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"