A fascinating insight into the lives of famous and not so famous musicians. It was informative, having been well researched. A varied range from pop to rock'n roll artists. Some facts already well known but also included are small sections of personal details which I found interesting,
Easy to dip into and select a particular artist to read about.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

There were lots of famous people whose stories are well known in this book but there were also people who were less well known but had an impact on the music we listen to today. Interesting insight to many lives.

A marvellous collection of rock and pop music obituaries from talented writers for The Times. It's almost a comprehensive resource of all the icons we have lost over the last few decades (I say almost, because there are omissions). Most of the pieces are relatively recent (up to 2023) although a few older ones are included which demonstrate how attitudes have changed. The one for Jim Morrison was particularly bad.

As it's very information-heavy, it's not the kind of book you'd want to read cover to cover, all in one go but is ideal for dipping into to read a couple now and again. There is a photograph of each musician. The editor has been careful to include a variety of musicians, from Elvis, to Aretha, George Harrison, B B King, Sinead O'Connor, Amy Winehouse, Keith Flint, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie and of course Kurt Cobain (who is on the cover of the book). It would be a nice addition to your music history bookshelf.

This was a great read to see the music scene and the change that it went through, very informative read overall.

There's some musicians missing (one is Tom Verlain) but there's so many name and info that it could be considered an enciclopedia of rock music
Well done, highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Entertaining and informative, I enjoyed this, if enjoyed is an acceptable term to use about the demise of other people….. There was a good mix of the uber famous household names, whose lives I already knew a little about, to the lesser knowns I was fascinated to know more about, to the ones which I confess I hadn’t ever heard of. All interesting in their own right.
I do confess, I read this in bits sized chunks rather than all in one go, mostly because I was hard to forget that each story was leading up to the connecting factor that they were all dead. I did find myself mentally cheering the ones who made it to old age and lamenting those that left far too soon, in particular the members of the 27 club. I never knew quite the reach of membership of the aforementioned, so sad.
My only (slight) criticism was that sometimes the life story switched direction a few times within the individual tales, starting mid flow but then reverting back to their birth and childhood before jumping back to the death. My ordered mind felt a bit muddled with this, but it’s probably just me being daft. Overall a brilliant read.

The Times Lives Behind the Music was a fascinating collection of obituaries. Perfect for any music lover, the book gives a succinct but insightful summary of the people behind the music. I found it interesting how the style of the obituaries changes though the years, giving you a glimpse of the time they were written in too. I learned a lot.

This is the perfect book for any fan of music or cultural history to dip into. Get it for your coffee table now.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

It's an incredibly interesting and insightful book for those interested in the music industry.

I appreciated the insightful behind-the-scenes details and the stunning photography.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book of obituaries from many musicians over the years. I learned so much about musicians that I liked and also ones that I have never heard of before! Such an interesting book and I will definitely recommend this to my music, loving friends

Such an incredible interesting and insightful book if you have any interest in the music industry and some of the defining voices that make it so special. I love the behind the scenes information and beautiful photography.

I have al been fascinated and captivated by the quality of the obituaries in The Times and this book is a godsend and gift for all music aficionados of the last 60 years.

They’re all here, those who lived long fulfilling lives or more often departed far too soon often from the influence of drink and drugs.

The writing is lush, sympathetic and expansive, the research boggling in its detail and comprehensiveness.

The ultimate dipper-in book which both entertains and fascinates.