• 5 Les Paul Gifts to Modern Music: Solid-Body Guitars, Multitrack Recording, More

    Today marks what would have been the 100th birthday of Les Paul, one of the greatest innovators in music history, both for his work with instruments and with recording technology (and he wasn't half bad as a guitar player either). Music Times has assembled five of Paul's greatest contributions to the music world, in order of when he was most involved in its development. Understand that none of these technologies were solely his creation, but none of them would be the way we know them today if it weren't for his contributions, from the solid-body guitar to multitrack recording.

  • 8 Victims of MC Hammer: Madonna, Vanilla Ice, AC/DC and More

    MC Hammer took his first step to the top of the Billboard 200 on this date 25 years ago with Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em , the hip-hop album that would introduce the world to "U Can't Touch This" and help the rapper to maintain a place at the top of the charts for 21 weeks, interrupted only once. That's impressive but it makes us feel bad for all of the other performers who were denied a no. 1 album by that craze. Nothing tops a best-selling album for musicians but Hammer wasn't trying to give his spot up. Music Times checked out the eight albums that took the no. 2 spot during Don't Hurt 'Em's run, from Madonna to Vanilla Ice, and listed them from least weeks to most in second place.

  • 5 Triple Crown Horses and Music to Match: Michael Jackson, U2 and More

    Fans of horse racing finally got the Triple Crown they had been waiting 37 years for when American Pharoah won at Belmont this weekend, capping off a Spring that included wins at the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby. It was the first time a horse had won the "Big 3" since Affirmed during 1978, with the horse in question finally sealing the deal in the third race. We say "finally" because it's not as if attempts at the Triple Crown are rare—13 horses won the first two legs of the Crown in the years since 1978—however the lengthier Belmont course often wore down on the hopeful horses. Music Times doesn't know much about racing, but we wanted to pay tribute to the last five Triple Crown winners with a comparable musical act, including Michael Jackson, U2 and more.

  • Governors Ball 2015: Best, Worst & Biggest Moments from Deadmau5, Florence + The Machine, The War on Drugs & More

    It's Monday morning now, and Governors Ball 2015 has finally come to an end. Over the weekend of June 5, countless rock, EDM and rap acts took to the stage at New York's City's Randall's Island to play for crowds of adoring fans. But, with the best of the fest which ranges from free chips to Florence + The Machine to SBTRKT, we also got sound issues, long lines for burgers and big ol' mud pits. In all its glory, Music Times was there to take in it all. See our best of the fest superlatives!

  • Billboard Hot 100 vs. Official Charts Company: Mariah Carey, Wiz Khalifa and 40 Years of No. 1s

    Few people realize just how different the music across the pond is from that we listen to in America, that the Hot 100 doesn't exist in the UK, and that its equivalent to our singles chart doesn't just feature a whole bunch of American artists with even more One Direction and Ellie Goulding tracks. Music Times is looking back at the last five decades of music, and at the no. 1 hits on April 2 every ten years on the spot, going back to 1975. The ultimate contest, of course, is which country has better taste. Last month the win went to the UK in the best-of-five showdown. This month features Wiz Khalifa, Jason Derulo, Mariah Carey and more in the field.

  • Cleveland Rap Songs: T-Pain, Milford Jerome (and Iman Shumpert?) Get Behind Cavaliers

    Tonight the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James will go up against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors for the first game of the NBA championship. To get revved up for the series, Music Times has assembled hip-hop songs about each of the respective teams, as few musicians get as amped for their local sports teams as rappers (the number of songs/mixtapes named "Beast Mode" after Marshawn Lynch is astounding). We'll start with the Eastern Conference and Cleveland, perhaps ground zero for the hip-hop-meets-harmony movement thanks to the city's much loved Bone Thugs.

  • Golden State Rap Songs: E-40, Mistah F.A.B. (and Lil B?) Get Behind Warriors

    Tonight the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James will go up against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors for the first game of the NBA championship. To get revved up for the series, Music Times has assembled hip-hop songs about each of the respective teams, as few musicians get as amped for their local sports teams as rappers (the number of songs/mixtapes named "Beast Mode" after Marshawn Lynch is astounding). We'll start with the Western Conference and Golden State, representing Oakland and its hyphy hip-hoppers. And no: "CoCo" by O.T. Genasis doesn't count...regardless of how often the team sings it.

  • Where Next For Third Man Records? Our Predictions: London, Austin and...Malta?

    Jack White has always had his hometown Detroit's back, whether that means building baseball fields, paying off the debts of the local Masonic temple or—in this case—opening a new location for his Third Man Records. The rocker made headlines all over the nation yesterday when he announced that his label would be opening a new retail store (with office space) in Michigan, expanding from its current headquarters in Nashville. It got us at Music Times wondering, where is he likely to expand to next? Here are five cities that may be the next place to open a Third Man Records location (hint: New York City ain't one of them. White noted recently that he dislikes the city strongly).

  • 5 Incredible Transgender Musicians: Wendy Carlos, Antony, Laura Jane Grace and More

    The world has been fixed on Caitlyn Jenner this week, after the former Olympic champion and current Keeping Up With The Kardashians star revealed her new feminine identity on the cover of Vanity Fair this week. News that might have provoked shock in recent years, and even months, was greeted largely with acceptance and praise. Hopefully this will help usher in a new era where transgender individuals will be acknowledged simply as human beings. Music Times hopes to help by saluting musicians such as these, who are far more notable for the music they produce than the gender they represent.

  • Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Travis Barker and More: Face and Head Tattoos in Music

    Young Thug shocked the world when he revealed that he had gotten an ice cream cone tattooed on his face in tribute to Gucci Mane. "Shocked" might be a bit of a stretch, considering that the rapper has been on a tear of unpredictable behavior since the release of his Barter 6 album. First he tried to cop the name Tha Carter 6 from Lil Wayne (and in an "unrelated" incident, his road manager was just arrested for allegedly shooting at Weezy's tour bus). The he got the "tribute" tattoo. What next? Will he start wearing clocks on chains as a "tribute" to Flava Flav? Anyway, all we have right now is that Young Thug got some fresh ink, and it's on his face. Here are six other prominent musicians that have used their heads as showcases for questionable art installations.

  • Ranking New Wave Vocalist Solo Debuts: Sting, Debbie Harry, David Byrne and More

    On this date 30 years ago, Sting released his first solo album—The Dream of The Blue Turtles—after the inevitable split of the feuding Police. Some band vocalists have the chops to make it on their own, and some don't. Based on how Turtles did, we'd say that the bassist was doing alright, and since then he's been nominated as a solo performer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...so it seems both fans and critics have taken a liking. You can argue that Sting's solo debut has nothing on Synchronicity, The Police's last album (and tough competition), but it deserved kudos nevertheless. Music Times looked at the first album from a number of other New Wave vocalists and ranked them, from best to "shoulda never left." Check out individual releases from David Byrne, Debbie Harry, Ric Ocasek and more.
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