11 Books To Read If You Like Daisy Jones & The Six

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton

Read it if you: loved the “Behind the Music”/oral history format of Daisy Jones & the way it made you wish you could be transported to the 1970’s to be front row to see this fictional music act play for real, gritty music fiction

This was the first book, when it was published back in 2021, that made me feel like I’d just found my one true Daisy Jones-esque book that encompassed everything I’d loved about it.

Up until then I’d just found books that had pieces of what I loved so I was delighted when this one delivered a lot of what I was looking for in my quest for books like Daisy Jones & The Six — and honestly it delivered its own thing I didn’t even know I needed.

The audio version of this, like with Daisy Jones, really brought life to characters and the stories through the interviews and the editor notes in this oral music history that you’ll wish wasn’t fiction. I wish I could put on an Opal record for real!

I think this one, while similar bones to Daisy Jones so to speak, was more about Opal and the things she was enduring as a Black female musician in the 1970’s than it was about the whole band dynamic. I think you’ll find the gritty music fiction you are looking for but Opal’s story will capture you in its own way.

What it’s about: This one takes us into the fictional oral history of the Afropunk rock and roll duo who shot to fame in the 1970’s — the rise, the fall and the dark secret at the heart of it bubbling to the surface that could ruin the chance of any potential reunion tour for the duo.

Songs In Ursa Major by Emma Brodie

Read it if you: craving another atmospheric dive into the late 1960’s/early 70’s music scene with a compelling love story loosely based on real life musicians (this time Joni Mitchell and James Taylor)

This was one of my most anticipated 2021 books (I really gravitated towards all things Daisy Jones-esque that year if you saw that list) and this one really, really landed for me — especially because I’ve always loved this era of folk/folk rock!

This definitely satiated that “I need a book like Daisy Jones” feel with how atmospheric it was in setting and in the music scene. Jane’s story is its own and I honestly enjoyed them both for totally different reasons.

The one thing you’ll definitely walk away with is that feeling of “AH I wish I could hear this music for real!” like with Daisy Jones. Good mark of a fictional band, yeah?

What it’s about: This one is set in 1970’s and is about singer Jane Quinn’s rise to fame after a festival performance which thrusts her into the orbit of a folk legend, Jesse Reid, who is enamored with her and her talent. It sets her on a journey that will send her into a whirlwind of touring, fame, parties and a passionate love affair with the singer — a dream until she discovers the dark side of fame and the dark secret that lies behind Jesse’s music which results in heartbreak and a career shake-up for Jane.

How To Kill A Rock Star by Tiffanie Debartolo

Read it if you: palpably could feel both Daisy & Billy’s soul-burning passion for music just as much as their complicated & deeply rooted connection to one another

This is a much older recommendation (it came out in 2005 and I read it in the early 2010’s) so I do want to note that there is some language that does not age well that reflects its more prevalent acceptance then versus know they are fully recognized as the slurs that they are.

With that note, this book wrecked me emotionally (just like her book God-Shaped Hole – not a religious book btw).

It’s about the all-consuming love affair with music, the bumpy road on the rise to success for a band and the complicated, messy love the two main characters have for each other. Lots of self-destruction and bad decisions abound from people who hurt deeply and NEED music like they need air to breathe.

If you like books about music and messy, full-of-angst love stories — this one is a good one to check out. Seriously, if you don’t like flawed characters making decisions that will make you want to scream don’t even look at this one.

What it’s about: Eliza, an aspiring music journalist, moves to NYC and ends up sharing a flat with Paul, who is the lead singer in her brother’s band, and the two 20-somethings quickly fall for one another. As their passionate love affair progresses so does the band’s success — both ripe with complications and life-changing choices to make for the sake of their dreams.

Groupies by Sarah Priscus

Read it if you: you want to dive back into the sex, drugs and rock n’ roll vibes of Daisy Jones but more so from the perspective of the groupies scene

Okay, as someone who loved the movie Almost Famous more than a human probably should, this book totally delighted me for that reason while on my quest trying to find books similar to Daisy Jones.

If you are looking for a behind-the-band book like Daisy Jones, this isn’t it. But if you want to time-travel back to the 1970’s and be a part of the music scene from the perspective of groupies to a popular band, this is it.

What it’s about: A coming-of-age story set in the 1970’s about a college dropout and her childhood best friend, who dates the front man of a super popular rock band, getting caught up following the band and thrust into the world of sex, drugs, rock and roll.

Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan

Read it if you: want a music-filled summer in the 1970’s but with a hint of mystery and family drama

The 1970’s settings + a young girl orbiting her famous folk singer Uncle and his bohemian group of musician and artist friends will you pull you into this all-consuming California summer in the transporting way Daisy Jones did. Not quite the fast-paced ride of Daisy nor focusing on the actual musicians but it really grabs you with a sense of place and time in a similar way and nails the music scene it portrays.

You’ll find yourself lost in Jackie’s story, in the past and present, revisiting this long-ago California summer of freedom, friendship and musical awakening –along with its tragic ending.

A great book to read after Daisy Jones for 1970’s atmosphere and music vibes but you’ll stay for the thread of mystery and the secrets of a family.

What it’s about: 17 year old Jackie spent a memorable summer in 1979 at the iconic estate of her famous folk singer uncle falling into fast friendship with her cousin and getting to know the eclectic group of artists and musicians that inhabited the place.

Now, twenty years later, a tribute album to her uncle is being produced on the property before Jackie sells the inherited estate and Jackie finds herself revisiting this memorable summer, its abrupt ending and asking herself what really happened to her cousin all those years ago.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

Read it if you: just really loved getting swept up in the setting and time period and love a good tell-all/spill session

If you are looking for another gritty 1970’s set books about musicians in a “what to read after Daisy Jones” recommendation list, this is not the exact match you are looking for. (Though I do beg you to put it in your reading list for a later date!).

But if what you loved about Daisy Jones was how EASY it was to get swept up in a glamorous yet often gritty world and feel absolutely like you time traveled via the pages of the story — this is IT!

This time you will be transported to world of theater and showgirls in the 1940s through a young woman who, now in her 80’s, is reflecting on her life and especially the time she spent in this world.

Lots of scandal, glitz, love and drama in addition to being just a captivating coming-of-age story full of pleasure and joy as much as heartbreak and hard lessons.

I cannot recommend this book on audiobook enough! Blair Brown’s narration of this older woman’s recollection of her younger life made me feel like I was sitting across from this woman in absolute rapt attention listening to her fascinating and sometimes scandalous life.

What it’s about: A sprawling saga of a young woman whose life changes when, upon being kicked out of Vassar, she is sent to live with her eccentric aunt who owns a theater in New York City and she is immediately swept into the life of showgirls, theater, and love until scandal derails it all sending her on a totally different path.

The Girl With Stars In Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod

Read it if you: liked being immersed in the world of a rising rock star but are craving something contemporary (and more on the romance side)

This one is so good and full of emotion — a Black female musician on her way to stardom, a second chance romance and just that all-consuming passion for music and performing coming across so strong.

Definitely a music lovers book! It’s clear the author knows her stuff. I’m also excited because this is the first in a series!

What it’s about: Toni, a musician gaining traction in her city, takes a chance to try out for an up-and-coming all-girl rock band — a decision that brings her face to face with the boy who broke her heart long ago when he left town without her.

The Unraveling Of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan

Read it if you: are craving books about fictional bands, like Daisy Jones, that expose the darker side of the fame & the industry

I will say, I was hesitant to include this one ONLY because I think Daisy Jones comparisons give you too high expectations for this one.

It isn’t to the Daisy Jones level of palpable atmosphere and character development (I didn’t find myself fiercely attached to the characters in the same way I did DJ) but if you really enjoy books about fictional bands/singers and keep your expectations to what the book actually is — you really might enjoy this one like I did!

It has totally different vibes but is the perfect book if what you craved after reading Daisy is more music-based fiction that tells the story of a fictional group and the darker underbelly to the all the glamour and fame and success.

I loved how it explored the mental health and the toll the business/that life can take as it dove into the true story behind a famous girl group in the early 2000’s (think a group like the Spice Girls). I especially enjoyed just how it explored the celeb culture of that time. This one does delve into some pretty heavy topics so just heads up for that.

What it’s about: Everyone is shocked when, 20 years after abruptly leaving the uber famous pop group she was apart of, Cassidy Holmes commits suicide. Told with flashbacks and the perspective of each member of the pop group, we see the rise and fall of the group and the journey that may have lead to this tragic ending to Cassidy’s story.

Heard it In A Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves

Read it if you: liked the music aspect of Daisy Jones but are craving a music-centric book that is softer, less gritty and more slow burn.

(Kinda like if Daisy Jones walked away from her dreams early on to never become THE Daisy Jones but now, in her mid-30’s and a teacher, is trying to let go of that past and reconnect with her love for music.)

This is not one of those that is in the plane of recommendations of books similar to Daisy Jones in style/subject matter but more so one of those books to read after Daisy Jones if it made you crave a read music-related read/book about a musician in general — but maybe less of the grittiness and drama of Daisy Jones and a bit more warmth and contemporary-set.

What it’s about: An elementary school music teacher -a former lead singer of a band who walked away from it all years ago – is grappling with her long-term marriage ending and starting to find her way back to music again.
She is intrigued when she meets the single father of one of her students who has recently divorced from his high school sweetheart and they start talking every morning when he’s dropping his daughter off.

The two divorcees are both in a place of hurt trying to figure out how to start over and figure out who they are again but cautiously strike up a friendship –even though they both know the spark is there for something more.

The Farewell Tour by Stephanie Clifford
Out March 7, 2023

I’m not really a country music fan but I have an appreciation for it (and do like some older country and my some of my classic country queens) so I’m excited to dive into the world of music through the lens of a woman fighting for her place at the table in the country/western music scene. Especially as this one chronicles her from her start all the way to her embarking on a farewell tour in the 1980’s at the end of her career.

Hoping this one is as gritty and immersive into the music scene and the various decades her career spans!

What it’s about: The saga of one resilient woman’s rise in country and western music from her Depression-era youth to her farewell tour in 1980’s after decades fighting for her place in the music industry.

The Daydreams by Laura Hankin
Out May 2, 2023

I have really enjoyed a bunch of Laura Hankin’s books so I have high hopes for this one!

While this one isn’t really set in the music industry per se (though it is on a musical show a la Glee or High School Musical), it does give that same tell-all vibe about the actors of a popular teen show in the 2000’s and all the scandals and mess involved that led to the cancellation of the show. My hopes are that I feel plopped right into the industry the same way I was Daisy Jones.

What it’s about: The stars of a popular teen show from the early 2000s — rocked by a scandalous implosion and cancellation of the show– coming together for the first time 13 years later for a reunion special that will either be a chance for redemption or a chance at further scandal and mess.