30 SECONDS TO MARS: 'WAR' MACHINE November 28, 2009
- Features 30 Seconds to Mars involved its fans, known as "the Echelon," on a number of aspects of its new album, including them in choruses and putting their pictures on the album cover. » Full Story
6 QUESTIONS WITH STING November 28, 2009
- Features Sting's "If on a Winter's Night..." may feature holiday-inspired songs, but don't call it a Christmas album. "The whole season is much broader than that," he says. "Winter is about inspiration and imagination." » Full Story
PUDDLE OF MUDD: PULLING AN ALL-NIGHTER November 28, 2009
- Features On Puddle of Mudd's fourth studio set, "Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate," due Dec. 8 on Flawless/Geffen, the musician used his wife's complaints as inspiration for the song "Pitchin' a Fit." » Full Story
INTOCABLE: MODERN CLASSICS November 28, 2009
- Features For its 13th album, "Classic," Intocable teamed with legendary accordionist Ramón Ayala and covered songs Ayala recorded decades ago with his former band, Los Relámpagos del Norte. But even as Intocable looks back, it's exploring completely new territory. » Full Story
OMARION: SELF-MADE MAN November 28, 2009
- Features When Omarion sings, "I done cut the braids, low cut, got my grown on," in a raspy croon on his new single "I Get It In," he's referencing a turning point in his career. » Full Story
HOLIDAY CHEER November 28, 2009
- Features Billboard's seasonal Top Holiday Songs chart makes its annual return to our chart menu this week. » Full Story
THE CRIBS: THE NEXT PHASE November 28, 2009
- Features Since the release of their third album, 2007's "Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever," the Cribs have built a fervent U.K following. Now the band hopes to mirror that fervor in the United States. » Full Story
STRAIGHT NO CHASER: HOLIDAY MAGIC November 28, 2009
- Features Christmas has come early for Straight No Chaser. Released Nov. 3 on ATCO/Atlantic, the a cappella group's second holiday album, "Christmas Cheers," debuted at No. 90 on the Billboard 200 and No. 11 on Top Holiday Albums with 7,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. » Full Story
WYCLEF JEAN: WHERE HE'S COMING FROM November 28, 2009
- Features In the midst of recording his next project, a self-titled album slated for spring 2010, Wyclef Jean decided to revisit his hip-hop roots on the newly released "DJ Drama Presents Wyclef Jean Aka Toussaint: St. Jean From the Hut to the Projects to the Mansion." » Full Story
JIMMY WAYNE: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST November 21, 2009
- Features The bright lights and roaring crowds of New York's Madison Square Garden are a long way from the juvenile detention centers of North Carolina where Jimmy Wayne spent parts of his youth. » Full Story
6 QUESTIONS WITH RAKIM November 21, 2009
- Features Rakim has long been touted as one of the most influential MCs of all time. But even with all the accolades, the New York rapper hasn't forgotten his humble beginnings. » Full Story
THE BRAVERY: PRETTY HATE MACHINES November 21, 2009
- Features The songs on the Bravery's third studio album, "Stir the Blood," due Dec. 1 on Island Records, have titles like "Red Hands and White Knuckles," "Hatefuck" and "Slow Poison" (the first single)—quite a change from earlier tracks like "An Honest Mistake" and "Believe." » Full Story
STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN: FINDING STRENGTH IN MUSIC November 21, 2009
- Features Steven Curtis Chapman wishes he had never written the songs on his new album, "Beauty Will Rise" (Sparrow Records/EMI, Nov. 3), which debuts this week at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart. » Full Story
'TIS ANDREA BOCELLI SEASON November 21, 2009
- Features Andrea Bocelli's "My Christmas" debuts on the Billboard 200 at No. 3 with 149,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. » Full Story
ARE AWARDS IN SYNCH WITH CONSUMER DESIRES? November 21, 2009
- Features Following the recent 10th annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, veteran Puerto Rican artist Ednita Nazario continues her reign at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart for a second consecutive week with "Soy" (Sony, Oct. 27). » Full Story
MATISYAHU: OLYMPIC DREAMS November 21, 2009
- Features Apart from the gold, silver and bronze medals, the Olympics are about bringing together various countries and cultures. » Full Story
LIL WAYNE'S WORLD November 21, 2009
- Features Delayed by a lawsuit, the Lil Wayne documentary "The Carter" will now come out on DVD Nov. 17 in the United States. Produced by Quincy "QD3" Jones III and directed by Adam Lough, the 90-minute film is currently the focus of a presale and on-sale promotion in partnership with LimeWire. » Full Story
THIS 'ONE' REPUBLIC OF ROCKING November 14, 2009
- Features In the mid-'80s—at the height of the band's popularity—a rock critic called Def Leppard the most faceless band in the world. While almost anyone with a radio could sing one of its hits, members of the band were able to walk around largely unmolested, and in some cases, ignored. » Full Story
ALL EYES ON HIM November 14, 2009
- Features Dave Rawlings has spent the last decade establishing himself as one of the most prominent sidemen in roots music, working in the studio and on the road with the likes of Old Crow Medicine Show, Bright Eyes and his longtime partner Gillian Welch. » Full Story
STEREO VISION November 14, 2009
- Features Scoring a fifth successive U.K. No. 1 album should be a momentous occasion for any band, but in October 2007 the Welsh rock outfit Stereophonics wasn't able to savor the achievement for long. » Full Story
6 QUESTIONS WITH JUSTIN BIEBER November 14, 2009
- Features A year ago, Justin Bieber was a kid from Toronto who had a gift for singing sweet-natured covers of Usher hits, a penchant for playing the drums and a resourceful mother who posted clips of him on YouTube. » Full Story
SYMPHONIQUE MAGNIFIQUE November 14, 2009
- Features For the mini-orchestra Pink Martini, taking the slow-but-steady independent route has paid off throughout its 15-year career. The group's newest release, "Splendor in the Grass," debuts this week at No. 45 on the Billboard 200 and No. 10 on Top Independent Albums with 12,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. » Full Story
BOO! November 14, 2009
- Features With this issue's charts reflecting the week that included Halloween, it's only fitting that we round up the week's biggest "scary" songs and albums. » Full Story
BEHIND THE MUSIC November 14, 2009
- Features Music fans curious about the origins of their favorite songs are the intended audience for the latest addition to the popular series "Chicken Soup for the Soul," "The Story Behind the Song." » Full Story
CHUGGING ALONG November 14, 2009
- Features Wandering the streets of scenic Cleveland, Train frontman Patrick Monahan can't help but celebrate his band's No. 17 debut on the Billboard 200 with its new album, "Save Me San Francisco." » Full Story
PLAY IT AGAIN November 14, 2009
- Features Following the recent success of Sean Kingston and Jason DeRulo, Iyaz has landed a hit single in the emerging genre of "island pop." "Replay," a light and catchy tune with a soaring hook, is No. 13 on this week's Billboard Hot 100. It has become the 22-year-old artist's introduction to U.S. audiences, although it wasn't intended to be. » Full Story
'THIS IS' MICHAEL JACKSON'S SIXTH NO. 1 ALBUM November 14, 2009
- Features Michael Jackson's "This Is It," the companion piece to the musical documentary film of the same name, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 373,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan—the fifth-best sales week for an album in the United States this year. » Full Story
