Last Night a DJ Saved My Life by Bill Brewster

Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

The History of the Disc Jockey

Bill Brewster, Frank Broughton, James Murphy

Grove/Atlantic · Print & ebook · February 28, 2025

Freshly revised and chock-full of new, vibrant stories, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life is the “lively and . . . necessary” (New York Times Book Review), and first and foremost definitive history of the musical outlaws who revolutionized the music industry: the disc jockeys Twenty-five years since it first appeared, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life remains the definitive history on the musical outlaw figure who not only revolutionized the music industry but also laid the foundation for modern music as we know it today: the disc jockey.

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Who it’s for
A lively, readable history of the disc jockey and the culture around it.
Genres
Music History, Dance Music, Rap & Hip Hop
Published
Grove/Atlantic, February 28, 2025

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About this book

Freshly revised and chock-full of new, vibrant stories, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life is the “lively and . . . necessary” (New York Times Book Review), and first and foremost definitive history of the musical outlaws who revolutionized the music industry: the disc jockeys Twenty-five years since it first appeared, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life remains the definitive history on the musical outlaw figure who not only revolutionized the music industry but also laid the foundation for modern music as we know it today: the disc jockey.

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Lively front row history with a riot of firsthand voices, it is an exhilarating dive into the DJ-led evolution that set the beat for clubland and ushered in new, exciting strands of dance music, with firsthand accounts of the births of disco, hip-hop, house, techno, and EDM. Newly calling attention to the women DJs who disrupted the status quo and made a place for themselves in a traditionally all-male guild, this seminal classic is fully refreshed with even more stories, two entirely new chapters, and a foreword by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. Last Night a DJ Saved My Life is a riveting and entertaining account of musical history and some of the most legendary parties of the century.

DJ Culture

A lively, readable history of the disc jockey and the culture around it.

Come here for

  • DJ culture as a lens on music history
  • Accessible cultural context, not jargon

Expect

  • Straightforward explanation
  • A sustained, music-centered read

Where it sits

Music History80%
Rap & Hip Hop62%
Dance Music56%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Dance Music
  • Music History
  • Radio History
Authors
Bill Brewster, Frank Broughton, James Murphy
Publisher
Grove/Atlantic
Published
February 28, 2025
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Dance Music