Ten of the best fictional musicians

Dorian Lynskey is a music writer for the Guardian and Observer as well as magazines including Q, GQ and Mojo. He is the author of 33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs.

One of his ten best fictional musicians, as shared with Guardian readers:

The Commitments
The Commitments, 1987

It spawned a good film and a less impressive stage musical, but Roddy Doyle’s novel already thrummed with rhythm. You can almost read it in the time it takes to play an album. Breaking from dialogue only when he has to, Doyle celebrates the heated arguments that bring bands to life: the crossfire of rules, prejudices, manifestos and militant disgust for the status quo; the crackling debates about sound and purpose. The Dubliners choose to play soul because it’s “the politics o’ the people”, and sexy too.

Learn about another entry on the list.

The Commitments is one of Tiffany Murray's top ten rock'n'roll novels.

--Marshal Zeringue