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Century of Song: 101 Songs that Shaped American Music
Dive into 100 years of America’s rich musical history with this deeply informative and captivating book from writer and music aficionado Noah Lefevre, whose musical opinions and analysis have captured over 1 million fans through his hit YouTube channel Polyphonic. Readers won’t want to miss which songs made the cut, as Noah painstakingly chose the most important song for every year for the last decade. Taking into consideration each song’s lyrics, artist, origination, and significance to both the artform and society at large, each pick was decided based on how well it captured the aesthetic, political, and historic spirit of that year. The result is so much more than anything a reader could hope to find on a “greatest hits” or Billboard’s “Top 40” list; these 100 songs make up the playlist of America. From funk, soul, jazz and R&B to pop, punk, rock and rap, Noah explores how music is interwoven into the fabric of our history. His analysis beautifully captures the complexities that make up America’s musical tradition—from race relations and political unrest to technological innovation and human perseverance—offering music lovers an incredible new angle on the evolution of music. Featuring original and stunning artwork that Noah is known for on both the cover and throughout, along with an image to complement every song, this unique book is the ultimate gift for every music lover in your life. Anyone who reads this book is guaranteed to never listen to music the same way.
- GenresMusicNonfictionHistory
352 pages, Hardcover
Published September 17, 2024
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207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 21, 2025
overall pretty good but I don't think he should've touched the 2020-2023 era because to assign a song that accurately represents any given year's sociopolitical/cultural context requires more than 3 years removal from that year and that context and those last four songs just felt of a different caliber than everything else he had mentioned
January 20, 2025
If you believe that disco died because of pure bigotry rather than that it was a musical fad that reached its shelf life; if you use terms like a 'complicated legacy' as a substitute for 'pedophilia'; if you disdain capitalism (despite it being the driver for most of content in your book - not to mention that you're selling this book) and regularly use terms like -industrial complex non-ironically; then you are more likely to be the target audience for this book.
Any such list of 'most relevant songs' is going to be from *some* perspective as there is no one absolute 'right' answer to the question "What was the single most influential song from 1962?" In this case it is definitely from the elitist, preening music critic perspective, with the sort of moderate leftist sneering at the U.S. that you only get from people from 2nd tier first world countries. It often comes across as more wish-casting from the author for what 'ought' to be seen as important, versus what was actually important. Were some of these songs highly influential? In some cases, absolutely. In some cases, maybe. In other cases, I'm pretty skeptical. There were certainly some years where the 'honorable mention' category seemed much more relevant than the 'winner'. One's chance of being highlighted seemed to go up if they checked any of the person-of-color, queer, or union organizer boxes. In some cases the highlighting seemed completely justified; in others, it seemed a stretch. I'd agree that, statistically, those from certain minority-population communities have had a disproportionate impact on music over the last century. That doesn't mean that everyone who is part of those communities necessarily had a major impact, though.
The further one goes back along the timeline, the more obvious (in retrospect) it becomes as to what had the most influence. And in some cases, there is certainly a difference between, say, what was the most popular song for 3 months in 1928 versus someone that recorded a song that wasn't as immediately popular at the time but which went on to have a huge downstream impact. But this becomes highly problematic the closer you get to 'now'. While I felt like much of the earlier period (1924 - 1959) was a worthwhile read, I stopped at 1990 and just skimmed the rest of the book. Some of the later entries I read seemed remarkably uninformative too (the one about N.W.A.'s Straight Outa Compton, for example). I think 1996 was the last year where I'd at least heard any of the actual songs in question organically on the radio. There were a fair number of years in the 2000-and-forward period where I had not even heard of the band / singer, much less of their supposedly influential song. There were also instances where I had heard of the 'artist' mostly via mockery of them, which tends to undercut their perceived relevance. In yet other cases, I had heard of the band / person in name only, but could not identify any song by them at all.
I suspect that any such 'best list' type book would not appeal to everyone. I think a better approach might be to evaluate, say, what the author can justify as having subsequent relevance while at the same time comparing what was perceived as popular at a given time versus what is still remembered today. Somewhere in that nexus, you *might* be able to highlight what this book is attempting to do. However, don't think the book really succeeds, overall.
Any such list of 'most relevant songs' is going to be from *some* perspective as there is no one absolute 'right' answer to the question "What was the single most influential song from 1962?" In this case it is definitely from the elitist, preening music critic perspective, with the sort of moderate leftist sneering at the U.S. that you only get from people from 2nd tier first world countries. It often comes across as more wish-casting from the author for what 'ought' to be seen as important, versus what was actually important. Were some of these songs highly influential? In some cases, absolutely. In some cases, maybe. In other cases, I'm pretty skeptical. There were certainly some years where the 'honorable mention' category seemed much more relevant than the 'winner'. One's chance of being highlighted seemed to go up if they checked any of the person-of-color, queer, or union organizer boxes. In some cases the highlighting seemed completely justified; in others, it seemed a stretch. I'd agree that, statistically, those from certain minority-population communities have had a disproportionate impact on music over the last century. That doesn't mean that everyone who is part of those communities necessarily had a major impact, though.
The further one goes back along the timeline, the more obvious (in retrospect) it becomes as to what had the most influence. And in some cases, there is certainly a difference between, say, what was the most popular song for 3 months in 1928 versus someone that recorded a song that wasn't as immediately popular at the time but which went on to have a huge downstream impact. But this becomes highly problematic the closer you get to 'now'. While I felt like much of the earlier period (1924 - 1959) was a worthwhile read, I stopped at 1990 and just skimmed the rest of the book. Some of the later entries I read seemed remarkably uninformative too (the one about N.W.A.'s Straight Outa Compton, for example). I think 1996 was the last year where I'd at least heard any of the actual songs in question organically on the radio. There were a fair number of years in the 2000-and-forward period where I had not even heard of the band / singer, much less of their supposedly influential song. There were also instances where I had heard of the 'artist' mostly via mockery of them, which tends to undercut their perceived relevance. In yet other cases, I had heard of the band / person in name only, but could not identify any song by them at all.
I suspect that any such 'best list' type book would not appeal to everyone. I think a better approach might be to evaluate, say, what the author can justify as having subsequent relevance while at the same time comparing what was perceived as popular at a given time versus what is still remembered today. Somewhere in that nexus, you *might* be able to highlight what this book is attempting to do. However, don't think the book really succeeds, overall.
May 20, 2025
Quite possibly the best book on music I've ever read. I'm struggling to know how to start, so in no particular order, here are my compliments and nitpicks:
-Noah Lefevre did a phenomenal job picking songs for each year from 1923 to 2023. Some of the choices are songs that permanently changed America, like "Rhapsody in Blue," "That's All Right," and "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Other songs like "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "I Feel Love" had less of a long-term cultural impact, but were immensely popular when they first came out. Readers will no doubt find fault with Lefevre for including some songs/artists and omitting others (me, I was stunned to see that there was nothing by Elton John, U2, or Rihanna), but that is inevitable. Any controversy about the songs included/excluded is no doubt due to how rich and sprawling American music is. Lefevre gave himself a nearly impossible task with this book, and he delivered.
-It was nice (and clever) to see Lefevre include "Honorable Mention" songs starting with 1950, but I wish he had taken the time to do the same for songs from 1923 to 1949. This is likely the era of music that readers are least familiar with, and it would have made the book as a whole more consistent.
-Also speaking for consistency, it is mildly annoying to have a book organized by decades that starts and ends in odd years. Part of me wishes Lefevre at least held off until 2025 so he could address the 2020s halfway through the decade.
-Throughout the book, I was amazed at how well Lefevre described the musicality of a particular song in writing. It's really hard to do! Taking dynamics, instrumentation, tone, rhythm, texture, tempo, all elements you hear with your ear, and translating them to written words that you read with your eyes and "hear" with your brain...it was incredible how well he did this. No easy feat.
-I also appreciate how well this book tackles American history, particularly its cultural/social movements, alongside and through the music. It was just another reminder that music, like the best of humanity, naturally seeks progress. As our musicians and songwriters push musical boundaries forward, music pushes us forward as well.
There is a playlist on Spotify that accompanies this book (just search the title, "Century of Song"). I strongly recommend listening to each song as you read about them in the book. I can't imagine reading this any other way.
-Noah Lefevre did a phenomenal job picking songs for each year from 1923 to 2023. Some of the choices are songs that permanently changed America, like "Rhapsody in Blue," "That's All Right," and "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Other songs like "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "I Feel Love" had less of a long-term cultural impact, but were immensely popular when they first came out. Readers will no doubt find fault with Lefevre for including some songs/artists and omitting others (me, I was stunned to see that there was nothing by Elton John, U2, or Rihanna), but that is inevitable. Any controversy about the songs included/excluded is no doubt due to how rich and sprawling American music is. Lefevre gave himself a nearly impossible task with this book, and he delivered.
-It was nice (and clever) to see Lefevre include "Honorable Mention" songs starting with 1950, but I wish he had taken the time to do the same for songs from 1923 to 1949. This is likely the era of music that readers are least familiar with, and it would have made the book as a whole more consistent.
-Also speaking for consistency, it is mildly annoying to have a book organized by decades that starts and ends in odd years. Part of me wishes Lefevre at least held off until 2025 so he could address the 2020s halfway through the decade.
-Throughout the book, I was amazed at how well Lefevre described the musicality of a particular song in writing. It's really hard to do! Taking dynamics, instrumentation, tone, rhythm, texture, tempo, all elements you hear with your ear, and translating them to written words that you read with your eyes and "hear" with your brain...it was incredible how well he did this. No easy feat.
-I also appreciate how well this book tackles American history, particularly its cultural/social movements, alongside and through the music. It was just another reminder that music, like the best of humanity, naturally seeks progress. As our musicians and songwriters push musical boundaries forward, music pushes us forward as well.
There is a playlist on Spotify that accompanies this book (just search the title, "Century of Song"). I strongly recommend listening to each song as you read about them in the book. I can't imagine reading this any other way.
November 29, 2024
This was a very entertaining and educational read. I've followed the author's work for years through Nebula and YouTube (his Polyphonic channel is fabulous if you haven't checked it out), and he brings that same focus to this book. He does a great job of telling the story of American popular music by selecting a song a year and telling the story of how that song exemplifies pop music for that time period. He does a great job focusing on both the music itself and on the social milieu into which that song came to be. He focuses on oft overlooked artists and the systemic forces like capitalism, conservative politics, racism, misogyny, homophobia, etc. that overlooked them and shaped the music industry that these songs were either part of or created in response to (sometimes both). It is well-written and easily digestible. The format, a song a year, allows for bite-sized reading sessions as well, even if I often found myself consuming whole decades at a time. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this for folks, like me, interested in popular music. Even if you are not, if you have an eye towards history, this could well be a rewarding read.
November 17, 2024
This book proved for me that any book can be a self-help book. It's been a difficult year and this book help me reconnect with music and hope. I listen to every song listed and created a playlist in Apple Music. I discovered and learn so much about music while having a way to relax at night and get better sleep. Thanks to Noah for writing this book.
December 15, 2024
Book 48 of 2024; 5 out of 5 stars.
Century of Song is about one hundred and one songs that have shaped American music. The author begins in the early 1920s up until 2023; covering different genres like jazz, rock n roll, hip-hop, and R&B. The song that represents that year is detailed on how the song was made, the significance and influence it had on the genre, the artist/group background, and the impact overall.
My thoughts: I appreciated this book. The reading experience was almost like hopping into a time machine and going back to the infancy of American music. This book also taught me how much of a rock n roll aficionado the author was. The author did a great job giving flowers to artists who never got their recognition when they were still living. Century of song is written and made for people who are music enthusiasts who want to expand their knowledge on all types of music. I definitely would recommend it.
Century of Song is about one hundred and one songs that have shaped American music. The author begins in the early 1920s up until 2023; covering different genres like jazz, rock n roll, hip-hop, and R&B. The song that represents that year is detailed on how the song was made, the significance and influence it had on the genre, the artist/group background, and the impact overall.
My thoughts: I appreciated this book. The reading experience was almost like hopping into a time machine and going back to the infancy of American music. This book also taught me how much of a rock n roll aficionado the author was. The author did a great job giving flowers to artists who never got their recognition when they were still living. Century of song is written and made for people who are music enthusiasts who want to expand their knowledge on all types of music. I definitely would recommend it.
April 14, 2025
The book follows American music year by year featuring one representative song per each year (with on occasion a few runners ups). The author then explains the song’s significance both musically and historically.
I thought the entries wonderful and I learned new things reading them. The only problem was that the exception of a few songs, I got totally lost in the 80s. I wouldn’t call this a fault in the book, but if my taste. I loved music from the 80s and beyond, just not from America. Part of it might also be my age. I’m sure the choices here would delight fans of later eras.
So I give the book five stars based on about three quarters of the pages. If the author continues to write (and to choose) the same quality songs as he does in his earlier reviews it would definitely rate a five star review.
I thought the entries wonderful and I learned new things reading them. The only problem was that the exception of a few songs, I got totally lost in the 80s. I wouldn’t call this a fault in the book, but if my taste. I loved music from the 80s and beyond, just not from America. Part of it might also be my age. I’m sure the choices here would delight fans of later eras.
So I give the book five stars based on about three quarters of the pages. If the author continues to write (and to choose) the same quality songs as he does in his earlier reviews it would definitely rate a five star review.
November 18, 2024
A book that part of me wishes I wrote, covering one popular song per year from American history, from the last 101 years. While the writing style comes off, at times, a bit preachy, and there are one or two damning errors (i.e. Brad Wilk as Rage Against the Machine's guitarist, not drummer), it is a pretty fantastic tome. A good blend of the obvious choices and the underrated, and it introduced me to a few new tunes. Job done
May 1, 2025
Really fun read. I like that it focuses on impact rather than the tiresome rankings of what is the "best," and I appreciate the focus on how race, queerness, class, body size, etc have shaped and been shaped by popular music. The writing can get a bit repetitive, but that's hard to avoid when talking about the most influential songs.
At the end of the day, it gave me a lot of new songs to listen to, and interesting angles to think about their legacy.
At the end of the day, it gave me a lot of new songs to listen to, and interesting angles to think about their legacy.
July 1, 2025
Some interesting entries, especially in the early years. Like any book listing the "most important" or "most influential" works of art, this one has a lot of questionable picks. My biggest issue was with the writing in general - written on about a junior high, maybe high school level, with several grammatical, typo, and factual errors.
November 16, 2025
I thought it was a fun and interesting overview of music in America over the last 100 years. As someone who never studied music, I learned a lot, and there’s a Spotify playlist that follows along, which I look forward to working through and reflecting on what the book taught. If that sounds cool, worth reading.
October 21, 2024
What an incredible experience! I read this book over a few weeks while listening to a playlist with each song featured in the book. Might favourite moment might have been when I finished the book, and the playlist ended with Doja Cat, and restarted with Bessie Smith’s 1923 recording.
February 19, 2025
This well researched and well written book is a must read if you are a music lover and a truly enjoyable read for everyone. Even the decades or music that I didn't think I was interested in are fascinating in their context and contribution. Add this book to your reading list!
August 1, 2025
Super cool exploration of American culture though a song each year. Learned a lot and found good old music. Found myself disagreeing with a lot of the ones from my life
November 12, 2025
:) !!!!
November 23, 2025
Lefevre really does his homework! Impressive, indepth look at how music not only reflects the current culture but can be the catalyst sparking the change in the next! No love for John Mayer though 🤔?
January 4, 2025
Indeed a really enjoyable and illuminating experience to read, share and discuss with other lovers of American music across generations. The illustrations and visual design were really striking and really well put together that highlights the craft and planning put into the book. Very much lives up to the standard Noah set with Polyphonic. Each write-up for each chosen song is both concise yet makes full use of the space given to help open the reader's eyes and ears to the rich breadth of history, genre and background that accompany the musical journey he takes the reader on. More than the specific songs or artists he selected to cover, he succeeds in capturing his love and appreciation for music as a potent expression of cultural mindset, human creativity and artistic drive.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews