Is This It cover art

Is This It

The Never-Ending Rise and Fall of the Strokes (and Rock ‘n' Roll)

Pre-order free with Premium Plus
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Is This It

By: Steven Hyden
Pre-order free with Premium Plus

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Pre-order for $27.23

Pre-order for $27.23

About this listen

From an acclaimed music critic and author, an in-depth analysis of the rise and fall of rock n' roll through the lens of one of the best albums of the 21st century—The Strokes' Is This It.

In 2001, The Strokes broke into the indie alt-rock scene with their debut album Is This It, a work that was supposed to “save” rock music from the evils of nü-metal and teen pop.

It did not.

Despite the album’s countless accolades and acclaim from critics and fans alike, it failed to break into the mainstream like Nevermind did a decade before, and the band never reached as wide an audience as they’d hoped. But then why is it that no other rock band from the 21st century has captured the mystique of The Strokes? And how did a band defined by their repeated failure gain such a transcendent and enduring allure?

In Is This It: The Never Ending Rise And Fall Of The Strokes (And Rock 'n' Roll), music critic and author Steven Hyden provides keen insight into The Strokes’ mystifying longevity by turning a socio-cultural and critical lens on their entire career, as well as the careers of their contemporaries: The Killers (more successful but less cool), Kings Of Leon (the southern Strokes), The White Stripes (their rival—and arguably the better band), The National (the tortoise to The Strokes’s hare), and more. Hyden uses The Strokes’ classic album Is This It as a vehicle for examining rock’s radically changing role in pop culture over the last twenty-five years, and explores how while rock music may rise and fall, it—much like The Strokes—will never die.
Entertainment & Celebrities Music
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.