Country music has officially taken over, it seems. On this week’s Billboard album charts, the genre boasts the Top Three albums, four of the top ten, and eight of the top twenty (nine if you count the country/folk-influenced Mumford and Sons). As far as the other genres in the Top 20 go: two albums qualify as hip-hop, five fall under the pop umbrella (a wide spectrum that goes from Rod Stewart’s standards to Katy Perry’s dance-pop), there’s one legit rock […]
award shows
Chart Stalker 11/11/10: Yee Haw Once Again
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Award Show Sundays: Starring Slash & Duff in “What the Bleep?”
Ah, the old days. When something as innocuous as profanity on a televised award show was enough to get people up in arms. In the days of award show publicity stunts, someone dropping an “F” bomb during an acceptance speech isn’t particularly jaw-dropping (especially with tape delays), but when Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns ‘n Roses let a few choice words slip while accepting their two at the 1989 American Music Awards, tongues wagged. Fortunately, the censor was around […]
Award Show Sundays: Can You Stand the Rain?
I could write an entire article about the disappearance of the R&B group (matter of fact, I think I will at some point), but back in the late Eighties, there was no shortage of solid multi-member units. Check out the list of nominees for Best Album by a Duo, Group of Band at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. You had Guy’s influential debut album, which set the stage for the burgeoning hip-hop/R&B fusion. There was “Who?”, the solid debut […]
Award Show Sundays: Little Richard Steals the Thunder
This is probably one of my 5 favorite Grammy moments of all time (ooh, an idea for another list!). It’s March 1988, and the Grammy Awards are at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Presenting the Best New Artist trophy are Buster Poindexter, who is enjoying mainstream recognition for the first time in his career thanks to his cover of Arrow’s “Hot Hot Hot”, and Little Richard. What results is Richard going wildly and hilariously off-script (someone should […]
The People Speak: Eminem & Antebellum Lead the American Music Awards
Well, folks, we’re in the thick of music award show season. The MTV Video Music awards kicked things off at the beginning of September, and the season concludes at the end of January with the Grammy Award ceremony. Smack dab in the middle, we have Dick Clark’s American Music Awards: an almost 40-year old institution that prides itself on being the people’s choice. Unlike the Grammy nominees, which are chosen by a “blue-ribbon” panel of music industry professionals, AMA nominees […]
Award Show Sundays: A John & (Different) Paul Production
One thing a lot of folks forget when thinking about John Lennon is the fact that the man had a helluva sense of humor. Actually, all the Beatles did (and you thought “Yellow Submarine” was only funny on account of the drugs involved). Through the power of YouTube, I was able to unearth this clip from the 1974 Grammys, back when I was -2 1/2 years old. That’s a minus, folks. Host Andy Williams announced John and Paul Simon to […]
Award Show Sundays: No Dress Shoes Required!!
Today’s installment of Award Show Sundays comes to you sorta by accident. I was searching for clips of James Taylor on music award shows, and couldn’t find any footage of him winning anything. The only things that came up were his performance of “Sweet Baby James” from 2003 or so, and the clip I bring you today, which comes from the 1986 ceremony. A very, very dapper JT (the scarf was a very nice touch) and a pretty Linda Ronstadt […]
Award Show Sundays: A Hot Summer Night?
Today, let’s go back in the wayback machine to 1983. Your presenters? The long-winded Quincy Jones (who thankfully, decided not to editorialize while making his presentation) and the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer? The category? Best Pop Vocal Performance by a female. The nominees? My girl Bolivia Neutron-Bomb, Linda Ronstadt (singing a toothpaste commercial), Laura Branigan, Melissa Manchester, and Juice Newton. Random questions: Is Donna that tall or is Q that short? I knew Donna was from New England, but […]
Chart Chat 9/23/10: Linkin Park and Trey Songz In A Photo Finish!
1,005 units separate this week’s #1 and #2 albums in one of the closest races for the top spot in history. The eventual victor? Rock giants Linkin Park score the top spot with 241,000 units sold of their fourth studio album, “A Thousand Suns”. While that sum is healthy, it is cause for alarm considering that LP’s last album, “Minutes to Midnight”, debuted with triple that sum just three short years ago. Linkin Park’s sound has gradually evolved over the […]
Award Show Sundays: Aretha’s Headgear
The Queen of Soul’s outrageous headgear choices did not begin with that monstrosity she wore at President Obama’s inauguration, as this clip from the 1983 American Music Awards makes abundantly clear. When accepting the award for Favorite Soul Album, she is seen wearing a…a…a…well, I’ll just let you look for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41GVXDIc2-U The other nominees in the category were Rick James’ “Throwin’ Down” (Rick had actually won in the same category the previous year) and Stevie Wonder’s “Original Musicquarium 1”. […]
Award Show Sundays: Hot Mess Moments at the VMAs
The MTV Video Music Awards is tonight. The show, which has been broadcast since 1984 (although MTV probably doesn’t want you to know that as it would make them seem very old to their target audience) is usually a pretty entertaining watch, although lately it’s been more for the train-wreck factor than for…you know, good music. I will be sitting this year’s broadcast out! Normally, I’d be up in front of the TV with some beer and popcorn live-blogging my […]
Award Show Sundays: The Nirvana Concussion Episode
I didn’t have MTV until 1994, by which time I was 18 years old. Well, slight correction-there was MTV available in my various residences from 1984-1994, but I wasn’t allowed to watch it on the rare occasions when I was even allowed to control the TV that had cable (long story). I was lucky, however, because for a few years in the late Eighties and early Nineties, the MTV VMAs would run on network TV (usually Fox, but I could […]