pop music news stories on Newser

Monkees' Davy Jones Dead at 66

Kevin Spak — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:59:52 CST

Monkees frontman Davy Jones died of a heart attack this morning in Florida at the age of 66. Jones had the heart attack in his home, and was taken to Martin Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, a spokesman tells TMZ . He gave what turned out to be his...

5 Habits That Are Really Addictions

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:56:49 CDT

Drugs, sex, alcohol—such addictions belong to other people, right? Not so, says Cracked , which lists five everyday addictions: Pop music. Scientists have predicted pop hits by performing MRI scans on people listening to unreleased tunes. Future hits lit up pleasure centers in the brain; dopamine was released when melodies...

Hear New Gaga Tunes... Only on FarmVille

Matt Cantor — Tue, 10 May 2011 17:20:43 CDT

Gaga for Gaga? It’s time to start a virtual farm. Lady Gaga is releasing exclusive new tracks from her album via a special “GagaVille” estate in FarmVille, the AP reports. Players of the online game must accomplish certain tasks to hear one new song per day between May 17 and...

1960s Singer John Walker Dead at 67

Matt Cantor — Mon, 09 May 2011 06:17:11 CDT

John Walker, a founding member of 1960s pop trio the Walker Brothers, died Saturday in Los Angeles after battling liver cancer, the Guardian reports. He was 67. The American singer, songwriter, and guitarist helped the UK-based band score big hits, including “Make It Easy on Yourself” and “The Sun Ain’t...

As Americans Get More Self-Centered, So Do Lyrics

Matt Cantor — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:08:33 CDT

Today’s hit songs aren’t about “us”—they’re just about “me,” a study finds. Researchers examined Billboard’s top 10 songs in the US each year from 1980 to 2007, and found that “popular music lyrics now include more words related to a focus on the self,” says one. Using a word-counting...

Surprise: Britney's New Album Is Innovative

Matt Cantor — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:42:20 CDT

Britney Spears’ new record is actually pretty innovative for a pop album—though Britney herself may have little to do with that. Femme Fatale is “the rare dance-pop album that never flags, each track preposterously overstuffed with hooks and sensations,” writes Jody Rosen in Slate . Spears is “a great avant-gardist”:...

Did 'Friday' Really Make Rebecca Black a Millionaire?

Matt Cantor — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:40:06 CDT

Thanks to a song that’s inspired unrestrained hatred, Rebecca Black has been proclaimed a millionaire by no less an authority than Forbes —but that’s unlikely, writes Annie Lowrey in Slate after a quick analysis. For one thing, "Friday" has sold 30,000 copies, Billboard says; Forbes had reported that it...

Rebecca Black Proves New Rules of Fame

Matt Cantor — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:23:05 CDT

With Friday , 13-year-old Rebecca Black has a top 20 song on iTunes and a video that’s reached 35 million views—but what she’s most noted for is widespread derision. “We don't hate you because you're famous. You're famous because we hate you,” reads one of the printable tweets. But that’s...

Radiohead's 'Genius' Again on Display in King of Limbs

Matt Cantor — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:00:39 CST

Radiohead’s new album, The King of Limbs , has appeared a day early—and the reviews are already pouring in. Here’s what critics have to say: “The angst has gone,” writes Lucy Jones in the Telegraph . “There’s none of the anger of Hail to The Thief , the horror of OK Computer...