Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars 1955-1994

by David Hepworth

Random House presents the unabridged downloadable audiobook edition of Uncommon People, written and read by David Hepworth.

The age of the rock star, like the age of the cowboy, has passed. Like the cowboy, the idea of the rock star lives on in our imaginations.

What did we see in them? Swagger. Recklessness. Sexual charisma. Damn-the-torpedoes self-belief. A certain way of carrying themselves. Good hair. Interesting shoes. Talent we wished we had.

What did we want of them? To be larger than life but also like us. To live out their songs. To stay young forever. No wonder many didn’t stay the course.

In Uncommon People, David Hepworth zeroes in on defining moments and turning points in the lives of forty rock stars from 1955 to 1995, taking us on a journey to burst a hundred myths and create a hundred more.

As this tribe of uniquely motivated nobodies went about turning themselves into the ultimate somebodies, they also shaped us, our real lives and our fantasies. Uncommon People isn’t just their story. It’s ours as well.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Audiobook, Pop Culture, Cultural

Audible Audio

First published May 18, 2017

About the author

David Hepworth is a music journalist, writer, and publishing industry analyst who has launched several successful British magazines, including Smash Hits, Q, Mojo and The Word, among many others. He presented the definitive BBC rock music program Whistle Test and anchored the BBC's coverage of Live Aid in 1985. He has won the Editor of the Year and Writer of the Year awards from the Professional Publishers Association and the Mark Boxer Award from the British Society of Magazine Editors. He is the radio columnist for the Saturday Guardian and a regular media correspondent for the newspaper.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars -1955- 1994 by David Hepworth is a 2018 Transworld Digital publication.

A nostalgic, historical homage to the innovators, artists, writers, performers, and musicianship that created the great rock star mystique.

The title of the book had me wondering which kind of approach the author would take in relaying the meteoric rise of the rock star and what his thoughts would be on what brought about their swan dive back down to earth, where they must now walk among us mere mortals.

While the book didn’t exactly read quite like I would have imagined, this book ended up being a nice nostalgic look back at the history, not of rock music, but of rock stars.

I was pleased, so very pleased, with the author’s approach to rock’s beginnings by making his first featured artist Little Richard, and not Elvis. The blues, of course, is where rock originates, but once it was firmly rooted, during the fifties, the British Invasion changed the landscape and opened the doors for a wave of creativity that touched the pulse of a generation, skyrocketing the influence, power, and prestige of the rock star into the stratosphere, turning them into otherworldly beings riding high at the top of the world for decades to come.

The author touches on the psychology of the rock star, how groups like The Rolling Stones found themselves mingling with glamorous movie stars, how stars like Bowie created on stage ‘characters’ like ‘Ziggy Stardust’ and how outright worship of these stars, helped create the rich, lucrative market rock music eventually succumbed to.

But, mostly, this book was an homage, where the author picked the game changers, the most creative, the most influential, and successful, for either their cult followings, or innovations, or longevity. Obviously, The Beatles, The Stones, Jim Morrison, Black Sabbath, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen are profiled, as are others who made the biggest impact as musicians and artists.

At the end of each chapter the author includes a playlist for the year just discussed, which was fun and reminded me of some great tunes and artists I had not listened to in a long while.

I do wish the book had touched on the corporate influence and its role in rock’s demise, which is where, looking back through this book you can really see the cracks in the veneer start to show. I have reflected over the years on the power and fascination we allowed rock musicians to hold over us. As I got older I felt it got a little out of control, especially when rock stars began meeting with presidents to discuss policies or special interests. But, I digress.

Everyone’s popularity was judged by how they might compare to rock stars. I remember years back proclaiming ‘authors are my rock stars’, as a way of expressing my complete loyalty to books and writers in a way people would relate to. Somewhere along the way, rock stars became the measuring stick by which we judged the impact of someone’s popularity, almost to point where it became of parody. The ultimate breakdown coming after corporate rock settled in, and with MTV, and the oversaturation of hair metal bands. But, then Kurt Cobain barged onto the scene pounding all that over produced glitz into the ground, which was a good sign. But then...

Some may argue this point, but I won’t be swayed- Kurt Cobain was the last rock star. No one else since, has had that kind of influence or impact on a generation. With his death, hip hop gained a strong hold, and along with the internet, cell phones, and social media stripping away the last vestiges of mystique, we are left only with those surviving artists who paid their dues, and still pack auditoriums and stadiums. When they are gone there will be no one there to pass the torch, no one who will ever cast that kind of spell, weave that sort of magic over people, nor will anyone experience that stronghold of power to last for generations like the Stones or Springsteen. We already know all there is to know about the artist of today, which has weakened their influence, and will most assuredly shorten the length of their massive popularity.


I didn’t really learn anything new by reading this book. As a person who grew up in the pitch perfect awesomeness of rock music in the seventies and eighties, I pretty much knew everything the author shared about the artists, their music and the way the public responded to it. But, it was fun looking back over rock history, the trends, the pitfalls, the imagination and creativity, the fantastic writing, and stage shows, and how much it all meant to their audiences and the way the people responded to them. Mostly, the author stuck with the legends, names easily recognizable, and explained why they were influential, aka controversial, and what part they played in creating the rock mystique. There were a few groups or individual artists I might have added because they were cultural phenoms, or I might have thought twice about featuring an artist that was more of a pop singer than a rock star, but overall, the author chose his subjects wisely and I agreed that these artists were the ultimate trailblazers, true rock stars, a part of an unstoppable force, and will at least leave behind a lasting legacy.

This book did remind me of all the good times I spent with friends, listening to albums, holding long, meaningful conversations about our favorite bands, the instruments they played, the meaning behind the lyrics, debating the best songs, best album covers, best guitar player, and best stage shows, and all the rest. The music meant something to us, these stars were idols to us, more than they should have been, perhaps, but they held court majestically, and it was through them and their bravery, we found an outlet to express our individuality, our ideas, rebellion, and creativity, and they urged us to stand for something, to work for what we wanted, to question the answers, to have fun, to love and accept. They started fashion trends, music trends, influenced movies and television, as well as social issues and politics, and never ever shied away from controversy.

Rock is dead-

Long live rock and roll- and the stars who made it great.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"[They] rose and fell with the fortunes of the post-[WWII] record industry. They first came along in the mid-50's and they passed away in the last decade of the century just gone. We came to know them as rock stars . . . A rock star was supposed to be somebody you could rely on, somebody whose next record you had to have, often regardless of its merit." -- page 1

British music journalist Hepworth chooses a heady concept - tracking the birth and arguable death of the rock star moniker or branding, just like his title indicates - and presents 40 distinct essays, with each one covering an event or personality from the years 1955 to 1995. Although there is a bit of a nostalgia glow to the proceedings, as the author is clearly a fan, he can also be refreshingly critical when need be and occasionally will insert a nicely placed zinger of a line and/or a thought-provoking stance in some of his paragraphs. Things kick off with those early innovators Little Richard and Elvis, quickly move on to first rock martyr Buddy Holly, and then a good chunk of time is spent with many of the great British groups that began life in the 60's (the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin) before cruising into the glorious decade of the 70's ( big concert draws like David Bowie, Elton John, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, and Bruce Springsteen), the interesting 80's (the mock-fictional Spinal Tap even score a chapter, just before the section on the original Live Aid international charity event), and the last gasp in the 90's (Prince, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers). Hepworth's theory is that true 'rock star' status is now mostly non-existent, since technology - social media, easy downloading capabilities, and 24/7 news coverage - have extinguished an important 'mystery' aspect that used to be so common for a celebrity. He makes a good point, but at least we fans still have those forty great years of music and some crazy stories to keep us entertained.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this celebration of the rock star, David Hepworth takes us from 1955 to 1995, with every year revolving around one particular story. We begin, in 1955, with Little Richard recording, “Tutti Frutti,” after the lyrics have been cleaned up for airplay suitability by waitress, and aspiring songwriter, Dorothy LaBostrie. Indeed, often, it is the minor characters revolving around the main artist that are the most interesting (such as The Rolling Stones Ian Stewart) and Hepworth has a way of celebrating music, and of fans reactions to it, that show how important it really is – and why. Each year also has a playlist of ten songs, meaning this is a book to revel in and giving you an excuse to dig out those tracks you may not have listened to in a while.

From John Lennon meeting Paul McCartney at Woolton Village Fete, to Jerry Lee Lewis arriving in London with his teenage bride, the brilliance of the Beatles replacing Pete Best with Ringo Starr, David Bowie retiring Ziggy Stardust, Prince re-branding himself, Bruce Springsteen recording “Born to Run,” and more, this is a delight to dip into and discover new things. For, even if you are a massive music fan, you probably won’t know all the stories in this book and, even if you do, they are so well written – full of sly humour, and stories of astounding excess of rock stars on tour, that you will be glued to the pages.

At the end of this book, Hepworth concludes with the rise of the internet, the changing face of music and how it is listened to. He argues that these stories cannot happen again, just because of the intrusive nature of social media. In many ways he is right. Bands could never get away with the madness that bands got away with in the Seventies on tour. Bob Dylan could not arrive in New York in 1961 and simply invent himself a back story that would be accepted and believed. Some of the mystique has gone, but the music remains. Hepworth also urges us to see those rock stars who have survived the madness and carried on, for he believes they will not be replaced. I agree and enjoyed this wonderful celebration of the Golden Years of rock and roll through moments in various artists lives very much. I must now go back and read, “1971” by the same author, which has lingered unread on my kindle for far too long.

[Meike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun and informative book depicts rock history from the rise of Little Richard in 1955 up until the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994. Hepworth dedicates one chapter to every year in this time span, highlighting the most influential artists in the English speaking world and the most important and outrageous events that have changed the world of music, which means we hear about Elvis, Bowie, the Beatles, the Stones, Springsteen, Dylan, Guns'n'Roses, Prince et al. as well as about the development of stage performances, management and the distribution system, the changing image of rock stars, the rise of MTV, Spinal Tap, etc. pp.

What I particularly liked is that Hepworth tries to talk about rock in a comprehensive manner, meaning that he not only discusses the sound, but also the importance of style and the dynamics between the overall culture climate and the bands that were successful at a particular point in time. On top of that, he writes sentences like (about Mötley Crüe) "the impression of mayhem, like the impression of sincerity, was something clearly too important not to be faked" or (about The Doors) "Morrison was not handicapped by modesty". It's just fun to read.

Hepworth's overall thesis is not new, but it was interesting how he tried to make his point throughout the book: This author was born in 1950, and he argues that "the age of the rock star ended with the passing of the physical product, the rise of automated percussion, the domination of the committee approach to hit making, the widespread adoption of choreography, and above all the mystique-destroying rise of the internet." For him, the last rock star was Kurt Cobain, a guy whose work I first truly noticed when my 25-year-old riding teacher ran off the pony farm crying because the guy killed himself (true story). My love for rock music started with The Strokes in 2001, and I've loved all kinds of rock bands ever since (and I also love Kurt now - I get it, people, I get it). But the Stones and Dylan have always been old men to me, and I've never owned a vinyl record. Does that mean that I cannot really judge what a rock star as defined by Hepworth is, because I was born a little too late? Maybe, I don't know.

If you like rock music, I guess you'll really enjoy this book. I just found out that there's a Spotify playlist, too: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6o4...

[Peter Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The age of the rock star is long gone, according to David Hepworth. It began with the first bars of Little Richard's Tutti Frutti and ended with Kurt Cobain's untimely passing in 1994. The demise has been caused by "the rise of automated percussion, the domination of the committee approach to hit-making, the widespread adoption of choreography, and above all the mystique-destroying rise of the internet."

Hepworth goes on to define the qualities of a rock star: "Swagger. Impudence. Sexual charisma. Utter self-reliance. Damn-the-torpedoes self-belief. A tendency to act on instinct. A particular way of carrying themselves. Good hair. Interesting shoes." Today's music artists are not worthy enough, he argues.

Then he writes a chapter about one artist for every year from 1955 to 1994, focusing on an important day on their career. For Brian Wilson it was the afternoon he broke down from the pressures of touring and swore to never go on the road with the Beach Boys again, preferring to stay at home and compose masterpieces like Pet Sounds. On the 6th of July 1957, a teenage Paul McCartney and John Lennon crossed paths at the Woolton village fete and impressed one another with their musical knowledge and ability. In October 1984, a washed-up Bob Geldof watched a horrifying BBC news report of the Ethopian famine and decided to do something about it.

Hepworth is an esteemed music journalist of many years - he writes with tremendous flair and impressive inside knowledge. For example, Jerry Lee Lewis is "a man with the appetites of a Viking raider, the manners of a Confederate skirmisher and the tractability of a mule." He talks about the difficulty of conducting an interview with one of your heroes (Bob Dylan in this case): "It demands a display of outward nonchalance from both interviewer and interviewee. The former is flushed and excited but pretends to be relaxed. The latter is suspicious and guarded but pretends to be relaxed." In a poignant, perceptive chapter he writes about how we can mourn the loss of a rock star, somebody we may never have even met but a person that has affected our lives nonetheless:

"Annie Nightingale, the presenter, said something like ‘a lot of us wouldn’t be doing what we are doing now if it hadn’t been for John Lennon’. I sat on the edge of the bath and blubbed, which is not my habit. Her words touched me off because they related to me, not to John Lennon. I haven’t cried about the death of a famous person since. I have come to realize that if we do so what we’re crying for is ourselves, our lost youth, the days of happiness we associate with the person who has died."

I'm not sure I completely agree with Hepworth's theory that there are no rock stars left. Surely the likes of Kanye and Beyoncé qualify? But the book is such an entertaining and insightful read, even if you're not fully on board with his hypothesis. In the epilogue Hepworth says: "Now we live in a world of unlimited supply and exhausted demand. Music can be every bit as good now as it used to be, but it can never be as precious as it used to be." And it's hard to argue with that.

[Jill H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

British music journalist and magazine editor, David Hepworth begins this book with the following quote; "The age of the rock star, like the age of the cowboy has passed. The idea of the rock star, like the idea of the cowboy lives on.". That statement puzzled me for a while until I got into the book and realized that he was right. The rock star was a unique brand in the years between 1955 to 1994..... you could always count on them to provide you with the joy of the music that captured your heart and made you want to dance (not in all cases since it was tough to dance to some of David Bowie's songs!). Music was harder to access before the computer age and therefore, was treasured more. MTV and the Internet changed all that and music in now impossible to escape and the term "rock star" has been spread so thin that it has lost its meaning. There is a definite line between popularity and rock stardom......for example, Justin Timberlake and Bruce Springsteen. Which one would you identify as a rock star? Easy choice.

The author covers the lives of 40 men/women/groups who formed the cult of the rock star and how their fame affected their lives. As all rock fans know, it was not a pretty picture as, in many instances, drugs and alcohol either killed them or ruined them. But their time at the top of their game left the world with music that will never die. Don't miss this book!!

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each addictively short chapter in David Hepworth’s book focuses on a single year, from 1955 to 1995, each one loosely based on a pivotal event in the life or career of an artist or band. I say loosely because Hepworth loves a tangent, so each chapter is packed full of miscellany and sly humour. I don’t always agree with his choices or opinions (Duran Duran, but not Radiohead?!) but that’s part of the fun. It’s a great read.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like rock & roll, this is an interesting book. It's based on the idea that rock went from the mid-1950's until about the mid-1990's, and then the info/24 hour news age began taking over and things began going digital. Including music. David Hepworth makes the statement in his book that the era of the rock star thrived and ended during that period. He goes on to explain his idea, giving examples of the real "rock stars" with a brief bio about his selections. He's got some great stories about some of the big name rockers that lived life fast and hard and also tells why he feels that era is over. Thanks for reading. An advance copy was provided by NetGalley for an unbiased review.

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is based on the premise that the age of the true Rock Star that existed through the fifties and into the nineties is over. Before electronic social media, invasive 24/7 news reporting, and the age of making computerized music, we had our true rock heroes. We're talking about Elvis, The Beatles, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Guns n' Roses, Queen, Motley Crue, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Nirvana...you get the idea. These are recording artists that made albums and we followed them through their ups and downs, bought their LPs (good and bad) and bought them all over again when they were reissued on CDs. They were and are rock icons. We also bought all the magazines for their photos and interviews, hanging on every word. If you grew up in the sixties and seventies, you will particularly enjoy this book, and bask in the warm glow that this nostalgic look back brings. For, nothing takes you back through life like the soundtrack that was playing behind it.

The book goes in chronological order from the 1950s through the 90s, each chapter focusing on a musical artist. The fun part is how it's a bit of a mystery who the artist is, as author David Hepworth lays the groundwork to introduce each artist. Working in the music industry for decades, he has interviewed many major artists and describes how he is also a major fan and is in fact secretly shuddering in awe as he interviews each with a cool veneer. At the end of each chapter, Hepworth lists the major albums that were out at the time, which really puts the year in context (especially if you've lived through them and the music yourself).

As the book nears its end, a paragraph really tugged at my heart and mind. He spoke about how if you can go see a Springsteen or a McCartney now, even if they can't hit all the notes anymore...harness the chance to experience a dying breed...a true legendary rock star for the ages.

This ebook was graciously made available via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Nigeyb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars 1955-1994 is a wonderful trawl through every year between 1955 and 1994.

David Hepworth finds a pivotal moment in each year that epitomises a significant trend or development. It's lively, entertaining and very engaging. As part of the generation who cared deeply about music, saving all my money to buy more records, this book plays to all my preferences. That said, even if your interest is less intense, my guess is that most readers would find much to enjoy within this book, not least because it's full of great anecdotes but also because it places all the stories into a broader context.

Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars 1955-1994 is nothing less than the last rites for the era of the Rock Star, those totemic individuals who soundtracked the lives of those lucky enough to live through the era.

[Polly Sands · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This had some interesting moments and stories in it - especially those I knew less about - Little Richard, Stevie Nicks, Ozzie Osbourne etc. But it just felt quite smug, a bit judgemental, the author gives off a vibe that he is a bit of a know it all. The lives are so interesting yet ultimately just of human beings, beyond the facade of celebrity and the poison chalice of talent, their tales need only be laid out before you to be fascinating. I didn't really need to hear David Hepworth's opinion about these figures. This led to quite an uneven 'narrative' as you can tell who he cares more for. And women get a bum deal, as ever. There is a chapter 'about' Janis Joplin, yet none of her records were commended as seminal of the time. Why not???? And ultimately the conceit of year by year just became annoying, almost like making a musical using a bands back catalogue - very rarely a successful concept - stuffing bits in that don't make any sense in the arc. I was rushing to finish it, yet avoiding it....

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rock is dead. Long live the rock star. British rock critic Hepworth's book is an informative, entertaining and often hilarious biography of the concept of the rock star, from its genesis in the 1950s to its decline in the 1990s. Each chapter highlights a different individual or group who contributed to the mythology of the rock star, focusing on a pivotal moment in their career and its reverberations throughout the decades. Hepworth writes with casual, biting humor that makes it easy to gobble this up in just a few days, as I did. You may quibble with some of his choices (Ian Dury? Who is that and why should I care? says this American) and you may even disagree with his basic premise that the age of the rock star is over, but this is a must-read for anyone who loves witty music writing, or whoever found themselves in thrall to a rock legend.

[Boudewijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not - contrary to what you might expect from the title - a description of rock stars succumbing to fame, drugs and sex. Instead, it is a collection of key moments, that defined the rock and roll age. Which, according to the author, has ended with the rise of computers, video's and social media.

The typical rock star's mystique has, however, come to an end. Perhaps it's therefore that the author, almost as a last effort to save some of its glance, describes those key moments that created, shaped and defined the typical rock star.

For anyone interested in the history of (rock) music, this is certainly a book to pick up.

[Joe O'Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rock is dead. The age of the rock star is over. Whether it was Dylan or Elvis, Springsteen or Madonna, rock stars dominated popular culture and the public imagination during the second half of the twentieth century. We were fascinated by these outrageous, decadent, self-mythologizing characters who created romantic personas that the record-buying public wanted to believe, and upon which we could project our fantasies. David Hepworth’s “Uncommon People” charts the rise – and slow but perceptible fall – of this phenomenon.

Hepworth has profiled one rock star a year for the 40 years between 1955 and 1994, honing in a particular day that was particularly life-changing or came to define the careers of these stars. This means “Uncommon People” is less a linear narrative that it is a series of illuminating vignettes, like the day when the teenage John Lennon and Paul McCartney met at a village fete, the deaths of Elvis Presley and Kurt Cobain, or the day Little Richard recorded the lascivious “Tutti Frutti”.

What spares “Uncommon People” from being merely a competent recitation of rock history is David Hepworth’s wonderful turn of phrase. He is particularly electrifying when describing the weirdos, outcasts, misfits and miscreants who make up so many of the most compelling figures in 20th century popular music. Little Richard is memorably portrayed as "a limping one-eyed grotesque who turned himself into a star by sheer force of will"; the mesmeric live performer Ian Dury is described as "blinking, twitching and gurning as if in the power of an indecisive illustrator". And the preternaturally belligerent Jerry Lee Lewis ("not one of nature's diplomats") is styled as "temperamentally inclined to quell fire with gasoline".

Some of the strongest chapters in “Uncommon People” are those that focus on an act who is generally overlooked (whether critically or commercially), but who have proved hugely influential in rock history. So, we hear of the pivotal moments in the lives of Hank Marvin ("the original guitar hero, looked up to by the kids who themselves would grow up to be guitar heroes") and those godfathers of heavy metal Black Sabbath ("making the kind of noise that sounds like they were settling scores with the world").

A few of the chapters on the more legendary stars (such as those on Bowie, Michael Jackson, or Madonna) don’t catch fire in the same way, mainly because Hepworth is excavating what is already well-worn ground. But, whatever the subject, he can still unearth fascinating insights and anecdotes, like how Buddy Holly's death in a plane crash was inadvertently caused by a pile of dirty laundry the star had been accumulating during a tour. Neither is Hepworth star struck by celebrity: the pretensions of Led Zeppelin, Elton John and that preposterous oaf Jim Morrison are all mercilessly skewered.

The most significant contention in “Uncommon People” is that the age of the rock star is, if not actually dead or dying, certainly beginning to smell funny. Hepworth believes rock stars are going the way of other once flourishing but now outmoded cultural phenomena like cowboys and ragtime music. The big beasts of rock have seen their predominant place in popular culture usurped by hip hop and dance music, their mystique and enigma shattered by the social media and mobile age, their ability to fund a lavish rock star lifestyle drained by downloading and streaming. Most crucially, “music doesn’t have our undivided attention any longer”, and the social conditions that helped Elvis or Beatlemania explode into the public consciousness in the last century simply don’t exist anymore.

“Uncommon People” could therefore be read, less as a celebration or historical analysis, and more of an elegy for a bygone era. If it is an elegy, it is an exquisitely written and riotously entertaining one, that just about any music fan will find myriad moments that enthral.

[Sanjay Varma · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most provocative ideas in this book is never explicitly stated by the author. Rock and roll belonged to the baby boomer generation. Generations X and Y and Millennials may have purchased the CDs and watched the concerts, but they never had the same relationship that boomers had with rock, to believe in the mystique of rock stars. That is why the old bands sell out stadiums, while newer bands play to empty bars. Is it true? I hate myself for agreeing, but it sure does explain a lot. Why do people make such a big deal about Kansas? Styx? Van Halen? The Police? Weezer? Radiohead? Oasis? They were just bands making music, but we keep trying to believe that they are something more. Hepworth makes it very clear in this book that this behavior pattern began in the 1960's with the baby boomers.

I couldn't put this book down, and finished it in three days. Has there ever been a history of rock and roll that covered such a long period of time, almost forty years? I loved the full sweep of the narrative, as it showed how rock music originated from country, folk and blues, and later on continued to evolve into progressive rock, punk, hair metal, and pop music. The first chapters are brilliant. David Hepworth portrays the origin of rock music in the 1950's, and its evolution in the 1960's. Hepworth uses the concept of a "rock star" as an organizing principle. He reveals how chance meetings between dynamic personalities codified the rock star formula, and how the limited media and distribution ensured that the next generation of teenagers would evolve rock music.

The story turns quite depressing in the 1970's, as sex, drugs, and floods of money truncated the careers of many, killed a few, and stunted the development of the rest. Emerging from this carnage were degraded rock stars. In a protracted retreat, the rock star mystique withered and was replaced by the rock star as corporation (Rolling Stones), brand (Michael Jackson), spectacle (Madonna), and savior (Peter Gabriel, Bob Geldof). Finally, concludes Hepworth, around the mid 1990's, the era of rock stars ended because the vast array of cable channels and the internet eliminated scarcity, so that music could not be special anymore. Eventually, with smartphones, music would soon become available instantly to everyone. This was a terminus. Without scarcity, it was not possible for a new generation of fans to worship an artist's mystique, and so they did not want to imitate them.

Hepworth makes an interesting point at the end, that the evolution of rock music continued but morphed into the recent lineages of pop music and rap. I gotta say, these new mystiques don't seem any more authentic than what has come before.

[Mat Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endlessly fascinating series of vignettes that track the rise and (arguable) fall of rock stars between the mid fifties boom through to the grunge explosion and most of the compass points in between. Hepworth's strength as a writer is manifold. He clearly know more about this stuff than the average listener and the book is chock full of anecdotes and "did you know?" moments that will keep your pub argument going for hours. Hepworth is an inclusive writer, too. You never get the sense that he is sneering or believes he is above all the pomp and circumstance; as a first hand observer, he is usually fair, accepts the absurdity of the rock n roll life and recognises its centrality to late 20th century culture. If I had any criticism of the book; well, it's simply not long enough.

[Alan Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a collection of articles than a cohesive narrative, Uncommon People is well-written and entertaining but lacks the singular focus of his previous book 1971 - Never A Dull Moment.

In truth, the book could have cut off at the end of the '70s, there being many, many more 'Rock Star' stories from rock & roll's first quarter century than thereafter and Hepworth's approach of one essay per year means that interest tails off towards the end. That said, his piece on Prince, which really hangs on the allegations against Michael Jackson, makes interesting reading in light of the recent Jackson documentary, and his piece on Kurt Cobain is one of the best examinations of the inability to deal with fame that I have ever read.

[Ade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Hepworth's 1971 and I quite enjoyed this, only not so much. The problem is that by an extremely conservative choice of subjects, he's merely burnishing already well-worn and hallowed myths. Even when throwing in obscure and wonderfully esoteric side details likely unfamiliar to the casual reader - Presley's sleeping arrangements or Michael Jackson accidentally dropping his sequinned glove down the toilet - he's still burnishing the same myths. And right now, I think the world has come to fairly settled views on the status of Hendrix, Dylan, Wilson, Presley and all the others covered here. I could happily never read another thing telling me that they were "geniuses". How and why they were geniuses still retains some interest, if there's a new angle, but the actual fact of their achievements is less enthralling at this point.

Furthermore, reading brought to mind an observation I'd seen elsewhere about the author: that he doesn't actually appear to like music very much. Whether that's true or not, I couldn't say, but while he can quote sales figures and popularity measures easily, he's often markedly cynical about the motives and actions of the artists in question, leading one to wonder whether he really admires their work at all. There are few here who come off as exemplary individuals, except perhaps Buddy Holly who was blessed to die in comparative obscurity before he could disappoint anyone. You wouldn't want them as neighbours or even mere acquaintances, and definitely not as partners.

Somewhat notably, in line with Hepworth's thesis about the decline of the rock star and the music business, the playlists at the end of each chapter comprise increasing amounts of old tut as he proceeds into the 80s and then 90s. These were my formative decades - a time when I used to buy Q magazine regularly - but I am now somewhat aggrieved to recognise that, while the industry was at its peak in terms of sales figures and media attention, we were being shortchanged creatively compared to the years that had led up to that period, as accountants rather than artists determined what was released. This book made me simultaneously want to hear some of this music one more time and also never hear any of it again. (I did sample The Melvins, the band that originally inspired Kurt Cobain and are still going, and Bonnie Raitt's "Nick Of Time", and both were pretty much what you'd expect.)

All that said, it did keep me wanting to read "just one more chapter", and I'd certainly like to read the follow-up book of collected columns where, freed from the constraint of an overall concept, his ability to range widely over various musical topics probably bears more fruit. The central thesis that the "rock star" was a breed apart and that their days are over, and their artform in decline, may be depressing but it's hard to dispute. Like the music itself, it's fun to indulge one more time in the passing moment but there's no mystery left here to make it worth sticking around.

[Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

An imperfect book, but Hepworth’s method of presenting his study of the archetype of the Rockstar is incredibly effective. It really serves as a great gradient through the evolution of rock and roll. The recommended listening for each year/chapter is also an effective method of contextualizing the evolution of the music around each figure’s moments chapter to chapter.

While Hepworth may be a little blinded by his own experiences through the years, he still successfully makes his argument for the definitive rise and fall of the Rock Star.

[Corey Vilhauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter one: Ugh, this is another book of Jan Werner-style rock pandering.
Chapters two through the end: Oh, actually, this is a really clever year-by-year look at the concept of rock stars, with each chapter focusing on one story, highlighting one aspect, from the rise to power to the lure of drugs to the art of being a jerk during interviews. I did not think I'd like it at all, and then I found myself suggesting it to a ton of people. Fast read, clever concept, and a lot of little nuggets.

[Anne Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did read this book out of spite to win an argument with a friend about the rockstar being dead. I was right! And in the process learned so much about so many of my favorite and least favorite artists and how they built upon or subverted each other's work. I wish I had read this many moons ago.

The penultimate chapter is titled "The last rock star - 1994," which I figured would be about Kurt Cobain, and it was, but then the last chapter is titled "Revenge of the nerds - 1995," which I optimistically thought would be about Weezer, and was about to feel SO vindicated, but it was actually just about the Internet.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst reading, I rated this 5 star. Until I got about 80% through, that is. A credible writer with a real-time perspective who lived through the eras and contributed to the musical landscape he writes about. I just felt that the last few chapters were rushed, like the author had a deadline looming and needed to get the book finished at all costs so the last 20% lost its flow for me. I’ll still be reading lots more by this author, though, as I was gripped and enthralled for most of this book.

[Lissa00 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so much fun. Going through each year, starting with Little Richard and "Tutti Frutti" and ending with Nirvana, this book gives snapshots of the music industry and it's rock stars. There are fun observations on the over the top lifestyle and insight into the changes in music over the years. This is definitely a great book to breeze through. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoy a good music history, and this book, looking at a different rock 'event' each year, in addition to providing a soundtrack for that year, provided a great insight into the workings of the industry as well as recounting some legendary or previously unheard anecdotes about the stars involved. Highly recommended.

[Diogo Braceiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and I learned a lot

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a hoot! It gave me so many laughs (not sure it was supposed to, but I remember the rock gods when they were young!) as they hit 30, I wondered how long they'd hold on until they would just age OUT! Too many didn't and now we have geezers on the road (sorry) and a lot are beginning to develop old age afflictions (sorry). I have seen many of the individuals and bands mentioned in book in concert in the 70's, by the 80's, the day came and went. I think MTV, the internet, and hey, just plain middle age, did in a lot of the guys. I mean, youthful energy is long gone, looks have faded (as do all of ours as we age), talent may still be there and of serviceable use, too, just not in arenas and concert halls, and songwriting ability seems to vanish pretty quickly after 30 for many. Drugs and drinking certainly don't help...
Just my humble opinions, of course. But I won't be paying to see the Stones, Aerosmith, Eagles,whoever, any more. I saw them in their heyday, but they seem just shadows of their former selves and there is seriously nothing nostalgic about seeing reminded about how old we all have become. Besides, loud music gives me headaches any more (and left a lot of rock royalty deaf!)
Anyway, read the book to see what happened behind the scenes and for a good laugh!
Well worth it! Quick, fun read!

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. My god does this man hate Bob Dylan though

[Mike Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never loved Elvis: all credit to David Hepworth, father of the venerable Q and instrumental (ahem) in at least two other seminal* music titles [Smash Hits and Mojo, fact fans]. As music hacks go, he’s one of the better in breed, suffusing the earnestness, mansplaining and desire to be erudite with a dash of cynical humour. Trouble is, spread over a whole book, it don’t half go on a bit. And whilst there’s a sprinkling of the laydeez, this is very boys’ own stuff, browbeating the reader with its depth and memory.

The problem with rock criticism is it usually goes one of two ways - disappearing up its own arse and dragging Griel Marcus kicking and screaming through its closing sphincter, or sniggering itself to death over the tiresome innuendo in a Whitesnake record, like Beavis and Butthead with expense accounts. Hepworth steers a fine line and almost - but not totally - avoids the kind of pretentious year 11 sneer that is another reason why the genre lacks gravitas. One could manage without two whole sections on Bob Dylan, or for that matter, the Presley, but there are enough fine moments to forgive these excesses (eg Sir Frederick of Mercury picking up Soft Cell’s frontman in his limo, effusively hailing him as ‘Marcia’ and driving him to Heaven, where even Almond professed shock at how G-A-Y the divine Miss M was). These manage to make the stylistic defects (is every rock star, “living an opulent, yet hand-to-mouth existence”? No, but at least two of them are) less of a barrier to squeezing some enjoyment out.

Hepworth also possesses a decent sense of irony - why else, on a book titled Uncommon People, would there be a pic on the cover of David Bowie, stepping out of a car bedecked in dungarees and his finest vermillion mullet, fag clamped firmly in jaw, looking like a charlady just arriving for the evening cleaning shift at Asda?

*it gets us all eventually

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only new year's resolution I made this year was to introduce nonfiction to my reading list for the year. It seems my preferred type of nonfiction is music related, but I can live with that.
This was an interesting book, chronicling as it did, the birth of rock music as we know it, and it's death. Of course, as long as there are mediums through which to play that good old rock and roll music, then I would argue that it will never die. But I digress.
Hepworth takes us through 50 years of rock, with the spotlight on one act from each year. Whilst I liked most of his choices, I confess to skipping two as I'm not a fan. (No, I'm not telling you who.)
Fun, factual and well worth a read.

[Diogo Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

ROQUE TOPE!