Annie Zaleski
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[2][7]
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.[8] She moved to Cleveland to become managing editor at Alternative Press in 2011.[6][8] She's written liner notes for various artists and bands including the 2016 reissue of R.E.M.'s Out of Time[9] as well as Game Theory's 2020 collection Across the Barrier of Sound: Postscript[10] and the 2023 deluxe edition of Jason Mraz's We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.[11]
In 2022, she was commissioned by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to write Duran Duran's induction essay.[12] She's continued to write additional essays for the Rock Hall ceremonies, including George Michael's 2023 induction and one for Cher in 2024.[13][14] 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.[15][16]
She was named one of Cleveland Magazine's Most Interesting People for 2025 when the publication revealed their list in December 2024.[17]
Books
Zaleski has written a number of books, including one in the 33 1/3 series about the Duran Duran album Rio which was published in May 2021.[18]
Her additional books include:
- Lady Gaga: Applause (November 2022) [19]
- P!nk: Raise Your Glass (July 2023) [20]
- This is Christmas: Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits (October 2023)[21]
- Harry Styles: A Sign of the Times (September 2024)[22]
- Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs (September 2024)[23]
- We Found Love, Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Romantic Hits (December 2024)[24]
- I Got You Babe: A Celebration of Cher (May 2025)[25]
She has contributed essays and other writings to Taylor Swift (Spotlight on a Legend),[26] How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History From NPR Music,[27] Go All the Way: A Literary Appreciation of Power Pop,[28] Remember the Lightning: A Guitar Pop Journal: Vol. 1,[29] Women Who Rock,[30] Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes,[31] and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts 40 x 40: Bad Reputation[32]
Her upcoming books for 2025 include Beyoncé: The Stories Behind the Songs.[33] She is also working on a book about Stevie Nicks.[34] Other projects include the book Why the B-52s Matter for University of Texas Press.[35][36]
