• One Direction, Katy Perry Top Billboard's Music 'Money Makers' List [FULL LIST]

    Forbes is usually the go-to for celebrity earnings and net worth but Billboard has assembled its own "money makers" list based exclusively on what performers brought in from musical earnings, such as live revenues and album sales (no sponsorship money or other other jobs outside of the industry...sorry Dr. Dre). When considered for music-based earnings, One Direction topped the chart for the last year, bringing in $46 million. Zayn Malik may want to reconsider some recent career decisions.
  • 5 Bad Vocalist Solo Debuts, from David Lee Roth to Nearly All of The Beatles

    On this date 30 years ago, Freddie Mercury of Queen released his first solo album, Mr. Bad Guy...and it failed drastically, at least from a commercial standpoint. It seems odd now—when a solo album from Brandon Flowers or other vocalists attached to a big-name band can release an album by themselves and land in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 without breaking a sweat—that one of the liveliest frontmen in rock history couldn't get into the Top 150 of the album sales charts with his first solo release. That said (and despite the cheesy image of Mercury in shades on the album cover), Mr. Bad Guy ain't a bad record. That can't be said about the solo debuts of these other famous vocalists, from The Beatles' members to David Lee Roth.
  • 4/20: The Beatles, Louis Armstrong and Fabolous: History's Most Notable Marijuana Arrests

    Few industries have been as supportive of the 4/20 holiday as the music business, considering how often our performers (and fans) seem to enjoy the subtle joys of marijuana. If you were around for Record Store Day during 2013, you may have witnessed just how early music fans will both line up and light up. Arrests for marijuana possession are almost a non-news item at this point: Rap performers Migos and Nelly have both been incarcerated for that (and a few other charges) in the last few weeks. The reason why those stories fail to shock us? Although the Reagan administration has been criticized for its "war on drugs," it focused on much more potent drugs while society has eased off on its fear of pot. Some states even allow it to be bought, sold and smoked legally. Here are five cases of musicians who served as martyrs for the cause before we as a society began to relax, including The Beatles, Louis Armstrong and Fabolous.
  • Yoko Ono Says Ringo Starr was 'the Most Influential Beatle' Before Hall of Fame Induction

    Ringo Starr was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making him the final Beatle to receive the honor as a solo artist. Many musicians, including former bandmate Paul McCartney, showed their support in the weeks leading up to the ceremony. Rolling Stone caught up with John Lennon's wife Yoko Ono before the event, and she kept the compliments coming.
  • Beatles' 5 Best Years at The Grammys: Battles with Frank Sinatra and A Surprising Peak Point

    The Beatles were kind of a big deal, as their countless hits and no. 1 singles can attest to, but their shelf wasn't nearly as full of Grammys as you might think. The group "only" managed to snag nine of the most vaunted awards in music across its entire career (compared to 27 for Allison Krauss). April 13 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Grammy ceremony where the band won a trophy and Music Times is marking the occasion by counting down the five years in which the greatest band in popular music history managed to land a win, going from "fewest wins" to most (ties will be broken by taking the "winning percentage" based on nominations).
  • The Beatles, Michael Jackson and More Musicians with Space Objects Named After Them

    The Beatles received an interesting honor on this date 25 years ago, as each member-John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr-received the honor of having four newly discovered asteroids named after them. It's not a rare honor-as Mental Floss explains, there are literally hundreds of asteroids and "minor planets" in our galaxy, and although they don't necessarily need to be named after anything, we're a sentimental species. That's how individuals such as The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Phil Spector ended up with astronomical objects named after them.
  • AC/DC 'Excited' About Playing Coachella, Paul McCartney Offers Advice

    AC/DC will be on hand this weekend to give festival-goers at Coachella a classic rock fix. The band will perform during the Friday night headline slot, following acts like Alabama Shakes, DJ Snake and Lil B -- Steely Dan will also be there to represent. In a recent interview with 'The Los Angeles Times,' frontman Brian Johnson talked about begin "excited" to perform for a younger audience and what advice Paul McCartney had to offer them.
  • Best Musical Pranks: Justin Bieber, Paul McCartney, Nine Inch Nails and More Celebrate April Fools Day

    If you've been reading the news today, especially on Music Times, you know that you've got to watch your back: It's April Fools and irresponsible music media sites are out to get you. We decided to go back and find five of the most epic, dedicated musical pranks the the history of the unofficial holiday. Justin Bieber and Paul McCartney are among those who succeed and suffer with the carrying out of every prank.
  • Rihanna Shares 'B*tch Better Have My Money' Via Dubsmash App

    Rihanna teased her new single "B*tch Better Have My Money" yesterday, March 25, on Twitter. Today, the singer shared a link to the tune, but there's a catch - to hear the new song, fans must first sign up for Dubsmash, Billboard notes. The app allows users to send selfie videos with special audio "dubbed with famous sounds."
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