5 Classic Rock Memoirs Every True Fan Should Read At Least Once

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It isn't only the music that's awesome. Classic rock memoirs pump up the reader just as much as the tunes. Once you read them, you can't help but want to start your own band or realize how utterly crazy the music industry really is.

For this feature, the selections are all based on personal recommendations from a lifelong rock 'n' roll fan, i.e., the person writing this feature. However, there was still a basic criteria applied here, as it was important for a memoir to be compelling and address questions that fans had about the artist and pivotal moments in their history. The artists were candid in these books, and reading their stories in their own words (though, often with the help of a co-writer) gave deeper insight to the person behind the music. If the book read like a laundry list, or it tried too hard to spare feelings, it didn't make the cut. In this genre, in which artists have some of the most unconventional lifestyles and exclusive experiences, no one has time for boring! With that said, let's take a look at the classic rock memoirs you need to read at least once. Or twice.

While Ozzy Osbourne fans may gravitate towards "Last Rites" since that's effectively Ozzy's last words and he wrote the book while he knew the end was near for him, there's something special about "I Am Ozzy," the book the Prince of Darkness co-wrote with Chris Ayres. Published in 2011, It's dripping with the type of dry British humor and self-deprecation you would have expected from Ozzy, as he recalls his time in Black Sabbath and as a solo artist, as well as all the madness in between. More importantly, the memoir doesn't shy away from addressing why Ozzy Osbourne landed a bad reputation in the music world, including his hard partying ways and addressing the whole biting the heads off of flying creatures thing.

"I Am Ozzy" finds a way to balance the humor and earnestness, such as how he revealed that the death of his guitarist Randy Rhoads was what encouraged him to propose to Sharon in the first place. He wrote, "Shortly after Randy died, I asked Sharon to marry me. ... She said yes. So I put a ring on her finger, and we set a date. Then the booze wore off and I changed my mind." Classic Ozzy, though he added that he asked her again a few weeks later.

Are there bigger rock stars than the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards? After reading "Life," which Richards co-wrote with James Fox, it's unlikely. This memoir, published in 2010, details the musician's journey from his early years to discovering a love for blues and joining the Rolling Stones. Richards is known for being something of a wild child, and "Life" allows him to provide firsthand accounts of some of his most unbelievable moments, including more than a few that feature other famous celebrities.

Rolling Stones fans will appreciate how this book explores the turbulent relationship between Keith Richards and Mick Jagger from Richards' perspective. Considering how they have been in a band for decades now, it's only natural that they will disagree and not always get along. Even through this, however, it's clear that Richards respects Jagger, seeing him as a legend who should never doubt his own talent. 

There's one section in "Life," where Richards recalls Jagger trying to imitate David Bowie that sums up how the guitarist actually views his longtime musical partner. "But the fact is, Mick could deliver ten times more than Bowie in just a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, singing 'I'm a Man.' Why would you want to be anything else if you're Mick Jagger?" Richards wrote.

Mötley Crüe teamed up with Neil Strauss to write "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band," with the 2001 book being adapted into a Netflix movie in 2019. When it comes to revelations, this memoir might reveal almost a little too much. Nothing is off the table here, as Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Tommy Lee, and Nikki Sixx discuss the memories, the music, and the girls. Heck, most of Mötley Crüe's biggest controversies feature in "The Dirt"!

Strauss composes the book in a unique way, allowing each band member to have their own chapters. Sometimes, this leads to contradicting stories or accounts of what happened, which is actually good, since people often remember events differently. Alternatively, in the case of Mötley Crüe, it could also indicate that they like to stretch the truth at times. In fact, even former member John Corabi suggested that parts of "The Dirt" applied creative license (via Ultimate Guitar).

Regardless, this is one book that's wild to read and embodies the phrase "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll." It's bonkers for the most part. Just read this following passage about why Sixx fired someone from his former band London: "So we fired [Michael White] for having curly hair, placed an ad in 'The Recycler,' and met Nigel Benjamin, who was a real rock-and-roll star in our minds not just because he had straight hair but because he had played in Mott the Hopple as Ian Hunter's replacement."

Nowadays, Chuck Berry receives the recognition he deserves, but that wasn't always the case, especially when he was at the peak of his musical powers. Despite him being widely regarded as one of the pioneers of rock 'n' roll, he didn't get the same spotlight as many of his peers — even those who cited him as an influence — because of the color of his skin.

"Chuck Berry: The Autobiography" traces Berry's life up to 1988, looking back at his upbringing, his approach to performance and music, as well as the other personal anecdotes in his own words. The classic rock memoir isn't short on detail or memories, with Berry being candid about his experiences but also calling out the tendency of the press to focus on his hardships rather than successes when discussing him.

"Time after time the teenage reform-school bit was used in closing an article, be it for blame or acclaim," Berry wrote. "Their desire to write (and readers' desire to read) of the heartaches of others, especially celebrities, confirmed to me that bad news travels first class where good news must take the dirt road."

When it comes to KISS, the rock band's co-founders, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, like to control the narrative. They tend to present an image of KISS that they want the world to see. This is why Ace Frehley's "No Regrets: A Rock 'n' Roll Memoir," which he co-wrote with Joe Layden and John Ostrosky, is a breath of fresh air. It provides an inside look at what it's like being in a giant machine like KISS from someone who isn't named Simmons or Stanley.

The 2012 memoir sees Frehley exploring his time before joining the band, his time with KISS, and what he did after he left. Naturally, what every fan wants to read here is all the dirt and drama about KISS, and the guitarist discloses a lot about what the people are like when the makeup is off.

In "No Regrets," Ace Frehley and Gene Simmons' relationship is addressed, too. In a passage discussing how he had been invited to partake in a roast of Simmons, Frehley wrote, "That's when it suddenly hit me: Gene doesn't have any friends! Never did — as far back as I can remember. And everyone who has ever worked with Gene in the past has either been fired or quit. The only person who's remained with him over the years is Paul Stanley."