Author: Jonathan Gould
Publication Date: June 17, 2025
Length: 448–512 pages (varies by edition)
Category/Genre: Nonfiction, Music, Biography, Cultural History

Burning Down the House: Talking Heads and the New York Scene That Transformed Rock is the definitive biography of the iconic band Talking Heads, written by acclaimed music historian Jonathan Gould. Released on the 50th anniversary of the band’s formation, the book offers a deeply researched, authoritative account of how a group of art students from the Rhode Island School of Design brought avant-garde sensibilities to the mainstream, forever changing the look and sound of popular music