Joel Selvin

Joel Selvin’s name pops up where music history gets raw, loud, and a little bit wild. Born in Chicago (2020) dives headfirst into the electric blues scene, zeroing in on the musicians who basically set the template for what would explode into rock ‘n’ roll later. It’s not just a nostalgia trip—it’s about the sweat and chaos of those smoky clubs, the guitar riffs slicing through the air, and the wild energy on the South Side. Selvin knows how to peel back the velvet curtain and show you the grit, the heartbreak, and the weird magic that happened when these legends plugged in. Then, there’s Bang! The Bert Berns Story (2016), which is just pure gold for anyone obsessed with music’s back alleys. Berns was this behind-the-scenes genius, cranking out hit after hit while barely getting his due. Mafia connections, crazy business deals, iconic songs—this isn’t your standard “music doc.” Selvin digs into the messy, sometimes dangerous world that Berns navigated, and trust me, it’s got more plot twists than a Netflix thriller. Jump to San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time (2023), and you’re riding the psychedelic wave of the Bay Area in the ‘60s. Selvin basically grew up in this scene, so you get all the inside dirt—how the sounds, the drugs, the protests, and the people clashed and fused to make something completely new. It’s wild, it’s colorful, and it’s loaded with stories you haven’t heard a million times before. If you care at all about music that changed the world, these stories hit hard.