New Book of Rock Lists [Paperback]

Dave Marsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1994

Quotations from Chairman Elvis -- Wisdom from the Hip-Hop Nation -- 10 Ways to Tell If a Rapper's Careers on the Way Out -- 21 Rockers, Rappers and Poppers Who'd Lose to Beavis & Butthead in a Meeting of the Minds -- 10 Worst Performers of All Time -- 30 Artists Who've Never Won a Grammy -- What Was the First Rock 'n' Roll Record? -- Famous Turndowns -- Famous Musicians Who Have Appeared on U.S. Postage Stamps -- Best & Worst Rock and Rap Movies -- 10 Best Things About MTV -- 10 Worst Things About MTV -- The 10 Best Metal Videos -- Fashion Accessories for the Serious Funkadelic Clone -- She's Your Lover Now: Best Non-Dylan Dylan Records -- Fab Five Freddy's 10 Favorite Hip-Hop Moments -- The Sons of Kenny G: The Dozen Worst Instrumentals -- Songwriters Who Never Wrote a Song -- The 30 Essential Metal Albums -- Hits at the Wedding Dance: The 75 Songs Most Favored by Mobile DJs -- It'll Never Fit If You Force It: The 10 Phoniest White Soulboys -- Dancin' with Mr. D: The Devil Music Top 40 -- Chuck D Picks 11 Hip-Hop Albums That No One Can Do Without -- Record Companies That Turned Down the Beatles -- The Ten Commandments of Love

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A book of lists seems an extremely lightweight way to comprehensively cover anything, but there's surprising substance to this volume. What sets it apart from other rock-trivia titles is authority (Marsh is rock's most prominent critic; hip-hop expert Bernard provides street credibility), attitude (the often irreverent lists diss nearly everyone), entertainment value (it's more rewarding to read about than listen to "The 40 Worst #1 Hits"), and some genuinely useful facts (though lack of an index makes them all but inaccessible). The hundreds of entries (many by critics, musicians, and other industry figures) appear in such categorical chapters as "Firsts and Debuts," "Hits and Flops," and "History" (i.e., lists like "Worst Career Moves," which includes "Michael Jackson invites his playmates to spend the night"). Sure, it's a new edition of a decade-old title, but it has been thoroughly overhauled, and given the trendy nature of the subject matter, libraries that own the original should grab the new book to cover such interim developments as MTV, rap, and alternative rock. Gordon Flagg

Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Rep Sub edition (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671787004
• ISBN-13: 978-0671787004
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #949,213 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Never Stops Being Interesting, February 16, 2001

By 

Sam Bethune (Lincoln, Nebraska USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Book of Rock Lists (Paperback)

I have owned two previous editions of "The Book of Rock Lists" and will soon be buying "The New Book of Rock Lists". Why? Because it's fun to read, witty, and incisive! The rock and roll heaven portion, where various deceased rock stars are broken down in terms of how they died, is definitely worth reading.

One or two others have already castigated author Dave Marsh for having somewhat of a left leaning bias in his stinging criticism of the PMRC and certain religious zealots, as well as his categorization of famous right wing rockers. I disagree with the reviewer who referred to Marsh as being "PC". However, if you turn your political filter off and you're not thin-skinned, you'll have some fun reading.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining, if somewhat disturbing., December 13, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Delaware, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Book of Rock Lists (Paperback)

Dave Marsh has outdone himself. The Book of Rock (and Rap) Lists is subjective, annoying, and obsessive. It's also ridiculously entertaining. Marsh's opinions take on an almost disturbingly rabid flavor (no one he likes can do any wrong), and his politically correct mindset gets irritating. But this remains one of the greatest bathroom books ever.

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking for best-of song lists?, April 3, 2011

By 

David L. Whitaker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Book of Rock Lists (Paperback)

For those interested in best-of song lists, also check out the following:

Dave's Music Database presents: The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era 1954-1999