Books Recommended by Musicians

The books most recommended by musicians, drawn from their real public recommendations.

Taylor SwiftBob DylanBruce SpringsteenPaul McCartneyAmanda PalmerRosanne CashAl Yankovic
27 experts · 24 most-recommended books · Updated on June 6, 2026
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Books musicians recommend most

  1. Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir
    Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir
    Stevie Van Zandt
    Recommended by Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney
  2. Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley
    Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley
    Peter Guralnick
    Recommended by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen
  3. The Practice: Shipping Creative Work
    The Practice: Shipping Creative Work
    Seth Godin
    Recommended by Peter Gabriel, Rosanne Cash
  4. Leaves of Grass
    Leaves of Grass
    Walt Whitman
    Recommended by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen
  5. Moby Dick
    Moby Dick
    Herman Melville
    Recommended by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen
  6. Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos: The Scientific Quest for the Secret of the Universe
    Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos: The Scientific Quest for the Secret of the Universe
    Dennis Overbye
    Recommended by Bruce Springsteen
  7. The Graveyard Book
    The Graveyard Book
    Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean, Margaret Atwood
    Recommended by Zoe Keating
  8. Great Short Works of Leo Tolstoy (Perennial Classics)
    Great Short Works of Leo Tolstoy (Perennial Classics)
    Leo Tolstoy, Louise Maude, Aylmer Maude, J. D. Duff, Sam A. Carmack, John Bayley
    Recommended by Bruce Springsteen
  9. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
    Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
    Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
    Recommended by Zoe Keating
  10. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
    On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
    William Zinsser
    Recommended by Derek Sivers
  11. Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century
    Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century
    Sam Kashner, Nancy Schoenberger
    Recommended by Taylor Swift
  12. The Ocean at the End of the Lane
    The Ocean at the End of the Lane
    Neil Gaiman
    Recommended by Zoe Keating
  13. To Kill a Mockingbird
    To Kill a Mockingbird
    Harper Lee
    Recommended by Taylor Swift
  14. Charlotte's Web: A Harper Classic
    Charlotte's Web: A Harper Classic
    E. B White, Kate DiCamillo, Garth Williams
    Recommended by Taylor Swift
  15. Sound Medicine: How to Use the Ancient Science of Sound to Heal the Body and Mind
    Sound Medicine: How to Use the Ancient Science of Sound to Heal the Body and Mind
    Kulreet Chaudhary M.D.
    Recommended by Krishna Das
  16. They Don't Represent Us: Reclaiming Our Democracy
    They Don't Represent Us: Reclaiming Our Democracy
    Lawrence Lessig
    Recommended by Jimmy Wayne
  17. Power Schmoozing: The New Etiquette for Social and Business Success
    Power Schmoozing: The New Etiquette for Social and Business Success
    Terri Mandell
    Recommended by Derek Sivers
  18. How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships
    How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships
    Leil Lowndes
    Recommended by Derek Sivers
  19. One Man's London
    One Man's London
    Murphy
    Recommended by Frank Turner
  20. Ruby on Rails Tutorial (Addison-Wesley Professional Ruby Series)
    Ruby on Rails Tutorial (Addison-Wesley Professional Ruby Series)
    Michael Hartl
    Recommended by Derek Sivers
  21. Deep Blues: A Musical And Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta
    Deep Blues: A Musical And Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta
    Robert Palmer
    Recommended by Bob Dylan
  22. On The Road: A Traveler's Tale
    On The Road: A Traveler's Tale
    Ms. Norma Rita Laurie
    Recommended by Bob Dylan
  23. The Neverending Story
    The Neverending Story
    Michael Ende, Ralph Manheim
    Recommended by Zoe Keating
  24. The Complete Poems (Penguin Classics)
    The Complete Poems (Penguin Classics)
    Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Keach
    Recommended by Paul McCartney

The musicians

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
American Singer-Songwriter
14 book recommendations
The Fault in Our StarsWonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and MeNormal People: A Novel
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
American Singer-Songwriter
61 book recommendations
The Conscience of the Folk Revival: The Writings of Israel "Izzy" Young (American Folk Music and Musicians Series)The Dave Stewart Songbook: The Stories Behind The Songs - Volume OneThe poems of Henry Timrod, with a sketch of the poet's life, by Paul H. Hayne
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
American Rock Singer-Songwriter
24 book recommendations
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Sterling Unabridged Classics)The Adventures of Augie March (Everyman's Library Contemporary Classics Series)Great Short Works of Leo Tolstoy (Perennial Classics)
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Co-Founder of The Beatles and Singer-Songwriter
11 book recommendations
Alice in Wonderland: The Original 1865 Edition With Complete Illustrations By Sir John Tenniel (A Classic Novel of Lewis Carroll)The Complete Poems (Penguin Classics)Our Mutual Friend: With Appreciations and Criticisms By G. K. Chesterton
PW
Pharrell Williams
Grammy Award–winning musician and artist
2 book recommendations
Medical Medium Cleanse to Heal: Healing Plans for Sufferers of Anxiety, Depression, Acne, Eczema, Lyme, Gut Prob lems, Brain Fog, Weight Issues, Migraines, Bloating, Vertigo, PsoriasisThe Future Is Faster Than You Think: How Converging Technologies Are Transforming Business, Industries, and Our Lives (Exponential Technology Series)
PG
Peter Gabriel
Musician
2 book recommendations
Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation: International Case Studies and PracticeThe Practice: Shipping Creative Work
BE
Brian Eno
Musician and Composer
2 book recommendations
Lost ConnectionsThe Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future
Amanda Palmer
Amanda Palmer
part yoko, part bukowski. i make songs & stuff. my band: @dresdendolls. funded by patrons. IG @amandapalmer. podcast "the art of asking everything" out now:
3 book recommendations
How Music WorksYour Own Kind of GirlThe War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World
Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash
Singer-Songwriter, Author
2 book recommendations
Steal Like an Artist 10th Anniversary Gift Edition with a New Afterword by the Author: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative (Austin Kleon)The Practice: Shipping Creative Work
Al Yankovic
Al Yankovic
Satirical musician and parodist
2 book recommendations
Weird Al: SeriouslyThe Weird Accordion to Al: Every "Weird Al" Yankovic Album Obsessively Analyzed by the Co-Author of Weird Al: The Book (Nathan Rabin with Al Yankovic)
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
I’ve got to hit the grit just as fast as I can
9 book recommendations
CujoMy Life in the Sunshine: Searching for My Father and Discovering My FamilyThe Evening Hero
Frank Turner
Frank Turner
‘Live In Newcastle’ now available everywhere folks https://t.co/AS3V79tApL
2 book recommendations
BROKEN PENSOne Man's London

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