Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal About the Meaning of Life

Many serious pop music fans have argued the merits of the Beatles vs. the Rolling Stones, Nirvana vs. Pearl Jam, maybe even Prince vs. Michael Jackson. Chances are better that the very same music aficionados haven't quite argued all the listed rivalries named in Steven Hyden's Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me: What Pop Music Rivalries Reveal About the Meaning of Life.

Chapter after chapter details the various clashes in rock, pop and rap music, including the anger the White Stripes' Jack White holds in his heart for Dan Auerbach, frontman of rival blues-infused rock band the Black Keys. It's an off-kilter resentment that somewhat confuses Hyden (and Auerbach), who notes that even though the two men live in the same town and have commonalities like children and divorces, White still avoids the younger musician.

Miley Cyrus provokes Sinéad O'Connor to respond with an open letter on the Internet. Madonna beats out Cyndi Lauper for most lasting impact on the music world--at least according to Hyden. In "Southern Man," Neil Young pokes at Lynyrd Skynyrd, who poke back (in an era long before Twitter) with their own snarky line in the hit "Sweet Home Alabama."

Throughout this book, Hyden is intelligent, informed, cutting and self-deprecating enough to entertain as he helps readers realize that, while many think their musical taste defines them, it's the commonalities of being a fan of any music that bring us all closer together and help define the meaning of our own lives, whether we're arguing for Oasis or Blur, the Dixie Chicks or Toby Keith. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor

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