When it comes to music writers, few if any are as amazingly prolific as Toronto’s Martin Popoff. The man is a machine, with over 115 titles to his credit and he hops from genre to genre without batting an eye. In my twenties, the time when I served as the Senior Writer for Toronto’s Classic Rock Q107, Popoff’s books on Rush and Black Sabbath served as helpful reference points to this histories of two of our core bands.
2023 saw another four titles added to the Popoff canon, all of them gorgeously illustrated hardcovers from Motorbooks. Check out the selections below, and if you’re interested in getting any of these for the music lover in your life this holiday season, you can order either directly from the author himself or elsewhere online.
AC/DC at 50
A beautifully produced, photo-packed celebration of the ultimate rock band, AC/DC at 50 examines the extraordinary history of the Australian rockers through the lens of 50 milestone events and an illustrated gatefold timeline.
Formed in Australia in 1973, AC/DC became one of the most popular and best-selling bands in rock history with their loud, heavy, sweat-drenched, blues-based rock. This richly illustrated book from prolific rock journalist Martin Popoff pays tribute to the band on the occasion of their 50th anniversary by curating and examining the 50 most significant milestones.
Popoff covers everything down through the decades:
- The role played by the Angus and Malcolm Young’s older brother, George
- The songwriting, legendary antics, and tragic death of vocalist Bon Scott
- The mega tours undertaken in support of the LPs
- The debut of singer Brian Johnson on the band’s mega breakthrough, Back in Black
- The band’s fallow 1980s and 1990s resurgence
- Later difficulties, such as Malcolm’s onset of dementia and passing and the legal problems of drummer Phil Rudd
- And, of course, each of the landmark studio LPs
In examining 50 touchstones, Popoff provides a unique presentation of AC/DC’s career arc from Sydney pub band to international mega-platinum stadium fillers. Every page is illustrated with stunning concert and candid offstage photography, including gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, ticket stubs, and more.
The result is an epic tribute to one of the most influential and admired bands in rock history—in a milestone year.
You can order AC/DC at 50 here.
KISS at 50
With this beautifully produced book, relive the extraordinary history of the of the hottest band in the land through 50 milestone events.
Formed in New York City in 1973, Kiss became one of the most popular and best-selling bands in rock history with their inventive stage presence and heavy, hook-filled catalog, both ideally suited for packing hockey arenas and football stadiums. This richly illustrated book from prolific rock journalist Martin Popoff pays tribute to the band on the occasion of their 50th anniversary by curating and examining the 50 most significant milestones. This exquisite volume features:
- Sturdy hardcover format
- Stunning concert and candid offstage photography, much of it never before published
- Images of memorabilia, including gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, ticket stubs, and more
- Gatefold Kiss timeline
Popoff covers everything down through the decades:
- The band’s formation on the New York club scene
- Their fortuitous signing to the Casablanca label
- Infamous TV appearances, including Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park
- The formation of the famous Kiss Army fan club
- Mega tours undertaken in support of the LPs
- Interband conflicts and personnel changes
- The band’s 1980s “unmasking”
- Innovative marketing such as comic books and the Kiss Convention
- And, of course, each of the landmark studio LPs
The result is an epic tribute to one of the most influential and admired bands in rock history—in a milestone year.
You can order KISS at 50 here.
The Who & Quadrophenia
Take a deep dive into one of the best-selling albums ever on the 50th anniversary of its release with this beautifully produced and authoritatively written slipcased edition.
Veteran rock critic Martin Popoff leaves no stone unturned in taking apart The Who’s generation-spanning masterpiece, Quadrophenia, while exploring each of the album’s 17 tracks and their themes of identity, anxiety, and mental health. Chapters cover:
- The state of The Who as of 1973, including their role in Mod culture
- The recording sessions at famed Olympic Studios and the band’s own Battersea location, including techniques used
- Song-by-song studies of each album side, including analyses of lyrics and the guitars, drums, keyboards, and synthesizers employed by members Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon
- The 1979 motion picture based on the album’s song cycle
- The continent-hopping tours that supported the album
- The rock group’s trajectory post-Quadrophenia, including notable albums and tours
Popoff also takes you on side journeys examining each band member, mod vs. rocker culture, the album’s famous graphic design, manager/producers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, Quadrophenia collectibles, and more. There’s even a brief discography and complete LP tour dates.
Presented in a 10″ × 10″ slipcased book, The Who & Quadrophenia is illustrated with stunning performance and candid off-stage photography as well as rare memorabilia.
The result is a richly presented celebration and your ultimate tribute to the rock opera masterpiece.
You can order The Who & Quadrophenia here.
Pink Floyd and The Dark Side of the Moon : 50 Years
Take a deep dive into one of the best-selling albums ever on the 50th anniversary of its release with this beautifully produced and authoritatively written slipcased edition.
Veteran rock critic Martin Popoff leaves no stone unturned in taking apart Pink Floyd’s generation-spanning masterpiece, The Dark Side of the Moon, while exploring each of the album’s 10 tracks and their themes of madness, anxiety, and alienation. Chapters cover:
- The state of Pink Floyd as of 1972, with special emphasis on deposed founder Syd Barrett
- The recording sessions at famed Abbey Road Studios, including techniques used and the roles of personnel such as engineer Alan Parsons
- Song-by-song studies of each album side, including analyses of lyrics and the guitars, drums, keyboards, and synthesizers employed by members David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright
- The ground-breaking art and packaging created by design firm Hipgnosis and its founder Storm Thorgerson
- The continent-hopping tours that supported the album and also introduced the songs before its release
- The rock group’s trajectory post-Dark Side, including notable albums, tours, and the departure of Waters
Popoff also takes you on side journeys examining each band member, session players, prog rock, the Live at Pompeii concert and film, Waters’ singular writing technique, Dark Sidecollectibles, awards, and more. There’s even a brief discography and complete LP tour dates.
Presented in a 10.5″ × 10.5″ slipcased book, Pink Floyd and The Dark Side of the Moon is illustrated with stunning performance and candid off-stage photography as well as rare memorabilia.
The result is a richly presented celebration and your ultimate tribute to the prog-rock masterpiece.
You can order Pink Floyd and The Dark Side of the Moon: 50 Years here.