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This article is about the book. For the primary companies which own music, see Record label.
Major Labels
AuthorKelefa Sanneh
LanguageEnglish
SubjectMusic genres
GenreNon-fiction
PublisherPenguin Books (US) Canongate Books (UK)
Publication date
October 5, 2021
Pages496[1]
ISBN978-0-525-55959-7
OCLC1309664374
781.64
LC ClassML3470 .S25 2021

Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres is a 2021 non-fiction book written by the music critic and journalist Kelefa Sanneh. Sanneh had largely moved away from music criticism after joining the staff of The New Yorker in 2008, but felt compelled to explore music again after realizing that he was "still obsessed" with it. The book contains seven chapters, each of which focus on the history of a different music genre from the 1970s onward; the book also contains several autobiographical stories interspersed within the chapters. Major Labels received generally positive reviews from critics, and appeared on several listicles regarding the best music books of 2021.

Background and publication

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Kelefa Sanneh is a music critic and journalist, who has prominently written for publications like The New York Times and The New Yorker.[2] In 2004, Sanneh wrote "The Rap Against Rockism" for The New York Times, which Jack Hamilton of The Atlantic called an "influential rumination on genre".[2] After joining the staff of The New Yorker in 2008, Sanneh moved away from music criticism and mainly wrote about topics unrelated to music.[3][4] Later, Sanneh noted how he "realized [he] was still obsessed" with music, and became interested in exploring it again.[4] Major Labels was published on October 5, 2021[1] through Penguin Press in the United States[5] and through Canongate Books in the United Kingdom.[6] An audiobook version, narrated by Sanneh, was also released that year.[7]

Content

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Major Labels is a book covering the histories of seven music genres: rock, R&B, country, punk, hip-hop, dance, and pop;[8] the book begins with an introduction,[8] followed by seven chapters each broken up into ten-to-twelve sections.[9] While writing Major Labels, Sanneh noted how he would continuously do research and listen to music in order to present each genre as a "story" with a plot.[10] Jonah Raskin of the New York Journal of Books noticed how the book primarily focuses on the history of music from the 1970s onward, suggesting that the music from before that point was "not his era and there have already been tons written about it".[11] Additionally, Major Labels contains several autobiographical stories, which per Jack Hamilton of The Atlantic "allow Sanneh to explore his own still-evolving relationship to music".[2]

The chapter on rock music commented on how songs in the genre became "repertory music", and how the genre faded from prominence.[12] The chapters on R&B and country focus on the relationship between the genres and race.[12] The chapter on punk contains memoir-like elements regarding Sanneh's relationship with the genre, and how he was "forced to reckon with some of [its] inconsistencies".[2][12] In an interview with Pitchfork, Sanneh explained that he decided against combining the chapters on rock and punk due to the unique ethos behind the latter genre, separate from its sound.[13] In the chapter on hip-hop, Sanneh called is the "quintessential American art form" but expressed concern about sexism in the genre.[12] The chapter on dance music focuses on the evolution of the genre from disco to electronic dance music.[12] Finally, the chapter on pop music focuses on the "notions of authenticity" within the genre.[12] Hamilton observed how a primary theme of Major Labels was how other people could shape the genres in which a person associates with.[2]

Reception

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Major Labels received generally positive reviews from critics, with both Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly giving the book a starred review.[1][14] The memoir elements of Major Labels received particular critical praise. Sean O'Hagan of The Observer commented how the more-personal elements brought about a "compelling exploration of belonging and identity through music",[8] and Raskin writing how it justified Sanneh's credibility.[11] However, the encyclopedic treatment of genres received a more negative reception: O'Hagan called the historical aspects "frustrating" in contrast to the "personal resonance" from the memoir and critical overview parts of the book,[8] while Dwight Garner of The New York Times found the book "generic" and compared it to a "Ken Burns-style history lesson".[12] Major Labels appeared on several listicles regarding the best music books of 2021, including the lists of The Guardian,[15] NME,[16] Pitchfork,[17] and Variety.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Major Labels". Kirkus Reviews. July 13, 2021. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hamilton, Jack (October 6, 2021). "Review: 'Major Labels,' by Kelefa Sanneh". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Aswad, Jem; Amorosi, A.D.; Willman, Chris (December 17, 2021). "The Best Music Books of 2021". Variety. Archived from the original on March 6, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Williams, John (September 30, 2021). "Why Write About Pop Music? 'I Like When People Disagree About Stuff.'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  5. ^ OCLC 1240263631
  6. ^ OCLC 1249499729
  7. ^ OCLC 1273555946
  8. ^ a b c d O'Hagan, Sean (October 10, 2021). "Major Labels by Kelefa Sanneh review – an unapologetic defence of music's defining categories". The Observer. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  9. ^ Kirby, David (October 1, 2021). "'Major Labels' Review: The Hits Just Keep on Coming". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 25, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  10. ^ Cain, Hamilton (December 23, 2021). "From Takes on the Sex Pistols to Madonna v. Beyoncé, Kelefa Sanneh's Ode to Pop Music Thrills". Oprah Daily. Archived from the original on February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Raskin, Jonah. "Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres". New York Journal of Books. Archived from the original on March 16, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Garner, Dwight (October 4, 2021). "'Major Labels' Wraps Popular Music — All of It — in a Warm Embrace". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  13. ^ Richardson, Mark (October 14, 2021). "Kelefa Sanneh on Rockism, Disappearing Genres, and His New Book Major Labels". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  14. ^ "Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres". Publishers Weekly. July 20, 2021. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  15. ^ Petridis, Alexis (December 8, 2021). "Best music books of 2021". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 27, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  16. ^ Hunt, Ed (December 16, 2021). "The 10 best music books of 2021". NME. Archived from the original on July 27, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
  17. ^ "The 11 Best Music Books of 2021". Pitchfork. November 22, 2021. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
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