie O'Moore

Norzine

Comics biggest talents come together to form an exciting all woman team of creators and bring you stories to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Joan Jett's seminal albums! "BAD REPUTATION and I LOVE ROCK 'n' ROLL hit audiences like an atom bomb, defining a sound that became a soundtrack that would span generations. Now, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of these seminal albums, an unparalleled team of women creators bring these songs to life as 20 stories."

Bad Reputation / I Love Rock-N-Roll

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 40x40: Bad Reputation / I Love Rock-N-Roll (Hardcover)

Introduction -- 1. The Road to Rio -- 2. Writing & Recording Rio -- 3. Why Rio Matters -- 4. Duran Duran, Video Mavens -- 5. Conquering America -- 6. Success -- 7. Rio's Impact/Conclusion Acknowledgments Bibliography.

Annie Zaleski

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