Songs that sell the most copies become hits but some of those hits become something more -
iconic recordings that not only inspire a generation but also alter the direction of music. In
this follow-up to his classic Anatomy of a Song writer and music historian Marc Myers tells
the stories behind fifty-five more rock pop R&B country and reggae hits through intimate
interviews with the artists who wrote and recorded them. Part oral history part musical
analysis Anatomy of 55 Hit Songs ranges from Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Bad Moon Rising'
to Dionne Warwick's 'Walk On By' The Beach Boys' 'Good Vibrations' and Black Sabbath's
'Paranoid'. Bernie Taupin recalls how he wrote the lyrics to Elton John's 'Rocket Man' Joan
Jett remembers channeling her rage against how she had been unfairly labeled and treated into
'Bad Reputation' and Ozzy Osbourne Elvis Costello Bob Weir Sheryl Crow Alice Cooper
Roberta Flack John Mellencamp Keith Richards Carly Simon and many others reveal the emotions
and technique behind their major works.
