Music
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04/28/2025
Day three of the California country fest went out with plenty of big names, big moments and big surprises.
04/28/2025
Kylie Minogue will be honored with the prestigious Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at this year’s APRA Music Awards, set to take place at Melbourne Town Hall on April 30.
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The honor, awarded annually by APRA AMCOS, recognizes outstanding contributions to the Australian music industry. Minogue joins a distinguished list of previous recipients, including Paul Kelly, Midnight Oil, and The Seekers.
To celebrate Minogue’s latest accolade, several leading artists and industry peers shared tributes to her career and influence. Longtime collaborator, Neighbours co-star Jason Donovan, praised her “dedication and focus to her craft,” describing her as “a hardworking and authentic Melbourne girl who is proud of her Australian heritage.”
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Fellow Australian songwriter Kylie Sackley declared, “Kylie Minogue walked so the rest of us Australian music makers could run,” hailing her as “an innovator and an inspiration.”
Ben Lee reflected on Minogue’s lasting cultural impact, calling her a “mirror” through which audiences see themselves, and Gretta Ray credited Minogue with making the path toward pop stardom less daunting for emerging Australian artists. “She has inspired me to be courageous in my creativity,” Ray said.
Missy Higgins noted Minogue’s remarkable longevity: “She continues to tour consistently and remain exciting and relevant,” while The Wiggles, who once collaborated with Minogue when she portrayed the honorary “Pink Wiggle,” applauded her “unstoppable artistry” and “special Kylie-magic.”
Minogue’s career, spanning over four decades, has earned her international acclaim. She has amassed 10 ARIA No. 1 albums, including her most recent project Tension, which debuted atop the Australian Albums Chart in September 2023. Minogue made history on the Billboard charts when “Padam Padam,” the lead single from Tension, became her first solo track to reach the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in 2023.
Minogue’s influence on generations of artists remains unmatched. Julian Hamilton of The Presets, who curated a special performance for the APRA Awards night, said, “With so many hits to her name, it hasn’t been the easiest of tasks.”
Tim Nelson of Cub Sport summed it up best, calling Kylie “a true global icon who has filled countless lives with joy, expression and a sense of belonging for decades.”
Neil Young returned to the stage on Saturday night (April 26) for a special cause, delivering a rare live performance at the Autism Speaks Light Up The Blues 7 concert at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In a set packed with surprises, […]
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan has expressed an air of concern about what to expect from Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance this July.
Keenan and his Tool bandmates are one of the many acts scheduled to appear at the Back to the Beginning concert, which takes place in Birmingham, England on July 5. The event will feature names such as Osbourne’s own Black Sabbath performing their final-ever show, while acts such as Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, and myriad others join the bill.
While Osbourne hasn’t performed a full set since Dec. 31, 2018 – two months before his diagnosis of Parkinson’s – he’s previously tempered expectations for the upcoming gig, noting he isn’t “planning on doing a set with Black Sabbath,” but rather “little bits and pieces” with the group. “I am doing what I can, where I feel comfortable,” he explained.
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Despite this, Osbourne told fans only last week that he’s been undertaking “endurance training” ahead of the gig in an effort to “wake up” his body after years spent recovering from numerous surgeries. “I haven’t done anything for, this will be seven years, and so I’ve been through all this surgery,” he explained. “It really is like starting from scratch.”
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While Osbourne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October 2024 as a solo artist (he was previously inducted as a member of Black Sabbath in 2006), Keenan was on hand with the likes of Wolfgang Van Halen, Billy Idol, and Jelly Roll to perform a tribute set to honor his legacy.
Speaking to the Loudwire Nights podcast recently, Keenan noted that his experience with Osbourne at the induction ceremony has left him unsure of what to expect at the July event.
“I think for me, seeing Ozzy moving around at [the Rock Hall ceremony], the idea of him playing a show at all, if we’re being honest, the conversation about going to do the song was just like, ‘We’ll have this conversation, but, ahh… I don’t know that this [concert] gonna happen,’” Keenan told the podcast..
“And even now, I’m cautious about saying, ‘Yeah! All in, he’s gonna do it.’ Because man, I don’t know what kind of modern miracles we’ll come up with to get him on stage to do the songs, but this is gonna be a challenge for them.”
Keenan closed by noting he feels privileged to be included in the forthcoming event, though added he’s “preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.”
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello will be the musical director for the show that will mark Osbourne’s first time on stage since a brief 2022 set at the NFL Kickoff in Los Angeles; his last full show was in December 2018 at the Forum in L.A. as part of his No More Tours 2 outing.
Other acts slated to perform at the final Sabbath blowout include: Halestorm, Gojira, as well as appearances by Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan, Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan and Slash, Wolfgang Van Halen, Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst, Lzzy Hale, Disturbed’s David Draiman, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Sammy Hagar and many more.
Former MTV VJ and music industry stalwart Matt Pinfield has told fans he is “slowly but surely” continuing to recover from a massive stroke he suffered earlier this year. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Pinfield, a onetime Columbia Records VP of A&R who has had a […]
Chubby Checker, whose “The Twist” was a global smash in 1960, has been eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since the first class was inducted in 1986, but he was never even nominated until this year. Despite having been ignored for decades, he made it in his first time on the ballot.
So did first-time nominees Bad Company, Joe Cocker and Outkast, as well as Cyndi Lauper and The White Stripes, who had each been nominated once before, and Soundgarden, which had been nominated twice before. These seven acts were all inducted in the performer category.
The inductees were announced by Ryan Seacrest on ABC’s American Idol on Sunday night (April 27).
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There are six other inductees this year in other categories. Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon are set to receive the musical influence award; Philly Soul producer Thom Bell, English studio pianist/organist Nicky Hopkins and studio bass guitarist Carole Kaye (who was part of the fabled Wrecking Crew of top L.A. studio musicians) will receive the musical excellence award; and producer and label executive Lenny Waronker will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
Sadly, several of these people didn’t live to see their inductions. Hopkins died in 1994 at age 50; Zevon in 2003 at 56; Chris Cornell of Soundgarden in 2017 at 52; and Bell in 2022 at 79.
Checker had to wait even longer for induction than Cher, who was finally inducted last year, 59 years after Sonny & Cher’s breakthrough smash “I Got You Babe.”
With Outkast and Salt-N-Pepa both being inducted this year, this is the sixth consecutive year that one or more rap acts has been in the induction class.
With Lauper, Salt-N-Pepa, Meg White of The White Stripes and Carol Kaye being inducted this year, this is the fourth consecutive year that four or more female acts were in the induction class.
Bell won the first Grammy Award ever presented for producer of the year, non-classical, in 1975. By coincidence, Waronker was among the other nominees in the category that year. Waronker was also nominated for record of the year that year for producing Maria Muldaur’s classy and sexy “Midnight at the Oasis.” Waronker’s many other hits as a producer include Gordon Lightfoot’s Hot 100-topping “Sundown,” Rickie Lee Jones’ “Chuck E.’s in Love” and Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.,” which Dawes performed as the opening song on this year’s Grammy telecast.
Carol Kaye, 90, is this year’s oldest inductee. Checker and Waronker are both 83, but will both be 84 by the time of the Nov. 8 induction ceremony.
All of the artists who were induced in the performer category have landed top five albums on the Billboard 200. Three of them reached No. 1: Bad Company (Bad Company, 1974), Outkast (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, 2003) and Soundgarden (Superunknown, 1994). Three more reached No. 2: Chubby Checker (Your Twist Party, 1962), Joe Cocker (Mad Dogs and Englishmen, 1970) and The White Stripes (Icky Thump, 2007). Lauper climbed as high as No. 4 twice, with She’s So Unusual in 1984 and True Colors in 1986.
Both of the artists who are receiving musical influence awards made the top 10. Salt-N-Pepa reached No. 4 with Very Necessary in 1994. Zevon hit No. 8 with Excitable Boy in 1978.
Lauper won the Grammy for best new artist in 1985. She’s the sixth artist who was a past winner of that award to go on to a Rock Hall induction.
Outkast won the Grammy for album of the year in 2004 for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. André 3000 was nominated again in that category at this year’s ceremony for New Blue Sun.
Two of the inducted acts are duos – Outkast (André 3000 and Big Boi) and The White Stripes (Jack White and Meg White).
The other seven nominees in the performer category were denied admission to the Rock Hall – this year, anyway. Oasis and Mariah Carey were both passed over for the second year in a row. Both were surprising snubs – Oasis is reuniting for a global tour in 2025; Carey’s profile, never low, has been boosted in recent years by her status as the uncontested Queen of Christmas. Of the other passed-over artists, Joy Division/New Order were previously on the ballot in 2023; this was the first time on the ballot for The Black Crowes, Billy Idol, Maná and Phish.
The voters showed no love for brother acts this year. Oasis includes Liam and Noel Gallagher; The Black Crowes includes Chris and Rich Robinson.
Maná was vying to become the first rock en español act to make the Rock Hall. Joy Division/New Order was vying to join the short list of two related acts being inducted in tandem, following Parliament/Funkadelic in 1997 and The Small Faces/Faces in 2012.
Phish, which won this year’s fan vote, has never landed a Hot 100 hit, but the band is a powerhouse live attraction, as evidenced when it played the Sphere in Las Vegas in April 2024.
Idol was a mainstay of early MTV – as was Lauper, who did get in. In an interview with Vulture, Idol said of his guitarist Steve Stevens, “Because of our special relationship, if I get in, they will induct him as well.” This would have echoed Pat Benatar’s induction three years ago, where the Rock Hall inducted both Benatar and her husband and musical partner, Neil Giraldo. But it’s academic, as Idol didn’t make it this year.
The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction will be live on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. The 2025 ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+, with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day. The 2024 ceremony aired on New Year’s Day.
Here’s the full list of 2025 inductees:
Performer Category
Bad Company
Chubby Checker
Joe Cocker
Cyndi Lauper
Outkast
Soundgarden
The White Stripes
Musical Influence Award
Salt-N-Pepa
Warren Zevon
Musical Excellence Award
Thom Bell
Nicky Hopkins
Carol Kaye
Ahmet Ertegun Award
Lenny Waronker
Benson Boone‘s new song “Mystical Magical,” which was first heard at Coachella 2025, tops this week’s new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (April 25) on Billboard, choosing the pop star’s latest single as their favorite new music release of the past week. Several anticipated songs dropped this week, but Boone came out […]
Doechii lands her first top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200 as Alligator Bites Never Heal jumps 24-10 on the May 3-dated chart. The set shoots up the list following its wider availability on vinyl, as well as its first release on CD.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new May 3, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 29.
The 2025 Billboard Woman of the Year’s Grammy Award-winning Alligator Bites Never Heal climbs the Billboard 200 following a wider availability on vinyl and its first release on CD. The set earned 33,000 equivalent album units in the tracking week ending April 24 (up 43%) in the United States, according to Luminate. Of that figure, SEA units comprise 18,500 (down 3%, equaling 25.9 million on-demand official streams of the songs on the streaming edition of the set; it moves 28-27 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 14,000 (up 325% — the best sales week for both the album and the artist; it reenters at No. 1 on Top Album Sales, the set’s first week atop the list) and TEA units comprise 500 (down 12%).
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Vinyl purchases comprise just over 11,000 of the album’s sales for the week.
Alligator Bites Never Heal was released in 2024 as a 19-song album. It was reissued in March with one bonus track — the gone-viral breakout hit “Anxiety” — on “extended” digital download and streaming editions. The addition of “Anxiety” helped the album hit its previous high of No. 12 on the March 29 chart.
All physical versions of Alligator Bites Never Heal contain the original 19-song tracklist. Through April 17, the set was only available to purchase as a download and in two vinyl variants. On April 18, it garnered a wider availability on vinyl, including two new vinyl editions (both color variants) exclusively available via Target and Urban Oufitters, along with a widely available CD.
“Anxiety” reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart dated March 29 (rising 13-10), marking Doechii’s first top 10. The album yielded an earlier top 40-charting hit with “Denial Is a River” (hitting No. 21 in February).
Kehlani got on camera to give a statement regarding the cancellation of their upcoming performance at Cornell after the university’s president said the singer “has espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments.”
Cornell had booked Kehlani to headline the school’s Slope Day, an annual celebration following the last day of classes, set for May 7 this year. Earlier this week, the invite was rescinded.
Kehlani’s performance was officially canceled on Wednesday, per an email Cornell president Michael I. Kotlikoff sent to students and faculty. According to a New York Times report, Kotlikoff wrote in the email that “the selection of Kehlani as this year’s headliner has injected division and discord … In the days since Kehlani was announced, I have heard grave concerns from our community that many are angry, hurt and confused that Slope Day would feature a performer who has espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos and on social media.”
“I am being asked and called to clarify and make a statement yet again, for the millionth time, that I am not antisemitic nor anti-Jew,” Kehlani said on Saturday (April 26) in a video uploaded on Instagram.
“I am anti-genocide, I am anti the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti an extermination of an entire people, I am anti the bombing of innocent children, men, women — that’s what I’m anti,” they spelled out.
Kehlani continued: “In fact, the very first Live that I did in the beginning of this genocide was with a really beautiful Jewish organization called Jewish Voices for Peace, and I still continue to learn from and work alongside really impactful Jewish organizers against this genocide.”
“I want to be very clear in stating that I do believe God has plans for me and that’s not gonna stop nothing that I have going on, but I’m asked to clarify because this keeps coming up as a means to silence me, as a means to stop things that happen in my career, as a means to change the course of my life, and I just don’t believe that,” said Kehlani, who also noted they were in the studio working on new music. “So here’s the clarification that you needed. I hope this is everything you needed. Straight from my mouth, not a written statement with a white background from my notes.”
“Back to my album,” they concluded. Kehlani’s next full-length release will be the follow-up to 2024’s Crash.
Kehlani has been transparent about their support for Palestine and criticism of Israel in the Israel-Hamas war. In the singer’s 2024 “Next 2 U” video, they wore kaffiyehs, had dancers waving Palestinian flags, and featured the phrase “Long Live the Intifada.” In 2023, the musician joined a coalition of musicians to sign the Artists Against Apartheid letter, which called for a ceasefire.
Watch Kehlani’s Instagram reel from this weekend below.
It was a match made in brat heaven when Charli xcx met some 15,000 Minnesotan fans at Minneapolis’ Target Center on Saturday (April 26) night for the 17th stop on her brat tour. Her co-headlining Sweat Tour with Troye Sivan last year didn’t include a stop in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but if you […]