THE B SIDE: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the American Song by Ben Yagoda (Riverhead Books, 2015) is an incredible history of the evolution of the art and business of (primarily) American songwriting in the 20th century. Yagoda’s heavily-researched overview tracks from the age of sheet music through Tin Pan Alley, the Jazz Age, Broadway, the birth of Rock and Roll, the solidification of the American Songbook in the mid-century, and finally the Beatles revolution. While dips into the business dealings and competition between BMI and ASCAP were a little too deep and dry for me, this is a mostly-riveting account for anyone who’s ever paid attention to not just the singers, but the songs.
Originally posted on social media, Feb. 13, 2024
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