November 30, 2023 Shane MacGowan of The Pogues dies of pneumonia at 65. He was known for his pithy lyrics, Celtic influence, and a lifelong drinking problem that took a severe toll on his health.
December 5, 2020 BTS hit #1 in America with "Life Goes On." Most of the lyric is Korean, making it the first chart-topper since "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco with lyrics predominantly in a language other than Spanish or English.
February 20, 2017 David Cassidy has not fallen off the wagon, the former Partridge Family star explains two days after giving what appeared to be a drunken performance at a concert outside of Los Angeles, complete with slurring and stumbling over lyrics. He tells People magazine the real reason for his behavior: dementia. Cassidy, whose grandfather and mother (actress Evelyn Ward) both had the disease, decides to stop touring, saying, "I want to focus on what I am, who I am and how I've been without any distractions. I want to love. I want to enjoy life."
September 30, 2016 Mary J. Blige debuts her Apple Music talk show, The 411, and welcomes Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton as her first guest. Halfway through the intimate conversation, Blige bursts into a rendition of Bruce Springsteen's protest anthem "American Skin (41 Shots)" in a bid to address the rash of police brutality against African Americans. The attempt falls flat with viewers, who heckle the singer on social media.More
June 24, 2016 Kanye West debuts the video for "Famous," which shows him in bed with nude likenesses of his wife Kim Kardashian, Donald Trump, Bill Cosby, Rihanna, and other celebrities and associates. West appears next to a likeness of Taylor Swift, who is derisively mentioned in the lyrics, "I made that bitch famous." West calls the video "a comment on fame."
December 3, 2015 Scott Weiland dies at age 48 when he suffers cardiac arrest on his tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota, where his band The Wildabouts are scheduled to perform.More
November 13, 2015 The blues-rock band Eagles of Death Metal are in the midst of performing their song "Kiss the Devil" at a sold-out show at Le Bataclan in Paris, France, when the venue is attacked by terrorists armed with automatic rifles, grenades and explosive suicide vests - one of many attacks throughout the city.More
October 27, 2014 Taylor Swift issues 1989, her biggest-selling album. The first two singles are monster hits: "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space."More
April 27, 2014 BBC Radio Devon DJ David Lowe (not to be confused with the composer of the same name), plays an early version of "The Sun Has Got His Hat On" on his program, which results in his resignation due to the racial slurs in the lyrics.
December 12, 2013 Someone forgot to invite Jesus to his own birthday party. The fifth-grade choir at Ralph J. Osgood Intermediate School in Long Island, New York receives a round of applause after performing "Silent Night" at a holiday concert, but not all crowdgoers are pleased with the secular rendition, which removes references to Jesus and his mother.More
September 21, 2011 R.E.M. announce that they're calling it quits after more than 30 years. In a post on their website, the band members write, "To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening."More
July 16, 2011 "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO hits #1 after first appearing on the Hot 100 on February 12 at #78. Thanks to a captivating video, the song starts the "shufflin'" dance craze and spends a staggering 68 weeks on the chart (six at #1), which is longer than any other chart-topper.More
June 22, 2011 Glen Campbell's wife, Kim Woollen, announces that the singer has Alzheimer's disease.More
February 10, 2011 The video for Rebecca Black's song "Friday" is uploaded to YouTube, where it becomes a viral smash.More
April 20, 2010 Swedish dance-pop star Robyn releases her signature tune, "Dancing On My Own." The electropop ballad about heartbreak on the dance floor is a prime example of her deceptively upbeat style, which pairs club friendly music with emotional lyrics.
August 24, 2008 Leona Lewis and Jimmy Page perform during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the National Stadium (also known as the Bird's Nest). The duo perform the Led Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love."More
June 2, 2006 Muscle Shoals Sound Studios is added to the National Historic Register.More
November 18, 2003 Blink-182, the pop-punk purveyors of gross puns with album titles like Enema Of The State and Take Off Your Pants And Jacket, prove they're all grown up when they choose to leave their fifth album, an experimental art project, untitled.More
September 14, 2003 Jet release their debut album, Get Born, on Elektra Records. Leading the Australian invasion of the early 2000's with bands like The Vines, the album would go on to sell well over three million copies. The title is lifted from the lyrics of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues."
October 24, 2000 Linkin Park release their debut album, Hybrid Theory. Bolstered by the hit "In The End" and the Grammy Award-winning "Crawling," it becomes the best-selling album of 2001.More
September 6, 1997 Elton John sings a new version of "Candle In The Wind" at Princess Diana's funeral. This rendition, which replaces "Goodbye Norma Jean" with "Goodbye England's Rose," becomes the best-selling single of all time in the UK.More
August 15, 1995 Spanish pop duo Los del Rio release the single "Macarena" in the US. Inspired by a beautiful flamenco dancer, the song lights a fire in Miami beach clubs and spreads across the country, igniting the '90s hottest dance craze.More
June 13, 1995 Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette releases her breakthrough album, the alt-rock classic Jagged Little Pill.More
February 19, 1995 Roxette become just the second Western pop act to play a public concert in China when they perform in a Beijing celebration of the Chinese New Year. To appease censors, the duo changes the lyrics of their song "Making Love to You" to "Making Up to You." Wham! was the first act to break this barrier, with a show in 1984.
December 12, 1994 Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love is awarded songwriting credits on 35 Beach Boys songs, including "California Girls," "Good Vibrations," and "Wouldn't It Be Nice." Love claimed that Murry Wilson, the father of Beach Boys Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, administered the publishing rights and left him uncredited for many songs for which he contributed lyrics.
October 11, 1994 Korn release their self-titled debut album, a furious set of songs that deal with lead singer Jonathan Davis' demons - a common theme in their lyrics. The album gets little attention at first but goes on to sell over 2 million copies as the band builds a fanbase.
June 15, 1994 The Disney film The Lion King hits theaters. A runaway hit, the movie takes in over $300 million in 1994, second only to Forrest Gump. The soundtrack goes Diamond, meaning over 10 million copies sold - a record for the soundtrack to an animated film.More
March 8, 1994 Two seminal albums from the '90s are released: Soundgarden's Superunknown and Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral. They enter the albums chart at #1 and #2, respectively.More
November 15, 1993 A mysterious act called The Fireman releases an album called Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest in the UK. The cover is a red square with just a touch of text, and the music is mellow electronica. It is later revealed that The Fireman is a Paul McCartney side project.More
November 9, 1993 The first Wu-Tang Clan album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), is released. The album becomes a hardcore rap landmark and proof that a 9-man hip-hop collective can succeed.More
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