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In his latest book, Greil Marcus, arguably the most influential music critic of all time, offers his most impassioned and intense essay yet. Steering clear of official history—encyclopedia entries, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions, classic success stories—Marcus brings to the forefront 10 essential songs that, for their influence and how they have resonated throughout the decades, have surpassed a milestone of pop music. This book includes brief biographies of the songs' writers and performers and captures the essence of each pop entry—everlasting yet at the same time fleeting. Marcus's particular history of rock includes "Shake Some Action" by the Flamin’ Groovies; "Transmission" by Joy Division; "In the Still of the Nite" by Fred Parris and the Five Satins, later recorded by the Slades; "All I Could Do Was Cry" by Etta James and, decades later, sund by Beyoncé; "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" by Buddy Holly; "Money (That’s What I Want)" by Barrett Strong, reinvented by the Beatles; "Money Changes Everything" by the Brains, years later redone by Cyndi Lauper; "This Magic Moment," written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman and immortalized by Ben E. King and the Drifters; the experimental "Guitar Drag" by Christian Marclay; and "To Know Him Is to Love Him" by Phil Spector, which Amy Winehouse made her own nearly 50 years later. With his vibrant and beatnik-style spontaneous prose, Marcus gives a new music history lesson that demonstrates why pop music holds such great significance in our culture.
