Riding the Rollercoaster - by Keith Jopling (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Riding the Rollercoaster tells the story of how artists and bands carve out long and successful careers in the music business, despite the numerous pitfalls and pratfalls.

Riding the Rollercoaster gives a unique insider perspective as to how the music business really works - or doesn't - and how the best bands have survived and thrived. Based on in-depth interviews with 70 artists, including Tears For Fears, Norah Jones, The Waterboys, James, Rickie Lee Jones, Interpol, The Lumineers, David Gray, KT Tunstall, Ben Folds, Suzanne Vega, Keane, Crowded House, David Gray, John Grant and many more, the book is about how established, famous and renowned musicians and bands have managed to carve 20-, 30-, even 50-year careers making music in an industry notorious for being fickle and obsessed with the new. They have been dropped by labels, lost band members, had hits and misses, broken-up and reformed, but somehow crossed the rubicon and made it through 'to the other side' to have successful independent careers and make some of their best ever songs and albums. The book takes a wider lens to the music industry and explores why artists are not respected enough, despite being the central providers to a growing music industry worth $100,000 billion a year. Will this ever change?

About the Author

Jopling has worked for Sony Music, Spotify and EMI, and UK and global music trade associations. He has lectured at Henley Business School, NYU, BIMM, ACM, Belmont, Syracuse, Westminster and the University of Krems, Austria. He started the music podcast The Art of Longevity in 2021 and recently produced a documentary episode based on his in-depth podcast interviews with renowned musicians.