Totally Wired: The Rise and Fall of the Music Press

Reputed music journalist Paul Gorman has announced the release of a new book that explores the rich history of the popular music press. ‘Totally Wired: The Rise and Fall of the Music Press’ charts the evolution of music criticism and media from the ‘50s through to the ‘00s — and is described by publishers Thames & Hudson as “essential reading for anyone who cared about popular culture.”

‘Totally Wired’ offers a detailed examination of American and British youth culture from the Summer of Love, through to the rise of punk music, to the latter-day emergence of pop and R&B. From the rise of the “inkies” — via magazines like Creem and Crawdaddy! — to the mainstream emergence of Rolling Stone, Melody Maker and NME, Gorman’s book evokes the golden age of the music press through archival photography and feature analysis, while also tackling the entrenched sexism and racism that often marred the music industry.

The book follows a series of music-focused works authored by Gorman over the past twenty years, including 2020’s ‘The Life & Times of Malcolm McLaren’, on the former Sex Pistols manager and impresario, and 2017’s ‘The Story Of The Face: The Magazine That Changed Culture’. ‘The Look: Adventures In Rock & Pop Fashion’, meanwhile, traced the cross-pollination of style and popular music from the time of Elvis Presley to the present day; in 2008, The Independent named it among the top ten fashion books of all time.

‘Totally Wired: The Rise and Fall of the Music Press’ is released via Thames & Hudson on 22nd September 2022.