Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks sold 80% of her songwriting catalog for an estimated $80 million, Wall Street Journal reported. Ms. Nicks’ sale coincides with the recent buzz around 'Dreams' fueled by a viral TikTok video. To put this in perspective, pop-rock band Imagine Dragons sold their catalog for more than $100 million, while Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for $300 million.
Switch presents his impressive flow on 'Cleopatra's Nose', with a helping voice from Killah Priest; plenty of Christmas songs, but Julia Jacklin's 'Baby Jesus Is Nobody's Baby Now' deserves a proper listen; similarly, Porridge Radio's 'The Last Time I Saw You (o Christmas)' is for those who don't really like the holidays; Lushlife delivers some spacey jazzy-rap on 'Hessdalen Lights'; Scottish folk singer James Yorkston shares a baroque pop single 'Ella Mary Leather'; Every Time I Die share their first new song in four years, a melodic metal-core 'Desperate Pleasures' with some math-core energy.
Clubhouse is an exclusive, audio-only social network where people can spontaneously jump into voice chat rooms together, but they can get it only by invitation. It has less than 4 thousand members around the world, including musicians like Drake, Jared Leto, Estelle, 21 Savage and Lupe Fiasco. Clubhouse is about connecting people via audio, only. So, once inside, users can eavesdrop on, or join in with, conversations that are already happening, or start one of their own. Complex tried it out, says it "has the potential to be a fun platform to engage celebrities about their interests, talk music with like-minded people, or even get a beat placed". Clubhouse founders say they’re working on making it available to the public as quickly as possible.
“The gigging lifestyle - where musicians are freelancing from one independent job to another - I don’t know if that’s going to be around in New York after this. You’ll probably see some 'Mad Max' scenario where the young guys claw their way to survival” - Spike Wilner, the owner of two New York jazz clubs Mezzrow and Smalls, says in a Curbed interview. “Every jazz club that presents music is part of a chain, like a food chain, supplying life force to this community”, Wilner said, adding - “when the environment dries up, less and less animals are allowed to live”.
David Crosby has announced plans to sell off songs from his songwriting catalogue, days after Bob Dylan sold his own for $300 million, Exclaim reports. "I can't work…and streaming stole my record money," he wrote on Twitter - "I have a family and a mortgage and I have to take care of them so it's my only option". His fans were surprised Crosby wasn't worth millions ("I am not"), and he couldn't make money any other way - to which Crosby reiterated - "streaming does not pay us for records and COVID has shut down all work live… is that clear enough for you?".
The U.K.'s Royal Mint pressed a special coin of the late, great David Bowie and sent it to space to have it offered as a competition prize, BBC reports. Earlier, the Mint pressed and released the collectibles which celebrate different stages in Bowie’s career. The one-ounce silver proof coin made a 45 minutes trip by balloon to the edge of space to an altitude of 35,656m before safely returning to the earth. It’s to be offered as a competition prize on the Royal Mint’s Facebook page. Bowie is the third to feature in the Royal Mint’s 'Music Legends' collection following Queen and Elton John, both issued earlier in 2020.
Harold Budd, the iconic avant-garde ambient composer, has died aged 84 due to COVID-19, Rolling Stone reports. He frequently collaborated with Brian Eno, and The Cocteau Twins' guitarist Robin Guthrie, as well as XTC’s Andy Partridge, Ultravox’s John Foxx, Public Image Ltd’s Jah Wobble, and more. Over the past 40 years, Budd has released dozens of albums in a wide range of genres, including experimental piano, avant-garde minimalism, dream pop, and beyond.
A record number of 1.253 million vinyl albums were sold in the week of Nov. 27-Dec. 3 in the U.S., enough for the largest sales week since 1991, when electronic tracking music sales began, Billboard reports. It’s only the second week in 39 years that weekly vinyl album sales surpassed 1 million - the last time it happened was a year ago when 1.243 million were sold in the week ending Dec. 26, 2019. Half of the sales is attributed to Record Store Day Black Friday festivities at independent record stores, as indie physical store sales accounted for 542,000 vinyl LPs sold in the week. The top-selling vinyl was Harry Styles’ 'Fine Line', with 15,000 copies sold.
LD Beghtol, musician, artist and writer who contributed to The Magnetic Fields' '69 Love Songs' has died at 55, MXMWN reports. LD has participated in various other musical collaborations with Stephin Merritt over the years like The Three Terrors, and he made his own music, too, as part of Flare, and LD & the New Criticism. LD also wrote about music for Time Out, chickfactor, The Advocate, and The Village Voice, and he also made the book '69 Love Songs: A Field Guide'.
"The best albums of 2020 proved that incredible new music will always make their way to our ears, even in the toughest of times" - Pitchfork announces its albums of the year special.
The top 20:
20. Fleet Foxes: 'Shore'
19. Amaarae: 'The Angel You Don’t Know'
18. Destroyer: 'Have We Met'
17. Róisín Murphy: 'Róisín Machine'
16. Run the Jewels: 'RTJ4'
15. U.S. Girls: 'Heavy Light'
14. Jay Electronica: 'Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn)'
13. The Microphones: 'Microphones in 2020'
12. Lil Uzi Vert: 'Eternal Atake'
11. Adrianne Lenker: 'songs / instrumentals'
10. Bad Bunny: 'YHLQMDLG'
9. Jessie Ware: 'What’s Your Pleasure?'
8. Haim: 'Women in Music Pt. III'
7. Yves Tumor: 'Heaven to a Tortured Mind'
6. Bob Dylan: 'Rough and Rowdy Ways'
5. Perfume Genius: 'Set My Heart on Fire Immediately'
4. Phoebe Bridgers: 'Punisher'
3. Moses Sumney: 'græ'
2. Waxahatchee: 'Saint Cloud'
1. Fiona Apple: 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters'
Some of UK's most successful songwriters "are driving Ubers" to make ends meet - songwriter Fiona Bevan told UK MPs giving evidence to digital, media, culture and sport committee inquiry into the future of music streaming, Bevan, who has written songs for One Direction, Steps and Lewis Capaldi, said many writers were struggling because of the way streaming services pay royalties, revealing she had earned just £100 for co-writing a track on Kylie Minogue's number one album, 'Disco'. "The most successful songwriters in the world can't pay their rent", she added. Chic's Nile Rodgers said - "every single time I've audited my partners, I find money. Every single time. And sometimes, it's staggering, the amount of money".
Sydney and Melbourne were allowed to open their nightclubs on Monday, with no more than 50 people on the dancefloor at once, with enough space for one person per four square meters. After seven months of lockdown, it was "cathartic, joyous and sweaty", Guardian's writer, who was there on the first day of the reopening, says about the experience, adding that - "for the first time in what seems like an eternity, it was a relief to be surrounded by strangers".
An impressive list of artists - Dolly Parton, Henry Rollins, Cher, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Phoebe Bridgers, Boy George, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Kim Petras, King Princess, Sharon Osbourne, Taylor Swift, LL Cool J, Billie Eilish, Whoopi Goldberg, Bette Midler - has been announced for Cyndi Lauper's annual holiday benefit show. Virtual edition of 'Home for the Holidays' streams on Friday, December 11 (at 8 PM New York time, 2 AM on Saturday Berlin time, 8 AM Beijing time) on TikTok, and on Sunday, December 13 (at 10 PM Rio de Janeiro time, 3 AM Monday Kairo time, noon on Monday Sydney time) on YouTube and Facebook. Proceeds go to True Colors United, a non-profit that works to end homelessness among LGBTQ youth
The International Olympic Committee has added breakdancing as an Olympic sport for the 2024 Summer Games which will happen in Paris, ESPN reports. The sport will be called "breaking" at the Olympics, reflecting its original name in the late '70s. Sport climbing, skateboarding, surfing. and 3-on-3 basketball have also been added as new competitions, making their debut at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo which were postponed from this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"2020 bestowed an embarrassment of musical riches upon us" - PopMatters writes in its introduction of 60 best albums of 2020, with the majority of albums on the list made by solo artists.
Here are the top 20:
20. Deftones - 'Ohms'
19. Adrianne Lenker - 'Songs/Instrumentals'
18. Perfume Genius - 'Set My Heart on Fire Immediately'
17. Taylor Swift - 'folklore'
16. Bob Dylan - 'Rough and Rowdy Ways'
15. Bad Bunny – 'YHLQMDLG'
14. Childish Gambino – '15.3.20'
13. Jay Electronica - 'A Written Testimony'
12. Thundercat - 'It Is What It Is'
11. Dua Lipa – 'Future Nostalgia'
10. Fontaines D.C. - 'A Hero's Death'
9. Waxahatchee - 'Saint Cloud'
8. SAULT - 'Untitled (Black Is)'
7. Ital Tek - 'Outland'
6. Run the Jewels - 'RTJ4'
5. Yves Tumor - 'Heaven to a Tortured Mind'
4. Haim - 'Women in Music Pt. III'
3. Jessie Ware - 'What's Your Pleasure?'
2. Fiona Apple - 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters'
Bob Dylan has sold his entire songwriting catalogue to Universal Music for $300 million, according to the New York Times. The deal gives Universal the ownership of over 600 Dylan's songs spanning a period of almost six decades, starting with early classics such as ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’, ‘The Times They Are A-Changing’ and ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, all the way through to 2020’s ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways’. The deal means that Universal now controls one of the most celebrated back catalogues in history, and does not have to share future revenues with any other songwriters.Let's hope
DIY pop artists and UK rap came big on BBC's Sound of 2021 - a list of the best rising talent in music. English rap maverick Pa Salieu is already breaking it with his debut mixtape 'Send Them to Coventry', and Norway's Girl In Red is big on Spotify with seven million fans playing her lo-fi tales of teenage angst on the service. Others on the list are soul-R'n'B singer Greentea Peng, pop singer Griff, as well as Alfie Templeman, Berwyn, Bree Runway, Dutchavelli, Holly Humberstone, and The Lathums.
Bad Bunny debuts at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart with his latest album 'El Último Tour Del Mundo', the first all-Spanish album to hold the top spot in the 64-year history of the chart, Billboard reports. Bad Bunny’s 'El Último...' debuted at No. 1 with 116,000 in sales and streaming.
There’s Christmas cheer up and down the Official UK Singles Chart, with 21 songs among the Top 40, the Chart reports. Mariah Carey holds the highest spot, with her 1994 Christmas single 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' logging at No. 2. Wham's 'Last Christmas' climbs 17 places to No. 3, while The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s 'Fairytale of New York' zooms 26-8. Further 18 more holiday hits - including songs by John Lennon, Elton John, Band Aid, Chris Rea - impact the Top 40.
Hype Machine’s new program Merch Table lets users input their Spotify playlists and purchase those songs via Bandcamp. Merch Table works relatively simply - plug in the Spotify playlist url code into the search bar, press the “Find releases” button, and results of the songs listed begin to compile, taking you to each artist’s Bandcamp page to purchase tracks directly.
"The best indie-pop in 2020 privileged self-questioning and human connections over showy declarations of greatness. Small music with a big impact... Things I'm happy for in 2020 - there's still room for murkiness and mystique within melody-forward pop tunes" - PopMatters says introducing their list of 10 best indie-pop albums of this year. They are:
10. Peel Dream Magazine – 'Agitprop Alterna'
9. The Very Most – 'Needs Help'
8. The Legends – 'The Legends'
7. Pia Fraus – 'Empty Parks'
6. Thibault - 'Or Not Thibault'
5. Terry vs Tori – 'Heathers'
4. Tan Cologne – 'Cave Vaults on the Moon in New Mexico'
3. Koney – 'Koney'
2. Fenne Lily – 'Breach'
United Nations' Commission for Narcotic Drugs made the decision to remove marijuana from the Schedule IV classification of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which deemed it a dangerous drug, next to heroin. The suggestion to remove marijuana came from the World Health Organization, the New York Times reports. The motion passed with a vote of 27 to 25. The removal does not equate to worldwide legalization or decriminalization, but it will allow for more scientific research to be conducted on the plant.
Alice in Chains were the recipients of the Museum of Pop Culture's 2020 Founders Award, and at the great virtual celebration that took place this week, Korn (almost) stole the show with their rendition of 'Would?' (watch below). Also performing were the Alice in Chains themselves, Metallica, members of Soundgarden, Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Billy Corgan, Mastodon, as well as Chris Cornell's eldest daughter, Lily Cornell Silver, who made her live musical debut with a piano cover of 'Black Gives Way To Blue'.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have released their original score for 'Mank', David Fincher’s new movie about Citizen Kane co-writer Herman Mankiewicz. The Nine Inch Nails duo exclusively used period-authentic instruments from the 1940s to compose the songs for the ode-to-Hollywood movie.
Home to young, multi-racial and multilingual populations, South East Asia has steadily developed an indigenous hip-hop community and the world is finally taking notice - BBC writes in an introduction of selected rap artists from the region - Malaysian trailblazer Yogi B, Singaporean Yung Raja, Malaysian Zamaera, Filipino Flizzow...
Chicago rapper G Herbo and his entourage have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identify theft worth $1 million in products and services over a four year period, USA Today reports. The US government alleges that Herbo and his fellow defendants took part in an identity theft scheme using stolen credit card information partially acquired on the dark web. With it, they secured themselves a Jamaica vacation in 2017, pure-breed puppies, bills for hotels and restaurants, the renting of luxury cars, a private jet...
"Better to think of the best music of 2020 as an urgent cacophony of distinct voices rather than a chorus with a single melody" - NPR says about their best albums of 2020 list. The top ten:
10. Waylon Payne - 'Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me'
9. Lil Uzi Vert - 'Eternal Atake'
8. Nubya Garcia - 'Source'
7. Bad Bunny - 'YHLQMDLG'
6. Thomas Adès - 'Adès Conducts Adès'
5. Spillage Village - 'Spilligion'
4. Phoebe Bridgers - 'Punisher'
3. Lido Pimienta - 'Miss Colombia'
2. Fiona Apple - 'Fetch The Bolt Cutters'
Two of Kurt Cobain’s smashed Fender guitars sold for a combined $281,600 at an auction, Rolling Stone reports. Bob Marley’s first guitar earned $153,600 at Icons & Idols Trilogy: Rock ‘n’ Roll Auction, while three guitars once belonging to the late Eddie Van Halen have sold for a combined $422,000. The instruments were sold as part of a celebrity auction where nearly 900 items were offered, including items once owned by Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix, and more.
Roddy Ricch's breakout single 'The Box' has been named Apple Music’s most-streamed song of 2020 around the world, while the rapper’s 'Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial' was the most-streamed album on the streaming service, Music Ally reports. The year’s most-Shazamed song on the app was Tones And I’s 'Dance Monkey', and the most read-lyrics were from 'WAP' by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.
The New Yorker's Amanda Petrusich chose 10 best albums of 2020, with a surprise at the top:
10. Phoebe Bridgers - 'Punisher'
9. Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist - 'Alfredo'
8. Fleet Foxes - 'Shore'
7. Bob Dylan - 'Rough and Rowdy Ways'
6. Jyoti - 'Mama, You Can Bet!'
5. Fiona Apple - 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters'
4. Dua Lipa - 'Future Nostalgia'
3. Mary Lattimore - 'Silver Ladders'
2. Adrianne Lenker - 'Songs' and 'Instrumentals'
