Hit Men is the shocking, highly controversial expose of the venality, greed, and corruption of many of the assorted kingpins and hustlers who rule over the music industry. "A sobering, blunt, and unusually well-observed depiction of the sometimes sordid inner workings of the music business."--Billboard. 4 pages of photographs.
Hit Men
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
A nauseatingly honest and therefore controversial expose of the base beings that inhabit the higher levels of the music industry. Filled with horror stories that will confirm your worst suspicions about the toxicity of what my friends and I call "Planet CD Wood."
From Publishers Weekly
English rock group Pink Floyd was one of the hottest bands in 1980, with an LP shooting up the charts and a concert tour that sold out within hours. But the group was unable to get airplay for its latest single, at least not without engaging the services of a nascent breed of freelance promoters whose practices ushered in a new era of payola. These promotors, dubbed "indies," used illegal methods and had suspected mob connections. That the recording industry not only tolerated but embraced the indies is indicative of the questionable tactics now employed in this high-stakes arena, charges Dannen in a sharply critical study. At its center is industry leader CBS records, whose president Walter Yetnikoff is depicted as a bully of Machiavellian proportions whose style set the tone throughout the business in the '80s. Dannen, a reporter for Institutional Investor , mixes the skills of an investigative journalist with the gifts of an expert storyteller in an expose that will intrigue and appall readers with its disclosures. Photos not seen by PW. First serial to Vanity Fair; author tour.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
“ This book is one that we at nichemarket recommend highly in our Booklist for any Hip Hop Entrepreneur serious about a career in the music industry! ”
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By Ron Simpson
Format:Paperback
Dannen hit such a home run with this thoroughly researched book that he was honored from within the music industry (Ralph J. Gleason award) and without (national bestseller list). The topic here is unwholesome practices within the music industry, but the most passionate subtopic of Dannen's research is the system of independent promotion through which singles are "added" to radio station playlists and then moved through the charts. I almost think HIT MEN should be considered a must read for anyone in the music industry: artist, manager, songwriter or publisher. Since Dannen reports his quotes exactly as they come down, you will not find the dialog exactly suitable for Sunday School. The second edition covers events up to and including 1991 and contains a follow-up chapter not in the original 1990 hardback edition. Now, some years after its original introduction, HIT MEN is still gripping and relevant. Aspects of the described litigation still tend to resurface from time to time, and many of the key players identified and profiled by Dannen are still suited up and swinging on the music-business diamond. Ron Simpson, School of Music, Brigham Young University. Author of MASTERING THE MUSIC BUSINESS.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Wow. If only you knew how treacherous the music business is. Read this and you'll know.
"Hit Men" confirms what many music lovers saddened by the boring state of commercial rock radio already suspected: hit records are bought and paid for by the promoters, not made by the fans. Don't allow yourself for one second to believe ever again that radio stations are pushing songs into heavy rotation because they are responding to what their listeners want. They are doing so because someone is paying a LOT of money to cram those songs down your throat. As bad as this was in decades past, I dare say it is even worse now (in 2010).
"Hit Men" pulls back the curtain on the major players and activities in the record business over a period of several decades and reveals some extremely ugly and disheartening truths about how that business operates. I doubt anyone reading this book will regard the music business or the radio business with anything other than contempt from now on.
Want to know why certain songs become hits? It's because someone paid for it to happen. It has nothing at all to do with consumer preference. Well, at least not primarily.
Are you a fan of The Who? Want to know the REAL reason their 1981 album "Face Dances" tanked? Read this book.
Want to know the REAL reason artists on certain labels get massive amounts of airplay while artists on other labels struggle to get heard? Read this book. But here's a hint -- it has nothing to do with the quality of the music.
Educated readers will probably make the logical assumption that there are a great many industries that operate as the music business has and does. Welcome to the real world, folks. It's all about the money.... Read more ›
"Hit Men" confirms what many music lovers saddened by the boring state of commercial rock radio already suspected: hit records are bought and paid for by the promoters, not made by the fans. Don't allow yourself for one second to believe ever again that radio stations are pushing songs into heavy rotation because they are responding to what their listeners want. They are doing so because someone is paying a LOT of money to cram those songs down your throat. As bad as this was in decades past, I dare say it is even worse now (in 2010).
"Hit Men" pulls back the curtain on the major players and activities in the record business over a period of several decades and reveals some extremely ugly and disheartening truths about how that business operates. I doubt anyone reading this book will regard the music business or the radio business with anything other than contempt from now on.
Want to know why certain songs become hits? It's because someone paid for it to happen. It has nothing at all to do with consumer preference. Well, at least not primarily.
Are you a fan of The Who? Want to know the REAL reason their 1981 album "Face Dances" tanked? Read this book.
Want to know the REAL reason artists on certain labels get massive amounts of airplay while artists on other labels struggle to get heard? Read this book. But here's a hint -- it has nothing to do with the quality of the music.
Educated readers will probably make the logical assumption that there are a great many industries that operate as the music business has and does. Welcome to the real world, folks. It's all about the money.... Read more ›
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Gian Fiero
Format:Paperback
As an experienced music industry professional with over 15 years of experience, I can tell you that this is the unofficial history book of the music industry that can be used to expose and introduce the truth about the origins and operations of the music business.
It's insightful, relevant, and shocking.
Buy it today.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Moondoggie
Format:Paperback
I am an 18 year veteran of EMI Music Distribution (CEMA) and know a lot of the characters here, especially the ones from Philly and later, in LA. He's pretty much dead on - this place was rife with BS and chummy boys club mentality, plus a whole lot of out and out crime - from drugs, to free goods, to payola. I saw it all. This book, although written sloppily, pretty much nails it
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This is an extremely well-researched and well-documented look into the popular music business from the days of Alan Freed to the end of Walter Yentikoff's reign at Sony/Columbia. It helps that the subject is so darn entertaining and seedier than you probably would have guessed...otherwise this might have been sluggish reading, but it actually moves rather quickly. Of course the end result is to frighten anyone who might actually believe that pop hits on the radio have much to do with the actual songs themselves. The narrative ends in the early 90's and if I could rate this book 4.5 stars instead of five, I would...because it could use an update chapter in its next edition. Other than that, I'd recommend it heartily to anyone who cares about why their favorite new song never gets played on the radio.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I enjoyed this book for its witty stories and quips. I'm a musician and I'm almost convinced that the music business is thoroughly hopeless in a madcap way after reading the book. I mean hopeless because it is impossible not to get ripped off as an artist and that you have to deal with this den of snakes to sell your music successfully. I used to have an innocent joy of listening to pop records but now I know how they are promoted and my innocence is dead. I'm also suspicious of artists who moralize in their songs, but will do anything to get their songs on the air. But I suppose that is the only way one can have a career. The book also shows how hard it is to obtain justice, fairness, and decency through personal effort or the judicial system. It also revealed how ego-driven the music and entertainment business is; the ones with the biggest egos and worst ethics often rise to the top. I doubt I would, as a musician, would want to live through any of these sordid, sardonic tales though.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome book.
This book is a great read, it enhanced my whole understanding of certain parts of the music industry., at times incredibly funny and others scary. Read more
Published 4 days ago by BergR
5.0 out of 5 stars
My fave!
This has been one of the best gifts I have ever given my self! Great book for all interested in the music industry!
Published 24 days ago by jlschuett
4.0 out of 5 stars
nice book
It was written in 1991 so it's a bit dated. But it was interesting to read it. It was easy to read.
Published 28 days ago by Judith M. Smith
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very Interesting
It gives you a lot of history on some of the major hit makers of the 70s and 80s. I think a must read for someone who is interested in the industry. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Angela Green
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read.
The book was in excellent condition. I'd read this book many years ago, but never had a copy of it. Now I do, and if you want to see how low-life the record industry really is... Read more
Published 2 months ago by R. McDaniels
3.0 out of 5 stars
Real Talk
Gritty truths about the building of the music industry. What it took to make it happen from greasing palms to roughing up the adversary. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kamal Jabbar CEO Palace Music Group, LLC
5.0 out of 5 stars
So entertaining
Awesome read, totally engaging. Follows the twists and turns of the biz from the 50's through 1988. Well researched and notated, a joy!
Published 12 months ago by Stephen Marsh
5.0 out of 5 stars
recommended reading
having been around the music business for several years long ago, I came across this book and devoured it straight through. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Chris Peters
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dated but useful.
Read this book for the history of recorded music from post WW2 to the 21st century.
The Internet and technology has changed the music industry drastically since 1997. Read more
The Internet and technology has changed the music industry drastically since 1997. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Isaac Mullins, Jr.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Summin' it up: The biz is ran by crooks... & money!
The book centers around very few people. Mostly indie promoters that were, oh surprise, taking bribes (the infamous payola) to arrange selected records & singles to play on... Read more
Published on December 31, 2010 by Eric Lajoie
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 14
books:
See all 14 books this book cites
25
books
cite this book:
See all 25 books citing this book
- Clive: Inside the Record Business by Clive Davis on 4 pages
- Who Killed CBS: The Undoing of America's Number One News Network by Peter J. Boyer in Back Matter
- Rock of Ages: The Rolling Stone History of Rock & Roll by Ed Ward in Back Matter
- Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith on page 72
- Museum of Modern Art: Collected Poems (1971-1993) by J. H. Kennedy on page 312
See all 14 books this book cites
- Across the Great Divide: The Band and America by Barney Hoskyns in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry by Clinton Heylin in Back Matter
- Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock-and-Roll's Legendary Neighborhood by Michael Walker in Back Matter
- If I Stop, I'll Die: The Comedy and Tragedy of Richard Pryor by John A. Williams on page 154
- The Touring Musician: A Small Business Approach to Booking Your Band on the Road by Hal Galper in Back Matter
See all 25 books citing this book
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