Rockonomics: The Money Behind the Music

I loved this book, couldn't put it down. Entertainingly written and intellectually engaging, this book explores the economics of the music business since emancipation and the rise of radio, to the increasing commercialization and franchising of artists in the mid-90's. My only regret is that the book stops in the mid-90's; I'd love to see a revised and updated edition... I'd love to hear what Eliot has to say about the increasing amalgamation of record labels (and consequent industry lay-offs), the price-fixing convictions of the record companies, and the MP3 phenomenon.

Similar to HIT MEN, in that it explores the darker side of the music industry, ROCKONOMICS describes the huge record budgets that predicted the current wave of signing deals that put Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Janet Jackson on the cover of major magazines and newspapers in the early nineties. Marc Eliott makes a very classy presentation, and, like HIT MEN, ROCKONOMICS is a heady read, because both the artists and the deal makers are familiar current names. This book seems to be driven by the author's anger over the commerciali- zation of rock, and Eliott's zeal seems to qualify his book for membership into a quintet of fascinating books: ROCKONOMICS, HIT MEN, STIFFED, THE AGENCY, and Jory Farr's 1994 title, MOGULS AND MADMEN: THE PURSUIT OF POWER IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. Unlike most music industry titles, ROCKONOMICS, after surfacing in the early nineties, has gained sales momentum and stayed in print throughout the decade. The credibility of its premise seems to grow with each passing year. Ron Simpson, School of Music, Brigham Young University. Author of MASTERING THE MUSIC BUSINESS.

This is a great book about the busines side of the music business. Eliot pulls no punches and sides with the artist. I highly recommend it. --Joseph Schleimer, Esq.