Annie Zaleski | |
|---|---|
 Zaleski at the 2017 Pop Conference | |
| Education | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Music journalist |
| Spouse | Matt Wardlaw |
Annie Zaleski is a New York Times best-selling author and music historian. [1] [2]
Annie Zaleski | |
|---|---|
| Zaleski at the 2017 Pop Conference | |
| Education | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Music journalist |
| Spouse | Matt Wardlaw |
Annie Zaleski is a New York Times best-selling author and music historian. [1] [2]
Zaleski is a regular writer for mainstream media outlets such as The Guardian and NPR Music, and a columnist at Salon . [3] [4] [5] She is based in Cleveland, Ohio where she has won first place awards from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, including Best Arts Review (2017) and Best Feature Writing (2019). [6] Her book, Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs, debuted on USA Today's Best-selling Booklist in October 2024 and made its debut on the New York Times Best Seller list in December 2024. [7] [8]
Zaleski was previously an editor and music writer at the Riverfront Times in St. Louis, where she also hosted a radio show on KDHX called International Pop Overthrow. [9] She moved to Cleveland to become managing editor at Alternative Press in 2011. [6] [9] She's written liner notes for various artists and bands including the 2016 reissue of R.E.M.'s Out of Time [10] as well as Game Theory's 2020 collection Across the Barrier of Sound: Postscript [11] and the 2023 deluxe edition of Jason Mraz's We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. [12]
In 2022, she was commissioned by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to write Duran Duran's induction essay. [13] She's continued to write additional essays for the Rock Hall ceremonies, including George Michael's 2023 induction and one for Cher in 2024. [14] [15] In addition to her work as a writer and author, Zaleski has been a frequent guest on both radio and television, including international appearances on the BBC and CBC. [16] [17]
Zaleski has written a number of books, including one in the 33⅓ series about the Duran Duran album Rio which was published in May 2021. [18]
Her additional books include:
She has contributed essays and other writings to Taylor Swift (Spotlight on a Legend), [25] How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History From NPR Music, [26] Go All the Way: A Literary Appreciation of Power Pop, [27] Remember the Lightning: A Guitar Pop Journal: Vol. 1, [28] Women Who Rock, [29] Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes, [30] and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts 40 x 40: Bad Reputation [31]
Her upcoming books for 2025 include I Got You Babe: A Celebration of Cher. [32] She is working on the book Why the B-52s Matter for University of Texas Press. [33] [34]
Zaleski grew up with her parents and brother near Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Rocky River High School and then Harvard University from 1998 to 2002 where she wrote for the Harvard Crimson and was a DJ on the college's radio station. [35] She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in English. [36] [35] She collects records and is on the board of directors for Lake Erie Ink. [9] [37]
Zaleski married Matt Wardlaw, who is also a music journalist and radio personality, [38] in July 2013. [19]
Cher is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry. She is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice, for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment and for adopting a variety of styles and appearances. Cher rose to fame in 1965 as one half of the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher before releasing her first solo top-ten singles "Bang Bang " and "You Better Sit Down Kids". Throughout the 1970s, she scored the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady", becoming the female solo artist with the most number-one singles in US history at the time.
Rio is the second studio album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 10 May 1982 through EMI. Produced by Colin Thurston, the band wrote and demoed most of the material before recording the album at AIR Studios in London from January to March 1982. The band utilised more experimentation compared to their debut album, from vibraphone and marimba to the sound of a cigarette being lit and cracking ice cubes. Andy Hamilton played a saxophone solo on "Rio".
The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are "Cherry Bomb", "Hollywood", "Queens of Noise" and a cover version of the Velvet Underground's "Rock & Roll". Never a major success in the United States, the Runaways became a sensation overseas, especially in Japan, thanks to the single "Cherry Bomb".
Duran Duran is the debut studio album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 15 June 1981 through EMI. Produced by Colin Thurston, it was recorded in London and Oxfordshire between December 1980 and January 1981. The instrumental tracks were recorded quickly, but vocalist Simon Le Bon initially struggled to sing in the studio, leading to discussions about replacing him before EMI employee Dave Ambrose intervened.
Joan Jett is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Often referred to as the "Godmother of Punk" and the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she is regarded as a rock icon and an influential figure in popular rock music.
"Come Undone" is a song by English rock band Duran Duran, released in March 1993 by Parlophone and Capitol as the second single from their seventh studio album, Duran Duran (1993). With their commercial and critical success reestablished by the previous single "Ordinary World", "Come Undone" continued to showcase more of the band's entry into the adult contemporary radio format.
"Perfect Day" is a song written by American musician Lou Reed in 1972. It was originally featured on Transformer, Reed's second post-Velvet Underground solo album, and as B-side of his major hit, "Walk on the Wild Side". Its fame was given a boost in the 1990s when it was featured in the 1996 film Trainspotting and after a star-studded version was released as a BBC charity single in 1997, reaching number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Norway. Reed re-recorded the song for his 2003 album The Raven.
Duran Duran is the seventh studio album and the second self-titled album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 15 February 1993 through Parlophone and Capitol Records.
"Girls on Film" is the third single by the English new wave band Duran Duran, released on 13 July 1981. It became Duran Duran's first top 10 hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 5 in July 1981, and an international hit reaching the top 20 in several countries, including number 1 in Portugal, number 4 in New Zealand and number 11 in Australia.
"Too Much Information" is a song by English rock band Duran Duran, released in August 1993 by Parlophone and Capitol as the third single from their seventh studio album, Duran Duran (1993). In the United Kingdom, it became the band's third top-40 single from the album, while in North America, it peaked at numbers 45 and 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and number 26 in Canada. The accompanying music video for "Too Much Information" was filmed by British director Julien Temple in Santa Monica on 27 August and featured the elaborate stage setup designed for the band's 1993 Dilate Your Mind tour.
"We Got the Beat" is a song by the American rock band the Go-Go's, written by the group's lead guitarist and keyboardist Charlotte Caffey. The band first recorded the song in 1980 for a single on UK-based Stiff Records, and later rerecorded it for their debut album Beauty and the Beat on I.R.S. Records. The initial single release brought the Go-Go's underground credibility during their first UK tour and in the band's hometown of Los Angeles. The first version reached No. 35 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart due to its popularity in clubs as an import, and the second version was a top 10 hit in both the United States and Canada. It is considered a new wave classic hit, as well as being the Go-Go's' signature song. The song was named one of "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".
"Bad Reputation" is a rock song co-written and recorded by Joan Jett from her debut album of the same name. It remains one of her signature songs.
"Fearless" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. She wrote it with Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey while touring to promote her first album Taylor Swift (2006), and she produced the track with Nathan Chapman. Lyrically, "Fearless" sees Swift's character embracing the romantic drive of a thrilling first date, allowing herself to live true to her heart. She picked it as the title track for her 2008 studio album Fearless because she thought it encapsulates the album's overarching theme of being fearlessly oneself.
"You're Not Sorry" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Inspired by a hurtful relationship, the lyrics see Swift calling out an ex-boyfriend for his betrayal. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "You're Not Sorry" is a rock power ballad with a sound that critics describe as mournful or dramatic: its verses are driven by piano and fiddle, while its refrains incorporate dynamic, crescendoing electric guitars.
"The Best Day" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "The Best Day" is an understated folk rock song with a country rock arrangement, with lyrics dedicated to Swift's parents, most of the verses being to her mother. A music video containing home footage edited by Swift was released on May 1, 2009, as part of a special Mother's Day promotion through Big Machine Records.
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, released as the first single from her album of the same name, became Jett's highest-charting hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the No. 3 song for 1982. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing two million units shipped to stores. Jett's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.
"Forever & Always" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Inspired by her breakup with Joe Jonas in 2008, the lyrics are about an abrupt breakup that leaves the narrator angered and confused. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Forever & Always" is a country pop and pop rock song instrumented by guitars and fiddles. It was the last track recorded for Fearless, being added to the album shortly before it was mastered and published.
"Epiphany" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Swift wrote the song with its producer Aaron Dessner over an ambient-chamber pop composition consisting of a slow piano line, cinematic strings and howling brass.
"August" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Swift and Jack Antonoff wrote the song, and the two produced it with Joe Alwyn.
"Long Story Short" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. "Long Story Short" is an upbeat song that consists of dynamic programmed and live drums, synths, strings, and guitars; music critics characterize the genre as synth-pop, electropop, folk-pop, and indie rock. The lyrics see Swift reminiscing about a dark part of her past and her contentment with a current state of mind.
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