10 great novels set within the music industry
[This was my weekly column for GlobalNews.ca. -AC]
The first novel I read about the music industry — or at least about a band — was Cotton Candy, a 45-cent purchase made in junior high through the Scholastic Book Club. It told the story of a bunch of young teens who form a pop group and end up facing off against a denim-and-leather rock band in some kind of battle of the bands. It was also one of those after-school movies written by — wait for it — Ron Howard with help from his brother Clint. Ron also served as director.
Both the book and the movie were, well, not good. The dude fronting the rock band was especially grating as they played a terrible version of I Shot the Sheriff. (Fast-forward to about 6:35 in this clip to see what I mean.)
That book and movie soured me on the whole idea of novels about rock bands and stories set in the recorded music industry. But about 20 years ago, the genre suddenly evolved. The writing got better. The stories became more compelling. And writers had a much better grasp of how the world of music worked.
With fall beckoning (and perhaps another COVID-19 lockdown) looming, here are 10 music industry-related novels. They’re all pure fiction and highly entertaining.
