Cowboys and Indies

A hundred and forty years of the record business, from Edison and the first talent scouts through the major-label consolidations to streaming, told through the producers and label founders who built it.

Why it’s on the list: Named in the “single best book that explains an entire industry” thread. Murphy’s frame is the A&R man as the recurring figure of the business — the industry seen through the people who signed the acts.

Where I saw it: In Kyle’s “Books To Read” Apple Note, recovered from the reply thread to @WillManidis asking “what is the single best book you can read that will explain an entire industry?” (June 2, 2025). The full recovered list lives on what is the single best book… (tweet).

Connections

• what is the single best book… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.