Musicians covered through their work: how a record was made, what changed between albums, and the influences audible in the arrangements.
Bob Dylan going electric, Radiohead deleting their guitars, Fleetwood Mac moving to Los Angeles — documented reinventions that changed the records and, in some cases, the backlash.
The single comes first, the album is assembled from proven parts, and the deal is often a constellation of contracts rather than one signature — the documented mechanics of a modern debut.
"...Baby One More Time," "Livin' on a Prayer," "I Will Always Love You" — the most familiar choruses in pop were often written by people you never saw on stage.
Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, Quincy Jones'sThriller, Dr. Dre's G-funk — a handful of producers built sonic identities so distinct you can name them in four bars.
Before the charts and the arenas, R.E.M., Nirvana and the Pixies all had the same first stop: a low-power signal and a programmer who took a chance.