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The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory Paperback – October 18, 2016

by John Seabrook (Author)

1,177 ratings

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"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

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

About the Author

John Seabrook has been a staff writer at The New Yorker for more than three decades. The Spinach King is his fifth book. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (October 18, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393353281
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393353280
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #320,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #109 in Music Recording & Sound (Books)
- #339 in Popular Music (Books)
- #971 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences

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1,177 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book insightful, particularly appreciating its detailed look at how modern pop music is created. Moreover, the writing quality is well-received, with one customer noting it reads like a novel. Additionally, the book serves as a history lesson, with one review describing it as an expert history of pop hit creation.

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Insight Readability Writing quality Look History lesson

77 customers mention "Insight"77 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, describing it as an engaging read about the music industry and a fabulously researched look at how pop music is created.

"...This book has given me a fascinating mini crash course in pop, answering not only vague questions like..." Read more

"This book is a truly excellent overview of the current "hit factory" behind today's pop music...." Read more

"...on why hit songs work (track and hook with toplining) to incredible background information about those people who make it all happen...." Read more

"I found this book to be extremely interesting. I am a little younger than John Seabrook but my dynamic with pop music is similar...." Read more

73 customers mention "Readability"73 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable and entertaining, with one customer noting it reads like a novel.

"...Good stuff, I'm going to see what else he's got." Read more

"...: history, movements, immediate affects, and some juicy stories, it's fantastic...." Read more

"...Great read all around! Find the playlist on Spotify!" Read more

"...The book does a great job of being both a history lesson, a culture study with a bit of how-to manual thrown in...." Read more

45 customers mention "Writing quality"36 positive9 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as a well-written peek into the world of hits that is easy to read and covers the mechanics of contemporary songwriting.

"...The prose is vivid and engaging...." Read more

"...In all of this: history, movements, immediate affects, and some juicy stories, it's fantastic...." Read more

"...The writing is winning when it’s not obviously calculated to prove the author’s point...." Read more

"Superbly written and researched, this book is a wonderful addition to the modern music literature...." Read more

8 customers mention "Look"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's presentation of the pop music industry, with one review highlighting its vivid portraits of music industry figures.

"...His portraits of the music monoliths are vivid, ranging from hilarious to tragic...." Read more

"I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a fascinating look at how modern pop (and some rock) music is made...." Read more

"...of terrible people, the stories of excellence and excellent people shine like bright diamonds." Read more

"...This book fascinated me with its insider look at how pop hits of the last 20 years have been created and marketed...." Read more

7 customers mention "History lesson"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's historical content, with one describing it as an expert history of pop hit creation.

"...In all of this: history, movements, immediate affects, and some juicy stories, it's fantastic...." Read more

"...The book does a great job of being both a history lesson, a culture study with a bit of how-to manual thrown in...." Read more

"...The history lesson is equally amazing and all in all a terrific read." Read more

"Interesting book and history. Began to drag a little, but for the same reason as the detail is very good." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

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Annedyne
wow, that was fascinating and entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
Verified Purchase

I cant remember what turned me on to this book. I've been mostly oblivious of and often baffled by the 'top 40' genres allure to the masses. This book has given me a fascinating mini crash course in pop, answering not only vague questions like ( who is this Rihanna character really and why do people care) but also a surprisingly thorough sense of the anatomy of a 'hit'. And an appreciation for the skills behind the most masterful confections of the "art'.

The prose is vivid and engaging. Seabrook's attitude towards his subject often affectionate, often admiring; but a clear-eyed and zingy wit acknowledges the darker aspect - like the sugar crash on the other side of the frosted doughnut - and surprised several out-loud laughs from me. Good stuff, I'm going to see what else he's got.

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AaronHNahum
Interesting overview, wished for deeper reflection
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2015
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This book is a truly excellent overview of the current "hit factory" behind today's pop music. In all of this: history, movements, immediate affects, and some juicy stories, it's fantastic.

What it isn't, really, is deeply insightful into what all this means for music as an art-form, nor for artists themselves. Each time an insight comes ('it's noticeable that Taylor Swifts 1989 is her first album that could have been sung by anyone') it passes without any real reflection on this. What does this mean? How does an artist speak in this factory and is it even possible?

Were genuine artists ever speaking in popular music? Presumably so. What made those times so different? Was it just album sales? Etc...

Also, there is really only a passing mention of what it all means for actual musicians. Of course there's the standard "this is dying" stuff - but how are people adapting? What possibilities are there? And look, are any of these guys even good musicians? Dr Luke's utterly laughable analysis of a melody: Is that really the height of what the creatives know about music? It doesn't seem so, but then there's this final thing that isn't analyses:

None of these people - not the singers, not the labels, not the producers - are actually trying to make good music. They are trying to make "hot products" that will by nature flare up temporarily and then make way for the next thing. This is the opposite of an artist, isn't it?

So, while really enjoying this book, I wish there had been a lot more along these lines...

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13 people found this helpful

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Despina
Stellar, Informative, Awesome, and Eye-opening!
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2016
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This book has literally changed the way I will now approach my songwriting. I could not put it down. In fact, even though I work insane hours (pay the bills job - sigh), I fully intend to read it again and take copious notes. There was a little bit of everything in this book from zeroing in on why hit songs work (track and hook with toplining) to incredible background information about those people who make it all happen. I couldn't help but think how useful it would be to diagram all of these individuals to see how they are all connected. So, that is also part of what I will do when I go back through it. Why you ask would I do all of this? Because first, I am recommending this book to all of the people in my "music" circle and second, I am going to approach my former professor at school to offer what is in these pages as a class. Maybe a 1 credit course to give the students in the music courses a true understanding of how it all works. Combine it with DAW instruction. If anyone out there is using a DAW, as I am, I am now approaching it a whole new way. Thank you for this book. A real treasure!!!!

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3 people found this helpful

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B. Armstrong
Fascinating take on pop music the past few decades
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
This edition was updated in 2016. I hope the author continues to update over time. Max Martin’s hot streak continues.

Includes origins of hit songs by Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and more. The only limitations of this book is that some of it already feels a bit dated. Spotify and Apple Music are both massive now but had just begun at the time of publishing. Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and The Weeknd continue to churn out hits to this day, and unfortunately their stories are not covered (yet). Great read all around! Find the playlist on Spotify!

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Aladeen
I was pretty unaware of the change in how pop music is ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2016
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I found this book to be extremely interesting. I am a little younger than John Seabrook but my dynamic with pop music is similar. I am a huge 40-something music fan who has been thrown back into "contemporary hits radio" via my kids emerging tastes. I was pretty unaware of the change in how pop music is currently made and this book unveils it all, especially interesting are the producers who make it all happen - Dennis POP (RIP), Dr. Luke, Max Martin and on. The book does a great job of being both a history lesson, a culture study with a bit of how-to manual thrown in. Who knew that most of what we hear on pop radio is produced by a collaborative of beat makers, "topliners", hook writers, bridge writers all under the watchful eye of these genius producers who get it all ready for the high wattage star to walk into that recording booth and DELIVER. Does an instrument ever get played in these studios? Kind of, it it quickly becomes 1s and 0s in the song machine where the real magic happens. Very interesting.

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6 people found this helpful

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FordTimelord
It's good.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2017
Verified Purchase

I don't read many books. Those that I do purchase, I rarely even open, and those that I open, I rarely make to even a quarter of the way through.
This particular book I bought because, as someone who, like many others, had always loved pop music from "his" time and prior, but had fallen out of touch with "modern" pop music, but who was nevertheless still fascinated by the art and science of making "really good" music, I felt I owed it to myself to learn more about the way that music is made - the process - in what I suppose we might be call the modern era. And so, with a mixture of trepidation and resignation, it transpired that I shelled out the trivial sum that it cost to purchase, more in the hope that I would actually read it than the expectation that I would do so.
I am glad to report that I have just finished, and am equally glad to report that I found it a really worthwhile read.
The book is, to me, incredibly well researched, and chock full of really interesting backstories behind some of the leading artists, writers, and producers of the last two decades, with a firm emphasis on the latter.
As somebody who is woefully (and I think, regrettably) out of touch with so much pop music from somewhere in the 2000s onwards, I had to read it with YouTube permanently on hand, stopping my reading every few pages just so that I could reference for myself so many of the tunes mentioned in the book that had escaped my listening in recent years.
If you are at all interested in how this business works; how it has moved on from the "old ways" of yore; and especially if you aspire to work in the business, you probably owe it to yourself to read this book.

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Lucas
Excelente!
Reviewed in Brazil on December 31, 2016
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Livro excelente. É bom saber os bastidores das músicas de maior sucesso no mundo e, esse livro, acaba sendo bem revelador.

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Christophe F
Super !
Reviewed in France on February 3, 2020
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Merci excellent bouquin comme j'aime à les lire

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Dr. Tim Parker
An enjoyable, interesting and thoughtful investigation into the mechanisms behind today's hit music
Reviewed in Canada on January 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
A fascinating story of the people behind some of the biggest hits of the last few decades. Very well written and an interesting read, Seabrook looks at the way music has become homogeneous over the last few decades as "hit factories" crank out similar-sounding formulaic music. He traces the rise of the Scandinavian teams (some of whom as still going strong) and how the music tastes of the last two decades have changed.

Along the journey, Seabrook looks at the management teams and record companies, the technology changes brought about by iTunes and streaming, as well as some interesting stories of A&R discoveries. I learned quite a bit about some of today's megastars and their road to fame, as well as how they interact with their agents and music machines.

Very well researched, this should be a must-read for anyone interested in the current music scene and why it ended up the way it is. It also pulls back the curtains to show who is manipulating whom, and explores the lack of diversity in today's hits. Very well done!

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Richard Rogers
Great condition
Reviewed in Germany on March 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
book in great condition and delivery time was very quick.

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars wow, that was fascinating and entertaining

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting overview, wished for deeper reflection

5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar, Informative, Awesome, and Eye-opening!

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating take on pop music the past few decades

4.0 out of 5 stars I was pretty unaware of the change in how pop music is ...

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars It's good.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente!

5.0 out of 5 stars Super !

5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable, interesting and thoughtful investigation into the mechanisms behind today's hit music

5.0 out of 5 stars Great condition

wow, that was fascinating and entertaining

Interesting overview, wished for deeper reflection

Stellar, Informative, Awesome, and Eye-opening!

Fascinating take on pop music the past few decades

I was pretty unaware of the change in how pop music is ...

It's good.

Excelente!

Super !

An enjoyable, interesting and thoughtful investigation into the mechanisms behind today's hit music

Great condition