Martin C. Strong | |
|---|---|
| Born | Martin Charles Strong 1960 (age 65–66) Musselburgh,Midlothian, Scotland |
| Occupation | Music historian |
| Children | 3 |
Martin Charles Strong (born 1960) is a Scottishmusic historian known for compilingdiscographies of popular music includingThe Great Rock Discography. Strong has been described in broadsheet newspaper profiles as a "compiler of acclaimed mammoth discographies"[1] and "a man who knows more about rock music than is healthy for one individual".[2]
Strong has researched music extensively since the early 1980s, dedicating 70 hours per week to his craft as of 2004.[3]
Strong wroteThe Great Rock Discography, with the seventh edition being published in 2004; the foreword was penned bydisc jockeyJohn Peel.[4] The book has garnered acclaim,[5] with American music criticRobert Christgau recommending it as one of the three best rock music encyclopaedias, and the one with the "maddest completism".[6] AuthorIan Rankin named it as one of the "5 Books Every Man Should Read", calling it "a great book" that "would keep [him] happy on any desert island".[7] It was re-released asThe Essential Rock Discography, a condensed version, in 2006.[8]
Strong has also authoredThe Great Metal Discography (2 editions),The Great Psychedelic,The Great Alternative & Indie (2 volumes) andLights, Camera, Soundtracks (with Brendon Griffin). Along withThe Great/Essential Rock Discography – on which Griffin also worked sporadically[5] – these titles have been published byCanongate Books.[9]Mercat Press published a history of Scottish contemporary music,The Great Scots Musicography, in 2002.[10] Strong's final tomes were two volumes ofThe Great Folk Discography, published byBirlinn in 2010 and 2011; a third part of the trilogy,The Great Folk Discography: The Celtic Connections, has been shelved.
Aside from his books, Strong has written forThe List,[11]Record Collector,Songlines,HMV Choice and theRough Guides series.[5] He served as researcher forJimmy Cliff's 2003Anthology release.[12]
Strong lives inFalkirk[3] and has three daughters.[13]
