Pop Music Management: Lessons from the Managers of Number One Albums

What can the top of the charts in the world’s biggest music market tell us about management? This book analyses pop music successes to understand the role of managers and management.

A critical study of management in the pop music industry, the book illuminates the key trends in music management and how these have changed significantly in the last 60 years. The author shows how those changes have influenced the music we hear and how it is represented. Featuring insights into equality, diversity and inclusion, the book also highlights how pop music management has contributed to consolidation in the global music industry. The book examines the management behind acts, including Taylor Swift, the Beatles, K-pop icons, hip-hip pioneers, Johnny Cash, Jay-Z, Carole King, and many others. By providing clear and concise examples of the management behind Number One albums in the US charts, the book invites the reader not only to think about real-world management but also to consider getting involved with management themselves.

This practical and accessible book will prove valuable reading for students and scholars of the music business, and provide insightful lessons for music managers around the world.

Michael Mary Murphy teaches music industry and entrepreneurship at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dublin, Ireland. Previously he worked in various roles in the music industry, starting in the Dublin DIY music scene, before working for major labels in London and New York, and then managing music acts in the US and Canada.