Inside the Hits

The Seduction of a Rock and Roll Generation

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  • Suggested Retail Price: $29.95
  • Format: Book
  • Pages: 550
  • Dimensions: 6 x 9
  • ISBN: 0-634-01430-7
  • SKU: 50449476
  • Publication Date: July 24, 2002

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From sock hops and leather jackets, to free love and new drugs, from the We Generation to the Me Generation, hit music has provided the soundtrack. Songs make us laugh, cry, think, love, get angry, get sexy, and get funky. But how does a song become more than words and music to represent or influence the voice of a generation? How directed are the choices that music producers make?

Inside the Hits dissects more than sixty of the most powerful and memorable hit songs since the birth of rock and roll to reveal the roots of their success. Author Wayne Wadhams opens up songs like a surgeon, exposing each one as a living, breathing organism, full of guts, heart, and hormones. He examines the key ingredients that made the songs work then and now, including: melody, lyrics, performance, production, artist image, promotion, and market timing.

Get the inside scoop from interviews with the artists, composers, producers, and engineers behind the hits.

  • What really stopped Mick Jagger from getting Satisfaction?
  • How did a secretary who was mistaken for a prostitute give Donna Summer her new sound?

Find all the answers, Inside the Hits.

For more information on this title visit Inside The Hits website.

“Offers colorful anecdotes and in-depth analysis of what makes hit tunes tick.”

—Electronic Musician magazine

“An inside, insightful look at some of the craft, art and process by which many big hits become reality.”

—Music Connection magazine

“A fascinating and revelatory read…Wadhams gets to the meat of hit songs, looking at arrangement, melody, as well as political and social climate.”

—Performing Songwriter magazine

“Whether you want to add this book to your own personal music library, use it to get a date, or you just want to learn how to write a better song, it comes very highly recommended.”

—Songwriter’s Monthly magazine

“A fascinating look at what went into creating some of the greatest rock & roll hits of all time.”

—The Album Network

“Reading Inside the Hits was like reliving some of the most memorable moments in rock and roll. A captivating read for industry professionals and fans alike.”

—Phil Ramone, Eight-Time GRAMMY® Award-winning Music Producer

Authors

Wayne Wadhams

Wayne Wadhams taught music production and engineering at Berklee College of Music for many years. He is the author of…