Night People

How to Be a DJ in ‘90s New York City

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Lady Gaga, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, the Barbie soundtrack. Behind some of the biggest musical moments in the past two decades is one man: Mark Ronson. Now, his memoir Night People captures the music, characters, escapades and energy of his formative DJ days in '90s New York.

Mark Ronson was born a night person. With hedonistic creatives for parents, parties became his playground. Yet, having moved to New York City from London at a young age, he always felt like a bit of an outsider, until discovering himself in the pulsing, unifying joy of the city’s parties and hip-hop scene. Each night brought a heady mix of music, ambition, danger, delight, and possibilities. Having well and truly caught the DJing bug, he worked to find his place and make his name in the city that never sleeps.

Night People conjures the undeniable magic of '90s New York, when clubs were diverse, glamorous, a little lawless. It evokes the rush of a time and place where fashionistas and rappers on the rise danced alongside club kids and 9-to-5'ers – and invites us into the tribe of creatives and partiers who came alive when the sun went down.

A heartfelt coming-of-age tale, Night People is the definitive account of a cultural moment and the making of a musical mastermind.

‘What happens when your music obsession catapults you beyond your wildest dreams? The answer is Night People – the most life-affirming coming-of-age story I’ve read in an age, with a soundtrack to die for. You know how your favourite record sounds? That’s how Mark Ronson writes.’
Pete Paphides, author of Broken Greek

'In Night People, Mark Ronson tells his own sweet, intimate, and sometimes extremely funny story of what it’s like to be inside an era of pure musical magic before anyone but you and your friends even know it’s happening. His is a perfect New York tale — the kind that makes you jealous you weren’t there, grateful for your own version, and racing to make a playlist so you can visit this world anytime you want. It’s also about the power of obsession with the thing you love, and how it can drive you to find your people, the ones who will eventually introduce you to yourself.'
Lizzie Goodman, author of the New York Times bestseller Meet Me in the Bathroom

'Night People is not just Mark Ronson’s origin story. It’s a snapshot of 1990s New York City from a figure at the epicenter of its culture. It’s a book about the life of a DJ, by a DJ, in the same groundbreaking way that Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential illuminated the life of a chef. And it’s also a lovely, sweet story about a small family and a tight community, even though you may know these people’s names well. This quadruple blend is not surprising: It comes from pop music’s master synthesist.'
Dan Charnas, author of the PEN Award-winning, NY Times Bestseller Dilla Time, and The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop.

'Mark Ronson’s transporting memoir is a New York bildungsroman about an uptown kid with a downtown heart that beats to hip hop while longing for a sound that’s all his own. Night People reads like a playlist of life's hard knocks and small triumphs that somehow flows effortlessly on the page, not unlike his talent as a DJ to mix songs that kept the crowd shaking on the dance floor.'
Griffin Dunne, author of the New York Times bestseller The Friday Afternoon Club

About Mark Ronson

Mark Ronson is a globally celebrated DJ and an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and 9-time GRAMMY-winning producer and songwriter, renowned for his eclectic blend of pop, soul, funk, and hip-hop influences. A lifelong music enthusiast, Ronson began his career DJing in New York City during the '90s, a passion that eventually led him to production, songwriting, and recording.

Ronson served as the executive producer for Barbie: The Album and composed the film’s score alongside Andrew Wyatt. His own single with Bruno Mars, ‘Uptown Funk’, is one of the biggest selling singles of all time. He has collaborated with a range of iconic artists, including Amy Winehouse, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Ghostface Killah, Adele, Paul McCartney, and Lady Gaga, including co-writing ‘Shallow’ for A Star Is Born, which earned him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy Award.

Details

Imprint: Penguin
Published: 16/09/2025
ISBN: 9781804942185
Length: 256 pages
Price: £10.99

All editions

Night People

How to Be a DJ in ‘90s New York City

Format:

Pre-order:

‘What happens when your music obsession catapults you beyond your wildest dreams? The answer is Night People – the most life-affirming coming-of-age story I’ve read in an age, with a soundtrack to die for. You know how your favourite record sounds? That’s how Mark Ronson writes.’

'In Night People, Mark Ronson goes time-traveling through his life and returns with a wry, sharp, moving, evocatively detailed story of discovery, and self-discovery, and of how it feels to fall head-over-heels in love with pop music.'

About Mark Ronson

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