News

02 Nov 2023

2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: How to Watch the Induction Ceremony Live

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The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will stream live on Disney+ on Friday (Nov. 3). The event will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Missy Elliott, Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners are among this year’s inductees.

Additional inductees include Soul Train creator Don Cornelius, along with DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray, who will be honored in the category of musical influence. Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, Bernie Taupin will receive awards for musical excellence.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will feature a star-studded list of presenters and performers including Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Common, Ice-T, LL Cool J, Miguel, Queen Latifah, Sia, Elton John, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Dave Matthews, H.E.R., St. Vincent and New Edition.

Read on for more details.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: When to Stream

For the first time ever, fans will be able to watch the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony live on Disney+, or stream it on-demand after the premiere. The ceremony will begin streaming at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Audio from the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will stream live on Apple Music 1 on Friday. Class of ’23 Rock Hall of Fame, a four-part audio series, is also available to stream on Apple Music and Apple Podcasts.

Additionally, ABC will air a primetime special 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring performance highlights and standout moments from the ceremony, on Jan. 1, 2024. The two-hour primetime special will air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will be available the next day on Hulu and Disney+.

If you’re not subscribed to Disney+, streaming packages start at $8/month for the basic package with ads and $14/month for the ad-free package. Disney+ also offers bundle deals and annual plans.

Disney+ subscribers can stream movies and TV shows including Loki, Ahsoka, Goosebumps, Haunted Mansion, Elemental, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Frozen, The Simpsons, Dancing With the Stars and upcoming releases such as Percy Jackson And the Olympians dropping on Dec. 20.

Music lovers will also find documentaries and concert specials on Disney+ such as The Beatles: Get Back, J-Hope in the Box, Bono & The Edge: A Sort Of Homecoming with Dave Letterman, Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All and Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium.

02 Nov 2023

These 20 Rappers Are the Top-Grossing Hip-Hop Touring Acts of All Time

From Jay-Z to Nicki Minaj and beyond, here are the highest grossing artists, according to Billboard Boxscore.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z performs onstage during the “On the Run II” Tour at NRG Stadium on Sept. 15, 2018 in Houston, Texas.

Kevin Winter/PW18/Getty Images for Parkwood Entertainment

Billboard Boxscore has been tracking touring data and ranking the top live acts around the world across various musical genres since the mid-1980s. We’ve already run down the biggest live artists in country and Latin music, and now it’s time to present the 20 highest grossing rappers in the Boxscore archives.

Hip-hop was still in its adolescence when Boxscore charts started in the mid-’80s. But in the nearly 40 years since, rap has exploded, becoming a (or the) dominant force in popular music. What began in a community rec room of a Bronx apartment complex has graduated to theaters, arenas and stadiums.

This list is based on global figures reported to Billboard Boxscore as of Nov. 2. Final numbers are based on headline engagements only – no festivals – plus 50% of any co-headline grosses.

That last part is important. As in the studio, collaboration has been key on the road for the rappers on our list and beyond. From Jay-Z and Kanye West to Eminem and 50 Cent, hip-hop acts have co-headlined in various arrangements over the last few decades, using one another’s shared star power to sell out venues worldwide.

A note about eligibility for this list: We’re including rap artists who have charted on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. That means that artists who rap instead of sing, but don’t fall within the genre of hip-hop, are excluded. For acts that have straddled the line, we’ve made splits — tours supporting pop or alternative albums for Post Malone or Machine Gun Kelly don’t count toward their totals.

02 Nov 2023

‘Friends’ Theme ‘I’ll Be There for You’ Nearly Triples in Streams Following Matthew Perry’s Death

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. 

This week: A shocked fanbase pays homage to the late Matthew Perry by streaming the song most associated with him, the hit Five Nights at Freddy‘s film adaptation scores huge gains for a near-decade-old fan song and viral teen rapper Lil Mabu returns.

Listeners “There For” Late ‘Friends’ Star With Streams of Beloved ’90s Theme Song



The entire world was stunned by the news on Saturday night (Oct. 29) that comedic actor Matthew Perry had died at the age of 54. The TV and film star had become a pop culture icon in the ’90s and ’00s, with lead turns in hit movies like The Whole Nine Yards and 17 Again and TV comedies like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. But of course, Perry will forever be best remembered for his role as Chandler Bing on the epochal sitcom Friends, which he appeared on for a full decade as one of the show’s six central characters, earning an Emmy nomination and global stardom.

So eternal is the connection between Perry and Friends that, following his death, fans flocked to streaming services to play the song they still most associated with him: The Rembrandts‘ “I’ll Be There for You,” which served as the credits song for all 10 years of Friends‘ NBC run and also became a crossover radio hit, topping Billboard‘s Pop Airplay chart for eight weeks in 1995. According to Luminate, the song garnered a combined 117,000 official on-demand U.S. streams over Oct. 29 and Oct. 30 — the two days following Perry’s death — up 184% from the previous Sunday and Monday. (It also sold nearly 500 copies over those two days, up from a negligible amount the week before.)

It’s one of many beautiful tributes that fans have played to the actor in the days following his passing — which should continue to reverberate for as long as viewers across generations need either comfort-streaming TV and/or mid-’90s pop-rock perfection. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Near-Decade-Old ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Theme Song Scares Up Millions of Streams



Last weekend, Five Nights at Freddy’s — the horror film based on the popular video game franchise, featuring family-restaurant animatronic mascots coming alive and wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting security guard — became a surprise box office behemoth, grossing nearly $90 million in North America over the pre-Halloween weekend. And along with the film’s success at the multiplex, its vocoder-heavy, go-for-broke electro-rock theme, also titled “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” is soaring on streaming services.

Actually, the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” song is nearly a decade old: The Living Tombstone, an Internet-beloved gaming band made up of Sam Haft and Yoav Landau, released the track in 2014, a few weeks after the first Five Nights at Freddy’s video game was released. As a nod toward longtime fans of the Freddy’s franchise, The Living Tombstone’s anthem was placed at the start of the end credits of the film adaptation, where it was revisited by video game enthusiasts and discovered by unfamiliar moviegoers.

As a result, The Living Tombstone’s track experienced a significant streaming uptick upon the film’s release: in the first five days (or five nights, if you will) of Five Nights at Freddy’s being in movie theaters (Oct. 27-31), the song scored 3.05 million U.S. on-demand streams, a 618% increase compared to the previous Friday-through-Tuesday tracking period (424,000 streams), according to Luminate. Will there be more nights at Freddy’s, considering how well the film has performed? With sequel possibilities, The Living Tombstone better get moving on some follow-up themes. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

Lil Mabu & Chriseanrock Spin Blueface Beef Into Streaming Gold With “Mr. Take Ya Bitch” 



Following in the footsteps of Lil Uzi Vert & Nicki Minaj’s Natalie Nunn-referencing “Endless Fashion” and JaidynAlexis’ viral hit “Barbie,” the Zeus Network industrial complex has spawned yet another streaming smash. “Mr. Take Ya Bitch,” a fiery duet between “Mathematical Disrespect” rapper Lil Mabu and Chriseanrock, a former partner of “Thotiana” rapper Blueface, is making eye-popping streaming gains with each passing week. 

According to Luminate, “Mr. Take Ya Bitch,” has earned just over 7.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Oct. 20-26, a staggering 165.5% increase from 2.69 million streams during the period of Oct. 13-19. The new track is the result of a weeks-long marketing campaign that found Mabu inserting himself into the seemingly endless drama between Blueface and Chrisean. In short, Blueface and Chrisean – a former track star turned Internet personality — dated from 2020-2023, welcomed their first child together two months ago, and co-starred in a two-season reality TV series chronicling their turbulent relationship. The pair’s toxic behavior, in tandem with their commitment to livestreaming virtually every second of their lives, has captivated viewers across social media, and now, “Mr. Take Ya Bitch” has enraptured that same audience. 

Lil Mabu first teased his link-up with Chriseanrock in an Oct. 12 TikTok, set to the chorus of Pop Smoke and Lil Tjay’s “Mood Swings.” A TikTok announcing the track’s full release and showcasing the most viral parts of both rapper’s verses arrived on Oct. 16. “I’m Mr. Take Yo B—ch, take her on trip/ Fly her to New York, sign my name all on her t–s/ Yes, I took his lady/ I like blue faces, so I took his baby,” Mabu raps, throwing direct shots at Blueface. Chrisean then spits, “F—k Blueface, I had to find a new bae/ Yeah, aight, with Mabu, f—k what you say/ I might put it in his face cause he want a taste/ This that newborn p—y, make my water break.” 

Thanks to the social pull of both artists – as well as a burgeoning dance challenge set to Mabu’s chorus – the official TikTok sound for the initial snippet has garnered over 24,000 posts, while the official sound for the full song has collected over 608,300 posts. The song’s official music video has also amassed over 14 million views on YouTube in just two weeks, already surpassing the view count for the “Mathematical Disrespect” video – and that track hit No. 90 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

With “Mr. Take Ya Bitch” having reached the top of both the Bubbling Under Hot 100 and the TikTok Billboard Top 50, it looks like Lil Mabu’s second Hot 100 hit could be right around the corner. – KYLE DENIS

02 Nov 2023

Luck Ra’s ‘La Morocha’ Featuring BM Earns Sixth Week Atop Billboard Argentina Hot 100

Luck Ra’s “La Morocha” featuring BM holds strong at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Nov. 4) for a sixth week in charge.

The extended domination becomes the second longest in 2023, alongside Myke Towers’ “Lala,” which ruled for an equal six weeks. Both songs stand behind another pair of winners, Emilia, Big One and Callejero Fino’s “En La Intimidad” and LIT killah, Maria Becerra, FMK, Rusherking, Duki, Emilia, Tiago PZK and Big One’s “Los del Espacio,” both which ruled for seven weeks this year.

Back to Luck Ra, the Argentinian trap artist adds a new entry as “Quiero Creer” with Rusherking and La T y La M debuts at No. 69.

Uruguayan group Marka Akme and Argentinians Lauty Gram and Peipper score their first top 10 as “Linda (Remix),” their collab with Migrantes and DJ Tao soars 13-3 in its fourth week.

Meanwhile, Darell is back in the top 10 as “Lollipop” rallies 26-4. The Puerto Rican last visited the upper region with the 13-week champ “Otro Trago” with Sech, Nicky Jam, Ozuna and Anuel AA in 2019.

This week’s Hot Shot Debut goes to Sayian Jimmy and Nysix Music, whose collaboration “Bad Boy” debuts at No. 49. It’s the first chart appearance for both artists.

Chayanne’s “Bailando Bachata” becomes the Greatest Gainer of the week, climbing 30 places from No. 95 to No. 65.

Lastly, two other songs debut this week, starting with Ricky Martin and Christian Nodal’s “Fuego de Noche, Nieve de Día” at No. 93, while Jere Klein and Lucky Brown’s “Cuál Es Su Nombre?” bows at No 99.

02 Nov 2023

Calibre 50 Achieves Record-Extending 24th No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay With ‘Vengo De Verla’

Calibre 50 extends its record for the most No. 1s on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Vengo de Verla” crowns the tally dated Nov. 4.

The single advances from No. 5 in its 10th week with 7.8 million audience impressions, up 19%, earned during the tracking week ending Oct. 26, according to Luminate. It sends Grupo Frontera and Grupo Firme’s “El Amor de Su Vida” to No. 2 with a 12% drop, to 7.63 million.

With its new champ, Calibre 50 improves its career total on Regional Mexican Airplay to 24 No. 1s. The group remains atop the leaderboard for the most No. 1s among all acts since the chart’s inception in 1994, opening an even larger gap ahead of its competitors. Here’s a look at the artists with the most chart-toppers on Regional Mexican Airplay:

  • 24, Calibre 50
  • 19, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
  • 18, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga
  • 18, Intocable
  • 17, La Arrolladora Banda el Limón de Rene Camacho
  • 16, Conjunto Primavera
  • 16, Los Tigres del Norte

“Vengo de Verla” arrives at the summit after Calibre 50 led with “Dirección Equivocada” for two weeks in April. The song required an equal 10 weeks to lead. In between, the group reached a No. 18 high with “Hablar de Ti” (July 15-dated list).

Further, “Vengo” climbs to a new peak on the overall Latin Airplay chart, pushing 12-7. There, the Mazatlán, Sinaloa, band collects its 27th top 10, cementing a new record for the most top 10s among any regional Mexican group.

02 Nov 2023

Billboard Explains: The Revamped 2023 Billboard Music Awards

The 2023 Billboard Music Awards are just around the corner, and this year, fans are getting the opportunity to see their favorite artists like never before. The latest episode of Billboard Explains looks into the BBMAs‘ exciting new format and how winners are chosen.

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What makes the BBMAs unique to other award shows is that it’s all data driven. Winners are chosen solely based on how well they perform on the Billboard charts, tracking album and digital song sales, radio airplay, as well as streaming and social engagement to choose the winner of each category. During the show, artists appear on the BBMA stage to accept their award or perform their latest chart topping hit.

However, this year, the Billboard Music Awards are delivering an entirely new award show concept. The performances and award celebrations will take place at different locations across the globe, and feel unique to each individual artist. Performances and winners will be unveiled across the BBMAs and Billboard’s social channels, or the show can be watched in full at bbmas.watch on Sunday (Nov. 19) — meaning the entire event will take place online rather than on television.

Additionally, Billboard teamed up with Spotify to find the most loyal fans who have helped their favorite artists top Billboard charts by listening to their music. Those fans will be receiving a golden ticket that allows them to attend the performance of their favorite artist that will stream during the awards ceremony.

Tune in to the 2023 Billboard Music Awards on Nov. 19, and check out the full Billboard Explains video on the revamped ceremony above.

After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.

02 Nov 2023

Oak View Group to Lead $280M Renovation of Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre

The Oak View Group is working with Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group and officials of the city of Hamilton, Ontario on a plan to begin renovations on the 18,500-capacity FirstOntario Centre, a reimagined arena that will be the centerpiece in revitalizing the city as a music, sports and entertainment destination, 45 miles southwest of Toronto.

The $280 million renovation is spearheaded by Oak View Group who will transform the facility into an 18,000-seat capacity venue with a reimagined facade, premium seating, enhanced acoustics, improved sightlines, upgraded concourses, optimized clubs and suites and artist lounges. The newly modernized venue will accommodate shows unable to land an available date at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Scotiabank Arena is owned my Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, where Tim Leiweke, OVG Chairman & CEO, served as chief executive from 2013 to 2015.

Live Nation will serve as the arena’s booking partner and bring concerts and other live events to Hamilton. Work on the facility will begin in spring 2024, and the building is expected to open in fall 2025.

“Our timing is perfect,” says Leiweke, noting that billions of dollars in construction for ten projects in Hamilton is planned for the fast growing region. “It’s a great market as Toronto has run out space for new construction. We’re making a big bet but we feel great about it. We have a great team here in place, a lot of great companies that believe in us and we are feeling very optimistic.”

OVG recently worked with Louis Messina, promoter of the Taylor Swift tour, to sell sponsorships for the singer’s six night run in November 2024 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

“We already have a great infrastructure in place with a strong team up here,” said Leiweke. Besides Hamilton, Oak View Group recently completed renovations at the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore and plans to complete work at Coop-Live arena in Manchester, U.K. later this year.

The Hamilton Arena Project was designed by Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects and is part of a larger downtown revitalization project known as “The Commons”, which includes the arena, renovated convention centre, the Art Gallery of Hamilton as well as new residential, office, and retail space development.

Leiweke tells Billboard the new facility “will completely transform the downtown area with its accessibility, technology forward improvements and priority on sustainability.”

02 Nov 2023

Lil Mabu & Chrisean Rock Are No. 1 on TikTok Billboard Top 50 | Billboard News

After three weeks at No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, Mitski’s “My Love Mine All Mine” relents the No. 1 spot to Lil Mabu and Chrisean Rock’s “Mr. Take Ya B-tch.”

Tetris Kelly:
Half the TikTok top 10 are newbies this week and we’ve got a new No. 1.

Lil Mabu and Chrisean Rock’s “Mr. Take Ya B-tch” dethrones Mitski to take the top spot on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the chart posting Nov. 2. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” makes a resurgence landing in No. 6, joining “This Wish” thanks to Disney Animation’s 100-year anniversary. Bad Bunny is used to ruling the charts — his track “Monaco” leaps from No. 50 all the way up to No. 7 thanks to fans using it for any kind of TikTok.

Blueface’s other baby mama, Jaidyn Alexis, breaks into the top 10 at No. 8 with “Barbie” after spending two weeks at No. 18. And rounding out the top 10 is Drake’s “Rich Baby Daddy” in large part because of Sexyy Red’s chorus.

Every Thursday, Billboard will bring you the verified list of the hottest songs on TikTok by monitoring music discovery and engagement on the platform in the United States. To find the TikTok Billboard Top 50 each week, users can simply go to any sound detail page and tap the top right button to access the chart’s page.

Watch the full video above!

02 Nov 2023

Billboard Explains: The Revamped 2023 Billboard Music Awards

Billboard Explains how the Billboard Music Awards are being reimagined with a new concept, what makes the BBMAs different from other awards shows, how fans can get involved and more.

Alyssa Caverly
The Billboard Music Awards. The show that recognizes artists who have topped the Billboard charts. This year the big event is being reimagined with a new concept, giving fans unprecedented access to their favorite artists. But what are the BBMAs? What will be different about this year show? And how can fans get involved? This is Billboard Explains the revamped 2023 Billboard Music Awards. The BBMAs has had been around since 1990. Honoring music’s biggest stars. Drake, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and The Weeknd are just some of the notable past winners, with Drake taking home the most awards, a whopping 34. But what makes the BBMAs unique to other award shows? Simple: it’s all data driven, winners are chosen solely based on how well they perform on the Billboard charts. The BBMAs track album and digital song sales, radio airplay, as well as streaming and social engagement to choose the winner of each category. During the show artists appear on the BBMA stage to accept their award or perform their latest chart-topping hit.

Alyssa Caverly
But what will be different this year? Everything. The Billboard Music Awards are set to deliver an entirely new award show concept. So how will it work? Instead of happening live in one place, the performances and award celebrations will take place at different locations across the globe and feel unique to each individual artist. This year’s BBMAs will also be bigger than ever. The BBMAs will unveil performances and winners across BBMAs and Billboard social channels. Or you can watch it all go down by tuning into bbmas.watch on Sunday, November 19. That’s right. No television. It’s all online. Billboards Chief Brand Officer Dana Droppo had this to say about the show. “More than any other medium music unites people all over the world. Now more than ever we are seeing that it transcends language, culture and location. Billboard is here to increase access to music for everyone.” So where did the fans come in? The Billboard Music Awards and Spotify have teamed up to find the most loyal fans, the ones who have listened to the most hours of music within the past year. These lucky fans will receive a golden ticket that allows them to attend the performance of their favorite artists that will stream during the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. Dick clark productions, who puts on the event, says that “This year’s show is an epic celebration of the fans who have propelled their favorites to the top of the Billboard charts to thank them. We are thrilled to work with Spotify and the artists themselves to offer their most loyal fans and experience they’ll never forget.” Make sure to tune into the 2023 Billboard Music Awards all day on Nov. 19.

02 Nov 2023

Rock Hall of Fame Class of 2023: Breaking Down the Inductees’ Chart Feats

On Nov. 3, 11 musical acts, one hit-generating songwriter and Don Cornelius, the creator-host — from 1971 to 1993 — of groundbreaking syndicated Black music showcase Soul Train, will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

This year’s list of honorees includes a crop of legendary performers: British art-pop legend Kate Bush, hip-hop trailblazer Missy Elliott, late megastar George Michael, pop-rock hitmaker Sheryl Crow, outlaw country icon Willie Nelson, rap-rock firebreathers Rage Against the Machine and smooth soul group The Spinners.

Elsewhere, two individuals are set to be inducted under the “musical influence” category, including “Father of Hip-Hop” DJ Kool Herc and guitar pioneer Link Wray; while the “musical excellence award” will be given to three others: funk idol Chaka Khan, veteran studio musician Al Kooper and longtime Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin.

Notably, four of the seven performers are being inducted on their first nomination: Crow, Elliott, Michael and Nelson. Among those, Elliott was the only artist eligible for the first time in 2023.

While the achievements of many of the above-named inductees — performers like Elliott, Michael, Crow, Nelson, Rage and Khan — are well-known to many, others on the list require more of an introduction. Below, we’ve compiled quick facts on each of the honorees, from the trails they’ve blazed in the industry to the hit songs that shot them to fame and fortune.

Below, a look at their musical milestones and chart achievements.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday (Nov. 3). Viewers can watch the event live on Disney+ starting at 8 p.m. ET.