“An utterly satisfying examination of the business of popular music.”
The Song Machine
Inside the Hit Factory
A Wall Street Journal Best Business Book
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.
Praise & Reviews for The Song Machine
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“Through immersive anecdotes and witty observations, Seabrook explores questions of ownership and taste, and about the music business as a whole, as 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…. The Song Machine is 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 -
“Seabrook spins 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 -
“A revelatory ear-opener.”
— Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review -
“Invaluable.”
— Louis Bayard, Washington Post -
“An immersive, reflective, and utterly satisfying examination of the business of popular music.”
— Nathaniel Rich, The Atlantic -
“A fascinating look at how the catchiest pop hits are manufactured…You’ll never hear Katy Perry the same way again.”
— People -
“Eminently readable and important…. Seabrook’s in-depth interviews with an army of songwriters, producers, performers and others make for series of profiles that document a revolution in the music business.”
— Shelf Awareness -
“Revelatory. This thorough dissection of the anatomy of a hit belongs on any listener’s bookshelf.”
— FADER -
“Brilliant.”
— Michael Hann, The Guardian