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A Little History of Music
A lively, engaging guide to music around the world, from prehistory to the present
Human beings have always made music. Music can move us and tell stories of faith, struggle, or love. It is common to all cultures across the world. But how has it changed over the millennia?
Robert Philip explores the extraordinary history of music in all its forms, from our earliest ancestors to today’s mass-produced songs. This is a truly global story. Looking to Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and beyond, Philip reveals how musicians have been brought together by trade and migration and examines the vast impact of colonialism. From Hildegard von Bingen and Clara Schumann to Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin, great performers and composers have profoundly shaped music as we know it.
Covering a remarkable range of genres, including medieval chant, classical opera, jazz, and hip hop, this Little History shines a light on the wonder of music—and why it is treasured across the world.
Human beings have always made music. Music can move us and tell stories of faith, struggle, or love. It is common to all cultures across the world. But how has it changed over the millennia?
Robert Philip explores the extraordinary history of music in all its forms, from our earliest ancestors to today’s mass-produced songs. This is a truly global story. Looking to Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and beyond, Philip reveals how musicians have been brought together by trade and migration and examines the vast impact of colonialism. From Hildegard von Bingen and Clara Schumann to Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin, great performers and composers have profoundly shaped music as we know it.
Covering a remarkable range of genres, including medieval chant, classical opera, jazz, and hip hop, this Little History shines a light on the wonder of music—and why it is treasured across the world.
320 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2025
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634 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 3, 2023
Book really should be subtitled (of the western orchestral type). Earliest parts of the book, from Neanderthals to early humans, up to Hinduism and Buddhism, most interesting. Then author makes a caveat that the next several chapters will focus on "Western" music and explains why this is necessary. Unfortunately it really is the rest of the book. There are momentary glances at events in China, the Americas, Africa, but these feel sprinkled in for effect. Overall a decent read, just know what your getting into. "The singing Neanderthals" by Steven Mithen, might also be worth a look.
February 7, 2026
Mūzikas vēsture no pašiem pirmsākumiem līdz mūsdienām - stāstīta samērā interesantā un piesaistošā valodā. Bet pilnīgi noteikti nespēju uztvert tik lielu faktu apjomu un ceru, ka kāds nosēžas kaut kur zemapziņas dziļumos, lai vajadzības gadījumā tomēr no tās iznirtu.
March 3, 2026
Jeg syntes at konceptet med bogen er god, men som en der aldrig har lært noget om noder eller hvordan musik fungerer, så syntes jeg at denne bog blev lidt for avanceret en gang i mellem.
Jeg var vildt med de første par kapitler og de sidste, men alt der imellem (30 kapitler) var ALT for meget om klassisk musik.
Derudover gad jeg også godt, at der var nogle billeder i bogen, for der er mange instrumenter som bliver beskrevet, men uden et billede og derfor måtte jeg selv google en masse undervejs.
Jeg var vildt med de første par kapitler og de sidste, men alt der imellem (30 kapitler) var ALT for meget om klassisk musik.
Derudover gad jeg også godt, at der var nogle billeder i bogen, for der er mange instrumenter som bliver beskrevet, men uden et billede og derfor måtte jeg selv google en masse undervejs.
May 25, 2025
just history of music, no new or special knowledge/idea
July 6, 2023
It is what it is - a LITTLE history. To condense and simplify the complexity of the history of music is a crime, and Robert Philip rightly acknowledges so - but, well, this book serves its purpose if you’re simply looking for a quick spark notes.
September 17, 2024
I was looking for a music history review, but got a pleasant surprise. Unlike all my past music history studies, this book emphasized non-Western music, women, and people of color. The usual was there as well, but I really enjoyed the fresh perspective.
March 16, 2026
Robert Philip tries to sum up the ever-growing history of music from ancient times to the streaming era in a succinct yet ambitious book, and to an extent, it worked.
What I appreciate about A Little History of Music is that it strays from the eurocentric view on the development of music not just by putting once-forgotten composers in the limelight but also by acknowledging how the cultural trades between all continents were vital for the development of modern music as a whole. Of course, figures like Bach and Beethoven are still widely discussed, but the author also dedicates a fair share of chapters to lesser-known figures such as Ignatius Sancho and Josquin des Prez. This makes the book a very enriching read, since it avoids the obvious while also presenting various perspectives that indicate that the history of music is not as straightforward as it once seemed to be.
However, this by no means indicates a perfectly unbiased book. The striking majority of the chapters are solely focused on European music, with only a few of them being dedicated to other continents. Even when the author is debating the music from these other regions, the descriptions have nowhere near the level of detail of the parts where he is dissecting European music. For instance, he analyzes 5 centuries of African music in 6 pages and then dedicates 30 to a single century in Europe. I understand that part of the issue is the lack of historical sources regarding these less-known musical cultures; however, I believe that the little information we have could've been spread more evenly. Nevertheless, just by including these chapters, I think the book becomes much more nuanced and detailed, which is one of its biggest strengths. I just wish they were longer.
That is perhaps my biggest complaint with this book: it is too concise. The history of music is a widely complex topic, one that can't be written in 300 pages, and to achieve that, A Little History of Music cuts a few corners. The descriptions of some genres and composers don't go beyond a paragraph, in spite of their importance. For instance, as a big electronic music fan, it was somewhat frustrating to see just one or two pages dedicated to its early development, with no mention of ambient or even musique concrète, which are instrumental to the creation of the genre as we know it today. This is even more evident in the last few chapters, in which the author still focuses on classical composers, giving light only to a few modern popular artists and musical styles, like R&B and hip hop. Of course, with such an ambitious goal, there was a need to establish a scoped focus, but I still feel like some movements were not treated with the respect and recognition that they deserve.
In conclusion, this is a good introduction for those interested in learning a bit about music history. It is a great and relatively short read, with easy-to-understand vocabulary and quick prose. The examples Robert Philip provides are great, and the book successfully sums up a great deal of such a deep topic, even if briefly. Nevertheless, I do think that those looking to learn more about a specific genre or era of music may be disappointed with the approach in here, and thus, they should look for more specialized literature.
What I appreciate about A Little History of Music is that it strays from the eurocentric view on the development of music not just by putting once-forgotten composers in the limelight but also by acknowledging how the cultural trades between all continents were vital for the development of modern music as a whole. Of course, figures like Bach and Beethoven are still widely discussed, but the author also dedicates a fair share of chapters to lesser-known figures such as Ignatius Sancho and Josquin des Prez. This makes the book a very enriching read, since it avoids the obvious while also presenting various perspectives that indicate that the history of music is not as straightforward as it once seemed to be.
However, this by no means indicates a perfectly unbiased book. The striking majority of the chapters are solely focused on European music, with only a few of them being dedicated to other continents. Even when the author is debating the music from these other regions, the descriptions have nowhere near the level of detail of the parts where he is dissecting European music. For instance, he analyzes 5 centuries of African music in 6 pages and then dedicates 30 to a single century in Europe. I understand that part of the issue is the lack of historical sources regarding these less-known musical cultures; however, I believe that the little information we have could've been spread more evenly. Nevertheless, just by including these chapters, I think the book becomes much more nuanced and detailed, which is one of its biggest strengths. I just wish they were longer.
That is perhaps my biggest complaint with this book: it is too concise. The history of music is a widely complex topic, one that can't be written in 300 pages, and to achieve that, A Little History of Music cuts a few corners. The descriptions of some genres and composers don't go beyond a paragraph, in spite of their importance. For instance, as a big electronic music fan, it was somewhat frustrating to see just one or two pages dedicated to its early development, with no mention of ambient or even musique concrète, which are instrumental to the creation of the genre as we know it today. This is even more evident in the last few chapters, in which the author still focuses on classical composers, giving light only to a few modern popular artists and musical styles, like R&B and hip hop. Of course, with such an ambitious goal, there was a need to establish a scoped focus, but I still feel like some movements were not treated with the respect and recognition that they deserve.
In conclusion, this is a good introduction for those interested in learning a bit about music history. It is a great and relatively short read, with easy-to-understand vocabulary and quick prose. The examples Robert Philip provides are great, and the book successfully sums up a great deal of such a deep topic, even if briefly. Nevertheless, I do think that those looking to learn more about a specific genre or era of music may be disappointed with the approach in here, and thus, they should look for more specialized literature.
February 20, 2026
เราสัมผัสองค์ประกอบของดนตรีครั้งแรกตั้งแต่ในครรภ์ ตอนเป็นทารกในครรภ์ เราจะเริ่มได้ยินเสียงเมื่ออายุได้ 15 สัปดาห์ เสียงที่แผ่คลุมชีวิตเราคือจังหวะหัวใจเต้นของ[แม่]
ประทับใจประโยคในบทต้นของหนังสือเล่มนี้ แล้วหลังจากนั้นก็จะไม่ค่อยประทับใจอะไรในเนื้อหาแล้วเพราะห่างไกล
you see, เนี่ยเป็นปัญหาของหนังสือแนวประวัติศาสตร์ ซึ่งไม่เชิงเป็นปัญหาของตัวหนังสือเอง แต่จะเป็นปัญหาด้วยว่าคนอ่านไม่ได้มีความรู้มากพอจะรับอะไรได้มาก สำหรับเราเองที่ music illiterate ไม่ได้มีความรู้ด้านดนตรี คือแตกพ่ายย่อยยับ อ่านๆ ไปก็จะวนลูป ชื่อคน-ยุคสมัย-ผลงาน-musical term ที่เราไม่เข้าใจเพราะไม่รู้จัก-ชื่อคน-ยุคสมัย-ผลงาน-... ตอนเราอ่านไปเราคิดว่า โห ถ้าสิ่งนี้เป็น lecture 3 ชมสัก 3 เซสชั่นน่าจะเข้าใจมากๆ เราจะได้เห็นภาพเครื่องดนตรีที่เขาพูดถึง ได้ฟังเพลงที่เขากล่าวอ้าง ความแตกต่างของคีตนิพนธ์ชิ้นต่างๆ มันจะกระจ่างขึ้น อย่างไหนล่ะดุดัน อย่างไหนกระด้าง อย่างไหนสุขุม อย่างไหนนุ่มนวล แล้วเทคนิคที่เขาเปลี่ยนจากเดิมที่มีการพลิกแพลงอะไรกันนี่มันยังไง แต่เพราะมันเป็นตัวหนังสือทั้งหมด กุตาย (และแน่นอนว่าการขอสิ่งเหล่านี้ก็อาจจะมากไป เพราะถ้าสนใจขนาดนั้นก็หาลงเรียนคอร์สหรือค้นเพิ่มเองให้มันจบๆ)
ซึ่งแน่นอนว่าไม่ใช่ความผิดของหนังสือ target audience ของเขาเองก็ย่อมเป็นคนตะวันตกซึ่งคุ้นเคยกับดนตรี (ตะวันตก) มากกว่าเราอยู่แล้ว อีกประการคือ การเรียนรู้มันเป็นแบบนี้ มันคือ n+1 อะนะ อย่างเราเรียนรู้อะไรสักอย่างรอบแรกเราก็จะ อะไรวะ ไม่คุ้นไม่เคยอะไรเลย แต่ once ที่เรา get exposed to them แล้ว พอเรามาเจออีกครั้งเราก็จะอ๋อออ เฮ้ย ชื่อนี้เราเคยเจอแล้วนี่หว่า เดี๋ยวมันจะเกิดกระบวนการทบกวนและเชื่อมโยงเอาเอง แล้วคลังข้อมูลในหัวมันก็จะมีข้อมูลเพิ่มขึ้น มันจะค่อยๆ +1+1 ไปเรื่อยๆ แต่สำหรับเราตอนนี้ หนังสือเล่มเนี้ยเป็น n 5555555
สรุปคืออ่านได้ อย่างน้อยมันต้องมีเพลงที่คุณรู้จักบ้าง แม้ไม่มาก และถ้าคุณจะรอให้คุณเข้าใจทฤษฎีดนตรีเสียก่อน ก็อาจจะไม่มีวันได้อ่าน ต่อให้หนังสือเล่มนี้มันเป็น n ทุกคนก็ต้องเริ่มจาก n อะเนาะ ทว่าหากคุณเป็นคนชอบดนตรีหรือมีพื้นมาก่อน แน่นอนว่าคุณก็จะอิน ไปปร๋อเลย จะดีใจทุกครั้งที่ชื่อที่คุณรู้จักโผล่มาบนหน้ากระดาษ (ซึ่งถ้าคุณสนใจจะอ่านปะวัติศาสตร์ "ดนตรี" อะ มันก็ต้องแปลว่าคุณชอบดนตรีและมีผ่านหูมาบ้างอยู่แล้วปะวะ 5555) อีกประการที่คุณจะเห็นคือเรื่องของกระแสวัฒนธรรมและธรรมชาติของขนบ ไอ้ที่เรามองว่าคลาสสิก อมตะ เป็นจารีตของปัจจบุัน อะแต่ก่อนมันก็หัวขบถมาก่อนนี่นา การอ่านประวัติศาสตร์เหล่านี้จะบ่อนเซาะมายาคติบางอย่างของคุณไปบ้าง อาจจะ
อ้อแล้วก็ นักแปลทำงานดี เล่มนี้อ่านวึบๆๆ ไปได้ สบาย อันนี้พูดจากคนที่ไม่ชอบอ่านงานแปลและหลายครั้งต้องทนอ่านไป 30 40 หน้าก่อนกว่าจะเริ่มชินกับสำนวนแปล (หรืออาจจะเพราะพวกนั้นเป็น fiction) เล่มนี้ไม่เป็นแบบนั้น
October 26, 2025
Cool book. I liked the author’s friendly and unassuming tone along with his ability to synthesise in ways that are not conclusive but help as first building blocks for diving further on what interests one most.
Of course it is simplified but he did a fine job. I think he succeeds in getting the reader closer to what music meant for the people making and listening/participating in it through time, periods and cultures, and also threading these together and making a coherent bigger picture of what we call the “history of music”. What it meant in each of these is very varied, and you get some simple yet illuminating descriptions of each so you can appreciate much more the beauty in all kinds of music.
What I value most about having read this is the large collection of new music styles, composers, periods, etc. that I hadn’t heard of and can now check out with at least a basic understanding that will make for a nice listening experience. That’s the cool thing about a book on music; it is a kind of multimedia reading experience where you get to check out what those verbal descriptions of music actually mean when you listen to the music
Of course it is simplified but he did a fine job. I think he succeeds in getting the reader closer to what music meant for the people making and listening/participating in it through time, periods and cultures, and also threading these together and making a coherent bigger picture of what we call the “history of music”. What it meant in each of these is very varied, and you get some simple yet illuminating descriptions of each so you can appreciate much more the beauty in all kinds of music.
What I value most about having read this is the large collection of new music styles, composers, periods, etc. that I hadn’t heard of and can now check out with at least a basic understanding that will make for a nice listening experience. That’s the cool thing about a book on music; it is a kind of multimedia reading experience where you get to check out what those verbal descriptions of music actually mean when you listen to the music
August 14, 2025
I know this is an inherently flawed and impossible task but something was still disappointing about this. I think it was all pretty one note and didn’t have any sort of motion or ebb and flow. The author did acknowledge this, but this has an issue focusing too much on Europe and North America. I would have appreciated learning about more global cultures than just whatever was the widest spread. And including their experiences at the end was an odd choice for such a limited number of pages for such a huge task. Still, I learned a lot and did a good job at picking out a couple people and pieces that represented whole movements. I liked the connections made between chapters.
December 31, 2025
Philip is obviously well-versed in a variety of music and does an admirable job covering so much history in so few pages. I think he could have benefited from an overarching thesis or point of view, and more structure and flow between his chapters. There are a lot of mini tangents into obscure classical artists, and it’s evident that this is the author’s preferred genre.
I recognize that this is not my own, and found the discussions of more contemporary artists that I know more compelling. That being said, I did enjoy reading about musical worlds that I’m largely ignorant of and the history of music ranging from early forms to exploration.
I recognize that this is not my own, and found the discussions of more contemporary artists that I know more compelling. That being said, I did enjoy reading about musical worlds that I’m largely ignorant of and the history of music ranging from early forms to exploration.
December 10, 2025
3.5
This was a very well rounded view of the history of music. It covered all ages from cavemen up until now and all countries across the globe. This was an academic work so it could be a bit dry at times, but also once it got to the 60s the author seemed to forget that and put in his own feelings on the Beatles (which I didn't care about). I think my favorite part was the early history of women in music explaining how it worked in the domestic sphere and about patriotic music the late 19th and early 20th century.
This was a very well rounded view of the history of music. It covered all ages from cavemen up until now and all countries across the globe. This was an academic work so it could be a bit dry at times, but also once it got to the 60s the author seemed to forget that and put in his own feelings on the Beatles (which I didn't care about). I think my favorite part was the early history of women in music explaining how it worked in the domestic sphere and about patriotic music the late 19th and early 20th century.
January 23, 2026
I enjoyed this so freakin' much. I know, what a nerd. Music History is so broad, how do you even start to condense it? Robert Phillip tackles it with very short chapters that explored the depth of relevant topics throughout time periods. I love this. Easy to digest and contextualize. It makes it feel relevant and draws history forward to remind you how it's still affecting us today. He has a refreshingly open minded view, meaning he covers a lot of generally overlooked people groups. This is my new favorite history book.
April 3, 2025
An interesting overview of music’s journey from ancient chants to modern pop, A Little History of Music introduces the reader to a literal world of composers, performers, and traditions. I could have used more anecdotes amidst the data, but the book accomplishes its purpose. It won’t leave you hungry to learn more, but it will scratch the itch of curiosity that made you pick up the book in the first place.
April 22, 2026
An incredibly engaging and easy to read book. At points it was a little too opinionated for my liking. Just give me some good information and music to listen to. I don’t care to know about some obscure artist who is only included to satisfy your agenda. I felt that topics of interest were glossed over quickly. On the other hand topics that I were interested in were not given enough importance. Despite these shortcomings I liked what I read.
January 31, 2024
The author is extremely knowledgeable and the scope of the book is phenomenal – from Mesopotamia to New Orleans, opera to bebop, every continent and a wealth of ethnic traditions - and all in an amazingly compact form and readable style. An added bonus is that the story also contains quite a bit of the history of dance. The narrator brings the audio version to life.
February 6, 2025
It was an extremely comprehensive look, still with an western perspective, but touching on all the other worlds' movements recognizing their value (past, present and future) in music history. Being fond of music from not mainstream countries, from different eras and genres, I appreciated this book very much.
April 5, 2026
The premise is misleading, because a book about “music history around the world” very quickly becomes another summary of western classical music history with only a few mentions of other cultures.
I do feel it’s a little unfair for me to rate it because I already know too much. This book is definitely more entry level than I was looking for.
I do feel it’s a little unfair for me to rate it because I already know too much. This book is definitely more entry level than I was looking for.
March 9, 2024
Somewhat irregular but always interesting, RP attempts to go through the history of Music, from the dawn of civilization til modern pop Music. I’ve found a little annoying the insistence on the Anglo-saxon perspective, giving it much more relevance than it probably has.
September 1, 2025
3.5 stars, rounded up. Not a bad history intro, certainly hard to pack it all into one relatively short tome, but the author did a decent job.
Easy to consume with some tidbits and connections I’d never made before. For the novice, not a bad starting point.
Easy to consume with some tidbits and connections I’d never made before. For the novice, not a bad starting point.
April 10, 2026
Whirlwind tour of music from the very early times to now. Some musicians, instruments and era go deeper than others of course. Discovered a few recent composers that I started listening too. Exciting.
December 15, 2023
The author starts by defining music as the combination of sounds, rythm and harmony. Much like the definition, this 'little history of music' lacks cohesion, clarity and most importantly, spirit.
February 1, 2024
Fascinating - well done and very interesting.
May 21, 2024
Enjoyable read with Lots of learnings. Main grip is focus on orchestra music and limited portrait of music since 1963 / post Beatles.
August 30, 2025
Successfully condenses a whole lot of history into an informative yet approachable package.
September 12, 2025
Easy to read and very informative. Highly recommend for those who just want the big picture of music over all cultures, nationalities and centuries.
February 4, 2026
I loved the beginning, the anthropological looks at early humans and music. The middle had me wishing I had never picked it up. Otherwise, consise overview of the history of music.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews