State Champ Radio Rock
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The final day of February arrives with an abundance of blessings from St. Vincent. In addition to sharing a new song and music video titled “Broken Man” Thursday (Feb. 29), the singer-songwriter born Annie Clark also announced that her next album, All Born Screaming, is set to arrive this spring. Set over sharp-edged electric guitar […]
Stevie Nicks is joining the already power-packed lineup for this summer’s BST Hyde Park concert series in London. The Fleetwood Mac singer and solo star was announced as the headliner for the July 12 concert in Hyde Park, joining a roster of shows that already includes BST gigs by Kings of Leon, Kylie Minogue, the […]
Fans will finally get to see Paul Simon dive into his songwriting legacy and the high points of his nearly seven-decade career in music when the biopic In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon hits streaming next month.
“People used to say, ‘Oh, you have your finger on the pulse,’” Simon says in voiceover in the 90-second trailer for the “definitive” musical doc chronicling the 82-year-old singer’s legendary career; the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and will bow as a two-part series on MGM+ on March 17 and 24. “No, I don’t have my finger on the pulse… I just have my finger out there and the pulse is running under,” Simon says.
In addition to taking viewers behind the scenes of the making of Simon’s 2023 album Seven Psalms, the Alex Gibney-directed doc promises to includes never-before-seen footage from throughout Simon’s storied career, from his days in Simon & Garfunkel to the global success of his landmark 1986 world music album Graceland.
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The opening montage says it all, bouncing from footage of a fresh-faced Simon at the beginning of his career in the mid-1950s, to his historical free 1981 Concert in Central Park benefit show with former partner Art Garfunkel for 500,000 and the sessions for the meditative Psalms song cycle.
“I’ve never wanted to be anything other than a singer and songwriter,” says Simon, author of such indelible hits as “Homeward Bound,” “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” “Loves Me Like a Rock” and the South Africa-inspired Graceland, which won the 1987 Grammy for album of the year.
His collaboration with Garfunkel — which began when they were teenagers performing as Tom & Jerry — spawned dozens of hits and classic albums during the 1960s until their acrimonious split in 1970. The pair reunited several times over the next three decades for one-off shows and a 1993 world tour, though they would never again record a full album together.
“Artie, that was a good friendship,” he says lovingly about Garfunkel in the trailer. “We thought we should express what our generation felt.”
Watch the trailer for In Restless Dreams below.
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It was never a phase, mom! Especially for Jimmy Butler. The NBA star appears in the new music video for Fall Out Boy’s “So Much (For) Stardust” released on Wednesday (Feb. 28), bringing back his viral “emo” hairstyle, featuring straightened locks in long bangs across his face, which he originally debuted last October for the […]
It was just a typical night in Islington, U.K. on Tuesday (Feb. 27), with the lead singer of stadium-filling Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong, taking the stage at the 600-capacity venue The Garage with his side-project covers band, The Coverups.
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And while that was thrilling enough for the lucky fans who scored tickets, in addition to ripping through such classics as “A Million Miles Away” (Plimsouls), “I Wanna Be Sedated” (Ramones), “Ready Steady Go” (Generation X), “I Think We’re Alone Now” (Tommy James & the Shondells) and other favorites by Bryan Adams, the Pretenders, the Crickets, Buzzcocks and the Clash, Armstrong had one more trick up his sleeve.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Courtney Love,” Armstrong said halfway through the show according to fan video of the moment the Hole singer unexpectedly took the stage. “Thank you, Billie Joe. My name is Courtney Love – you may not remember me. I’ve been living in a cave in Birmingham for about nine years. We’ll give this a f–king try, right?”
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Love then crashed through revved-up takes on Cheap Trick’s 1977 power pop classic “He’s a Whore” and the 1979 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers tune “Even the Losers” and, according to NME, came back for an encore of Cheap Trick’s iconic “Surrender.”
The show also included Armstrong and company’s takes on David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust,” Nirvana’s “Drain You” and the Strokes’ “Last Nite,” as well as a run through the Green Day singer’s side project The Longshot’s 2018 song “Love is For Losers.”
Love has kept a low musical profile since the 2010 release of the Hole album Nobody’s Daughter, which was followed by a series of one-off singles including “You Know My Name” and “Mother.” In Oct. 2023, Love teased tracks from what she said was the imminent follow-up to her first official solo album, 2004’s America’s Sweetheart; at press time she had not provided an update on a release date for that project.
Check out some footage of Love’s surprise appearance and other tracks from Coverups’ show below.
Perry Farrell is of two minds regarding the second Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination for Jane’s Addiction.
“I would like the world to view Jane’s in the same light as the greats, but that’s as far as it goes,” he tells Billboard in the midst of the Horns, Thorns en Halos Farewell Tour by Porno For Pyros, his other band with Jane’s drummer Stephen Perkins. “I don’t really get off on trophies. I’ve always kind of felt like I’m on my own island. It’s nice of them to consider me, (but) I’m not so sure I belong there.”
A vanguard of the alternative rock scene, Jane’s Addiction was previously nominated for the Rock Hall in 2017. The on-and-off group’s fourth and most recent studio album, The Great Escape Artist, was released during 2011, and it’s released two live albums since, in 2013 and 2017. A non-album single, “Another Soulmate,” came out in 2013. The group toured during 2022 and 2023 with original bassist Eric Avery back in the lineup but not guitarist Dave Navarro, who was struggling with effects from long COVID. The group has reportedly been in the studio working on new material as well.
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Asked if he wants people to vote for him, Farrell, a co-creator of Lollapalooza, responded, “That’s up to you. If you’re gonna do it, check off Cher’s box, too.” He also voiced support for an eventual induction for the MC5, which has been nominated six times. Jane’s currently ranks 12th in the fan voting for the Rock Hall. Public votes can be cast via vote.rockhall.com.
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Rock Hall concerns are currently taking a back seat while Farrell and Perkins criss-cross the country with Porno For Pyros — including original guitarist Peter DiStefano but with Mike Watt subbing for Martyn LeNoble.
“We are just playing elegant, gnarly, unpredictable punk-jazz,” Farrell says of the shows, which are mixing songs from the band’s two studio albums with the recently released “Agua” and “Little ME” and occasional covers. “We’re getting the job done by spreading a good message. I think we’re getting to spread a message that I think the world sorely needs right now — not tomorrow. When we go out and play Porno, I feel like we’re able to relate and inspire people through music. It’s the nicest experience that can happen to you.”
Farrell adds that despite the tour’s name this may not be the last we see of Porno For Pyros. “It really depends on what goes down,” he says. “If we all enjoy each other’s, not just company but each other’s musicianship, how we are playing on stage…. That’s the most important thing. I see Porno as a project. I have projects that I do in my life. Porno’s a very important one. I would never say never.”
Mark Ronson brought a message from Sir Paul McCartney with him to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night (Feb. 26) — but he wasn’t sure he should have. The producer began by chatting with Jimmy Fallon about his campaign to get Foreigner — of which Ronson’s step-dad Mick Jones is the guitarist […]
There are few tropes better than love triangles — especially when they involve three rock icons. From March 8-21, auction house Christie’s will host an online auction of items from the personal collection of British photographer and model Pattie Boyd, who served as a muse for both George Harrison and Eric Clapton.
Deemed as “one of the greatest muses in rock history” by Christie’s via a press release on Monday (Feb. 26), Boyd inspired a plethora of songs between the two musicians. Boyd was married to Harrison during the peak of Beatlemania, the band’s foray into psychedelia and post-breakup (1966-1977). Harrison’s Boyd-inspired Beatles tracks include “I Need You” (1965) and Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers “Something” (1969) and “For You Blue” (1970).
Clapton, a close friend of Harrison’s, pursued Boyd for years via a series of love letters, some of which are available at the auction. “I am writing this note to you, with the main purpose of ascertaining your feelings toward a subject well known to both of us,” he opens one letter. “What I wish to ask you is if you still love your husband, or if you have another lover? All these questions are very impertinent I know, but if there is still a feeling in your heart for me… you must let me know!”
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By 1974, upon discovering his multitude of extramarital affairs, Boyd left Harrison. Five years later, she and Clapton married, eventually splitting in 1987 due to substance abuse issues and infidelity. In Clapton’s catalog, Boyd can lay claim to inspiring “Layla,” the 1971 No. 12 Hot 100 hit, which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame just 27 years after its release (1998).
For her part, Boyd believes auctioning off these items (which include photos of herself, Harrison and Clapton, as well as postcards, telegrams and letters) is a part of her healing journey.
“I thought, ‘Do I need them? Do I need to keep going into Pandora’s Box?’ I’ve enjoyed them for many, many years, and now it’s time for other people to see and enjoy them. It’s only right I should pass them on,” she mused to Christie’s, where items will be on display at Christie’s in London from March 15-22.
Willie Nelson‘s upcoming Outlaw Music Festival Tour just might be the most star-studded one yet. The outing — which launches June 21 in Alpharetta, Georgia — will feature Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and John Mellencamp, along with Brittney Spencer, Celisse and Southern Avenue on various dates throughout the tour. Billy Strings, who just headlined three Nashville shows, will join the tour for a special concert outside Seattle, Washington at The Gorge.
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“This year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour promises to be the biggest and best yet with this lineup of legendary artists. I am thrilled to get back on the road again with my family and friends playing the music we love for the fans we love,” Nelson, 90, said in a statement.
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The Outlaw Music Festival made its debut in 2016 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The sold-out show garnered so much acclaim that organizers Blackbird Presents, Mark Rothbaum and Nelson developed it into a hugely-popular touring franchise that has welcomed artists including Chris Stapleton, Neil Young, Luke Combs, Van Morrison, ZZ Top, Sheryl Crow, Eric Church, Bonnie Raitt, Tyler Childers and more over the years.
Tickets for this year’s tour go on sale to the general public on Friday (March 1) at 10 a.m. local time here. Citi is the official card of the tour, with Citi cardmembers having access to presale tickets on Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. local time until Feb. 29 at 10 a.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program.
See the full list of tour dates and lineups for the 2024 Outlaw Music Festival Tour below:
June 21 — Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Celisse
June 22 — Charlotte, N.C. @ PNC Music Pavilion
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Celisse
June 23 — Raleigh, N.C. @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Celisse
June 26 – Virginia Beach,VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Celisse
June 28 — Syracuse, NY @ Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Celisse
June 29 — Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Celisse
June 30 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Celisse
July 2 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Celisse
July 6 — Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Celisse
July 7 — Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Celisse
July 29 — Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Brittney Spencer
July 31 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Brittney Spencer
Aug. 3 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Brittney Spencer
Aug. 4 — Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Brittney Spencer
Aug. 7 — Boise, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Brittney Spencer
Aug. 9 — Spokane, WA @ ONE Spokane Stadium
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Brittney Spencer
Aug. 10 — George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Billy Strings
Brittney Spencer
Sept. 6 — Somerset, WI @ Somerset Amphitheater
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Southern Avenue
Sept. 7 — Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Southern Avenue
Sept. 8 — St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Southern Avenue
Sept. 11 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Southern Avenue
Sept. 12 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Southern Avenue
Sept. 14 — Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Southern Avenue
Sept. 15 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Southern Avenue
Sept. 17 — Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
John Mellencamp
Southern Avenue
Taylor Swift carves out another Billboard chart record as she surpasses The Beatles for the most weeks spent in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the last 60 years across all her top 10-charting albums combined.
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On the latest Billboard 200 chart (dated March 2), Swift has three albums in the top 10, which ups her cumulative total of weeks in the top 10 to 384 — across all her 16-top 10-charting albums combined. She’s in the top 10 on the latest list with three former No. 1s: 1989 (Taylor’s Version) at No. 6, Lover at No. 7 and Midnights at No. 9.
Since the Billboard 200 combined its previously separate mono and stereo album charts on the Aug. 17, 1963-dated chart, Swift now has the most weeks in the top 10. She steps past The Beatles, who have a total of 382 weeks in the top 10 across their 32 top 10-charting albums. (The Billboard 200 began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March of 1956.)
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Swift first visited the top 10 on the Nov. 24, 2007-dated chart when her self-titled debut climbed 26-8. The Beatles first hit the top 10 on the Feb. 8, 1964, chart, when Meet the Beatles! vaulted 92-3. The Beatles were last in the top 10 on the Nov. 12, 2022-dated chart, when a deluxe reissue of the 1966 album Revolver prompted its re-entry on the list at No. 4.
Among Swift’s top 10-charting albums, the one with the most weeks in the top 10 is Midnights, with 68 weeks in the region. It’s followed by 1989 (60), Fearless (58), Lover (54) and Folklore (30).
As for The Beatles, the band’s five albums with the most weeks in the top 10 are Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (35), Abbey Road, A Hard Day’s Night (28 each), Meet the Beatles! (21) and 1 (20).
Following Swift and The Beatles among acts the most weeks in the top 10 (since August 1963) are The Rolling Stones (with 309), Barbra Streisand (277) and Drake and Mariah Carey (233 each).
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multimetric 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 March 2, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Feb. 27. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X and Instagram.
