Black Metal
by Dayal Patterson | 
How Music Got Free
by Stephen Witt | 
The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory
by John Seabrook | 
Otis Redding
by Jonathan Gould | 
How Music Works
by David Byrne | 
Hotel California
by Barney Hoskyns |
This is Uncool
by Garry Mulholland |
Where Did Our Love Go?
by Nelson George | 
Sound of the Beast
by Ian Christe |
The Violin Maker
by John Marchese | 
Our Band Could Be Your Life
by Michael Azerrad | 
Mystery Train
by Greil Marcus | 
The Joy of Music
by Leonard Bernstein | 
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die
by Tom Moon | 
Songs in the Key of Z
by Irwin Chusid | 
Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta
by Robert Palmer | 
Rip it Up and Start Again
by Simon Reynolds |
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life
by Bill Brewster | 
Bass Culture
by Lloyd Bradley | 
Language of the Spirit
by Jan Swafford |
Mad World is a highly entertaining oral history that celebrates the New Wave music phenomenon of the 1980s via new interviews with 35 of the most notable artists of the period. Each chapter begins with a discussion of their most popular song but leads to stories of their history and place in the scene, ultimately painting a vivid picture of this colorful, idiosyncratic time. Mixtape suggestions, fashion sidebars, and quotes from famous contemporary admirers help fill out the fun. Participants include members of Duran Duran, New Order, The Smiths, Tears for Fears, Adam Ant, Echo and the Bunnymen, Devo, ABC, Spandau Ballet, A Flock of Seagulls, Thompson Twins, and INXS.