The Rough Guide to the Best Music You've Never Heard is a winning collection of amazing stories of tragic mavericks and unlucky contenders, with hundreds of lost classics and hidden gems. The guide traces the musicians that fell by the wayside from the bands that could have been The Beatles to the acts that were better than the acts that made it. Find out why David Ackles is the Elton John that never was (and why Elton John agrees). Whether they were psychedelic hippies, lost soul divas, geeky prog-rockers, hell-raising rockers or pop-star wannabes, they are all in this book for one reason: they made truly fantastic music. Frank and opinionated, the guide is packed with playlists, includes stylish archive photos as well as contributions from music industry insiders including Bat for Lashes. Clue-up on the infamous lost albums from some of rock's biggest stars and discover the tales of the famous-name side-projects that got away, not forgetting the cult albums reviled at the time… that are actually really good. If you're looking for great new music, this book will show it to you. If you think you’ve heard it all, it'll put you to the test.

With the finest tunes that time forgot, this guide could feed your iPod for life.