The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory (Paperback)
"An utterly satisfying examination of the business of popular music." —Nathaniel Rich, The Atlantic
There’s a reason today’s ubiquitous pop hits are so hard to ignore—they’re designed that way. The Song Machine goes behind the scenes to offer an insider’s look at the global hit factories manufacturing the songs that have everyone hooked. Full of vivid, unexpected characters—alongside industry heavy-hitters like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Max Martin, and Ester Dean—this fascinating journey into the strange world of pop music reveals how a new approach to crafting smash hits is transforming marketing, technology, and even listeners’ brains. You’ll never think about music the same way again.
A Wall Street Journal Best Business Book
John Seabrook has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1993. The author of several books including Nobrow, he has taught narrative nonfiction writing at Princeton University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Through immersive anecdotes and witty observations…we learn it’s not just the ‘song machine’ that’s brilliant but also the people churning the gears.
— Isabella Biedenharn - Entertainment Weekly
Well researched…[Seabrook] takes us inside the troubled modern music business.
— Touré - New York Times Book Review
Fascinating…lively, entertaining and often insightful, of interest both to pop mavens and to those who couldn’t imagine caring about the latest hits.
— Christopher Carroll - Wall Street Journal
Copy editors will rejoice at Seabrook’s well-written and deeply researched book. He is a staff writer for The New Yorker and his book fits into that magazine’s penchant for telling very detailed stories about things you might not notice about pop culture
— Charles R. Cross - Seattle Times
A fascinating history, one that encompasses everything from the Brill Building and Phil Spector to Afrika Bambaataa to American Idol. Running underneath the human stories like a bassline is the inexorable flow of technology.
— Kate Tuttle - Boston Globe
Invaluable.
— Louis Bayard - Washington Post
Brilliant.
— Michael Hann - The Guardian
A fascinating look at how the catchiest pop hits are manufactured…You’ll never hear Katy Perry the same way again.
— People
Revelatory. This thorough dissection of the anatomy of a hit belongs on any listener’s bookshelf.
— FADER
— Isabella Biedenharn - Entertainment Weekly
Well researched…[Seabrook] takes us inside the troubled modern music business.
— Touré - New York Times Book Review
Fascinating…lively, entertaining and often insightful, of interest both to pop mavens and to those who couldn’t imagine caring about the latest hits.
— Christopher Carroll - Wall Street Journal
Copy editors will rejoice at Seabrook’s well-written and deeply researched book. He is a staff writer for The New Yorker and his book fits into that magazine’s penchant for telling very detailed stories about things you might not notice about pop culture
— Charles R. Cross - Seattle Times
A fascinating history, one that encompasses everything from the Brill Building and Phil Spector to Afrika Bambaataa to American Idol. Running underneath the human stories like a bassline is the inexorable flow of technology.
— Kate Tuttle - Boston Globe
Invaluable.
— Louis Bayard - Washington Post
Brilliant.
— Michael Hann - The Guardian
A fascinating look at how the catchiest pop hits are manufactured…You’ll never hear Katy Perry the same way again.
— People
Revelatory. This thorough dissection of the anatomy of a hit belongs on any listener’s bookshelf.
— FADER