John Lingan Backbeats review and information book with a history of rock and roll in fifteen drummers. Scribner will publish this book written by John Lingan, on November 11, 2025. Here you can read information about the content of the book, the author and the publication.
John Lingan Backbeats reviews
- “With passion and deep knowledge, John Lingan weaves together the history of popular music via fifteen essays about pivotal drummers, musicians who were integral to moving music forward. The only moments I put this book down were to pause and listen to the perfect examples that Lingan, a drummer himself, cites as crucial moments in recordings. Someone told me that drummers are like baseball catchers; they call the game and see the whole field. Here we see and hear the music of our lives unfolding from that wide perspective.” (Bill Janovitz, author of Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History)
- “While singers and guitar players soak up most of the spotlight, it’s the drummer in the back who shovels the coal and keeps the whole damn engine moving. In Backbeats John Lingan delivers an intelligent, heartfelt, and long-overdue tribute to the unsung heroes of modern music. Because let’s face it—if it ain’t got that swing, it don’t mean a thing.” (Brad Tolinski, coauthor of Play It Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar)
- “Fascinating reading…Loud but often overlooked, drummers get their due in this entertaining survey…Lingan does a terrific job explaining the technical aspects of drumming to a lay audience; this book is accessible to any rock fan, even ones who don’t know the difference between a snare and a tom.” (Kirkus Reviews)
Backbeats
A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers
- Author: John Lingan (United States)
- Book type: rock and roll book
- Publisher: Scribner Books
- To be released: November 11, 2025
- Length: 304 pages
- Format: hardback / ebook / audiobook
- Prize: $ 30.00 / $ 14.99 / $ 19.99
- Order book from: Amazon / Bol
Blurb book about fifteen famous rock and roll drummers
An electrifying journey through the history of rock and roll, told through the lives of fifteen iconic drummers and their percussion rivals—from John Bonham and Charlie Watts to Ringo Starr and Questlove.
Rock and roll thrives on rhythm, but the drummers who drive that pulse often stay in the shadows. In Backbeats, acclaimed music historian John Lingan brings these unsung heroes into the spotlight, delivering a fascinating journey through six decades of rock history.
Lingan’s deep research and vivid storytelling explores the lives of fifteen pathbreaking drummers and their fellow timekeepers—men and women who together laid down the beat of an era. From Bernard Purdie’s legendary work with Aretha Franklin to Dave Grohl’s funk- and punk-indebted swing for Nirvana, these drummers redefined what was possible in pop music. Iconic figures like Ringo Starr, whose inventive style transformed the Beatles, and Charlie Watts, the steady backbone of the Rolling Stones, take center stage. But Lingan doesn’t stop there—he also shines a light on groundbreaking, underappreciated talents like Maureen Tucker of The Velvet Underground, whose minimalist beats rewrote the rulebook, and Sam Lay, a pivotal figure in rock’s evolution from the blues.
Packed with insider stories and exclusive interviews—from Robert Plant’s reflections on Led Zeppelin’s legendary sessions to superstar recording engineer Steve Albini’s behind-the-scenes accounts—Backbeats offers an eye-opening glimpse into some of rock’s most unforgettable moments, including the seismic shift of Dylan going electric at Newport, James Brown’s explosive creation of funk in the late sixties, and the birth of LA thrash metal in the early eighties.
More than just a tribute to an unrecognized group of virtuosos, this book is a love letter to the art of drumming itself. Backbeats shows how these remarkable artists not only kept the beat but drove rock and roll forward. It’s a must-read for any music lover, offering a fresh and thrilling perspective on a story we only thought we knew.
John Lingan is the author of Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers, Homeplace: A Southern Town, a Country Legend, and the Last Days of a Mountaintop Honky-Tonk; and A Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival, named one of the Best Music Books of 2022 by Variety. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Nation, and The Oxford American, among many other publications. He lives in Maryland.
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