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Matchbox Twenty’s classic hit “Push” revisits multiple Billboard charts dated Aug. 5, sparked by its synch – via its original version and Ryan Gosling‘s cover – in the new movie Barbie. Released in 1996, “Push” reaches the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally at No. 17. (Older songs are eligible to rank on the […]
Imagine being the son of a lauded WWE Hall of Famer and wanting to fill his iconic wrestling boots. That was once the story for Cody Rhodes — the son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes — whose gripping promos and electric matches with Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, and Lex Luger made him the standard in pro wrestling during the 1980s. Once grappling with the legacy and shadow of his late father, Cody is no longer chasing ghosts.
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Since his return to the WWE in 2022, Rhodes is arguably the company’s top star, courtesy of his charisma, in-ring prowess and captivating entrance theme, which doubles as a rallying cry for his audience. Created by the alternative rock band Downstait in 2016 during Rhodes’ departure from the WWE, “Kingdom” tells the story of the wrestler seeking fans’ support while on his road to greatness. Though Rhodes’ journey wasn’t the most glamorous, as he wrestled in gyms for hundreds of people during the early stretches of his indie run, he pushed forward in hopes of reestablishing his name and identity in the wrestling world.
By 2019, Rhodes flourished and became a ubiquitous star in the indie circuit, wrestling for companies such as Evolve Wrestling, Ring of Honor, TNA and New Japan Wrestling. After hosting a successful pay-per-view titled All-In with acclaimed indie wrestlers in 2018, Rhodes launched a new wrestling promotion titled AEW alongside Matt and Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega to rival WWE. Though Rhodes left the company in 2022 to return to his first home, his song “Kingdom” followed him after he and the band endured an excruciating battle with WWE over song rights and royalties. Today, “Kingdom” sits at a whopping 28 million plays on Spotify, and continues to be among the most popular themes in WWE, propelling Rhodes further into the hearts of the WWE Universe amid his quest for the championship.
Billboard spoke to Rhodes about “Kingdom,” his new Peacock documentary, American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes, his similarities to LeBron James and more.
When Downstait first made “Kingdom,” I read they were struggling financially and working regular jobs. How did his song eventually become a win not only for you, but for everyone involved?
It was so nice when I left WWE initially and I went into the unknown — I wanted to be prepared for it. I almost felt like I was drawing up blueprints for what I wanted my career to be like, now that I was my own boss and I was going to be in charge. And those guys, Downstait, have done music for WWE for years and they’ve done multiple themes of mine already, which I didn’t even know. There wasn’t that connection between the artists and the artists, I supposed. They were banging out banger themes left and right, but I contacted them and they were game to do it.
They put together lyrics that were kind of this rallying cry — because that’s the trick with sports entertainment and wrestling music. The song can be good, sure; it could be a good song, a good beat, a good melody, but it also has to be catchy. You gotta remember it. In the case of today, I’d say today that we have the catchiest of songs because, it creates this whole moment that happens multiple times throughout its play-through, with the “Whoas.”
But their journey, Downstait — you mentioned them going through it and the struggles — their journey mirrored my own. So for us to pair up, take it, and then for me to be so specific with everyone to the point [where] in plenty of meetings, people did not love how absolutely adamant I was about this being the song: This is the song. There’s no other song. Maybe one day, but this is the song and it goes everywhere I go. That’s just the way it gotta be — and I’m glad we stuck to our guns on that one, because those guys are great. They do music for tons of folks and they’ve made a very catchy song.
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Considering you’re near the apex of your career — I say near because I know that elusive belt is something you’re still chasing — are there any lyrics from “Kingdom” that still hit home and resonate with you today?
I think probably the No. 1 [thing] in the lyrics that resonates is the part about following you til the end — in terms of, I was asking fans when I left [WWE], flat out, “Hey, will you go with me?” Doesn’t mean you don’t watch WWE still, but will you go with me to Evolve in Joppa, Maryland in front of 400 people? Will you go with me to NorthEast wrestling? Will you go with me to All-Pro Wrestling? Because as much as these independents are in high-school gyms and in myriads of places, they’re streamed. You can get them, you can see them. I wanted to have fans ride with me. That’s why I created the list of the different opponents that I would want.
I think that following me until the end has become a genuine [feeling] for those who were onboard and for those who’s just getting onboard tomorrow, or today even. I’m gonna do everything I can to get to the finish — and then of course, who knows what happens after that? Because you mentioned being near the apex of my career — there’s really this one thing that I’m looking to tackle, and what will happen if we’re able to get that chip. But that line about following you until the end sticks with me, because I’m always looking at the people when I hear it in the speakers in the ring, and it’s a very real transaction that we have.
From “undesirable to undeniable” is a quote I always hear from announcer Corey Graves when describing your journey. At what point in your journey did you hit the undeniable chapter of your life?
I think probably when you can no longer say, “OK. He was disenfranchised and he didn’t like what he was doing, so he quit.” I think when you had to turn the narrative into, “no, he had a point,” was around the first All-In. When [wrestling columnist] Dave Meltzer said we couldn’t get 10,000 people in an arena and we got 11,236 in under an hour. We shut the site down, and there’s a plaque on the side of the arena. That was the one where you could no longer be denied — and what I tried to do after that was if anyone showed up then and there like, “no, no, this is a fluke,” I kept trying to put them through the goal post.
At that point, our industry really changed. If you ever interview any of the big wigs or the top brass behind the scenes, this might be the area where they don’t love my story — because it meant everyone had to get paid a lot more. I’m so glad I had Matt, Nick, and Kenny for that — because that’s something that’s pretty cool, whenever someone comes up to you and says, “Thank you. I got the biggest deal of my life because of this silly show you guys did and this gamble that you took.” That’s a very, very rewarding feeling that I never anticipated would ever come up in my career. But I think that that point was where the whole concept of “I will not be denied further” [came from]. It emboldened me.
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I see a similar storyline arc between you and LeBron in terms of starting your career at home, going elsewhere to find success and then coming back to where it all began. Am I crazy for drawing that comparison?
I can’t say that and here’s why: LeBron’s the GOAT, or if not, one of the GOATs. It’s LeBron. So I can’t just go like, “You know I see my story is a lot like LeBron James.” [Laughs.] For you to say it — I’ve thought the same thing about my time away very much. It was this needed thing where we were doing something unique and special. But then to be able to come back to what was your home and deliver. .. Not just come back for any other reason, but to come back and deliver, it’s very similar from that arc. So I’m happy to be discussed in the same vein as somebody like LeBron.
I think your finest promo was the one you cut with Paul Heyman earlier this year. Then, I think about your time at the Howard Fine acting school when you were younger. How much do you credit your skill-set in promos to your natural poise and charisma versus the acting classes you once took?
When I’m able to go out there, I always flip the mic. I flip it before I start talking. It almost feels like you’re this gun slinger when you have a mic, because that’s such a powerful thing, knowing you’re gonna tell [the fans] how you feel, why you need something and hope they’re in agreement with you. You’re gonna hope they find it entertaining or they have fun with it. All you’re doing is talking. There’s no wrestling going on in this ring, you’re talking in this ring.
I don’t know if it’s charisma. I feel like [my brother] Dustin got all my dad’s charisma. I don’t know if it’s Howard skills, because Howard skills are more about things that wouldn’t happen in your life. You’re really pretending. You’re acting — whereas what happens in the world of sports entertainment, where you’re in-between sport and entertainment, a lot of what I’m just saying is real.
The biggest part of why I’ve had success with promos and interviews is I prepare it like it’s a dissertation. I prepare that week before if I know I’m going to speak to them. [I’m] very, very in-depth about how I wanna deliver this message, because what I’m telling them is biographical. What I’m telling them is real to me.
You mentioned the Paul Heyman one, Mr. Heyman. That’s authentic. He gave my dad this job that changed the trajectory of my dad’s life. So as much as that problem with him and I exist, that is an area where I’ll always kind of nod my head and have a respect for [him]. I needed him to know it. He did not know that story until that show. I really needed him to know that this thing you did had a very, very large effect on my whole family. So to this day, I have a ton of respect for Mr. Heyman.
But I think with my promos and interviews, I think my preparations been key. I prepare heavily to speak to them. People complain sometimes that I use big words, but I never want to talk down to them. I feel like the sports entertainment wrestling audience is incredibly intelligent — and for some reason, maybe the stigma of the industry of old — some people don’t realize that, but that’s how I talk to them. We’re educated superstars and wrestlers in the ring and this is an educated audience. So I don’t dumb it down.
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Your first match in the WWE was against Randy Orton. If and when the Viper returns, what would a Cody Rhodes versus Randy Orton match look like?
It almost feels like it’s a first-time-ever match, because we wrestled against one another. We tagged together, we traveled together, but Randy arrived in WWE and was ready to go right out of the box. I have taken every piece of that little broken road that I’ve been on to really build what the American Nightmare is. Who I am when I step into the ring, and having that confidence, knowing my skillset, strengths and weaknesses. That’s why it comes across to me like this match never happened before, and I can only hope that Randy gets healthy and gets back to what he does — because he’s so, so, great at it. That would be quite a match. I think that’s one people are whispering about right now, and I feel both of us would be open to it, if not very open to it.
You were an incredible heel during your first run in the WWE. Because you’re the top babyface this time around, can you ever see yourself being a bad guy again, or do you think you’re stuck in this good guy role?
At the end of my AEW run, I felt we were doing heel — but apparently it wasn’t heel enough? Apparently, you have to say you’re a heel, and when you say you’re a heel, then you’re cool? So the definition of it was “the least cool, boo this guy out of the building.” That’s what I want out of my bad guys and bad girls, so I’m not stuck in it. I’ll say there’s probably less likely a chance of it happening, only because one thing I noticed, I’m really big on making eye contact with the audience. I noticed that my audience for me in particularly when you see the Nightmare shirt and the hat, it’s a lot of kids. That’s an important thing.
I don’t know if I’m a standard for them or anything of that nature, but if I even stand a chance of being someone that inspires them, I feel like I’m careful with screwing that up and letting them down. It felt like there was a spot in WWE after John [Cena] had left that maybe nobody was really filling and I don’t know why. But the youngest of our audience has really taken into what’s going on — which is funny, because if they watch this documentary, they might not even know about any of this stuff that even happened. They might just know the guy with the robe who says “Whoa” and the fireworks go off. But with them in mind, I don’t know if turning heel is as likely as it used to be.
American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes streams now and WWE SummerSlam streams August 5, only on Peacock.
San Francisco from 1965 to 1975 provided an extraordinarily fertile environment for the birth of such music acts as the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Sly and the Family Stone, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Steve Miller, Santana and many more. Additionally, seminal festivals such as Monterey Pop, Altamont and Woodstock brought Bay Area musicians into the national forefront during that time.
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The rich scene is examined in San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time, a two-part docuseries that airs Aug. 20 and Aug. 27 on MGM+.
The documentary comes from the same team that produced the three-time Emmy-nominated doc Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time of directors Alison Ellwood and Anoosh Tertzakian of Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, the Kennedy/Marshall Company, Amblin Television and Jeff Pollack.
“Just like with Laurel Canyon, I personally lived through this extraordinary musical period of time and visited the San Francisco scene on a regular basis, so I’m very excited to be working again with the same amazing team we assembled to create the Laurel Canyon doc series,” said executive producer Frank Marshall in a previous statement.
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“We are thrilled to reveal a new perspective on this explosively creative and musical place in time through never-before-seen archival material and the personal stories of those who lived and breathed the San Francisco scene. People think they know what the ‘Summer of Love’ was all about, but the two-part film sheds both light and darkness on what really happened during the psychedelic renaissance,” co-directors Ellwood and Tertzakian said in a joint statement to Billboard.
In the premiere of the documentary’s trailer above, even a young Bob Dylan praises the Northern California scene, declaring that “Jefferson Airplane are playing at Fillmore Auditorium, and I would like to go if I could.” The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia chimes in on the scene as well, declaring it a peaceful one, even in the face of the Vietnam War: “We’re not thinking about any kind of power, revolution or war.”
The last thing you want to do when you’re not feeling well is fight internet trolls. But, there Paramore singer Hayley Williams was this weekend, hitting back at sexist haters who decided to criticize her for postponing four shows due to what she recently revealed was a lung infection.
“internet bros have been pressed by my proximity to rock music and all its subgenres since 2005,” she wrote in an Instagram Story according to People. “the only thing thats changed is the platform from which they spew their ignorance. don’t think for a second your fav bands – metal or punk or otherwise – endorse your weird incel ass lifestyle. so many of these bands have stood side stage at our shows and treat us with respect. why? bc they aren’t threatened by a strong woman front a great band in a completely diff genre of music.”
On Saturday, Williams gave an update on her health after the band rescheduled four shows in the U.S. due to what was originally described as an illness within the band. “We kick back up Saturday in Tulsa (!!!) after a week of misery, sadness, and bellyfuls of antibiotics and steroids,” Williams wrote, referring to the group’s July 29 concert at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. “For the record, we did not have food poisoning or a band-wide s— fest.”
On July 22, the band postponed a gig in San Francisco just hours before showtime before postponing three more shows in Seattle, Portland and Salt Lake City; all four were rescheduled for this month.
“In all seriousness, this past week has been really tough,” she added in her original post. “Nobody would know this but I started getting sick in Houston (non contagious) and muscled my way all the way through LA. Adrenaline is a wonder! But by the time the excitement and the nerves from all the LA shenanigans wore off, my body just gave out.”
Williams’ since-expired Sunday Story also included a screenshot of a tweet in which someone noted that Metallica and Iron Maiden still “manage” to play shows when they are sick, “all of which are much older than you love.”
“Neither [Metallica singer] James [Hetfield] NOR [Iron Maiden singer] Bruce [Dickinson] are gonna suck your d–k for this, LOVE,” Williams shot back. She also responded to another commenter who noted that Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl came back on stage and performed after falling off a stage and breaking his leg in 2015.
Williams didn’t have time for that one, either. “I have a lung infection you soft s—! Not a broken limb,” she wrote to the person who called her “whiney,” noting, “One you can sing with for 2 hours, another you cant. But worry not! The shows weren’t canceled, merely postponed a week. Maybe you should come out to one of them… like Dave did.”
The latter was a reference to Paramore’s set at Bonnaroo last month during which Williams invited Grohl up to sing a cover of his band’s fan favorite “My Hero.”
Less than two weeks after the Good Vibes Festival was canceled by Malaysian authorities following The 1975 singer Matty Healy’s same-sex onstage kiss with a bandmate, the band’s envelope-pushing singer seemed to have thoughts on another rock group’s actions in the country with notoriously strict anti-LGBTQ laws. According to NME, Healy weighed in on Muse‘s […]
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl welcomed Alanis Morissette to the band’s stage this weekend at the 2023 Fuji Rock Festival at Japan’s Naeba Ski Resort. Together, they honored the late Sinead O’Connor with a live cover of “Mandinka,” which was an early single of O’Connor’s from her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra. Explore […]
Staind returns to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart for the first time in over a decade with “Lowest in Me,” which rises to the top spot on the Aug. 5-dated ranking.
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The song is the Aaron Lewis-fronted band’s first ruler since “Not Again,” which led for seven weeks in 2011.
Staind now boasts five No. 1s, beginning with “It’s Been Awhile,” the second-longest-leading hit in the chart’s history, at 20 weeks in 2001. (3 Doors Down‘s “Loser” is the record winner: 21 weeks at No. 1 in 2000-01.) Staind also led with “So Far Away” in 2003 and “Right Here” in 2005.
In between “Not Again” and “Lowest in Me,” Staind hit Mainstream Rock Airplay with three titles, paced by the No. 5-peaking “Eyes Wide Open” in 2012. Lewis has also charted songs solo on both Mainstream Rock Airplay and Country Airplay between 2000 and 2021.
Concurrently, “Lowest in Me” bullets at its No. 4 best on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay survey with 4.1 million audience impressions, up 3%, July 21-27, according to Luminate. It’s tied for the band’s top-charting song on the ranking, which began in 2009, equaling the peak of “Not Again.”
In addition to its mainstream rock radio airplay, “Lowest in Me” has so far appeared on the Alternative Airplay survey for a week at No. 40 (July 29).
The most recently published multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (dated July 29) found “Lowest in Me” at a new No. 13 high; in addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 422,000 official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads in the July 14-20 tracking week.
“Lowest in Me” is the lead single from Confessions of the Fallen, Staind’s eighth studio album and first since 2011’s self-titled effort. It’s due Sept. 15.
All Aug. 5-dated Billboard airplay charts will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Beck and Phoenix’s collaborative single “Odyssey” hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart dated Aug. 5.
The song is Beck’s fifth No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay and first since “Uneventful Days,” which ruled for five weeks beginning in December 2019. He has also led with “Blue Moon” (2014), “Dreams” (2015) and “Up All Night” (2017).
In between “Uneventful Days” and “Odyssey,” Beck appeared on Adult Alternative Airplay twice, via a featured credit on Gorillaz’s “The Valley of the Pagans” (No. 17 peak, 2021) and his own “Thinking About You” (No. 5 this March).
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As for Phoenix, “Odyssey” is the band’s fourth Adult Alternative Airplay No. 1. The first three reigned in a three-in-a-row streak spanning “Identical” (2020), “Alpha Zulu” and “Tonight” featuring Ezra Koenig (both 2022).
In between “Tonight” and “Odyssey,” Phoenix placed on the chart with “After Midnight,” featuring Clairo, a No. 26 hit this May.
“Odyssey” is the first Adult Alternative Airplay No. 1 to feature more than one lead act since “Don’t Let Me Down” by Milky Chance and Jack Johnson, which ruled in July 2020.
Belying its title, “Odyssey” tops Adult Alternative Airplay in just its fifth week on the chart, the quickest coronation this year and Phoenix’s fastest flight among its four No. 1s.
Concurrently, “Odyssey” bullets at its No. 30 high on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay survey with 1.4 million audience impressions, up 5%, July 21-27, according to Luminate. In addition to its triple A radio airplay, the song is bubbling under Alternative Airplay.
“Odyssey” is currently a standalone single helping promote the acts’ co-headlining tour, which kicks off Aug. 1 in Seattle. Phoenix released the album Alpha Zulu last year, while Beck last premiered a full-length with Hyperspace in 2019.
All Aug. 5-dated Billboard airplay charts will refresh on Billboard.com on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Pierce the Veil hits No. 1 on a Billboard radio airplay chart for the first time, as “Emergency Contact” climbs from No. 3 to the top of the Alternative Airplay tally dated Aug. 5.
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The song reaches the summit in its 28th chart week, completing the second-longest trip to No. 1 this year, after Weezer’s “Records” took 29 weeks.
Before “Emergency Contact,” Pierce the Veil had appeared on Alternative Airplay once, with “Circles,” which peaked at No. 31 in 2016.
One other song from the band had made an airplay survey: “Pass the Nirvana” reached No. 39 on Mainstream Rock Airplay in 2022.
Prior to “Emergency Contact,” the band last boasted a Billboard song chart No. 1 with “King for a Day,” featuring Kellin Quinn. The collab led Hard Rock Streaming Songs for a week in August 2022 following its revival on user-generated content platforms such as TikTok. The act’s other No. 1, “The Divine Zero,” ruled Hard Rock Digital Song Sales for a week in 2015.
Concurrently, “Emergency Contact” vaults 17-12 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay survey with 2.4 million audience impressions, up 7%, July 21-27, according to Luminate.
On the most recently published multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (dated July 29), “Emergency Contact” ranked at No. 18. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 492,000 official U.S. streams in the July 14-20 tracking period.
“Emergency Contact” is from The Jaws of Life, Pierce the Veil’s fifth studio album. The set debuted at No. 1 on Top Hard Rock Albums in February and has earned 112,000 equivalent album units to date.
Neal Langford, former bassist for The Shins, has died at age 50. The group’s lead singer, James Mercer, confirmed the news in a Thursday (July 27) Instagram post to the band’s official account.
“Just want to let you guys know one of the best friends I’ve ever had has passed,” Mercer captioned a black-and-white photo of Langford playing his bass on stage. “He was in several bands with me including the Shins. A very important figure in my life you could say. I mean this is the guy who talked me into getting over my shyness and up on the stage. He put me in front of the microphone!”
Mercer continued, “He was the catholic school kid who showed me how to sneak into the back of the old El Rey theatre and get a ‘free’ beer. An invaluable person! Who turned me onto Dinosaur Jr. and Interview Magazine and the Cocteau Twins and countless other piles of cool stuff. … There’s too much to the story but I loved him. And I owe him a lot. Neal Langford you were always loved and you always will be.”
NBC affiliate WITN in North Carolina reports that the musician, who was also a well-known hot air balloonist and co-owner of IBX Balloon Flight, was found him dead in Bath Creek near a private dock on July 21 by law enforcement in Beaufort County. Foul play is not suspected, and a cause of death was not revealed.
The bassist’s last update on his Instagram account came on June 23, when he shared a certificate of completion for successfully finishing a treatment program at the Walter B. Jones Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center in Greenville, N.C.
Langford and Mercer played together in a band called Flake — eventually renamed Flake Music — in 1992 that was based in Albuquerque, N.M. The band released one album, 1997’s When You Land Here, It’s Time to Return, that was later reissued by Sub Pop Records. The Shins was developed as a side project by Mercer and Flake Music drummer Jesse Sandoval in 1996; Langford joined the band in 1999 after Flake Music disbanded and former Shins members Dave Hernandez and Ron Skrasek left the band.
The bassist notably played on the group’s debut album Oh! Inverted World. The release — now regarded as a classic of the indie rock genre — peaked at No. 19 on Billboard‘s Top Alternative Albums chart and was later certified platinum by RIAA. The LP’s lead single, “New Slang,” was featured in the 2004 movie Garden State starring Natalie Portman.
See Mercer’s tribute post to Langford below.