“If you’re going to kick authority in the teeth, you might as well use two feet.”
Rock music can trace its roots back to 1950s America, emerging from a fusion of rhythm and blues, western and country, and traditional folk sounds. Quickly becoming one of the most popular genres in the world of music, it split into different and distinct variants, each with its styles, fashion, and icons. With this music remaining hugely popular and its heroes both driving or coming to symbolise entire movements and eras of history, join us at What We Reading as we pay homage to rocking and rolling with the best rock and roll autobiographies!
Chuck Berry: The Autobiography – Chuck Berry
Kicking off our list of the best rock and roll autobiographies is the 1988 release from the man who created the entire genre. Chuck Berry emerged from the 1950s not only as arguably the world’s first famous black pop star but also as one of the pioneering forces in the music world.
While his influence on the artists of his time and those who followed in his footsteps is absolute, Berry’s autobiography also chronicles the systemic racism and prejudices he was forced to endure throughout his entire time at the top. As addictive to read as his music is to listen to, there’s no better book to pay homage to the history of rock and roll than by hearing it from its founding father.
Life – Keith Richards
One of the all-time classic Rock books from one of the scene’s greatest ever geniuses is Life, the 2010 music biography by Keith Richards. Immersing himself in the beating heart of the rock and roll industry for over forty years, Richards wrote the lyrics, riffs, and songs that took the world by storm from those early days with The Rolling Stones.
In Life, Richards takes readers through all the mesmeric highs and anguishing lows that come with fame and fortune, living a life totally alien to most of us. From the influence of Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry in post-war Kent, his emergence alongside Mick Jagger and Brian Jones in The Stones, the superstardom that came from being a folk hero on the fringes of an establishment rocked by his arrival to the pains of addiction, isolation, and reconciliation, the book is told with the disarming honesty and unique voice that Richards has become so known for.
Face It: A Memoir – Debbie Harry
Through an array of soulful storytelling, never-before-seen photographs and illustrations, and fan-art installations, Debbie Harry presents one of the most captivating rock and roll autobiographies in Face It. As the face of Blondie, she embodied the image of ‘New York City cool’ and, through her contributions to music and wider society, has gone down as one of the defining artists of her time.
Face It covers everything from her rise in the grunge of 1970s New York, collaborating with individuals ranging from the Ramones, Iggy Pop to David Bowie, her path from commercial success to heroin addict, and tireless work as an activist for LGBTQ+ and environmental issues. It is a multifaceted and strikingly honest memoir from a woman who carved her own path in life and encouraged generations of artists who followed in her footsteps to do the same.
White Line Fever: The Autobiography – Lemmy Kilmister
Lemmy Kilmister’s rock and roll autobiography, White Line Fever, offers a headbanging, sometimes stomach-churning, look behind the curtains at one of the music world’s most notorious groups, with the frontman continuously leading their charge.
Through iconic songs like ‘Ace of Spades,’ ‘Overkill,’ and ‘Bomber,’ Motorhead trailblazed the emerging heavy rock scene in the 1970s. During their twenty-seven-year history, the Grammy-nominated group released 21 albums. It underwent a slew of creative changes in both style and lineup, with Kilmister being the sole continuous member. ‘White Line Fever’ charts Lemmy’s path from his roots in Wales, diving into the Manchester music scene and detailing how he cultivated the growth of the loudest rock band the world had ever heard.
Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs – John Lydon
The era of punk was one of the most significant periods in the history of music, representing a class revolt that would come to define the clothing and culture of the late ‘70s. At the head of this wave were The Sex Pistols, led by the eccentric and energetic Johnny Rotten. Rotten, the 1994 rock autobiography by John Lydon, reflects on the band, himself, and the disaffection of the time.
Much more than just another book on music, Lydon delivers a stunning walk through the history of the UK and its youth culture in the late 1970s. His witty and angry tone is prevalent throughout as he weaves through the creation and collapse of the Pistols and introduces notorious individuals ranging from Malcolm McLaren, Sid Vicious, Chrissie Hynde, to Billy Idol.
Slash – Slash
Funny, honest, and totally jaw-dropping, Slash is the 2007 autobiography from the notorious Guns N’ Roses guitarist. Born in the UK and raised on the urban streets of Los Angeles, Slash takes readers through his adolescent years and explains how the discovery of a beat-up one-string guitar in his grandmother’s closet changed his life forever.
From that moment on, Slash chronicles how playing the guitar became his expression and led him on a path towards rock and roll. He takes readers inside the formation and success of Guns N’ Roses alongside Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler, and Duff McKagan, detailing his continued creative evolution, as well as surviving everything from rehab, lawsuits, debauchery, and riots.
Chronicles, Volume One – Bob Dylan
In the first volume of his bestselling memoir, rock legend Bob Dylan recounts the defining moments in his life and career. Leaving Greenwich Village, he paints a stunning portrait of New York City in the 1960s, filled with hazy night-long parties, literary awakenings, transient lovers, and lifelong friends.
Intimate and intensely personal, Dylan’s memoir serves as a collection of thoughts from a Trans-Atlantic creative genius, offering readers a stunning window into the thoughts and feelings that influenced his work. Chronicles, Volume One is a poignant reflection on the people and places that shaped Bob Dylan’s life and art.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
