Cult Musicians

A great little guide to a range of musicians who have had an impact on a wide variety of music genres throughout various

There are new artists to discover, and more familiar ones to get reacquainted with. The detail is great and there is real insight into why the author seems them so influential. Accompanied by illustrations and a list of key works, it isn’t too intense yet still conveys a lot of information.

Like any of these types of books, some people will probably highlight artists who have, arguably, been left out but I think there is a good spread in terms of genres, eras, nationalities, genders and ages.

A good addition to any library music collection.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I thought this was a great little read. It features musicians of all genres, races, and genders. The biographies and contributions are short enough, but packed with information, for an every day reader. The cover and art inside of the book are eye catching, and if I were wandering through Barnes and Noble I would definitely pick this book up. Most book lists of musicians only highlight the most popular musicians of all time in their genres, and more often than not only focus on a certain genre (or on men...). This book is different because it highlights many artists that people may not have heard of, or are only popular in their own genre.
My favorite part of it was it's little biography on Yoko Ono, because the subtitle of it is "More than Mrs Lennon." It participates in trying to debunk the myth of Yoko, and trying to separate her from John Lennon in The Beatles. She was a musician in her own right, even before she met John Lennon, and this book makes sure to point that out. It's also equally important to separate a woman from her husband. I loved the message here, especially.
For any music lover, or any person who is interested in learning more of the history of music, this book is for you. Read and enlighten yourself!

Cult Musicians: 50 Progressive Performers You Need to Know by Robert Dimery is a wide-ranging look at musicians who are or were a bit outside the mainstream in their time.  Dimery is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in popular music and has worked for a variety of magazines, including London Time Out and Vogue.


I guess we all lock into a certain range of music in our youth and despite promises of not stagnating in one era like our parents, we do just that.  High school was the era of Van Halen, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin for my clique of friends.  I still listen to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd on occasion but lost most interest in Van Halen (and for the record, never liked Van Hagar).  It is not so much what you listened to with your friends but what you listened to when your friends weren't around.  Artists like Patti Smith played a role in something contrary to the mainstream. A type of music that was very different but intriguing and still years later I still see her in concert when she comes to town.  Seeing the Plasmatics on Tom Snyder's Late Show or hearing the overnight DJ playing Lydia Lunch was a major musical event in my youth.   Dimery gives the reader fifty artists, Smith and Lunch included, from a wide range of musical backgrounds from rock to spiritual and funk to country that show we all follow some version of cult music. 


I certainly will admit that Frank Zappa was a cult musician,  but PJ Harvey and Iggy Pop seem like a bit of a stretch to me until I considered what they broke away from and created as a new normal. Although a fairly short book, Cult Musicians will no doubt have a favorite musician, a few you heard of or liked in passing, and many that are new to you.  For some it's a nice trip back into the age of radio before MTV and YouTube for others it is MTV, YouTube, and your favorite streaming service.  These are the artist that changed music or at least gave it their best try; some successful and others not.  And for some it was just making art:


If You're doing it for the money, you're not doing art. You'rMusicians e doing commerce.


Lydia Lunch

4 out of 5 🌟 A great guide to finding new sounds

White Lion Publishing created another book of 'Cult' makers - musicians. The series includes also filmmakers, artists, and writers. Each volume presents 50 personas that are considered cult-ish in their field. Who can be considered a cult artist?
'Cult Musicians' describing them as a wide spectrum of makers who left their mark on the music and their legacy is still inspiring people today. Worth mentioning that all the books from the series present authors from every part of the world (which is rare in our English-oriented society). Each description includes an informative biography with mentions about the most famous works and what was the inspiration for them.

I didn't know many of the portraited artists, hence this title certainly expanded my horizons of musical knowledge. With special appreciation, I read about female artists who lived (or still live) in their better-known husbands shadow, therefore they were stripped from their own identity as artists. Illustrations, like in the rest of the series, are made by Kristelle Rodeia and they're perfectly presenting all characteristics and quirks of each creator.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and feelings are my own.

A Cult Musician is someone that has an eclectic artist point-of-view or who likes to perform in new or multiple genres of music. The fifty musicians explored go from Yoko Ono to Bobbie Gentry to Sun Ra. The one thing they have in common is great, sometimes greatly overlooked, musicality.

If you have a music streaming service, ask it to play some of pieces described in this book. It's great fun and you might find a new favorite. Each artist's blurb includes a couple of pages of text and an illustration of the artist or band. It's the perfect length to listen to one of the artist's song while reading.

Cult Musicians would make the perfect gift for the music fan in your life. 4 stars!

Thanks to White Horse Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.