Revelatory, funny, and full of almost unbelievable details

As addictive as its subject

A gripping investigation of modern hitmaking… Seabrook’s writing is as sleek and swift as a dolphin

This is a fascinating tale about an amazing phenomenon

Seabrook subtly explores not only the insides of a song, but how a song gets inside us

Revealing, frightening, funny and unsettling

Seabrook’s book takes the reader into a hidden world behind some of the most high-profile cultural products of the era

A highly engaging narrative

Weaving its way through two-and-a-half decades, one of The Song Machine’s greatest achievements is to situate the pop song within a shifting matrix of technological evolution, diminishing revenue streams, and warring egos

Seabrook takes us on a lucid and well-researched tour of the places where modern hits are created

Anyone who wants to understand how the clash of cultures has shaped what we listen to should read this important book. John Seabrook has a marvelous ear for language – and perfect pitch when it comes to music journalism.

His work is almost as easy to consume as the songs it discusses – and nearly as addictive.

Explains in fascinating detail how pop stars are utterly dependent on the beats and hooks provided by a handful of largely Swedish hitmakers.

In The Song Machine, John Seabrook tells of a cutthroat and fascinating industry, where readers discover the gifted musical maestros who orchestrate hit after hit but rarely get their name in print. The narrative shows not just how technology has upended the music business but of how - despite prattle about "the long tail" - just one per cent of artists generate 80 per cent of the industry's profits. This is a story with as many surprises as Game of Thrones.

A revelatory ear-opener, as the music business remains in a state of significant flux.

A sobering peak inside Stockholm’s Cheiron Studios.

Reveals the formula for modern pop.

An amazing story

· Lodge’s short stories are as witty and surprising as his novels.

He seems so perfectly suited to the form… [A] well-observed collection that one wishes was twice as long.

This is a superb analysis of modern pop music.

Seabrook has written an interesting book, smearing away some of the gloss and glamour from the music industry, to reveal details of its inner workings… An interesting book overall on a global industry that has as many secrets as glitterballs.