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Music Is History
A New York Times bestseller, Music Is History combines multi-Grammy Award winner Questlove’s deep musical expertise with his curiosity about history, examining America over the past fifty years.
Focusing on the years 1971 to the present, Questlove finds the hidden connections in the American tapestry, whether investigating how the blaxploitation era reshaped Black identity or considering the way disco took an assembly line approach to Black genius. And these critical inquiries are complemented by his own memories as a music fan, and the way his appetite for pop culture taught him about America.
A history of the last half-century and an intimate conversation with one of music’s most influential and original voices, Music Is History is a singular look at contemporary America.
“An entertaining, informative and far-reaching work, meticulously excavating American culture and history with the eye of a seasoned cratedigger.” — The Washington Post
Focusing on the years 1971 to the present, Questlove finds the hidden connections in the American tapestry, whether investigating how the blaxploitation era reshaped Black identity or considering the way disco took an assembly line approach to Black genius. And these critical inquiries are complemented by his own memories as a music fan, and the way his appetite for pop culture taught him about America.
A history of the last half-century and an intimate conversation with one of music’s most influential and original voices, Music Is History is a singular look at contemporary America.
“An entertaining, informative and far-reaching work, meticulously excavating American culture and history with the eye of a seasoned cratedigger.” — The Washington Post
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2021
About the author
Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson
14 books655 followersAhmir Khalib Thompson, known professionally as ?uestlove or Questlove (also known as BROther ?uestion, Questo, Brother Question or Qlove), is an American drummer, DJ, music journalist and record producer.
He is best known as the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought) for the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots, serving since February 17, 2014 as the in-house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the same role he and the band served during the entire 969 episode run of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
He has produced for artists including Elvis Costello, Common, D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Jay-Z, Nikka Costa and more recently, Al Green, Amy Winehouse and John Legend. He is a member of the production teams the Soulquarians, The Randy Watson Experience, The Soultronics and The Grand Wizzards.
His memoir Mo' Meta Blues was published in 2013.
He is best known as the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought) for the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots, serving since February 17, 2014 as the in-house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the same role he and the band served during the entire 969 episode run of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
He has produced for artists including Elvis Costello, Common, D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Jay-Z, Nikka Costa and more recently, Al Green, Amy Winehouse and John Legend. He is a member of the production teams the Soulquarians, The Randy Watson Experience, The Soultronics and The Grand Wizzards.
His memoir Mo' Meta Blues was published in 2013.
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January 31, 2022Protip: listen to books about music on audio, and listen to any book by Questlove in that format, too.
This was a fascinating look at history through music, and Questlove drops so much interesting insight into moments of history that were "big" and moments that were Big, interweaving music throughout them.
It's another of the recent reads I've had exploring what it is for history to become history and what is simply a moment in time. It's about the perspective we have as we live through a moment and whether or not we have the advantage of being able to see what things are as history or not.
My favorite part is the beginning, where Questlove invites you as a reader to question and argue his takes to create your own -- it's precisely what we should do with history and pop culture, period.
This was a fascinating look at history through music, and Questlove drops so much interesting insight into moments of history that were "big" and moments that were Big, interweaving music throughout them.
It's another of the recent reads I've had exploring what it is for history to become history and what is simply a moment in time. It's about the perspective we have as we live through a moment and whether or not we have the advantage of being able to see what things are as history or not.
My favorite part is the beginning, where Questlove invites you as a reader to question and argue his takes to create your own -- it's precisely what we should do with history and pop culture, period.
October 24, 2021
A really interesting personal / pop culture / societal history from ?uestlove, drummer and bandleader of the Roots. the book is structured chronologically for every year of his life (although much of the 21st century gets smooshed together at the end, which is a bit disappointing). Each chapter begins with some highlights of the year and then dives deep into a particular song (usually) from that year and what it meant to entertainment/musical culture and (more importantly) what it meant to ?uestlove and his life.
There's a lot of interesting meditations here on the power of music, and influences, and (in the later years) how family and friendship affect you in unexpected ways. I loved hearing how he approaches creating music wih the roots and sets as a DJ (check out his killer post-Oscars playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0D3... ). and I got exposed to some 70s and 80s soul I didn't know about and was reminded about music I haven't heard in too long (my word was Thriller a great album).
On the whole, a really good book that made me think a lot about the power of music in my life.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
There's a lot of interesting meditations here on the power of music, and influences, and (in the later years) how family and friendship affect you in unexpected ways. I loved hearing how he approaches creating music wih the roots and sets as a DJ (check out his killer post-Oscars playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0D3... ). and I got exposed to some 70s and 80s soul I didn't know about and was reminded about music I haven't heard in too long (my word was Thriller a great album).
On the whole, a really good book that made me think a lot about the power of music in my life.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2022
Prior to reading this book, I didn’t know who Questlove or the Roots were, and I know next to nothing about hip-hop. So reading the book was partly educational, and partly made me feel like an outsider. I wish I enjoyed the book more, because I really am interested in learning more, but overall I found the writing tedious and scattered. There were a lot of moments where I wished Questlove would sustain a thought for more than a few sentences. Too often the writing style devolves into platitude:
Part of my lack of engagement with the book is that I don’t have the time or mental space right now to go through it like it deserves. It should be taken slowly, with time to listen to all the songs he mentions along the way. I did some of that, but I’m at my limit of workload this semester. And because I have no background in most of the genres Questlove covers in the book, what I listened to was okay, but I didn’t love it. That’s not anything against the songs or musicians; it’s just that I don’t have the network of referents to enjoy a lot of it yet.
I didn’t think the book ever lived up to its grandiose title. The music under consideration is such a narrow slice of All Music Ever, and the connection between music and history was unclear to me. Despite Questlove’s caution against anecdotes (“If we didn’t have statistics, we would descend into anecdote” (131)), most of the book is anecdotes about songs and musicians Questlove likes (and I got the feeling that what he’d really like to do is write an entire book about Prince). The structure of going year by year seems pointless, and the headlines he selects for the first page of each year chapter usually don’t connect to anything he writes about in the chapter. I found it puzzling, actually.
The “music + history” thread culminates in the final chapter, where Questlove talks about creating a playlist for a party with Jay-Z and Beyoncé (this was after the President of the United States asked him to create a playlist, and Questlove procrastinated for eight years instead of creating a playlist). Apparently, this playlist connected everything about history in a way that made people cry and recognize Questlove’s genius (318). Sounds good. But . . . we don’t get to see what was in the playlist, so it’s hard for me to imagine what the set was like. I assume it included a lot of the songs he talks about in the book, but I don’t know.
This is a broad historical idea, so remember it: often, the most interesting things are not the things that everyone knows (that might be obvious), but you have to understand them in their original context, tucked between those things that everyone knows, serving as counterweights and commentary. (118)Sigh.
Locating and verifying facts about the past isn’t easy. (161)
Part of my lack of engagement with the book is that I don’t have the time or mental space right now to go through it like it deserves. It should be taken slowly, with time to listen to all the songs he mentions along the way. I did some of that, but I’m at my limit of workload this semester. And because I have no background in most of the genres Questlove covers in the book, what I listened to was okay, but I didn’t love it. That’s not anything against the songs or musicians; it’s just that I don’t have the network of referents to enjoy a lot of it yet.
I didn’t think the book ever lived up to its grandiose title. The music under consideration is such a narrow slice of All Music Ever, and the connection between music and history was unclear to me. Despite Questlove’s caution against anecdotes (“If we didn’t have statistics, we would descend into anecdote” (131)), most of the book is anecdotes about songs and musicians Questlove likes (and I got the feeling that what he’d really like to do is write an entire book about Prince). The structure of going year by year seems pointless, and the headlines he selects for the first page of each year chapter usually don’t connect to anything he writes about in the chapter. I found it puzzling, actually.
The “music + history” thread culminates in the final chapter, where Questlove talks about creating a playlist for a party with Jay-Z and Beyoncé (this was after the President of the United States asked him to create a playlist, and Questlove procrastinated for eight years instead of creating a playlist). Apparently, this playlist connected everything about history in a way that made people cry and recognize Questlove’s genius (318). Sounds good. But . . . we don’t get to see what was in the playlist, so it’s hard for me to imagine what the set was like. I assume it included a lot of the songs he talks about in the book, but I don’t know.
October 12, 2022
I acknowledge that it's hard to write a good, successful music book when Hanif Abdurraqib exists. But. This! Was! Disappointing! Ugh. I don't think anyone would argue that Questlove is a talented and respected producer and musician, but in the same way that a stand-up comedian's humor doesn't always translate as hilariously to the page when they get a book deal, Questlove's role in music history doesn't inherently make him qualified to write a whole book on the subject. You want this to be good, because you look at all the hits he's helped create and his work with The Roots and think, damn, he's got some stories to tell. But that's not what's in this book.
I'm not even sure what the thesis is. History's impact on music? Music's impact on history? Part memoir through a music history lens? The book begins with 1971 and each chapter takes us through the years chronologically up to 2001....and then weirdly devotes the last single chapter to 2002-present because 9/11 broke history or something. The chapters are headed by lists of major current events of that year (which feel quite random, everything from Evel Knievel to Timothy McVeigh is mentioned), events that sometimes show up in the chapters themselves. But some don't, and I'm curious how these lists were curated, but anyway.
I initially thought Questlove would choose a song that defined each year and break down how cultural and historical themes coalesced around it. Instead, he talks about the most random shit, all supposedly rallying around a vague, philosophical musing about history he intros at the start of the chapter ("A historical picture's worth a thousand historical words"....what?!). It just doesn't come together. Lack of organization, unfocused, needs a better editor. I feel like there are some philosophical, historical, and storytelling gems in here, but they're buried in the mess.
One slightly redeeming thing about this book is the centering of Black artists in the discussion of music history. People are quick to sum up any decade's music with white artists, when we all know many of the most successful ones were influenced by Black musicians and culture. On that, Questlove's focus is on point. It's just lost everywhere else, unfortunately.
I'm not even sure what the thesis is. History's impact on music? Music's impact on history? Part memoir through a music history lens? The book begins with 1971 and each chapter takes us through the years chronologically up to 2001....and then weirdly devotes the last single chapter to 2002-present because 9/11 broke history or something. The chapters are headed by lists of major current events of that year (which feel quite random, everything from Evel Knievel to Timothy McVeigh is mentioned), events that sometimes show up in the chapters themselves. But some don't, and I'm curious how these lists were curated, but anyway.
I initially thought Questlove would choose a song that defined each year and break down how cultural and historical themes coalesced around it. Instead, he talks about the most random shit, all supposedly rallying around a vague, philosophical musing about history he intros at the start of the chapter ("A historical picture's worth a thousand historical words"....what?!). It just doesn't come together. Lack of organization, unfocused, needs a better editor. I feel like there are some philosophical, historical, and storytelling gems in here, but they're buried in the mess.
One slightly redeeming thing about this book is the centering of Black artists in the discussion of music history. People are quick to sum up any decade's music with white artists, when we all know many of the most successful ones were influenced by Black musicians and culture. On that, Questlove's focus is on point. It's just lost everywhere else, unfortunately.
December 3, 2021
Music IS history but I wish Questlove had done a better job of connecting the years he discussed with the music. His reflections on the (and his) earliest years were the most thought-provoking, possibly because he was just a kid and couldn’t write about presidents he met or musicians he worked with or his own band. Perhaps fans of The Roots will find those anecdotes— some of which he has already covered in other books— more interesting than I did. Still, the parts that were good were very good and offered some food for thought on how music is embedded in our personal and collective history.
April 28, 2022
Heads up for a lot of language and a lot of politics. If that kind of thing will ruin a book for you, this might not be for you. But it was so fun and so informative. I learned a ton of musical history, and while I’m gonna need a hard copy now for those playlists (!!!), this was so much fun listening to on audio because the author reads it, editorializes, sings, and plays some songs along the way.
January 11, 2022
Loved the structure/concept of this but partway through it falls apart, he gets too wrapped up in his own story, gets as rambly and name-drop-y as ever. Still might be his best book, there's some interesting ideas and info at times
April 14, 2022
Anyone looking to read this, I definitely recommend listening to the audio instead. Quest love walks the reader back the last 50 years in music from jazz to disco and R&B, through his off and on love of pop and rap. He relates it to the current happenings as he saw and remembered them and taps into his vast knowledge base. He shows how music shapes history, but also is a reflection of the same, that music is history.
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February 2, 2022This book needs a playlist! I mean, I'm listening to the audiobook...at least a 3 second sample of each song he talks about would be within copyright, wouldn't it.
Some of the older, classic songs I know and can hum instantly. Some I haven't heard of (the b side) and the newer hip hop stuff he refers to...I'm lucky if I recognize the artist! I'm old...
Yep, it needs musical interludes. He's a DJ for heaven's sake. He should have included samples between each chapter! ;-)
Some of the older, classic songs I know and can hum instantly. Some I haven't heard of (the b side) and the newer hip hop stuff he refers to...I'm lucky if I recognize the artist! I'm old...
Yep, it needs musical interludes. He's a DJ for heaven's sake. He should have included samples between each chapter! ;-)
December 23, 2021
Questlove is a music encyclopedia and this book is his latest attempt at putting his vast knowledge into words. Narrated by him and accompanied by background instrumental music, where he also plays the drums, the book felt like a casual conversation about music in a bar. In each chapter he focuses on one specific year, starting with the big events that marked that specific time and continuing with musical anecdotes set in that context. All throughout, he inserts a bird view perspective about history writing that's meant to remind you that no history will ever be the ultimate objective truth, nor will it be complete (there will always be missing points of view), or final.
Not knowing all the musical references in each chapter, made this book hard to follow at times. This became much easier in the later chapters, where I was more familiar with the musicians Questlove talks about and I could thus form a much better mental picture of the stories being told. The book concludes with thoughts about the recent years of political unrest in the United States, how musicians have responded, and how the pandemic is currently shaping our history in ways we can not yet know.
My favorite part of this book must have been Questlove admitting one of his biggest regrets: Imagine being asked by President Obama to make a playlist for him and procrastinating until it's too late. Then you're asked to DJ a party at the White House and you overthink it so much that the president has to come and ask you to play some music the children can dance to. Thought this was a very vulnerable moment, and oddly - one that made Questlove seem much more relatable, rather than an all-knowing authority in music.
Overall, I'm glad I have read this book. Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for providing me with an advance edition of the audiobook!
Not knowing all the musical references in each chapter, made this book hard to follow at times. This became much easier in the later chapters, where I was more familiar with the musicians Questlove talks about and I could thus form a much better mental picture of the stories being told. The book concludes with thoughts about the recent years of political unrest in the United States, how musicians have responded, and how the pandemic is currently shaping our history in ways we can not yet know.
My favorite part of this book must have been Questlove admitting one of his biggest regrets: Imagine being asked by President Obama to make a playlist for him and procrastinating until it's too late. Then you're asked to DJ a party at the White House and you overthink it so much that the president has to come and ask you to play some music the children can dance to. Thought this was a very vulnerable moment, and oddly - one that made Questlove seem much more relatable, rather than an all-knowing authority in music.
Overall, I'm glad I have read this book. Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for providing me with an advance edition of the audiobook!
April 12, 2022
Disappointing
I thought this book would be so much better. An autobiography based music surrounding the author in certain years sounded great. This book didn’t make me nostalgic for the music or connect to the author. The song/album list at the end of the book was the best.
I thought this book would be so much better. An autobiography based music surrounding the author in certain years sounded great. This book didn’t make me nostalgic for the music or connect to the author. The song/album list at the end of the book was the best.
August 23, 2022
I loved time traveling from 1971 to the present with Questlove talking about the history of music….Music does soothe our souls…At least most of us…
April 18, 2022
Kinda directionless. Because Questlove writes and reads this in such an encyclopedic style, it doesn't square the circle of connecting music and history, instead being more of a beginner's-level guide to Black American musicology from the 1970s on (imo which is its own can of worms, but not an entirely unfair starting point at least for a hip hop artist) with footnotes of other things that happened in each year. Honestly, Questlove should have just done what every other celebrity did in 2020 and start a podcast series and maybe gotten some musicologists on as guests. As it stands, it straddles this vague middle-ground of adoration and documentation without being particularly notable at either.
February 26, 2022
?uestlove’s look at the history, pop culture, and music in the United States over the past 50 years from his life experience. It is always a pleasure to see his unique perspective blending American culture to give the reader something to think about and new avenues to explore especially in music. I would love to sit in his music classes and his DJ events. So many only know him as the drummer of The Roots on the Tonight Show but he is so much more. One of Gen X’s greatest minds I suggest looking not only into his books, but his music and film.
January 25, 2022
Some interesting stories mixed in, but as a whole a disorganized book with way too much filler
February 12, 2023
Admissions: I listen to a variety of music but a relatively small amount of hip hop and rap. Before this, my primary familiarity with The Roots was as the house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. And this book got on my radar as a selection for the “The Big Library Read” (in which my library app promotes a title and make copies available for anyone who wants them). I didn’t have time for it during the promotion but put it on my wish list for later.
Questlove starts with 1971, the year he was born; but of course to put things in context, he refers to events, people and things from before that time. Feeling that there needs to be some distance to understand events and sort out their significance, he doesn’t cover much since 2001. Some of the material was a trip down musical memory lane for me. But because of the holes in my musical knowledge, I searched for and listened to quite a bit of unfamiliar material (mentioned by the author) while listening to this book. I’m not a musician (or a DJ), so some of the commentary went over my head. I feel a bit better educated on the topics now.
Questlove doesn’t play music in this audio edition, but I still think audio is the best way to experience this. His passion for music, earnestness and playful sense of humour come through well.
Questlove starts with 1971, the year he was born; but of course to put things in context, he refers to events, people and things from before that time. Feeling that there needs to be some distance to understand events and sort out their significance, he doesn’t cover much since 2001. Some of the material was a trip down musical memory lane for me. But because of the holes in my musical knowledge, I searched for and listened to quite a bit of unfamiliar material (mentioned by the author) while listening to this book. I’m not a musician (or a DJ), so some of the commentary went over my head. I feel a bit better educated on the topics now.
Questlove doesn’t play music in this audio edition, but I still think audio is the best way to experience this. His passion for music, earnestness and playful sense of humour come through well.
April 28, 2022
I really was looking forward to this book. But in reading it I realized some things about myself..,I’m horrible about connecting musical artists, the names of the music they create and the actual music. As a result I struggled with this book because without being able. To listen to the actual artists and songs the author was talking about I was pretty lost. The fault is all my own and not the author’s. I am going to try and find and listen to many of the references he made to see if it all becomes clearer.
September 11, 2022
Felt like reading a music nerd's personal journal. Listened to the audiobook and wish I downloaded related playlists to pause and reflect on the songs discussed. I'll now be spending the next 20 years listening to all the albums mentioned in this book...
January 8, 2023
I enjoyed this one on audiobook, some stories are more about specific artists, some about his personal history, and others still, more about the larger current events of each time history. As such some that overlapped with my own growing up and youthful listens resonated more with me than others…. But even so, his love of music and his enthusiasm telling some of these snapshots of history was joyfully infectious.
April 18, 2022
I chose this book because it was Big Library Read. I know who Questlove and the Roots are from TV only. I didn’t know he taught a college class.
I guess I was expecting him to discuss how music has changed over the years. Instead he starts in 1971 and does highlights from each year that he feels was important in music and history. He does this for every year up until 2001 and then merges 2002 until present. (Nothing like smushing 20 years together lol). Though I disagree with some of his comments, one I disagree with big time is when he blames Trump for the division in America. Americans were already divided, and yes, Trump did not help matters, but he didn’t start it. Maybe people just woke up during his presidency. Anyhow, I’m curious to know what the playlist for Jay-Z party looked like? Did he ever give Obama his playlist?
I guess I was expecting him to discuss how music has changed over the years. Instead he starts in 1971 and does highlights from each year that he feels was important in music and history. He does this for every year up until 2001 and then merges 2002 until present. (Nothing like smushing 20 years together lol). Though I disagree with some of his comments, one I disagree with big time is when he blames Trump for the division in America. Americans were already divided, and yes, Trump did not help matters, but he didn’t start it. Maybe people just woke up during his presidency. Anyhow, I’m curious to know what the playlist for Jay-Z party looked like? Did he ever give Obama his playlist?
February 5, 2022
This is another book club book, but largely one that I helped pick. Believe it or not, back in high school, I listened to a lot of hip-hop, particularly lesser known artists (underground hip-hop), and The Roots was one of my favorites. Things Fall Apart was a pretty earthshaking album when I heard it. In it's way, although it really fit with my whole life growing up in public school in suburban Maryland, it taught me to have what I hope is a proper empathy for what the American black community has gone through and helped me lead a life that in its own way seeks to end racism in our nation.
It was mainly other white friends who got me into underground hip hop (although The Roots were always sort of on the brink of being more mainstream and being underground--they've always had a way of moving fluidly across genres and listening audiences), although the artists themselves were mostly black. Going to a large public high school that was maybe a quarter African American and playing on the basketball team which was large majority African American including the coaches, my interaction with black culture was pretty significant at that time. My high school days also involved watching BET, VH1, and MTV some, mainly for music videos but I also loved the retrospective stuff on VH1. I also listened to popular music on the radio at that time. It was a form of education in popular music that I had never had growing up since I listened almost exclusively to Christian music before I was in middle school. It was also the age of napster, which I never used, but I did have friends who used and would make me mix cds of hip hop and other kinds of music. I found jazz music on my own starting in middle school as well as a few other bands like DMB actually by listening to the cds they had out for anyone to listen to when my family would visit Borders Books (anyone else do that?). I watched through the Ken Burns Jazz series. I expanded my musical knowledge by constantly checking out music CDs from the library in both high school and college. In college, my musical knowledge expanded exponentially, although my friends there largely influenced me to listen to more British music, like Radiohead, or American indie music, like Sufjan Stevens or Wilco, or American classic rock.
Now, if you add to all that the fact that I have a BA and MA in history, an MAT in teaching history, and then have taught history in different formats for 15 years, you can see why this book jumped out at me as a must-read when I saw it come out.
It definitely did not disappoint, but it only gets 4 stars for three main reasons. I will cover those briefly before getting to what I loved and thought was most interesting about the book.
1. It was very tangential. He went off on pretty much whatever tangent he felt like whenever he felt like it. Sometimes, I knew almost nothing about the tangent he was going on, but that didn't bother me as much as just the fact that he didn't stick to the format he himself had laid out for the book.
2. He says that he shortens the later portions of the book for a few reasons including that it is harder to discern what is history when it is closer to the present, which is undoubtedly true, but I actually believe this had more to do with some of his own procrastination tendencies. Just take his story about Obama asking him to make him a playlist and him not getting it done until after Obama was president as an example of that. I really missed the depth he had given to especially the 70s and 80s when he got to 2001 on, but even in the 90s he had started to gloss over things more. Those are the years that I would have been able to interact with more directly because of my age, but he did not do that.
3. Admittedly, Questlove has written much more in book form and others, and I haven't read that. Perhaps he has covered this question in other writing. But I think a very big elephant in the room that he addressed almost not at all in the book is the question of race and music-listening habits. I think, given the goals for the book, this topic is 100% on topic, and a topic about which I would consider him an absolute authority. But he didn't get into it. Here are two examples of what I mean. First, black music has been a vehicle for the civil rights movement because black music has appealed to white people. He didn't talk about that. Second, The Roots themselves as at least partly a part of the underground hip hop scene, have often been loved more by white audiences than by black audiences. Just look at their being with Jimmy Fallon for so long as an example of that. As another example, my high school age African American students in Milwaukee I taught for a year did not listen to The Roots or really even know who they are. Who are they mostly hoping to appeal to? How do they think and feel about that? I am dying to know.
Ok, beyond those issues, this is an excellent and really timely book. Questlove is clearly a very bright individual with a keen ability to analyze society and change. His commentary is sharp, humble, and often funny. His knowledge of American popular music of the last 50 years, particularly black American music, is encyclopedic. He has lived his entire life in the music community and knows it like few others. He has connected with all kinds of different people through his music. It's just really cool to step into his world, or more accurately, this book felt like walking around inside his head, which was a pretty cool, if sometimes dizzying experience. I would love to get a cup of coffee with him and talk it over more. I am sure he would like nothing more than to hear about how my life history can be understood through music as well.
One theme that runs throughout the book that I plan to ask my book club about is how he writes about History as if it were some sort of animate force that acts independently. And he believes it favors change over continuity. I am not sure I agree, but it is certainly interesting to think about, and very much fits with his obvious life goal to make his place in history and to use his place in history as a platform to bring needed social change to our country. More power to him. If only more famous musicians were like him. Too many, including many that he writes about, were plagued by addiction or ego or were just major creeps. As for myself, I have no desire to make my place in history. I'm quite content in thinking that when I die, few will remember my name, but as a father and teacher and friend, I do hope to leave small marks (or sometimes larger, like on my own children) on people that will build them up in such a way that they will in turn be encouraged to help others. I'm sure Questlove would respect that, but his own personality I believe impacts his view of history is all I am saying.
I would just conclude by saying that while he is very humble in saying he is not a historian, he very much knows what he is doing and deserves to be a professor at NYU. He's obviously done his HW. It's yet another one of his qualities to admire that shines through in this book.
It was mainly other white friends who got me into underground hip hop (although The Roots were always sort of on the brink of being more mainstream and being underground--they've always had a way of moving fluidly across genres and listening audiences), although the artists themselves were mostly black. Going to a large public high school that was maybe a quarter African American and playing on the basketball team which was large majority African American including the coaches, my interaction with black culture was pretty significant at that time. My high school days also involved watching BET, VH1, and MTV some, mainly for music videos but I also loved the retrospective stuff on VH1. I also listened to popular music on the radio at that time. It was a form of education in popular music that I had never had growing up since I listened almost exclusively to Christian music before I was in middle school. It was also the age of napster, which I never used, but I did have friends who used and would make me mix cds of hip hop and other kinds of music. I found jazz music on my own starting in middle school as well as a few other bands like DMB actually by listening to the cds they had out for anyone to listen to when my family would visit Borders Books (anyone else do that?). I watched through the Ken Burns Jazz series. I expanded my musical knowledge by constantly checking out music CDs from the library in both high school and college. In college, my musical knowledge expanded exponentially, although my friends there largely influenced me to listen to more British music, like Radiohead, or American indie music, like Sufjan Stevens or Wilco, or American classic rock.
Now, if you add to all that the fact that I have a BA and MA in history, an MAT in teaching history, and then have taught history in different formats for 15 years, you can see why this book jumped out at me as a must-read when I saw it come out.
It definitely did not disappoint, but it only gets 4 stars for three main reasons. I will cover those briefly before getting to what I loved and thought was most interesting about the book.
1. It was very tangential. He went off on pretty much whatever tangent he felt like whenever he felt like it. Sometimes, I knew almost nothing about the tangent he was going on, but that didn't bother me as much as just the fact that he didn't stick to the format he himself had laid out for the book.
2. He says that he shortens the later portions of the book for a few reasons including that it is harder to discern what is history when it is closer to the present, which is undoubtedly true, but I actually believe this had more to do with some of his own procrastination tendencies. Just take his story about Obama asking him to make him a playlist and him not getting it done until after Obama was president as an example of that. I really missed the depth he had given to especially the 70s and 80s when he got to 2001 on, but even in the 90s he had started to gloss over things more. Those are the years that I would have been able to interact with more directly because of my age, but he did not do that.
3. Admittedly, Questlove has written much more in book form and others, and I haven't read that. Perhaps he has covered this question in other writing. But I think a very big elephant in the room that he addressed almost not at all in the book is the question of race and music-listening habits. I think, given the goals for the book, this topic is 100% on topic, and a topic about which I would consider him an absolute authority. But he didn't get into it. Here are two examples of what I mean. First, black music has been a vehicle for the civil rights movement because black music has appealed to white people. He didn't talk about that. Second, The Roots themselves as at least partly a part of the underground hip hop scene, have often been loved more by white audiences than by black audiences. Just look at their being with Jimmy Fallon for so long as an example of that. As another example, my high school age African American students in Milwaukee I taught for a year did not listen to The Roots or really even know who they are. Who are they mostly hoping to appeal to? How do they think and feel about that? I am dying to know.
Ok, beyond those issues, this is an excellent and really timely book. Questlove is clearly a very bright individual with a keen ability to analyze society and change. His commentary is sharp, humble, and often funny. His knowledge of American popular music of the last 50 years, particularly black American music, is encyclopedic. He has lived his entire life in the music community and knows it like few others. He has connected with all kinds of different people through his music. It's just really cool to step into his world, or more accurately, this book felt like walking around inside his head, which was a pretty cool, if sometimes dizzying experience. I would love to get a cup of coffee with him and talk it over more. I am sure he would like nothing more than to hear about how my life history can be understood through music as well.
One theme that runs throughout the book that I plan to ask my book club about is how he writes about History as if it were some sort of animate force that acts independently. And he believes it favors change over continuity. I am not sure I agree, but it is certainly interesting to think about, and very much fits with his obvious life goal to make his place in history and to use his place in history as a platform to bring needed social change to our country. More power to him. If only more famous musicians were like him. Too many, including many that he writes about, were plagued by addiction or ego or were just major creeps. As for myself, I have no desire to make my place in history. I'm quite content in thinking that when I die, few will remember my name, but as a father and teacher and friend, I do hope to leave small marks (or sometimes larger, like on my own children) on people that will build them up in such a way that they will in turn be encouraged to help others. I'm sure Questlove would respect that, but his own personality I believe impacts his view of history is all I am saying.
I would just conclude by saying that while he is very humble in saying he is not a historian, he very much knows what he is doing and deserves to be a professor at NYU. He's obviously done his HW. It's yet another one of his qualities to admire that shines through in this book.
February 1, 2022
I’m a sponge for music history and this book was no exception, I tried to absorb it all. Quest absolutely knows his stuff, and it’s really good stuff. I really enjoyed the 70s-90s chapters, but from 2001-the end, which is a short bit, both of writing and time, as it relates to this book… I absolutely would love to hear more from Quest on current events. And he ended with a playlist! 10/10
February 18, 2024
Questlove has a brilliant mind (understatement) and I felt deeply connected while reading this book. I can spend many, many hours of the day thinking about music, about history, about race and class and gender, political theory, what shapes us as a culture, a country etc etc etceterrrrrrra. I talk about these things a lot w friends, but spend nowhere near as much time talking about it as I do in my own head thinking about it bc I think—well from testing it out, I know— it would drive ppl crazy, and a lot of it is incomplete parts, connections I make don’t make sense to others, and sometimes I don’t even complete the thought loop bc my voracious appetite for the above has me moving to the next big thought before I’ve completed the previous. And sometimes I even drive myself a little crazy w how my brain moves around all these things. So I savored this book for 6 months; it drove me a little crazy but I felt a kinship-like I had finally found that friend that would sit up all night and debate every Quincy Jones album that reshaped culture and politics, and if only more ppl would have gotten it the world would be like, bc he…oh wait, but you know who else did that….and on and on. So all of this is to say that I loved this book but it is not for the masses. It’s for the late night debaters who don’t need a thesis or a conclusion, it’s about putting the needle on the record, opening one more bottle, and with no agenda except letting our minds wander and excite one another w the potential and possibility of all of the things.
February 20, 2024
4.25 - I can’t even describe the absolute density that is contained within this book. It’s brimming with information about history, about music, and about the history of music that is communicated in so many different effective ways. It’s so full of references that there are three different indexes in the back!
Questlove adds his own personal anecdotes at times, describing how he felt about a certain album or song and how it affected his worldview or career as a musician, but then he also places these albums and songs within the context of history. We’re able to see the way certain iconic artists created art that fit within their moments in history, and how that art in turn affected people’s view of that history, even as it was happening.
I also appreciated getting to learn about a new side of music and hearing an expert’s thoughts on genres that are normally outside the realm of what I listen to, hip-hop and rap as the primary examples. I learned about artists I have been familiar with in a new context, and am able to leave this book with a new appreciation for their talent and skill. Not only is this book written in such a unique and effective voice for the subject matter, but it also excels in showcasing the interwoven threads that affect us all in the passage of time and is able to pinpoint where certain pieces of music intersect the crucial moments of our history.
Questlove adds his own personal anecdotes at times, describing how he felt about a certain album or song and how it affected his worldview or career as a musician, but then he also places these albums and songs within the context of history. We’re able to see the way certain iconic artists created art that fit within their moments in history, and how that art in turn affected people’s view of that history, even as it was happening.
I also appreciated getting to learn about a new side of music and hearing an expert’s thoughts on genres that are normally outside the realm of what I listen to, hip-hop and rap as the primary examples. I learned about artists I have been familiar with in a new context, and am able to leave this book with a new appreciation for their talent and skill. Not only is this book written in such a unique and effective voice for the subject matter, but it also excels in showcasing the interwoven threads that affect us all in the passage of time and is able to pinpoint where certain pieces of music intersect the crucial moments of our history.
July 8, 2023
I listened to all 11 hours of this in audio format, hoping to be transported by music through time with Questlove, who focuses on the 1970’s through the pandemic. It is a timeline that mirrors his own life, as well as my own, so I looked forward to the listening experience, as much for nostalgia as for hearing a world class musician and DJ discuss the music that was formative for me, too.
Bummer: there was no musical soundtrack; rather, Questlove curates an extensive list of songs, albums, and film/tv soundtracks, critiquing them in terms of their musicality and relevance to American culture as well as his life, waxing philosophical about what history is, and digressing to tell stories about gigs, musicians, and more. His knowledge of music and pop culture, particularly Black culture, is encyclopedic and impressive, and each chapter (year) begins with a list of random, memorable cultural events. As a result, the book is mostly insightful, entertaining and often funny. At times, when he digresses, which is often, I found my attention straying. It definitely helps if one is familiar with the songs and artists he discusses, for Questlove frequently nerds out and drills down (sometimes to exact seconds in songs) into details that may or may not feel as riveting to the listener as they do to him. He tends to meander all over the place.
All in all, an interesting listen that is best enjoyed in small bites (a year or two at a time). I was pleasantly surprised to discover a massive Spotify playlist of the songs Questlove discusses in the book (props to Kurt “KJ” Johnson II for putting that together) and will definitely be giving it a listen.
Bummer: there was no musical soundtrack; rather, Questlove curates an extensive list of songs, albums, and film/tv soundtracks, critiquing them in terms of their musicality and relevance to American culture as well as his life, waxing philosophical about what history is, and digressing to tell stories about gigs, musicians, and more. His knowledge of music and pop culture, particularly Black culture, is encyclopedic and impressive, and each chapter (year) begins with a list of random, memorable cultural events. As a result, the book is mostly insightful, entertaining and often funny. At times, when he digresses, which is often, I found my attention straying. It definitely helps if one is familiar with the songs and artists he discusses, for Questlove frequently nerds out and drills down (sometimes to exact seconds in songs) into details that may or may not feel as riveting to the listener as they do to him. He tends to meander all over the place.
All in all, an interesting listen that is best enjoyed in small bites (a year or two at a time). I was pleasantly surprised to discover a massive Spotify playlist of the songs Questlove discusses in the book (props to Kurt “KJ” Johnson II for putting that together) and will definitely be giving it a listen.
April 17, 2023
Admittedly, the Questlove canon is foreign territory for me. I know who he is, I like him when I see him performing or being interviewed, and he made a terrific film (Summer of Soul). My limited exposure made we grab this book off of the library shelf and dive in. This is a "History is Music is History" book and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson urges his readers to be active and engaged. He then proceeds to model that behavior with anecdotes of when he had to dig deeper or revaluate his judgements. This is a book best read with an Internet connected device nearby to allow you to dig deeper and to access the music being referenced. Alas, I didn't always do that but I still found value in the exercise. First, Questlove is a good writer. His work is filled with sly humor, clever word play, and interesting connections. Second, the chronological chapter order is filled with time jumps and diversions that keep "Music is History" from being a listing of music and events in rigid order. No matter your musical background, you'll appreciate the authentic love of music expressed here as well as a pretty strong analysis of some historical events as well. Glad I read it.
April 22, 2022
Music is History
I Picked Up This Book Because: I’ve enjoyed the author’s previous works.
Media Type: Audiobook
Source: CC Public Library
Dates Read: 4/12/22 - 4/17/22
Stars: 3
Narrator(s): Amir “Questlove” Thompson
The Story:
This book was well written and seemed well researched however, I could not connect to a lot of it as it was literally before I was born (duh, history) and the events that did happen in my lifetime were not written with the same passion as the previous decades, which the author does explain. I also found the book hard to follow as an audiobook. The author often refers back to previous chapters and presents information in the form of lists which move quickly and can be easily missed or seem confusing. Overall it was an interesting read.
The Random Thoughts:
Challenges:
Goodreads Book Bingo 2022 - O1 - A book from a genre you don’t normally read
I Picked Up This Book Because: I’ve enjoyed the author’s previous works.
Media Type: Audiobook
Source: CC Public Library
Dates Read: 4/12/22 - 4/17/22
Stars: 3
Narrator(s): Amir “Questlove” Thompson
The Story:
This book was well written and seemed well researched however, I could not connect to a lot of it as it was literally before I was born (duh, history) and the events that did happen in my lifetime were not written with the same passion as the previous decades, which the author does explain. I also found the book hard to follow as an audiobook. The author often refers back to previous chapters and presents information in the form of lists which move quickly and can be easily missed or seem confusing. Overall it was an interesting read.
The Random Thoughts:
Challenges:
Goodreads Book Bingo 2022 - O1 - A book from a genre you don’t normally read
April 27, 2022
I knew of Questlove because of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. I really didn't know the Roots before they became the house band. I was also aware that he won an Oscar this year for his documentary. I am ashamed to realize how little I knew about him or even music. There is a lot of knowledge in this book on music. There are things he pointed out on songs I knew. I fully intend to listen to the playlists that have been put together on Spotify for this book.
How did I find this book? It was the April 2022 selection for the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library Big Read.
How did I find this book? It was the April 2022 selection for the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library Big Read.
January 10, 2022
I was eager to read this when I first heard about it several months before it was published. I finally caught up this week. The great drummer and producer examines history of the first 30 years of his life through the prism of music, or vice versa. Page after page, he delivers insights, anecdotes, questions, answers, and just plain fascination. He rarely covers the most obvious records from each year between 1971 and 2001, but then again, hundreds of records are mentioned in the text at some point or another. (There's a helpful appendix listing them all in order of song title and again in order of artist.)
Once he enters the recording world himself in 1993 or so, his tone changes, and the entries become shorter, though still plenty fascinating. I love reading about music, I love reading insights from musicians, and I love thinking about the ways it all connects to life. This book delivers.
Once he enters the recording world himself in 1993 or so, his tone changes, and the entries become shorter, though still plenty fascinating. I love reading about music, I love reading insights from musicians, and I love thinking about the ways it all connects to life. This book delivers.
June 24, 2024
“If history doesn’t pass through to the people who occupy the highest offices, there’s bound to be trouble. A nation of ignorance holds us all back.”
“It is true that how you come to history has everything to do with how history comes to you.”
“I have thought often about how history happens twice: once when an event actually occurs and once when people discover that it has occurred. That second time is the first time for them, because they didn’t know about the first time.”
“It is true that how you come to history has everything to do with how history comes to you.”
“I have thought often about how history happens twice: once when an event actually occurs and once when people discover that it has occurred. That second time is the first time for them, because they didn’t know about the first time.”
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