1
of
1
1975
The Year the World Forgot
Brief Description
'Across 21 albums, Jones smartly covers the songs and music as well as the geo-cultural milieu that nurtured and enveloped them. An excellent book' Irish Times 'Makes one crave a follow-up undertaking for 1976!' Record Collector 'Enormously entertaining . . . Never has pop history been...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK
Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock
Sorry, we're currently out of stock of 1975. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.
Latest News
The Team's Long Weekend Reading
With the long weekend upon us, the team is hopefully getting some time in the...
What Actually Makes a Jigsaw Puzzle Difficult?
Does more pieces always mean a harder puzzle? Not necessarily! After Dylan surprised me by...
A Court of Splintered Harmony: How to Get Your Copy on Release Day
A Court of Splintered Harmony is almost here, and we have some exciting news for...
The ACOTAR Countdown Is On, But We Need to Talk…
Last week, things started taking a dark turn. The excitement surrounding the release was suddenly...
Pick up a Graphic Novel for Halloween
Wanting something different for spooky season? Try a horror themed graphic novel! Lizzy has rounded...
See more1975: the greatest year for music . . . (told 50 years on).
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
'Across 21 albums, Jones smartly covers the songs and music as well as the geo-cultural milieu that nurtured and enveloped them. An excellent book' Irish Times
'Makes one crave a follow-up undertaking for 1976!' Record Collector
'Enormously entertaining . . . Never has pop history been so elegantly told' London Standard
1975 was the apotheosis of music. Rich with masterpieces, it's the most important year in the narrative arc of the music of the twentieth century: Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan, The Who by Numbers by the Who, Young Americans by David Bowie, A Night at the Opera by Queen, and the eponymous Fleetwood Mac, to name just a few.
The records of 1975 were magisterial; records that couldn't be bettered. Who could realistically make a more sophisticated album than The Hissing of Summer Lawns? Or a more complex hard-rock album than Physical Graffiti? Or a record as unimpeachable and as prescient as Horses?
It was a year filled with an unparalleled sense of ambition, where the album was venerated as much as the modern novel, where everyone was trying to make a masterpiece.
Setting the music against the social, political and artistic context of the time, Dylan Jones brilliantly unravels the cultural fragments that made 1975 the greatest year of them all.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781408722015
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 04 June 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Constable
Illustration: 16pp. colour and b&w
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 28.0mm
Width: 126.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 300g
Pages: 368
Collections
About the Author
New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author Dylan Jones has written or edited over thirty books. In the eighties, he was one of the first editors of i-D, before becoming a contributing editor of The Face and editor of Arena. He spent the next decade working in newspapers - principally the Observer and the Sunday Times - before embarking on a multi-award-winning tenure at GQ. During his editorship, Conde Nast's flagship magazine won more awards than any other title. A former columnist for the Guardian, Independent and Mail On Sunday, he is a Hay Festival Advisor and an independent BBC television producer. In 2012 he was awarded an OBE for services to publishing. He was the editor-in-chief of the Evening Standard from 2023 to 2025
Also by Dylan Jones
View all-
David Bowie
In the manner of George Plimpton's ground-breaking oral biographies of Truman Capote and Edie Sedgwick, this is the definitive oral biography of David Bowie told through over 180 carefully edited and curated original, exclusive interviews with those who knew Bowie best from school friends to global megastars. Shortlisted for the NME Best Music Book Award 2018 THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Loaded
Rebellion always starts somewhere, and in the music world of the transgressive teen, whether it be the 1960s or the 2020s, The Velvet Underground represents ground zero. Crystallising the idea of the bohemian, urban, narcissistic art school gang around a psychedelic rock and roll band—a stylistic idea that evolved in the rarefied environs of Andy Warhol's Factory—The Velvets were the...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Faster Than A Cannonball
Decades tend to crest halfway through, and 1995 was the year of the Nineties: peak Britpop (Oasis v Blur), peak YBA (Tracey Emin's tent), peak New Lad (when Nick Hornby published High Fidelity, when James Brown's Loaded detonated the publishing industry, and when pubs were finally allowed to stay open on a Sunday). It was the year of The Bends,...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Loaded
Rebellion always starts somewhere, and in the music world of the transgressive teen—whether it be the 1960s or the 2020s—The Velvet Underground represent ground zero. Crystallising the idea of the bohemian, urban, narcissistic art school gang around a psychedelic rock and roll band—a stylistic idea that evolved in the rarefied environs of Andy Warhol's Factory—The Velvets were the first major...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Wichita Lineman
The sound of Wichita Lineman was the sound of ecstatic solitude, but then its hero was the quintessential loner. What a great metaphor he was: a man who needed a woman more than he actually wanted her. Written in 1968 by Jimmy Webb, Wichita Lineman is the first philosophical country song: a heartbreaking torch ballad still celebrated for its mercurial...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Table Hopping
In October 1976, the London restaurant world was turned upside down when Michael Caine, celebrated chef Richard Shepherd and Irish entrepreneur Peter Langan opened Langan's, a celebrity hangout that would revolutionise the capital's dining scene. This soon became the most celebrated restaurant in the city, and helped turn London into an internationally recognised culinary hot spot. Inheriting its status from...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Mr Mojo
______________ ‘A perceptive and thorough examination of both the man and the music’ – NME ‘A highly engaging and refreshingly irreverent portrait of the Doors' frontman’ – i-D ______________ A revealing biography of Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors and a musical icon In Paris’s Père-Lachaise cemetery, Jim Morrison’s graffiti-scrawled tombstone is a place of pilgrimage for local devotees,...PaperbackSold Out
More from Arts & Culture
View all-
Dylan's PickBold Types
A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...Hardback$5999Elsewhere:$7000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
New ReleaseI’ll Believe in Anything
From Jacob Tierney, the creator of Heated Rivalry, in partnership with Brendan Brady and Accent Aigu, comes I’ll Believe in Anything, an official and complete collection of annotated scripts for the biggest cultural sensation of the year, with all new exclusive behind-the-scenes content.Based on Rachel Reid’s blockbuster Game Changers book series, Heated Rivalry premiered on Crave and HBO in late 2025 and immediately took the world by storm. I’ll...Hardback$5499Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
Home Again
Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
20% offThe Odyssey
Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$3599Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
21% offThe Iliad
When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017—revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)—critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
20% offDisney Moana: The Official Cookbook
Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...Hardback$3600Elsewhere:$5299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
New ReleaseA Life in Lyrics
Freddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world. But behind the glamour lived a musician and lyricist talented beyond measure, and the creative force behind one of the most culturally significant and musically diverse...Hardback$5000Elsewhere:$6500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
New ReleaseBirdlands
A rare, intimate journey into the wild islands where Aotearoa's birds live beyond the reach of most human lives. In the most remote outposts of Aotearoa, our islands are populated not with people, but with birds. From the storm-lashed Subantarctic Islands in the deep south to the scattered volcanic islands of Tikapa Moana/Hauraki Gulf in the north, Birdlands offers a...Hardback$4199Elsewhere:$5000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
21% offThis Angry Pen of Mine
This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...Hardback$5800Elsewhere:$8999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
The Artist's Way
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a transformative guidebook that has captivated millions, including luminaries such as Elizabeth Gilbert and Tim Ferriss. With its profound ability to inspire and elevate, this book invites readers to embark on an enriching creative journey, fostering a deeper connection to one's artistic process and sense of purpose. The heart of Cameron's groundbreaking programme...Paperback$3700Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
New ReleaseBeautiful Chaos
Featuring five exclusive new poems, this stunning foil-embossed hardback edition is a collector's item and a gorgeous gift. The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller. Selected poems on motherhood from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'Reading Jess's poems makes me feel like she's somehow reached into my own personal reflections and articulated them in a way I never could.' –...Hardback$3299Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday -
New ReleaseSplit Enz
'My favourite band. Ever! And certainly the best dressed.' Sam Neill Split Enz were never designed to fit. Emerging from art school mischief in early-1970s New Zealand, they turned pop into surreal theatre: costume, character and melody colliding in a rock band that refused to behave like one. At the centre of that vision was Noel Crombie—percussionist, performer and the...Hardback$5199Elsewhere:$6500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Tuesday
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
Arts & Culture lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listArts & Culture
Poetry of Aotearoa
Check out some of the amazing local talent we are spoilt with right here in Aotearoa.View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listArts & Culture
Poetry for Beginners - Where to Start
10 Books I'd recommend to someone new to reading poetry - a mix of old and new, all magical introductions to the...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listArts & Culture
Lizzy's Favourite Books of Poetry
If I could only have 10 poetry collections to survive on for the rest of my life, these are them. Or maybe...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listArts & Culture
Books to read for Women in Translation month!
August is Women in Translation month, but at any time of year it's worth checking out these incredible novels written by women...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listArts & Culture
Inside the World of Film
Step behind the scenes of the world of filmmaking! Discover iconic directors and movie history of some of the world's memorable films.View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listArts & Culture
Books to Celebrate NZ Music Month
New Zealand Music Month happens every May, it's a reminder that we have so many talented musicians, singer, songwriters here in Aotearoa....View the list
