Everything We Do Is Music: How 20th-Century Classical Music Shaped Pop

by Elizabeth Alker

The worlds of pop and rock owe a much greater debt to the classical canon than we realise. A direct and fascinating lineage draws from the experimentalism of Pierre Henry to The Beatles' 'Tomorrow Never Knows', from Stockhausen to Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love' and from Bruckner to Sonic Youth via Glenn Branca. In Everything We Do is Music, Elizabeth Alker highlights the innovators of classical music and their fans and collaborators in pop who challenged the notion that such musical worlds were mutually exclusive. Alker shines a light on the rich tapestry that exists between their borders through exclusive interviews with Sir Paul McCartney, Steve Reich, La Monte Young, Nils Frahm, The Blessed Madonna, Jonny Greenwood, Soweto Kinch and Jean-Michel Jarre among others.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

Published August 28, 2025

Reviews

[Ricardo Motti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some chapters are great (Beatles, Sonic Youth, Japanese ambient music) while others are Phillip Glass-level of sleep-inducing. Glad I read it, though!

[Darren Betts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastically well researched and intelligent book on electronic music and its influences. Covers all the bases from France to America to Tokyo from minimalism to Disco to trance.

Extremely impressive and very enjoyable analysis that finds the right level of detail and introduces you to a raft of new musical options. Great stuff.

[John Hobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed from the library then bought a copy! The best music book I've read since Charlie Gillet's Sound of the City which started by musical journey way back. This is as close as a chronology of my interests in the subsequent period. Elizabeth is one of those writers who goes beyond just a mere recitation of dates and titles but into the lives of the musicians. Poor old Theremins unrequited love will break hearts.

[Lee Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.67 - The author draws interesting strands of music together creating a musical map of the avant garde. Clearly explained and contextualised pioneers in classical and popular music, this is a great jumping off point for musical exploration

[Mike Zellers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. made a playlist of selected pieces cited in the book
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f-0t...