MTV prophetically debuted with a too-appropriately-titled Buggles clip for "Video Killed the Radio Star", and the debate about whether video did that rages on to this day. Music lovers, here are the 50 Greatest Music Videos of All Time.
Let's take a moment and celebrate those creative sonic auteurs who managed to walk away from the industry at the top of their game.
To celebrate their achievements, we're putting together the Essential Daft Punk Playlist, rounding up songs from across their storied career. Many of these you may have already heard before, but most of these songs still sound great even when hearing them ... one more time.
This isn't a list of outright bad records, but more ones we were disappointed by in one way or another, be it because they were overhyped or simply didn't deliver the usual goods. 2020 was disappointing for many of us, so why can't the pop stars shoulder some of that weight?
Music took on more meaning than we thought was even possible in 2020, so let's use this time to celebrate the records that worked overtime to keep us sane and remind us of what a good time feels like.
For some, a debut album is a clearinghouse of ideas that would later form a true aesthetic. For others, that stellar debut record would be the launchpad for so many more classic recordings. And yet even a smaller group of artists, that debut album is so thundering, so striking and so definitive, it becomes the goalpost of which every subsequent release is judged against — sometimes unfairly.
Some records were meant to distract from the anxious times we live in, while others comment and address it head on. While we can't wait to see how the rest of 2020 unfolds musically, here are the 25 best albums of the year (so far).
Help celebrate Father's Day (or even get you some playlist ideas of your own), with the 25 best songs about fathers.
Whether it be filming a TV show, doing stunts for an action movie or even filming a steamy music video, sometimes the person who is cast opposite you can be your one, your only, your everything.
While many have an entire lifetime in which to grow their art and expand their legacy, sometimes they pass into the great unknown before they get a chance to see their completed and intended works unleashed upon the listening public.
No matter the reason, here is our list of shocking departures that changed the course of pop music itself. (Note: We did our best to distinguish quitting from being fired from a band, as that's a list for another day.)
While not every artist will stand the test of time — and a few inspire outright derision when their names are mentioned — some of them still have put out some solid records.
For every "Blonde," there's an "Endless." For every "Damn the Torpedoes," there's "The Last DJ." For every "American Idiot," there are three records called "Uno!," "Dos!" and "Tres!"...
To celebrate over 30 years of the program, let's go back and look at some of the show's most iconic cuts.
We've combed the archives, spun the vinyl, lip-synched our favorite Christina Aguilera vocal runs and have arrived with the definitive ranking of the Grammy winners for Best Pop Vocal Album from worst to best.
So now that we can fire up a streaming service and have a galaxy of songs to command at will, we've sorted through the fresh faces and old warhorses to provide the 25 best releases that 2019 has to offer.
Maybe we had high hopes; maybe we were taken back by the surprise nature of the release. But once our ears clicked in, there's no denying that 2019 had its share of striking disappointments.
More often than not, the broadcast ceremony for the Grammy Awards is a point of dull ridicule. Every year is awash in giant superstar collaborations, upset victories and memorable acceptance speeches, but the whole thing tends to feel bloated, indulgent and surprisingly bland.
The trends, the fads, the overplayed smashes and culture-shifting underdogs alike, let's rank the best and worst charting song from every year of an era that knows so much about taste but so little about genre boundaries.
As we look back over a decade full of classics, let's mix the hits in with the critical favorites and make the soundtrack of your life. After all, one listen to just about any of these songs will evoke some sort of memory in you...
From the mainstream's almost-embrace of Robyn to a lively new generation of female rappers like Cardi B and Lizzo to breakthroughs of Maren Morris and Brandi Carlile (and this one artist named Adele — maybe you've heard of her), the 2010s were a wild, innovative decade for music. So we just had to make a list of the 50 best albums to come out of it. Enjoy, friends.
Let's talk about the signature musical acts from every major city, whether they be artists who represents where they came from or just happen to be hometown success stories writ large.
Maybe it's an elaborate, commissioned piece of art. Maybe it's a photo that captures just the right kind of moment. Whatever the sleeve is, we know a great one when we see it, as it intrinsically ties our emotions to the music within.
With the amount of money Disney is making with the live-action remakes of its animated film canon, there is no doubt this trend is expected to continue for years to come, especially as the remake of "The Lion King," arguably the most treasured of the trove, will be landing in theaters on July 19.
Unite your hands across the water (water) and heads across the sky as we put together the ultimate Paul McCartney playlist. From his time with The Beatles to his collaboration with Rihanna and everything in between, let's take a look at all of the great songs from "Yesterday" and beyond.