Questlove to Publish New Book ‘Music Is History’

Questlove has announced a new book, titled Music Is History, that will look back at the past 50 years through the “prism” of popular music.

The Roots drummer’s latest book will focus on one song from each year between 1971 to 2021 and elucidate on how that track was informed by or captures the politics and culture of that specific year. Also within the book are Questlove-curated playlists that serve as a companion to the chapters.

“Here we’ll look at the last 50 years of America through the prism of music, and the last 50 years of music through the prism of history,” Questlove said of the book on Instagram, adding in a statement, “I think of the America we live in as a series of songs.”

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Music Is History, available to preorder now, is due out October 12th via Abrams Image, with an audiobook featuring narration and storytelling by Questlove expected out that same month. Music Is History marks Questlove’s sixth book and first since his 2019 cookbook Mixtape Potluck.

Questlove’s directorial debut, the documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), is also set arrive to in theaters and on Hulu on July 2nd following its award-winning film festival run earlier this year. The drummer is already at work on his next film, a documentary about Sly Stone.