12 Books That Aren’t So Small Things: What To Read for Blink-182 Day
Posted on July 1, 2025
by Madison L
It is celebrated on the 182nd day of the year (July 1). Which in hindsight, seems painfully obvious, but I could not link Blink-182 to a day. I was legitimately thinking like okay…the 82nd day of the first month? That’s not right…the second day of the 18th month…That can’t be it either!!
Anyway, math isn’t my thing, but celebrity memoirs ARE! In honor of bassist Mark Hoppus’ new memoir (and Blink-182 Day), here are some musical memoirs to keep in mind this Blink-182 Day. There is nothing like the memoir of a musician to get you out of a reading slump! And remember…anything can be a holiday.
fahrenheit-182 by Mark Hoppus
Mark Hoppus, bassist, vocalist, and founder, of Blink-182 released his story in his own words this year. Fahrenheit-182 is Mark’s autobiography on growing up, coming of age, and starting one of the most famous pop-punk bands of all time and everything that follows that. Mark is both hilarious and inspiring in this long-awaited memoir.
the storyteller by David Grohl
Born to a grungy young mom in 1993, Nirvana was essentially my Ms. Rachel. When Dave Grohl started the Foo Fighters their music was in immediate rotation. When Dave Grohl released Storyteller I could not get my hands on it fast enough. The promise of behind-the-scenes stories on not only The Foo Fighters but also Nirvana made me giddy. Storyteller delivers on that and more, weaving in Grohl’s professional and personal life from his small-town beginnings to the megastar he is today.
the amplified come as you are by Michael Azerrad
The original Come As You Are book was one of the best insights into the band Nirvana that existed for a very long time. The author knew Kurt Cobain personally and hung around them and their peers. It also had the benefit of being written while Cobain was still alive. That means it did not have the daunting chapter coming about Cobain’s eventual death nor was it all told based on his depression. The new version came out and Azzerad annotated basically the entire thing, correcting stories Kurt told him that turned out to be exaggerated, or commenting on interviews and things he may have missed knowing what we know now. If you ask any Nirvana fan, this is THE Nirvana book.
me by Elton John
I always said if anything ever happens to Elton John I will be submitting a request for bereavement (just kidding..). Elton John is one of my favorite musicians of all time and when Me released in 2019 You could find me first in line to read it. Me ended up being one of the most real and raw memoirs I have ever read. John lays it all out for everyone to read, the good, the bad, and the really bad. You come out of this with a deeper appreciation and understanding for our flamboyant and flawed Rocketman.
the dirt by Tommy Lee
Not for the faint of heart, Mötley Crüe reveals all in their joint 2001 memoir The Dirt. There is not a lot that they haven’t experienced…jail, marriages, divorce, children, addiction, one of them died for a little bit…I mean they’ve done everything. Hear all the dirty, gritty, stories about the 1980 rock stars directly from the mouths of the people who said they would never work together again.
the heroin diaries by Nikki Sixx
Speaking of Mötley Crüe and not for the faint of heart, if The Dirt left you wanting more Nikki Sixx wrote his own book. The Heroine Diaries is Sixx’s unfiltered thoughts at the rock bottom of his addiction to his decision to save his own life.
the first 21 by Nikki Sixx
SPEAKING of Nikki Sixx (man he has a lot to say). He essentially used the Star Wars method with his books starting with the most recent and working his way down. The first 21 is Nikki Sixx’s origin story and how a young kid named Frank Feranna became Nikki Sixx. We follow his childhood and adolescent years and learn how a young boy for Idaho yearned to be a successful musician and the chaotic path that got him there.
life by Keith Richards
You would be hard pressed to google “musician memoirs” and NOT see Life by Keith Richards. As a founding member of THE Rolling Stones, Richards has no shortage of stories. In what is frequently called the best celebrity memoir of all time. Keith starts at his childhood and takes you through his entire career, and he does it in a such a voice and way that it feels like you’re sitting on the back porch with him talking about it. One of those things you wish you could experience for the first time again.
dylan goes electric! by Elijah Wald
I will admit, I had not ever heard of this book or the controversial decision to play electric at a folk festival until the movie “A Complete Unknown” came out. This is based around the Newport Folk Festival, which Dylan had played for many years as an acoustic folk musician. That day however, Dylan rolled up to Newport with his electric guitar and new hit Like A Rolling Stone. There were loud cheers, louder boos, and history was made.
open book by Jessica Simpson
Switching gears a bit here, Open Book is an unfiltered look into Jessica Simpson’s seemingly perfect life. One of the main pop girls of the late 90’s and 2000’s, Jessica brought powerhouse and vocals and a good girl image. Little did we know everything that was happening behind it. Open Book covers her heartbreaking childhood, her rise to stardom alongside multi-talented girls like Britney and Christina, her marriage to Nick Lachey, the mom jeans heard around the world, and her addiction to alcohol. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read this, but I left feeling a bit a sad for everything she went through behind closed doors and a better appreciation for everything she does now.
mo' meta blues by Questlove
If you love or even appreciate hip-hop you have to read Mo’ Meta Blues by Questlove. Quest jumps around to times in life that make it feel like a very free flowing conversation between friends. Quest offers insight into his life and the music industry that will have you wishing this book didn’t have to end.
beastie boys book by Mike D
This might be the highest rated book on this list. The two surviving members of The Beastie Boys team up with other big names to tell their story. What started as a hardcore punk band somehow took a turn and ended as one of most influential hip-hop bands of all time (they were inducted to the rock and roll hall of fame in 2012 by Chuck D and LL Cool J). The book is less of a straight forward memoir and more a conversational set of short stories in no certain order about everything Beastie Boys.
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