The List Guy is Dan Reed, Music Director for WXPN. Three times a week, Dan gives his spin on Top 10 musical moments in pop culture.

Ya know, I should write a book about all the rock bios I’ve read… Nah, I’ll just list my faves instead. Please lemme know which rock bios are dog-eared on your bookshelf. Total music geek alert: I’ve read all of these at least twice. In order of my personal preference at this moment:

1. Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 (by Simon Reynolds) – great, GREAT book – P.I.L., Gang Of Four, tons of others
2. Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs (John Lydon with Kent & Keith Zimmerman) - Johnny Rotten, Sex Pistols, etc.
3. Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 (Michael Azerrad) – Husker Du, Replacements, Sonic Youth, many more
4. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon (Crystal Zevon)
5. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk (Legs McNeil) – big emphasis on the NYC scene in the 70s
6. Last Train to Memphis (Peter Guralnick) – Elvis, the early years
7. Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith (Stephen Davis & Aerosmith)
8. Hammer of the Gods (Stephen Davis) – Led Zeppelin
9. The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band (Neil Strauss & Motley Crue) – somebody oughta make a movie out of this one!
10. Diary Of A Rock & Roll Star (Ian Hunter) – anybody who has an extra copy of this, please contact me c/o WXPN