Music
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After taking over Genesis frontman duties for the gone-solo Peter Gabriel in the mid-’70s, drummer-singer Phil Collins had gradually built up his popularity, his industry renown and his pop songwriting prowess over the course of a decade. He’d become a solo star after breaking off from his group in the early-’80s, but continued to gather momentum with the band as well, and also emerged as a go-to collaborator for much of the era’s pop and rock aristocracy. By 1985, it would all come together in one year that saw Collins absolutely flood the zone with hit singles, big collaborations, bigger performances, headline-capturing pop culture moments and even an acting turn on TV’s hottest primetime drama.
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On this Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, we look back at Collins’ singular 1985, and examine how an unassuming, plain-looking drummer became one of the most ubiquitous pop stars of the MTV generation. Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Chris Molanphy of Slate and the Hit Parade podcast to talk all things Phil Collins, as Molanphy shares his memories of becoming a devout (if occasionally slightly abashed) Phil fan as a teen, and Unterberger explains how an unofficial New York-celebrated holiday — one coming up very soon on the calendar — expanded his own love for Phil as a young adult.
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We then dive all the way into the deep end on Collins’ 1985, which started with hits, peaked with hits and ended with even more hits — but in between, also included a gig on Miami Vice as Phil the Shill, appearances on both coasts’ Live Aid festivities (including with a quasi-reunited Led Zeppelin), and an Oscars snub so galling it still rankles the nice-guy pop star to this day. And of course, we do get into those hits, including the agony and the ecstasy of “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” the possibly purloined groove and confusing (in more ways than one) title of “Sussudio,” and the underappreciated knife-in-the-gut divorce rock of “Separate Lives.” We end with the unlikely question: Was Phil Collins actually the Greatest Pop Star of 1985?
Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most memorable moments of Phil’s 1985, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom!
And if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights:
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Halsey announced the dates for her upcoming spring/summer 2025 Halsey: For My Last Trick tour. The 32-city Live Nation-promoted outing in support of last year’s The Great Impersonator album is slated to kick off on May 10 at the Toyota Pavilion at Concord in Concord, CA and criss-cross the country for shows in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville, Tampa, Charlotte, Toronto, Chicago and St. Louis, before winding down on July 6 at the Yaamava’ Theater in Highland, CA.
They’ll have plenty of friends along as well, with Del Water Gap, The Warning, Evanescence, Alvvays, Hope Tala, Royel Otis, Sir Chloe, flowerlove, Magdalena Bay and Alemeda joining on select dates. On Thursday morning (Feb. 13), the singer released a playful, minute-long trailer for her first headlining tour in three years.
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It opens with a blue-haired Halsey hopping out of a golf cart as a harried assistant comments on the singer’s Smurf-colored locks and they respond, “I always said I’d be buried in this wig and, figured I probably should be.” The frenzied walk-and-talk then finds them rejecting a selection of black suits and enthusiastically greeting her hair and make-up person before making the executive guest list decision that Joe Jonas is not among the JoBros who will make the cut.
“Joe cannot come honey,” they say while making nice with an adorable grade school choir singer, only to walk away and whisper, “lose the kid, it’s way too sad.” She then spots her photo shoot set-up — an open coffin surrounded by three gigantic bouquets of flowers — dubbing it “perfect! It’s exactly how I pictured it,” before taking a phone call informing her that the whole thing has been called off.
Fans can sign up for the artist presale now through Monday (Feb. 17) at 11:59 p.m. ET here, with an artist presale kicking off on Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. through 10 p.m. local that day. More presales will run throughout the week in the lead-up to the general on-sale beginning on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. local time here.
Check out the tour promo video and dates below.
Halsey
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Debut albums by Jay-Z, Luther Vandross and Big Star and breakthrough singles by Miami Sound Machine and Eddie Floyd are among the 13 recordings that were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame this year. This year’s additions (eight albums and five singles) meet the main requirements – they exhibit “qualitative or historical significance” and […]
Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley offered up his sincerest apologies to the pop punk band’s Australian fans in a video posted this week after the group were unable to play what were slated to be the final-ever shows Down Under in December due to his illness. “This is the part that I hate… The fact […]
Kendrick Lamar hid a bunch of Easter eggs in his historic Super Bowl LIX halftime show. But there’s one little nod you may have missed, but Paramore‘s Hayley Williams sure didn’t. The rocker slipped into the comments on the Instagram feed of Good Dye Young earlier this week to jump for joy after see that […]
Sam Fender has extended his 2025 U.K. summer tour with the addition of three new dates. The announcement arrives ahead of the North Shields songwriter’s third LP People Watching, due next Friday (Feb. 21) via Polydor. The record marks Fender’s first full-length release since 2021’s Mercury Prize-nominated Seventeen Going Under. The first of the new […]
The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett has spoken out about the group’s absence from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, urging for their inclusion in the prestigious institution.
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Speaking ahead of the band’s upcoming Disrupta Tour in Australia, Howlett admitted that the Hall of Fame hadn’t been on his radar—until now. “It’s not something I’ve ever thought about, but yeah, as you spoke about it we should be up there. Make it happen!” he told Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
While The Prodigy didn’t make the 2025 class, which features fellow British acts like Oasis, New Order, and Billy Idol, the Essex-born electronic pioneers make a strong case for future recognition. Their 1997 album The Fat of the Land became a landmark moment for electronic music, breaking barriers in the U.S. by debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200—an unprecedented achievement for a band in their genre at the time.
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Two of the group’s defining singles, “Firestarter” and “Smack My Bitch Up,” cracked the Billboard Hot 100 in an era when electronic music wasn’t widely embraced by the mainstream American industry.
“I’ve said before, I never gave a f* about the charts,” Howlett recalled. “But somehow Fat of the Land going to No. 1 in the USA felt different. It had an extra ‘f*** you-ness’ about it as only a few British bands had ever done that. So yeah, you could say it gave me a certain cheeky pride for a while.”
In their home country, The Prodigy have dominated the U.K. charts, racking up seven No. 1 albums, including their most recent studio effort, No Tourists, in 2018. Their career tally also includes 11 top 10 hits on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, with “Firestarter” and “Breathe” both reaching No. 1 in 1996.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame requires nominees to have released their first single or album at least 25 years before the induction year. The Prodigy, who first hit the U.K. charts in 1991 with “Charly,” easily meet the eligibility criteria, making them potential contenders for future classes.
As the group gears up for their first Australian tour in five years, fans are eager to see Howlett and Maxim back on stage. The Disrupta Tour, which kicks off Feb. 13 in Sydney, is also their first major run since the passing of frontman Keith Flint in 2019.
Fountains of Wayne are reuniting for their first full performances since the passing of founding member Adam Schlesinger in 2020.
The power pop band—best known for hits like “Stacy’s Mom”—has announced appearances at Milwaukee’s Summerfest over the July 4 weekend and the Oceans Calling Festival in Ocean City, Maryland, on Sept. 26. Eve 6’s Max Collins will step in on bass for the performances.
The upcoming shows mark the band’s first proper reunion in over a decade. Before this, the remaining members—Chris Collingwood, Jody Porter, and Brian Young—briefly came together for a one-off performance (their first in seven years) to pay tribute to their late band member Adam Schlesinger, who passed away due to complications from COVID-19 at the age of 52. Prior to Schlesinger’s passing, the band’s last official tour wrapped in 2013.
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Fountains of Wayne formed in 1995 and gained a cult following, their mainstream breakthrough came in 2003 with “Stacy’s Mom,” which peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, earned them a Grammy nomination and became a pop culture staple. The track also reached No. 3 on Alternative Airplay in 2003, while their album Welcome Interstate Managers reached No. 115 on the Billboard 200.
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Despite the song’s success, Schlesinger downplayed its impact in a 2007 interview with The A.V. Club, saying, “Most people in the world still don’t have any idea who sang ‘Stacy’s Mom.’ Everybody knows that song, but most people don’t know who we are.”
Beyond his work with Fountains of Wayne, Schlesinger had a prolific career in film, television, and theater, writing songs for That Thing You Do!, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Music & Lyrics, among many others. His unexpected passing due to complications from COVID-19 in 2020 was a devastating loss for the music community, prompting an outpouring of tributes from artists across the industry.
Following his death, Saving for a Custom Van, a 31-track tribute album, was released in 2020, featuring covers of Schlesinger’s work from artists such as Nada Surf, Motion City Soundtrack, Rachel Bloom, and Sarah Silverman. The album raised funds for COVID-19 relief efforts through the MusiCares Foundation.
While it remains unclear whether these upcoming performances will lead to further touring or new music, fans eager to celebrate Schlesinger’s legacy will finally have the chance to see Fountains of Wayne live again.
Atticus Ross took home two awards at the sixth annual SCL Awards, which were held on Wednesday (Feb. 12) at Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.
The awards are voted on by members of the Society of Composers & Lyricists, an organization of professional film, television, video game, and musical theater composers and lyricists. The event was hosted by singer-songwriter Colin Hay, best known as leader of the 1980s pop group Men at Work.
Ross won outstanding original song for a comedy or musical visual media production for “Compress/Repress,” which he co-wrote for Challengers with frequent collaborator Trent Reznor, along with the film’s director, Luca Guadagnino. Ross and collaborators Leopold Ross (his younger brother) and Nick Chuba also won outstanding original score for a television production for Shōgun.
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The win for “Compress/Repress” came after the song failed to land an Oscar nod for best original song. At the SCL Awards, “Compress/Repress” beat two songs from Emilia Pérez that were Oscar-nominated – “El Mal” and “Mi Camino.”
Top honors for film scoring went to Kris Bowers, who won original score for a studio film for The Wild Robot, and Daniel Blumberg, who won outstanding original score for an independent film for The Brutalist. Both composers are nominated for the Oscar for best original score, where they face Volker Bertelmann (Conclave), Clément Ducol and Camille (Emilia Pérez) and John Powell and Stephen Schwartz (Wicked).
Diane Warren won outstanding original song for a dramatic or documentary visual media production for her song “The Journey”from The Six Triple Eight. Warren won in this category two years ago for “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman. “The Journey” is nominated for an Oscar for best original song, where it faces the two aforementioned songs from Emilia Pérez, plus “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late (also nominated here) and “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing.
Warren has been nominated for an SCL Award every year. In 2023, “Applause” won in this same category, but went on to lose the Oscar to “Naatu Naatu” from RRR.
Emilia Pérez composers Clément Ducol and Camille, who tied with Atticus Ross for most SCL nominations this year (three), were shut out.
Composer Andrea Datzman received the David Raksin award for emerging talent for her score for Inside Out 2. Datzman’s mentor, Michael Giacchino, composed the score for the first Inside Out.
Composer Jeff Beal, who has won five Primetime Emmys, received the SCL Jury Award for his new score for the 1920 Weimar Cinema silent film classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Composer Harry Gregson-Williams and director Ridley Scott received the Spirit of Collaboration Award, which recognizes a composer/director relationship that has created a prodigious body of work. This year’s Gladiator II marks their seventh collaboration. In his previous collaborations with Scott, Gregson-Williams has written the original scores for The Martian, Kingdom of Heaven, The Last Duel, and House of Gucci, as well as themes for Prometheus and Exodus: Gods and Kings.
Last year, Martin Scorsese received the Spirit of Collaboration Award for his work with the late composer Robbie Robertson. Other past award recipients of this award include Thomas Newman & Sam Mendes, Terence Blanchard & Spike Lee, Carter Burwell & the Coen Brothers, and Justin Hurwitz & Damien Chazelle.
Here’s the complete list of nominees for the 2025 SCL Awards, with winners marked.
Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film
Clement Ducol, Camille – Emilia Perez (Netflix)
Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros. Pictures / Legendary Pictures)
Harry Gregson-Williams – Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures)
John Powell, Stephen Schwartz – Wicked: Part 1 (Universal Pictures)
WINNER: Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation)
Volker Bertelmann – Conclave (Focus Features)
Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film
Chris Bacon – Heretic (A24)
WINNER: Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist (A24)
Dara Taylor – Meet Me Next Christmas (Roberts Media)
Fabrizio Mancinelli – Here After (Artina Films, ClaRo Productions, Fenix Entertainment, Hopscotch Pictures)
Heather McIntosh – Winner (Big Beach, One Community, Scythia Films, ShivHans Pictures)
Stephanie Economou – The Book of Jobs (Bull’s Eye Entertainment, Rebellium Films)
Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production
Andrew Wyatt, Lykke Li, Miley Cyrus – “Beautiful That Way” (from The Last Showgirl) (Utopia Media, High Frequency Entertainment, Pinky Promise, Detour, Digital Ignition Entertainment)
Bear McCreary – “Old Tom Bombadil” (from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) (Amazon MGM Studios in association with New Line Cinema / Prime Video)
Christopher Lennertz – “Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas” (from The Boys) (Prime Video)
WINNER: Diane Warren – “The Journey” (from The Six Triple Eight) (Netflix)
Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Bernie Taupin, Andrew Watt – “Never Too Late” (from Elton John: Never Too Late) (Disney Branded Television, This Machine Filmworks, Rocket Entertainment)
Nicholas Britell, Steve McQueen, Taura Stinson – “Winter Coat” (from Blitz) (Apple Original Films)
Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production
Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear – “Beyond” (from Moana 2) (Disney)
Clement Ducol, Camille – “Mi Camino” (from Emilia Perez) (Why Not Productions, Page 114, Pathé, France 2 Cinéma, Saint Laurent Productions)
Clement Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard – “El Mal” (from Emilia Perez) (Why Not Productions, Page 114, Pathé, France 2 Cinéma, Saint Laurent Productions)
Lainey Wilson, Luke Dick, Shane McAnally – “Out of Oklahoma” (from Twisters) (Universal Pictures)
Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler, Sacha Skarbek – “Forbidden Road” (from Better Man) (Paramount Pictures)
WINNER: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Luca Guadagnino – “Compress/Repress” (from Challengers) (Amazon MGM Studios)
Outstanding Original Title Sequence for a Television Production
Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, Nick Chuba – Shōgun (FX Network)
Blake Neely – Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)
Carlos Rafael Rivera – Griselda (Netflix)
Danielle Ponder – Manhunt (Apple TV+)
WINNER: Jeff Toyne – Palm Royale (Apple TV+)
Nami Melumad – Dream Productions (Pixar Animation Studios / Disney+)
Outstanding Original Score for a Television Production
WINNER: Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, Nick Chuba – Shōgun (FX Network)
Bear McCreary – The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon MGM Studios in association with New Line Cinema / Prime Video)
Blake Neely – Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)
David Fleming – Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Amazon MGM Studios)
Finneas O’Connell – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)
Jeff Toyne – Palm Royale (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Original Score for Interactive Media
Gordy Haab – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Machine Games, Bethesda Studios, Lucasfilm Games)
Nainita Desai – Tales of Kenzera: Zau (Surgent Studios, EA)
Wilbert Roget, II – Star Wars: Outlaws (Massive Entertainment, Ubisoft)
WINNER: Winifred Phillips – Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (Digital Eclipse)
David Raksin Award for Emerging Talent
WINNER: Andrea Datzman – Inside Out 2 (Disney/Pixar Animation Studios)
Emily Rice – Broken Bird (Catalyst Studios, Mitchell-Brunt Films)
Katya Richardson – Motorcycle Mary (Breakwater Studios)
Nikhil Koparkar – Dead Whisper (Howlin’ Hounds Pictures, Brothers Gran Productions)
Robin Carolan – Nosferatu (Focus Features)
Wei-San Hsu – Invisible Nation (100 Chapters Productions, Double Hope Films, Seine Pictures)
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has made his stance on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame crystal clear following the band’s latest nomination, calling the institution “for wankers” in a blunt social media post.
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The Britpop icon reacted to the news after Oasis was named among the 2025 nominees, joining a list that includes New Order, Cyndi Lauper, The White Stripes, Mariah Carey, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Outkast, Maná and the late Joe Cocker.
“RNR hall of fame is for WANKERS,” Gallagher posted on X under a flyer of the list of nominees on Feb. 12. He didn’t hold back when responding to a fan who asked what he’d do if Oasis were inducted, cheekily replying, “Obv go and say it’s the best thing EVER.”
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This isn’t the first time Gallagher has taken aim at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When Oasis was nominated last year, he dismissed it entirely, writing, “F*** the Rock n Roll hall of fame its full of BUMBACLARTS LG.” He also told fans not to “waste your time” voting, calling the whole process “a load of bollox.”
Gallagher doubled down in a 2024 interview, scoffing at the Hall of Fame’s inclusions. “As much as I love Mariah Carey and all that, I want to say: do me a favour and f*** off,” he told The Sunday Times. “It’s like putting me in the rap hall of fame, and I don’t want to be part of anything that mentally disturbed. Besides, I’ve done more for rock n’ roll than half of them clowns on that board.”
Like The White Stripes, Oasis seemed like a strong contender upon its first nomination in 2024 but didn’t make the cut. This time, their odds look better after announcing their highly anticipated reunion tour, which sparked near-Taylor/Beyoncé-level demand.
With the possibility of their first new music in over 15 years, Oasis stands out as one of the most likely inductees in the 2025 class—if Gallagher is willing to accept the honor.
Gallagher also recently found himself at the center of controversy surrounding Oasis’ reunion shows after Ticketmaster’s decision to cancel thousands of resold tickets.
On Monday (Feb. 10), Billboard reported that fans had indeed begun to see their tickets being cancelled, with Ticketmaster getting in touch with some ticket holders to inform them that their tickets have been refunded. Ticketmaster’s message to these ticket holders claimed that “it has been identified that bots were used to make this purchase,” meaning they “violate the tour’s terms and conditions.”
With some fans venting their anger on social media, one X user named Karen Kelly reached out to Gallagher, asking “Liam what do you think of the ticket situation? Thinking fans are bots and getting their money returned?”
The rocker was less than sympathetic when asked about the situation, writing, “I don’t make the rules. We’re trying to do the right thing. It is what it is, I’m the singer. Get off my case.”
Oasis’ Rock Hall nomination comes as anticipation builds for their reunion tour, which marks the first time Liam and Noel Gallagher will share a stage in over a decade.