7 Audiobooks That Rock for Music-Loving Dads
Where do rock stars go camping? In tents! If you got that joke, congratulations, you’re a dad or have recently been in the presence of one. And in the spirit of dad jokes and behind-the-music fandom, we’re proud to dork out over audiobooks that rock in multiple genres. From the golden era of jazz (3 Shades of Blue) to Bob Spitz’s biography of The Rolling Stones, from a deep dive into the early work of the Boss (Deliver Me from Nowhere) to the effortless cool of Fab 5 Freddy’s memoir (Everybody’s Fly), these audiobooks make for the kind of Father’s Day gift that says, “Hey Dad. I see you. And I see you used to be cool. You’re gonna like this.”
Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes
Warren Zanes’s exploration of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska was the inspiration behind the recent movie Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. Don’t sleep on the audiobook, narrated by Zanes – it’s perfect for dads who are not only fans of the Boss, but love getting into the details of an artist’s early work and musical evolution.
3 Shades of Blue by James Kaplan
3 Shades of Blue is the story of three towering artists—Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans—and how they came together to create the most iconic jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue. This is an audiobook about music, genius, business, and race, and a can’t-miss listen for jazz fans. Doesn’t hurt that the audiobook is read by award-winning narrator Dion Graham.
Everybody’s Fly by Fab 5 Freddy
An electrifying memoir from visual artist, hip hop pioneer, and cultural icon Fab 5 Freddy, Everybody’s Fly is narrated by Fab and features exclusive conversations with Grandmaster Flash, Michael Holman, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein (Blondie), Charlie Ahearn, Lee Quiñones, Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest), and Futura. Need we say more?
Mighty Real by Barry Walters
Written and read by music journalist Barry Walters, Mighty Real is a history of LGBTQ music, from Stonewall to RuPaul, and its impact on culture and American life, from the underground dancefloors of the Seventies to the global charts of the Nineties. A rare and revolutionary music history that will have dads laughing, crying, and dancing.
The Rolling Stones by Bob Spitz
What is there left to say about The Rolling Stones? A hell of a lot, it turns out – and Bob Spitz is here to write the tale like no other. Or perhaps the Los Angeles Times says it best: “Hundreds of books have been written about the Rolling Stones, but few sparkle quite like Spitz’s. For anyone who loves or even likes the Stones, it’s indispensable.”
To Anyone Who Ever Asks by Howard Fishman
This true story of the mysterious Connie Converse—a mid-century New York City songwriter, singer, and composer whose haunting music never found broad recognition—is an indispensable listen for dads who love the niche and the arcane.
The Name of This Band Is R.E.M. by Peter Ames Carlin
In this rich, intimate biography, author Peter Ames Carlin looks beyond the sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll to open a window into the lives of four college friends – Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry – who stuck together at any cost. An electrifying cultural biography of a time, and a band, that changed rock and roll.
