July 25, 2019 PledgeMusic, a platform for fans to fund musicians, goes offline without delivering the money pledged to hundreds of artists.More
July 6, 2019 With 13 weeks at #1, "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X breaks the record for longest-running hip-hop song on the Hot 100. "Lose Yourself," "Boom Boom Pow" and "See You Again" all had runs of 12 weeks.
June 30, 2019 Taylor Swift's former label, Big Machine, is sold to Scooter Braun's company for an estimated $300 million, giving him control of her back catalog, including the master recordings. In response, Swift accuses Braun of bullying her and says she will re-record all her old albums to devalue his purchase.More
June 5, 2019 Miley Cyrus plays an exploited pop star in the "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too" episode of Black Mirror. Her character's hit song is a reworking of "Head Like A Hole" as an empowerment anthem called "On A Roll," which is released as a single in real life with a video that gets over 20 million views on YouTube.
May 22, 2019 The biographical film Rocketman, starring Taron Egerton as Elton John, debuts in US theaters.More
May 22, 2019 ABC airs live remakes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons, two shows with iconic theme songs. Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei (as Archie and Edith Bunker) sing "Those Were The Days," the All in the Family theme; Jennifer Hudson does "Movin' On Up," The Jeffersons theme.More
May 10, 2019 The #FreeBritney movement gains traction as supporters gather outside the Los Angeles courthouse where Britney Spears speaks to a judge about her conservatorship. Spears has been under the conservatorship, a legal maneuver typically used to protect the elderly or mentally incompetent, since 2008, with her father, Jamie Spears, conservator.
May 4, 2019 A section of Staten Island is renamed "Wu-Tang Clan District" in honor of the group.More
April 19, 2019 The New York Yankees and Philadelphia Flyers pull Kate Smith's version of "God Bless America" when it is revealed that she sang racist songs in the 1930s, including "That's Why Darkies Were Born" and "Pickaninny Heaven."
April 5, 2019 The Aretha Franklin documentary Amazing Grace is finally released in theaters, 47 years after it was recorded in 1972.More
March 26, 2019 Ranking Roger (Roger Charlery), the toaster for General Public and The English Beat, dies at 56 after a battle with cancer.
March 16, 2019 Surf rock pioneer Dick Dale dies at 81.
March 16, 2019 "Old Town Road" by the rapper Lil Nas X makes the Country chart, but is removed the following week when Billboard declares it ineligible for the tally. The attention leads to a remix with Billy Ray Cyrus that goes to #1 on the genre-agnostic Hot 100.More
March 15, 2019 The New York Public Library opens the Lou Reed Archive, with photos, recordings and other media documenting his career.More
March 11, 2019 Session drummer Hal Blaine, who played on hundreds of hit songs, dies at 90.
March 3, 2019 Undeterred by a lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson's estate, HBO airs the first part of the 4-hour documentary Leaving Neverland, leveling new accusations of child abuse at Jackson 10 years after his death. In the aftermath, many distance themselves from Jackson: The Simpsons pulls his episode, and some radio stations drop him from playlists.
March 1, 2019 After a six-year hiatus, the Jonas Brothers announce their reunion, dropping a new song called "Sucker."
February 28, 2019 Weezer join the Fortnite universe with "Weezer World," a "Creative Island" where players can ride around on a hoverboard while listening to Weezer tunes. It's one of the first Fortnite musical collaborations; earlier in the month, Marshmello held a virtual concert. Weezer return in 2024 with "Sweat(er) City," which includes a unique weapon: a sweater yarn stun gun. (You know, because "The Sweater Song.")
February 27, 2019 T-Pain, costumed as a one-eyed monster, wins the first season of The Masked Singer, defeating Donny Osmond (peacock) and Gladys Knight (bee).
February 24, 2019 Queen, with Adam Lambert on vocals, open the Oscars with a medley of "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions." The biopic Bohemian Rhapsody goes on to win four awards, more than any other film at the ceremony.
February 23, 2019 Ariana Grande becomes the first solo artist to hold the top three spots on the Hot 100 in the same week, a feat previously accomplished only by The Beatles. The songs: #1: "7 Rings" #2: "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" #3: "Thank U, Next"
February 15, 2019 The superhero series The Umbrella Academy, based on a comic by former My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, premieres to positive reviews on Netflix. The show, starring Ellen Page, also features Mary J. Blige as an assassin.
February 13, 2019 In a New York Times story, seven female musicians accuse Ryan Adams of inappropriate and sometimes abusive behavior. His accusers include Phoebe Bridgers and his ex-wife, Mandy Moore. Adams' upcoming album release is cancelled and he's dropped from his label.
February 10, 2019 At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, Leon Bridges and PJ Morton tie for Best Traditional R&B Performance when Bridges' "Bet Ain't Worth The Hand" and Morton's cover of the Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love" both win the title. It's the first Grammy win for both artists.
February 3, 2019 In Atlanta, 21 Savage is arrested in an immigration crackdown and detained for nine days. It's revealed that he was born in England and has been living as an undocumented immigrant since his visa expired in 2006. During his detention he watches the Grammy Awards, where he's nominated for Record Of The Year for his Post Malone collaboration "Rockstar." He finally gets his green card in 2023.
January 26, 2019 Miranda Lambert gets married for a second time, tying the knot with police officer Brendan Mcloughlin in a secret ceremony. Lambert, whose first marriage was to Blake Shelton, breaks the news on social media on February 16.
January 24, 2019 Weezer release The Teal Album, a collection of covers featuring their hit rendition of "Africa." Selections include "Take On Me," "No Scrubs" and "Billie Jean."
January 16, 2019 At the Forum in Los Angeles, the surviving members of Soundgarden play their first show together since Chris Cornell's passing as part of the star-studded I Am the Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell concert.More
January 10, 2019 In light of the Surviving R. Kelly miniseries, Lady Gaga pulls her 2013 R. Kelly collaboration, "Do What U Want," from streaming services and issues a statement supporting his accusers.
January 6, 2019 Kanye West debuts his weekly Sunday Service series at his home in Calabasas, California. The event, teased on social media by wife Kim Kardashian, features gospel-soul takes of Kanye's hits with the rapper's celebrity pals rounding out the congregation. More
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