What do you think?
I Shoot Rock Stars: The Wild Adventures of a Music Video Director, an instant Sunday Times bestseller
'A true original, a genuine maverick'
ROBERT SMITH (The Cure)
'An ode to creativity and thinking outside the box, as well as to rock and roll in its purest messy, unpredictable and wholly irresistible'
TELEGRAPH
'An intriguing insight into an industry during a time of big ideas and even bigger budgets, perfectly capturing the riotous energy of a uniquely creative moment in music history'
ROLLING STONE
'A dirty little page-turner from England's greatest music video director'
MATT JOHNSON (The The)
'Tim is a strange person'
IGGY POP
'The absolute dog's bollocks in the world of pop video. He is the OG, the Don, he literally wrote the book'
NORMAN COOK (aka Fatboy Slim)
__________
The wildly entertaining memoir of the legendary video director, whose work is synonymous with the glory years of MTV - and his long-standing relationships with such icons as David Bowie, Neil Young, Iggy Pop and The Cure
The 1980s saw the birth of a new medium that took the world by the pop video. And Tim Pope, a music fanboy-turned-video director, was at the forefront of this wild ride.
Shooting his first performance footage at a concert after smuggling a camera inside his trousers, Tim got his break directing the video for Soft Cell's follow-up to 'Tainted Love'. Work snowballed, and he was soon jetting back and forth across the Atlantic to feed the newly launched engine of MTV, making videos for The Cure, Queen, Talk Talk, Wham!, Hall & Oates, Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Bangles, among others.
From dressing Freddie Mercury as a giant Mediterranean prawn to being called a 'funny little arsehole' by David Bowie; hanging out with Neil Young on his family ranch or locking The Cure in a wardrobe and launching it off a cliff, Tim had a front-row seat on the excesses, egos and larger-than-life characters of the era. Capturing the improvisational mood of a time when directors worked guerrilla-style, money flowed freely and no idea was too wacky to pursue, I Shoot Rock Stars provides a fly-on-the-wall glimpse of an extraordinary cast of personalities, capturing the fizzing energy of this unique creative moment. More than anything, it's the hilarious and frequently moving story of a music-mad kid who ended up working with his heroes, and who here chronicles his - and his industry's - creative triumphs and follies in riotous style.
__________
**I SHOOT ROCK STARS entered the Sunday Times hardback bestseller chart at no. 5 on 23 August 2026**
ROBERT SMITH (The Cure)
'An ode to creativity and thinking outside the box, as well as to rock and roll in its purest messy, unpredictable and wholly irresistible'
TELEGRAPH
'An intriguing insight into an industry during a time of big ideas and even bigger budgets, perfectly capturing the riotous energy of a uniquely creative moment in music history'
ROLLING STONE
'A dirty little page-turner from England's greatest music video director'
MATT JOHNSON (The The)
'Tim is a strange person'
IGGY POP
'The absolute dog's bollocks in the world of pop video. He is the OG, the Don, he literally wrote the book'
NORMAN COOK (aka Fatboy Slim)
__________
The wildly entertaining memoir of the legendary video director, whose work is synonymous with the glory years of MTV - and his long-standing relationships with such icons as David Bowie, Neil Young, Iggy Pop and The Cure
The 1980s saw the birth of a new medium that took the world by the pop video. And Tim Pope, a music fanboy-turned-video director, was at the forefront of this wild ride.
Shooting his first performance footage at a concert after smuggling a camera inside his trousers, Tim got his break directing the video for Soft Cell's follow-up to 'Tainted Love'. Work snowballed, and he was soon jetting back and forth across the Atlantic to feed the newly launched engine of MTV, making videos for The Cure, Queen, Talk Talk, Wham!, Hall & Oates, Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Bangles, among others.
From dressing Freddie Mercury as a giant Mediterranean prawn to being called a 'funny little arsehole' by David Bowie; hanging out with Neil Young on his family ranch or locking The Cure in a wardrobe and launching it off a cliff, Tim had a front-row seat on the excesses, egos and larger-than-life characters of the era. Capturing the improvisational mood of a time when directors worked guerrilla-style, money flowed freely and no idea was too wacky to pursue, I Shoot Rock Stars provides a fly-on-the-wall glimpse of an extraordinary cast of personalities, capturing the fizzing energy of this unique creative moment. More than anything, it's the hilarious and frequently moving story of a music-mad kid who ended up working with his heroes, and who here chronicles his - and his industry's - creative triumphs and follies in riotous style.
__________
**I SHOOT ROCK STARS entered the Sunday Times hardback bestseller chart at no. 5 on 23 August 2026**
- GenresMusicNonfictionHistory
Audible Audio
Published August 13, 2026
About the author
Tim Pope
1 book9 followersTim Pope is a British director renowned for his highly imaginative, visually distinctive music videos and his defining contribution to the look of alternative music in the 1980s and 1990s. He rose to prominence through his long-running collaboration with The Cure, crafting iconic videos such as 'Close to Me', 'Lullaby' and 'Just Like Heaven', where surrealism, wit, and a playful darkness became his signature.
Alongside The Cure, Pope worked with a wide range of influential artists across genres. His credits include videos for David Bowie, Queen, Soft Cell, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The The, The Psychedelic Furs, Talk Talk, Paul Weller, Paul McCartney, Hall & Oates, Neil Young, The Bangles and The Cars, among others - helping to shape the visual identity of an era.
Beyond music videos, Pope has directed a feature film, The Crow: City of Angels (1996), as well as documentaries and commercials. His work is marked by a strong sense of visual storytelling, often blending theatricality with emotional depth, and continues to influence generations of directors working across music, film, and advertising.
He is currently casting a movie, The Photographer's Assistant, working on commercials and a cinema documentary project for The Cure to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
His memoir, I Shoot Rock Stars - The Wild Adventures of a Music Video Director, will be published by Wildfire Books/Headline in the UK on August 13 2026. and in the US by Diversion Books on September 1.
Alongside The Cure, Pope worked with a wide range of influential artists across genres. His credits include videos for David Bowie, Queen, Soft Cell, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The The, The Psychedelic Furs, Talk Talk, Paul Weller, Paul McCartney, Hall & Oates, Neil Young, The Bangles and The Cars, among others - helping to shape the visual identity of an era.
Beyond music videos, Pope has directed a feature film, The Crow: City of Angels (1996), as well as documentaries and commercials. His work is marked by a strong sense of visual storytelling, often blending theatricality with emotional depth, and continues to influence generations of directors working across music, film, and advertising.
He is currently casting a movie, The Photographer's Assistant, working on commercials and a cinema documentary project for The Cure to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
His memoir, I Shoot Rock Stars - The Wild Adventures of a Music Video Director, will be published by Wildfire Books/Headline in the UK on August 13 2026. and in the US by Diversion Books on September 1.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy
4.5 stars! I got this while on vacation in the UK, so it’s not a pre-publication edition. Anyway, I really loved this book- it follows Tim Pope as he becomes one of the premier music video directors of all time. While I knew all about the cure, I had no idea about his close relationships with Bowie, Iggy, and Neil. Tons of great stories shared in a most interesting way… cross Atlantic concord rides, evil, soul-sucking media moguls, rock stars behaving like rock stars, and Tim Pope and his quirky videos in the middle of all of it. Great stuff.
October 4, 2026
I was so excited when I learned about this book. I'm a music lover and always enjoy hearing about interactions with bands, especially from people who were a vital part of their history. This book did not disappoint! You start by learning Tim Pope's beginnings before you're taken on a behind-the-scenes look at his work and process. Added bonuses are his pictures and the QR codes that take you to the videos described in the book; they make the book even more special.
If you are a fan of music (doesn't have to be the bands he worked with), pop culture, music icons, or the music and television industry and its history, this book is for you. Tim is honest and funny and writes engaging and interesting prose--which can be a challenge, even if the subject matter is fun.
I reserve a rating of 5 stars for books I will read again, and I plan to read this again to catch every detail I might have missed . . . after I listen to a bunch of great music, of course.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
If you are a fan of music (doesn't have to be the bands he worked with), pop culture, music icons, or the music and television industry and its history, this book is for you. Tim is honest and funny and writes engaging and interesting prose--which can be a challenge, even if the subject matter is fun.
I reserve a rating of 5 stars for books I will read again, and I plan to read this again to catch every detail I might have missed . . . after I listen to a bunch of great music, of course.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
September 30, 2026
Quite a funny little book! Very much enjoyed this look at Pope's behind the scenes career and relationships with iconic and cult-like figures of the music scene. Great sense of humor lurking in the writing of this one.
August 20, 2026
Wonderful. Honest and funny. For fans of The Cure, Bowie, Neil Young, Iggy Pop, The The and or Talk Talk and many others.
September 13, 2026
Paar leuke inkijkjes. Makkelijk snelt hij door zijn imposante carrière. Had er net wat meer van verwacht
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews