From acclaimed cultural critic Ben Yagoda comes an exploration of the art of songwriting and a study on some of the greatest American songs ever written. Drawing on previously untapped archival sources and on scores of interviews - the voices include Randy Newman, Jimmy Webb, Linda Ronstadt, and Herb Alpert - the book illuminates broad musical trends through a series of intertwined stories. The B Side is about taste, the particular economics and culture of songwriting and the potential of popular art for greatness and beauty.