Anthems We Love: 29 Iconic Artists on the Hit Songs That Shaped Our Lives

by Steve Baltin, Steve Baltin

" Anthems We Love is not just a tale of artistic adventure, it's also a manual for artists and fans alike. There is no formula. Just these inspiring stories of the heart . . . " —Cameron Crowe, Academy Award–nominated director, producer, and screenwriter (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, Say Anything, and Pearl Jam Twenty) From U2 to Carly Simon, the Temptations to TLC, artists describe in their own words how their songs became the soundtrack of your life in this celebration of music featuring original interviews by acclaimed music journalist Steve Baltin. Which Beach Boys’ song brings Paul McCartney to tears? What makes “Light My Fire” a rite-of-passage song for teens in every generation, according to Doors guitarist Robby Krieger? What is it about music that brings back so vividly the passion of our early loves, our deepest losses, our richest memories? Acclaimed music journalist Steve Baltin examines twenty-nine iconic songs of modern music to ultimately what transforms a song into an anthem ? How did these songs become such a part of our culture? Featuring original interviews with superstar musicians like the Beach Boys, Shania Twain, and Earth Wind and Fire, this book offers a detailed celebration of songwriting, fan connections, memorable live performances, and more. A must-have anthology for music fans, Anthems We Love showcases the most beloved and popular songs of all time, including Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” the Jackson 5’s “ABC,” Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” and TOTO’s “Africa.” More so, it centers the artists behind these songs—and the songs that formed the soundtracks of their lives—as they share stories, for the first time, about how writing an anthem has changed their lives, those of their fans, and our world.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Essays

272 pages, Hardcover

Published October 25, 2022

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

"We always bury our own personal things well disguised in our songs. Perhaps it is the arrogance of believing reality can especially be improved upon at all times [in music] . . . All songs are [both] easy AND hard to make, but once they are released, they become part of whoever hears them or whoever loves them." -- raspy-voiced singer / songwriter / guitarist Tom Waits, on pages 211 and 213

Author Baltin's Anthems We Love is a curious case of some enduring songs (such as The Spinners 'I'll Be Around,' Hall & Oates' 'Sara Smile,' and CHIC's 'La Freak') or occasionally some pretty good essays / interviews about them (like Graham Nash on CSNY's gentle 'Our House,' Carly Simon on her very enchanting 'Anticipation,' and The Edge on U2's mid-tempo masterpiece 'One'), but yet I don't think everything ultimately translated into a fully satisfying read. Too often the material was lacking in any startling insight or humorous digressions, and as a result it frequently seemed bland or dull with this middle-of-the-road attitude. Also, some of the information presented on a chapter's featured song felt like nothing a reader could not glean from a well-written Wikipedia article and/or VH-1's docu-series Behind the Music. Lastly, music fans will likely take issues with some of the song selections - or the glaring omissions of other contenders - which edges into some highly opinionated territory. (I did relish, however, the late Prince randomly popping up during a few of the later chapters like the musician equivalent of Forrest Gump. It was nice to read, nearly nine years after his too-soon death, that The Purple One still retains some mad respect from his tuneful peers.). So, for those who have closely followed mainstream American / English-language popular music over the last five decades - and enjoy reading detailed books on this subject - this will likely be somewhat of a letdown.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baltin's Anthems We Love is filled with twenty nine short chapters that discuss rock or pop anthems, defined as songs with universal appeal over generations that everyone knows do well that they sing along. The selections are varied and range from Aerosmith's Walk This away to Diamonds' Sweet Caroline to Carly Simon's Anticipation to the Temptations' My Girl. It's a fun trip thorough music history with each chapter featuring interviews with the artists and generally how surprising it was that the song became so popular. Some are obvious choices. Other songs are not exactly universal anthems or even an artist's best known or most beloved song (e.g. Fleetwood Mac's Big Love). Some of the choices though were limited by who was available for interviews. Also, it would have been great to get the lyrics in full, album covers, and even a hotlink to the song itself on Spotify or the like. Perhaps even an album ( a three or four album commemorative set?).

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Anthems We Love, which give the background of twenty-nine songs through interviews with the artist. My definition of what is considered an "anthem" is a little different than theirs, but there is a good mix of songs covered. Even for the songs I knew, in some cases I found it helpful to look up the song lyrics online as I was reading that chapter.

Some chapters resonated more than others because I'm more familiar with the song and/or the artist, but overall it's a good book. Some of my favorite stories include the backstory of God Only Knows by the Beach Boys, Walk this Way by Aerosmith, Rock and Roll All Night by Kiss, Sara Smile by Hall and Oates, and Big Love by Fleetwood Mac. The book is an interesting and easy read that music lovers will enjoy.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Harper Horizon. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

[MB KARAPCIK · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anthems We Love by Steve Baltin showcases nearly 30 songs that serve as anthems to many people. Each profile covers a different number and gives a case as to why they're anthems. Unfortunately, I did not consider this book a hit on my list.

Maybe I've read too many music books or watched too many documentaries and shows about music, but most of the facts I read about each song did not reveal much beyond what I already knew. I feel like this book was designed for the casual listener of pop tunes and not for rock nerds such as myself. It's a book that you may pick up from time to time, almost like a "bathroom book," which sounds disparaging but is not intended to be.

I'm not sure how the author came up with the list or the criteria used to create it. Most of the list does not reflect what I think an audience would pick. Some selected songs seemed completely off the mark. The songs chosen for Fleetwood Mac, Barry Manilow, and U2 came totally out of left field. So many bands did not appear and quite a few titular songs were missing. In fact, I skipped over quite a few songs that I did not care for or even know.

Although the choices for Kiss, Aerosmith, the Doors, and Earth, Wind, and Fire could be guessed and were right on the money, I could not excuse the glaring omissions. How did Queen's "We Will Rock You" get left off the list? That is probably the number one anthem of all time (and I'm not even a huge Queen fan). What about the White Stripes "Seven Nation Army"? That is played at every major sporting event since it came out. You cannot watch a college football game without hearing it.

I found the choices interesting but partially aggravating because I couldn't see the reasoning behind them. Sometimes, stats were mentioned as proof but not for the most part, so I couldn't stand by the choices. A different title or multiple lists compiled from a variety of music luminaries would have worked better because the songs chosen are too subjective for the general public.

Thank you, Harper Horizon, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! It was a pleasure!

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read!! Filled with songs that I knew and loved along with several songs I didn't know [some of the issue of this book taking FOREVER to read was simply that I spent a lot of my reading time looking up the songs and then listening to them and then going down the rabbit-hole of that particular artist, THEN going back and looking up the covers that that particular artist recommended and loved and again, down the rabbit-hole I went and BOOM, my reading time was done. Oops. ;-) ], it was interesting to read how a song started and ended and what it means to so many people.

There were quite a few things I knew about the songs listed [I am a serious music person], but there was, to my surprise, a lot I DIDN'T know [especially with the several songs I had never heard of] and those were a lot of fun [with the exception of two songs, that I found I didn't care for at all] and it ended up that there was only one chapter that I skimmed because I found it so tedious [not bad for a book with 29 chapters of musicians musings. ;-) ].

One of the things I didn't know; TakeThat remade Barry Manilow's "Could it be Magic" and BOY HOWDY is that a rockin' tune with them singing it [AND that their version is Barry's favorite cover. HOW delightful]. That was such a fun find. As was learning that Neil Diamond wrote "Daydream Believer" that The Monkees made famous! So many great things to read about some of the best music out there.

Overall, this was a really fun book to read. Did I feel he left out some of the bigger anthems out there? Yes. Did I feel he left out some of my most favorite songs ever? ABSOLUTELY. Did that detract from the book overall? Not one bit. Whether you agree with the author or not about what makes an anthem, this is a banging book to read and if you are a music lover, you will find there is much more music out there to love, even in unexpected ways [I am looking at you Linkin Park - WHO KNEW I would love some of your music]. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves music.

Thank you to NetGalley, Steve Baltin, and Harper Horizon for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[MookNana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely interesting reading! 29 significant songs are examined, mostly in the context of how they came to be and the impact they came to have on popular culture. Interviews with performers and other industry professionals add deep insight into the commentary, and I liked reading about all the different ways these iconic songs were used, from covers to features in TV and movies.

If I had one quibble, it's that the list is markedly unbalanced. It leans very heavily on 70's singer-songwriters and, if my count was correct, it featured exactly 2 songs from this current millennium. Nothing against Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, and Janis Ian, but did all three belong there at the expense of Beyonce? That said, I learned a lot in reading this and enjoyed myself while I did. I would definitely recommend this for fans of music and pop culture.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars down to 2 stars. I originally got this as an ARC through NetGalley and ended up listening to it when I realized an audiobook version was available. I don't feel all that many of these songs are anthems, although some are. Often times, there are others by the artist that are considered more so than the one Steve Baltin has chosen. Since I listened to the audiobook, I think it would have been better if the song or at least a snippet of it was played in the background. I'm glad I listened to this rather than read the ARC, as I think reading it would have been slightly boring

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Harper Horizon for an advanced copy of this book on music, what we take from it and what a song can give us.

What makes us like things. Especially music, which to a lot of people is just noise with some words added to it, depending on their age, and their opinions on musc not being the the same as it was at their age. What makes an opening note make our brain's go Oh yeah? Why does our heart and soul go nope not doing anything for the next three minutes and forty seconds. There are many reasons, the flood of memories both good and bad, nostalgia again good and bad. Or maybe a song is just that darn good, and rocking out it the only thing to be done. Anthems We Love: 29 Iconic Artists on the Hit Songs That Shaped Our Lives by author and journalist Steve Baltin looks at popular songs from the last 60 years, and analyses what makes a song work, why we still listen to it, and stories about the creation and the song's legacy.

The book begins with a brief history of music and what the idea of an anthem is. The 29 songs here have been chosen by the writer, as songs that are both timeless, and are about emotions and feelings or situations that are universal among all humans. A song about love gone wrong, or about love still going strong. There is no right or wrong song, these were chosen by the author as the best, and ones that will still be played even after most of us will be gone. There are a lot of usual suspects, but also a few songs that I would never put on a list, but still found interesting. Each chapter is devoted to a song, with interviews with writers and creators, when available, or studio technicians to explain the song's makeup. Fan stories are shared, and each song is given it's own mini-biography of how the life of the song has grown, ebbed, or even rediscovered by new generations.

The stories are what make the songs real. Fans sharing tales of how a song got them through bad times, or stopped them from doing something and permanent. Careers changed for the better, and sometimes for the worse as a song might be a little bit of an albatross for some bands. The chapters seem different as Baltin writes some chapters as straight essays, others he brings in say the artist Tom Waits, to write about his song inclusion, which gives a the book a different kind of readability. The book is well researched with lots of fun facts, and different takes on familiar, and some really unfamiliar songs. You can see why the songs were chosen, and what they might mean to the author. I would have had a few different songs, and excluded others, but this is how we find new things, leaving our comfort zone and trying a song that was different. I know in my family plenty of music choices would have been ejected from the tape deck if my brother was driving.

Recommended for music fans and people who love to read about songs, and think about them. Also for creative types who love to watch art be created and brought together. The interviews are very solid and interesting, with a lot of new information. Music is very good at bringing people together, books like this are just as important.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

“All songs are easy and hard to make, but once they are released they become part of whoever hears them or whoever loves them.”
--Tom Waits, from Anthems We Love

Like others before me, I questioned the choice of the word “anthem” in the title of Steve Baltin’s new book; it simply doesn't fit the topic. But that is by far and away the only quibble I have with this engrossing work filled with “you were there” moments in pop music history. As someone who is fascinated by the creative process, I hoped to discover some details along those lines, but Anthems We Love is hardly a blueprint for aspiring songwriters. Neil Diamond simply tells Balin that “Sweet Caroline” was given to him “personally by God.” Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger claims the idea for “Light my Fire” came when Jim Morrison told him to write something “universal” and the three most universal substances Krieger could think of were air, water, and fire. So, he wrote on fire, of course, but refrains from telling us more.

Carly Simon provides a bit more detail, describing how she wrote “Anticipation” while anxiously waiting for a delayed Cat Stevens to show up to her apartment for a dinner date:

Sometimes I just play the guitar loud if I’m nervous. Some people hit pillows, I play the guitar, exaggerate the emphasis of my playing the strings. So I was doing that and going, ‘Anticipation,’ because I was waiting for him to show up. I was anticipating his arrival. So I just started the song and I wrote the whole song, words and music, before he got there that night. So in about fifteen minutes I wrote the whole song…”

Grace Slick took a bit longer with her “anthem”—an entire 30 minutes—and provides more compositional detail than perhaps any of Balin's interviewees; apparently, she wrote “White Rabbit” on a $50.00 beat-up upright piano with enough keys to play some basic chords:

I know how to play a C major, C minor, D major, D minor, all that. Those are block chords. So in order to write a song all you need to know is block chords. And a melody. You sing the melody, you play the block chords with your left hand, right hand. And you can write a song that way. “White Rabbit” was written that way.

Where the book really shines, in my opinion, is the way in which it fulfills the promise of its subtitle. Artist after artist relates how their songs—whether given to them intact by God or plunked out on a broken upright—grew so much bigger than their moments of creation to profoundly affect the lives of millions. Marilyn McCoo describes how grown-older audience members still storm the Fifth Dimension stage whenever the group performs “Aquarius”; strangers named Sara (without an H, of course) continually approach Daryl Hall to say they were named out of love for “Sara Smile”; and Janis Ian was shocked one day to meet a couple of good-looking “golden” people backstage who told her they were powerfully affected by “At Seventeen.” “I had never understood,” she tells Batlin, “the most popular kids were also terrified and worried about losing their popularity.”

Anthems We Love is clearly a labor of love and a worthy tribute to songs that, yes “shaped our lives."

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Baltin, Anthems We Love 29 Iconic Artists on the Hit Songs That Shaped Our Lives, Harper Horizon 2022.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

What a tremendous adventure this book provides, down memory lane, into meeting new (for me) artists and songs and gaining an understanding of the work, the artists, the inspiration for some of the material, the role honouring the originator of such inspiration plays in their progress, and the productions in which some of the songs are used. Steve Baltin includes enlightening interviews with the artists and some of the people who used the songs for productions, as well as commentary of his own. There is a great deal of interesting material about covers of the songs that Baltin has designated as anthems. These discussions are as fascinating as the songs that have been chosen and Baltin’s reasons for his choices.

There are twenty-nine examples of these anthems. Importantly, Baltin has defined the reasons for a song to make his list of twenty-nine. The forward, by Cameron Crowe includes the suggestion that mistakes play an important part in developing a great anthem! Further, in the Prologue, Spencer Proffer acknowledges that ambitious intentions have only a small impact on creating a song that will last, create history, and develop a following that sees it as part of their lives. Baltin talks of the songs being those that are played at a wide range of celebrations, memorials and gatherings, those that ‘are passed down like family heirlooms and family secrets’.

He makes no claim for his choices being the greatest songs but believes that he has chosen iconic material that has captivated popular culture to the extent that it has lasted more than fifty years.

Most of the sources for the material appear in the text, with some notes on The Beach Boy’s “God Only Knows”; Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”; Bob Marley – “One Love”; and Earth, Wind and Fire, “September”. Other songs that make the list include “My Girl” “Light My Fire”, “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In”, “Anticipation” and “Welcome to the Black Parade”. Artists include Tom Waits; Fleetwood Mac; Don McLean; Crosby, Stills, Nash &Young; Janis Ian; and TOTO.

I particularly enjoyed the interviews with the song writers. Sometimes the difference between the facility with which a writer created the anthem which was the topic of the interview, and their expression in telling an audience what it meant to them was fascinating. Stories were often presented quite awkwardly. However, rather than being a difficult read, these meanderings were a meaningful expression of what some artists found led to their anthem. Others told their stories smoothly. But all the stories were a vivid articulation of what the songs, the covers, the audiences and reception meant.

This is a lively and meaningful work, a great creator of nostalgia as well as an engaging insight into the great anthems that Steve Baltin has chosen.

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not bad but it is underwhelming.

Baltin has interviewed plenty of musicans and artists over the years, and based on that he gets 29 of them to talk about their songs. The book reads like a series of partial transcripts from these interviews, with occassional observations thrown in. That last sentence makes it sound more interesting to read than the book actually is. You get a brief history of the song, and it's reception, and lists of covers done by other aritsts, and TV/films that have used the song ..... but you rarely get much insight into the songs themselves. It reads more like a series of wikipedia entries than anything that scratches below the surface level.

Also, the book's 29 songs are chosen by asking an artist to name their most anthemic song, and then Baltin goes into court-reporter mode, just writing down whatever the artist said about whatever song the artist choose. Sometimes, the result is perplexing. I mean, how deep into the Fleetwood Mac catalogue would you go before landing on "Big Love" as their iconic anthem? It ain't exactly their most well-known one, but it's the one Lindsey Buckingham wants to talk about so I guess that means it's their most iconic song.

About two-thirds of the songs are from 1965-79. Nothing against that era, but that sure feels lopsided. Even if you adjust for it being harder to pick more recent songs - the 1980s and 1990s aren't really recent.

Some parts are nice, like Graham Nash discussing performing "Our House" over the years. But my eyes glazed over a bunch.

2.5 stars, and I'm rounding up - but I'm sorely tempted to round down to two stars.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like music and thought this book would be interesting ... what would be considered "anthems"?

According to the author ...

'There are two essential ingredients for an anthem. The first is timelessness. An anthem is a song that transcends genres, generations and eras, to continually reach new fans over the decades.

The second, and more important, is universally. The truly great songwriters have the gift of writing a song that can be penned about the most intimate detail of their life but makes the listener feel like it was written about their own story. And hearing that song takes the listener back to a specific place and time.'

I was expecting the songs to come from some kind of survey or poll but they seem to be the anthems that mean something to the author himself.

Before reading each chapter, I checked out the song on Spotify ... some I'd obviously heard of but some I hadn't. Some songs I agreed could be classified as anthems like American Pie by Don McLean, One Love by Bob Marley, Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond or Rock and Roll All Nite by KISS. As much as I like Shania Twain, I don't think You're Still the One classifies as an anthem. Nor does Sara Smile by Hall & Oates ... they have so much better songs to choose from as anthem if you were to include them. The stories behind the songs were for the most part interesting, though, as a singer or member of a group was interviewed.

Blog review: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2022/10...

[C.G. Twiles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more like a 3.5. As I adore stories about and from musicians, and I love reading about the creative process, I expected this to be a home run. However, many if not most of the musicians couldn't really articulate in any meaningful way how they'd managed to write a legendary anthem. Not every creative person can successfully articulate this kind of mysterious process, and the author seemed to choose a lot of musicians who couldn't. Add in that all of these songs were written years, often decades, ago, and while the songwriters were under the influence of various chemicals. Or they dashed off the song as one of many they had written at the time and that song, for whatever reason, happened to catch fire.

In other words, the stories of how these anthems came to be were usually not very compelling. And some of the egos here are so enormous it was hard to read—the songwriter basically just going on and on and on about how famous and wonderful they are. This might be true but it doesn't make for riveting reading. Out of all the anthems, the only story I can clearly remember is Grace Slick's and how she wrote White Rabbit. She admits she essentially cribbed the beat from Ravel's Bolero and the lyrics from Alice in Wonderland. She then compares the mounting rhythm of the song to sex. Probably the entire book should have just been Grace Slick talking.

Still, others may feel very differently and love this. Thank you to #NetGalley, Steve Baltin, and the publisher for an Arc in exchange for an honest review. #AnthemsWeLove

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Harper Horizon and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

One of my favorite things to do with friends, especially musician friends, is to sit around and talk about the songs that moved us and mean something to us. When did we first hear it, where were we, what was happening, all of these things play into my love of music. Music is memory and vice versa.

What I really loved about "Anthems We Love," was that it was clear that Baltin would fit right into a conversation like that. This book is a love letter to popular music, focusing on the songs we all know (though I will fully admit I didn't actually know a few of them!) and we can mostly all sing along to when they come on the radio or over the speaker system. I loved how Baltin when to the sources on each of these songs; the writers, the performers, the producers. It feels like song exploder, but in word form. The chapters are succinct and to the point, each focusing on one song and why it is catchy or powerful. I feel like the book could have maybe had a few more female artists in it, maybe more hip hop (no Salt n Pepa? come on), but that aside, the songs were fantastic to read about and I enjoyed queuing up the music to listen to as I went through its chapter.

A fun book for music lovers, I hope he comes out with more.

[andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed first half of the book, not so much the second. I thought the latter half of the book had many more questionable choices, and the interviews less revealing. Kind of skimmed over and in some cases actually just skipped many songs in the last quarter.
And while a book like this will always be open to criticism as it one authors opinion of GOATs; how any book could claim to be about All-time great anthems and leave out Queen's "We Will Rock You/ We Are The Champions, Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit, " Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer," and The Who's "My Generation," or think that Fleetwood Mac's best anthem song is "Big Love" and not "The Chain" or "Don't Stop" makes me highly dubious of its validity and value to this subject.
Fun idea, questionable choices, and left me with a feeling of wanting someone else to write a counter-argument. Or a bigger edition with maybe the Top 50...so those VERY OBVIOUS omissions get their righteous due.
However, I will say I have passed this book around to family members and it has led to some fun and vigorous debates at gatherings. So I gave it an extra star for that!

[Keith Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthems we Love is a perfectly nice walk down memory lane with a handful of iconic pop songs. Interviews with the likes of Shania Twain, Lindsey Buckingham, Tom Waits and Gerard Way (among many, many others) bring this collection of anthemic songs to life. Each chapter follows pretty much the same template, though, so reading the book often feels like listening to a record on repeat. There is also the problem that artists often don't know why their work has become popular, leading to some rambling incoherent chapters. It should also be noted that "Anthems we Love" is really "Anthems that we could find people to interview about," meaning the choice of songs is often wildly uneven (for example, Carly Simon only agreed to talk about "Anticipation" when "You're So Vain" is clearly her anthem). The most anthemic of anthems, ("Bohemian Rhapsody" for example) are mentioned only in passing. A nice bathroom book to read a chapter here or there, Anthems We Love would really need an added layer of depth, a wider variety of songs, or a deeper dive into the history of each song to achieve its stated potential.

[Charlotte O'Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointing collection of Steve Baltin’s favourite songs. It really should be called ‘Anthems Steve Baltin Loves’, I object to the ‘We’ because this is a very eclectic selection of songs. Some of the songs he chose could barely be called anthems, some of them are not even the most anthemic songs by that artist. I listened along to each song as I read hoping to find some new classics I’d not yet discovered but nothing new stood out. The writing is very American-centric and formulaic. First he mentions the writing process, then radio play and follows up with which films or TV have used the song to keep it in the publics mind. He clearly knows nothing about the UK music scene, apparently we are all stiff upper lip and all that business and Glastonbury is a bit dangerous and had to be closed down because of the crowd in 2013. I fact checked a few things because they seemed off I could find no basis for them. In explicably Leona Lewis is mentioned three times in this book. I really wanted to enjoy this so much more than I did.

[Thomas Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate this book 3 /2 stars out of 5

This is a list of twenty-nine songs that the author has determined are anthem songs. What makes an anthem song? According to the author 1) It has to transcend genres and generations and continually reaches new fans. 2) The song has to be universal. While the author is not claiming that the 29 songs are the greatest of all time, he and for most part society are saying these songs are iconic and have made a significant impact on pop culture and this is saying something when some of these songs are over 50 years old. It is interesting how this song while some the writers and or singers and bands new they may have hit they did not realize how big they would become, or stories were a particular song was really not liked or they just needed a fill in. They definitely knew they had something when they are recognized by their own peers. If you are a music fan it is fun to learn about the background of some and how some songs how been woven into life events. I did find myself looking up some of these songs on various social media apps and watching again. Two songs that I thought were really impactful are sweet Caroline by Neal Diamond who would have ever thought that this would a sports anthem, they play this song before the university of Pittsburgh home football games and there is one particular video that has two people one in a yellow full body suit and the other in a blue full body suit. It is wild to see a full stadium singing this song. The other very impactful video is when Neal Diamond shows up at Fenway Park after the tragic events at the Boston Marathon. The other impactful song, slash video is the U2 song "one" that was played at the Samuel Paty funeral.

[AnnieM · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a comprehensive "behind-the-scenes" look at 29 songs or anthems as the author calls them because they have staying power and are iconic through time. What works well is his extensive source material including interviews with the writers, performers, producers, etc. Many of the songs listed are ones I grew up with and for me are iconic and memorable. There were a handful of songs that I had never heard of -- so at first I thought how could they be included in the list of 29 songs?? I do think it is a generational thing given I am a child of the 60's and 70's . But it did inspire me to go listen to these 29 songs so I could recapture the feeling of hearing them again or in a few cases, hear them for the first time. An enjoyable read and you don't need to read it from start to finish.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Horizon for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and was disappointed he did not include at least a clip of each song. The author's criteria for inclusion in "his list" of anthems included his being able to interview the singer/songwriter. That added an interesting piece to each story, but that also meant his list was much more restricted than I expected. How many Beatles songs are anthems? yet he doesn't cover one.
I agree with many of his other criteria-- songs' endurability for decades, how much it has been covered by famous singers, how routinely it has been used in movies or TV shows, its frequent appearance on playlists at weddings, etc. Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond and God Only Knows by the Beach Boys are two great examples of "anthems" in this context.
Of the 29 songs Steve reviewed, I agree with about 7 of his choices. He has more credibility than me in assessing music, but my taste is my taste.

[Taylor (Books&Beanies)]

This book features some of the worlds greatest anthem that we all love. The author has collected over 20+ songs that we all enjoy or at least familiar with and includes interviews with the artists that have written and/or snag them. They talk about how the songs got to be so famous and stories of things that have happened from the songs and their popularity. The interviews also include personal feeling about the song and how the artists felt when the songs first became popular and their thoughts about everything that was happening when the songs were first released and being played on the radio and live at concerts.

If you’re a fan of learning about the history of music this is a good book for you.

[Mme Forte · Rating 2 out of 5]

These songs aren't anthems. They're just songs. Apparently the artists were allowed some input on which of their songs were chosen for the book. But that's just one of my issues with this book.

Get a thesaurus. You don't need to say ICONIC every time you mean ICONIC. Trust me on this.

The artists' musings should have been edited for length and clarity. It reads as though somebody transcribed a recorded interview and they slapped the whole thing into the book. Nobody needs this.

The writing or the editing (who knows which these days) needed work. A good bit of work. Tighten, proofread, lose the redundancies. That would help.

I never thought I'd find myself DYING to get to the end of a book about pop music, but that's what happened here. Don't bother.

[cow boy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. ARC GIVEN BY NETGALLEY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

I have mixed feelings about this, I struggled to get through the chapters where I had no interest in the song or artist, in the end I skipped those chapters. They weren’t engaging enough for me to continue to read them. I’m not sure whether Im an outlier in that regard.
Some songs were odd choices such as Big Love by Fleetwood Mac and Sara Smile by Hall & Oats. They’re not their most famous songs, they feel out of place compared to American Pie and Sweet Caroline. Songs that people scream at the top of their lungs, in a car, in a stadium.
The songs I like and listen to, their chapters were enjoyable. It was a quick and read.

[Vikki Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is dedicated to the songs that fit into history and our memories! The author has researched his subjects thoroughly and writes for easy reading.
The storyline flows, giving an insight into how the individual songs came to be, the characters are remembered for their skill and talent at the time.
I enjoyed reading how the songs were promoted, the interviews, the content is historically significant.
I wondered if a smattering of artists from more recent times could have been included?

Thanks so much to the publisher, NetGalley and author for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Louise Foerster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve Baltin's ANTHEMS WE LOVE was an exciting, illuminating view into songs that transcend a time period, an artist, a particular cultural moment. Throughout this thoughtful, wonderfully informative guide, I enjoyed learning about how a song was made, particularly the accidents, synchronicities, and surprises that worked to develop the songs we know and love. I especially loved the insight into the artists themselves, how they perceive the song and the impact it has had on the world. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

[MLD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did as audio book. There were were about four songs listed that I found questionable on making the authors list. The rest of the songs definitely were very nostalgic, and did represent a generation. As an audiobook, I really wish that they had a played sound clips of the songs. Perhaps due to cost restraints, they were not able to. At times the author reading became repetitive and was a bit annoying. Rated it a 3.5 star.

[Francine Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I feel like I’ve learned so much more about some of my favorite artists and that I discovered a lot of great new music. Everyone who reads this book needs to be ready to have Spotify next to them. As I read, they suggest so many good songs that I feel this book should come with a playlist. I’ve discovered many new favorites. Great book for any music nerd!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Add this to Books We Love! Baltin did a stunning job at capturing the true heartfelt stories behind the ear worms that have been part of our personal soundtracks. Highly recommend for musicians and any one who’s a fan of music!

[Snicholson524 · Rating 3 out of 5]

By definition of the word anthem, I wouldn't have included a lot of the songs that the author included in this. It was interesting to hear what the artists had to say about their songs but it felt more like a book about the authors favorite songs.

[Leigh Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5