This portal is focused on music production within the era of written records through sound recordings, digital downloads, and beyond. Its scope includes articles that document the considerations and mechanisms used by, and consistent with, the purview of the production element. As an art form, music predates transcription and simultaneously transcends descriptive limitations. As an industry, music has demonstrated consistent viability over time. The record producer conjoins these potential, and serves as a broker to bridge the demand (spawned by their aspirations) with supply and satisfaction. The results are measurable and attributable, derived from effort and skillful application of craft, to a manifestation of the art in its melodic form. (Read more)
Audioslave was an American rocksupergroup formed in Glendale, California, in 2001. The four-piece band consisted of Soundgarden's lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell with Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello (lead guitar), Tim Commerford (bass/backing vocals), and Brad Wilk (drums). Critics first described Audioslave as a combination of Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine, but by the band's second album, Out of Exile, it was noted that they had established a separate identity. Their unique sound was created by blending 1970s hard rock and 1990s alternative rock, with musical influences that included 1960s funk, soul and R&B. As with Rage Against the Machine, the band prided themselves on the fact that all sounds on their albums were produced using only guitars, bass, drums, and vocals, with emphasis on Cornell's wide vocal range and Morello's unconventional guitar solos.
In their six years together, Audioslave released three albums, received three Grammy nominations, sold more than eight million records worldwide and became the first American rock band to perform an open-air concert in Cuba. They disbanded in February 2007 after Cornell issued a statement announcing that he was leaving the band. Later that year, Cornell and Morello (under his moniker The Nightwatchman) released solo albums, and Morello, Commerford, and Wilk reunited with Zack de la Rocha for the Rage Against the Machine Reunion Tour. (Full article...)
Image 2
Reign in Blood is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 6, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose input helped the band's sound evolve. The release date of the album was delayed because of concerns regarding the lyrical subject matter of the opening track "Angel of Death", which refers to Josef Mengele and describes acts such as human experimentation that he committed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The band's members stated that they did not condone Nazism and were merely interested in the subject.
Reign in Blood was well received by both critics and fans, and was responsible for bringing Slayer to the attention of a mainstream metal audience. Today, it is often mentioned among the greatest heavy metal records ever. In their 2017 listing of the 100 Greatest Metal albums of all time, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Reign in Blood at #6. Alongside Anthrax's Among the Living, Megadeth's Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, and Metallica's Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood helped define the sound of the emerging US thrash metal scene in the mid-1980s, and has remained influential since. The album was Slayer's first to enter the US Billboard 200, peaking at number 94, and was certified Gold on November 20, 1992. In 2013, NME ranked it at number 287 in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. (Full article...)
Image 3
Waters in 2015
George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. In 1965, he co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd as the bassist. Following the departure of the songwriter, Syd Barrett, in 1968, Waters became Pink Floyd's lyricist, co-lead vocalist and conceptual leader until his departure in 1985.
The story takes place aboard the Royal Navy ship HMSPinafore. The captain's daughter, Josephine, is in love with a lower-class sailor, Ralph Rackstraw, although her father intends her to marry Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. She abides by her father's wishes at first, but Sir Joseph's advocacy of the equality of humankind encourages Ralph and Josephine to overturn conventional social order. They declare their love for each other and eventually plan to elope. The Captain discovers this plan, but, as in many of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, a surprise disclosure changes things dramatically near the end of the story. (Full article...)
Image 5
"Today" is a song by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, written by lead vocalist and guitarist Billy Corgan. The song, though seemingly upbeat, contains dark lyrics; Corgan wrote the song about a day in which he was having suicidal thoughts. The contrast between the grim subject matter of the song and the soft instrumental part during the verses, coupled with use of irony in the lyrics, left many listeners unaware of the song's tale of depression and desperation. The song alternates between quiet, dreamy verses and loud choruses with layered, distorted guitars.
"Today" was released in September 1993 as the second single from the band's second album and major label debut, Siamese Dream. "Today" and its follow-up "Disarm" are credited in AllMusic for popularizing the band and "sen[ding] [Siamese Dream] into the stratosphere". "Today" has been generally well received by critics; a Blender article described it as having "achieved a remarkable status as one of the defining songs of its generation, perfectly mirroring the fractured alienation of American youth in the 1990s". (Full article...)
For his album, Wainwright was also recognized by the Grammy Awards, earning a 2009 nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. While the tribute concerts were popular and the album was well received by critics, album sales were limited. Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall managed to chart in three nations, peaking at number 84 in Belgium, number 88 in the Netherlands and number 171 on the United States' Billboard 200. (Full article...)
Image 7
No Line on the Horizon is the twelfth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Steve Lillywhite, and was released on 27 February 2009. It was the band's first record since How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), marking the longest gap between studio albums of their career to that point. The band originally intended to release the songs as two EPs, but later combined the material into a single record. Photographer Anton Corbijn shot a companion film, Linear, which was released alongside the album and included with several special editions.
U2 began work on a new album in 2006 with record producer Rick Rubin but shelved most of the material from those sessions. In May 2007, the group began new sessions with Eno and Lanois in Fez, Morocco, while attending the World Sacred Music Festival. Intending to write "future hymns"—songs that would be played forever—the group spent two weeks recording in a riad, with the producers involved in the songwriting process. The exotic musical influences that the group were exposed to in Fez inspired them to pursue a more experimental sound, but as the sessions unfolded, the band decided to scale back the extent of those pursuits. Having grown tired of writing in the first-person, lead singer Bono wrote his lyrics from the perspective of different characters. Recording continued at several studios in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland through December 2008. The group had intended to release No Line on the Horizon in November, but after composing 50 to 60 songs, they delayed the release to continue writing. (Full article...)
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat, and were briefly part of the British Invasion of the United States until their touring ban in 1965. Their third single, the Ray Davies-penned "You Really Got Me", became an international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the top 10 in the United States.
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced short, fast-paced songs with hard-edged melodies and singing styles with stripped-down instrumentation. Lyricism in punk typically revolves around anti-establishment and anti-authoritarian themes. Punk embraces a DIY ethic; many bands self-produce recordings and distribute them through independent labels.
The term "punk rock" was previously used by American rock critics in the early 1970s to describe the mid-1960s garage bands. Certain late 1960s and early 1970s Detroit acts, such as MC5 and Iggy and the Stooges, and other bands from elsewhere created out-of-the-mainstream music that became highly influential on what was to come. Glam rock in the UK and the New York Dolls from New York have also been cited as key influences. Between 1974 and 1976, when the genre that became known as punk was developing, prominent acts included Television, Patti Smith, and the Ramones in New York City; the Saints in Brisbane; the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Damned in London, and the Buzzcocks in Manchester. By late 1976, punk had become a major cultural phenomenon in the UK. It gave rise to a punk subculture that expressed youthful rebellion through distinctive styles of clothing, such as T-shirts with deliberately offensive graphics, leather jackets, studded or spiked bands and jewelry, safety pins, and bondage and S&M clothes. (Full article...)
Image 10
Aftermath is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. The group recorded the album at RCA Studios in California in December 1965 and March 1966, during breaks between their international tours. It was released in the United Kingdom on 15 April 1966 by Decca Records and in the United States in late June or early July 1966 by London Records. It is the band's fourth British and sixth American studio album, and closely follows a series of international hit singles that helped bring the Stones newfound wealth and fame rivalling that of their contemporaries the Beatles.
Aftermath is considered by music scholars to be an artistic breakthrough for the Rolling Stones. It is their first album to consist entirely of original compositions, all of which were credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The band's original leader Brian Jones reemerged as a key contributor and experimented with instruments not usually associated with popular music, including the sitar, Appalachian dulcimer, Japanese koto and marimbas, as well as playing guitar and harmonica. Along with Jones' instrumental textures, the Stones incorporated a wider range of chords and stylistic elements beyond their Chicago blues and R&B influences, such as pop, folk, country, psychedelia, Baroque and Middle Eastern music. Influenced by intense love affairs, tensions within the group and a demanding touring itinerary, Jagger and Richards wrote the album around psychodramatic themes of love, sex, desire, power and dominance, hate, obsession, modern society and rock stardom. Women feature as prominent characters in their often dark, sarcastic, casually offensive lyrics. (Full article...)
In 2000, Chou released his debut studio album, Jay (2000), to runaway success, solidified by his second album, Fantasy (2001), which combined Western and East Asian music styles. He has since established himself as one of the most successful singers in the Chinese-speaking world, holding 15 Golden Melody Awards—the most by any singer—and earning the title King of Mandopop. In 2022, he became the first Mandopop artist to top IFPI’s Global Album Sales Chart, with his 15th studio album, Greatest Works of Art (2022), being the world’s best-selling record in 2022. (Full article...)
The Breeders formed in 1988 when Deal, bass player for Pixies, befriended Donelly of Throwing Muses during a European tour. They recorded a country-infused demo in 1989, leading to 4AD co-founder Ivo Watts-Russell funding an album, Pod, recorded that year at the Palladium studio in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Full article...)
... that according to Billboard magazine, Laufey created a blueprint for jazz music in the modern music industry and helped push it back into the mainstream?
Tina Turner (Record production, 1939 –May 24, 2023), American pop music singer, would have turned 85 this year.
Robert Goulet (Record production, 1933 –October 30, 2007), American actor and singer, would have turned 91 this year.
Kiane Zawadi (Record production, 1932 –May 21, 2024), (born Bernard Atwell McKinney) American euphonist and trombonist, would have turned 92 this year.
Manson was more involved in the album's composition than he was on preceding releases. It is primarily a heavy metal record, and, at the time of its release, contained some of the heaviest material the band had ever recorded. A cover version of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" featuring Johnny Depp was included as a bonus track on all editions of the record. The album received mixed reviews from music critics, with several publications considering it to be a comeback for the band, while others were critical of its heaviness and violent lyrical content. It became the band's seventh top ten studio album on the Billboard 200, and also topped Billboard's Independent Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums charts. (Full article...)
Image 2
California is the seventh studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on July 1, 2016 through BMG as the band's only album on the label. Produced by John Feldmann, it is the first of two albums by the band to feature Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba, who replaced founding member Tom DeLonge during his absence from 2015 to 2022. After touring and releasing the band's sixth album, Neighborhoods (2011), it became difficult for the trio to record new material due to DeLonge's other projects. After disagreements, the remaining members of the group—vocalist/bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker—sought separation from DeLonge and recruited Skiba in his place.
California was recorded at Foxy Studios between January and March 2016 with Feldmann. He was the group's first new lone producer since longtime collaborator Jerry Finn. Prior to his involvement, the trio began writing together in September 2015 and completed dozens of songs. They decided to shelve them upon working with Feldmann to start fresh, and they proceeded to record another 28 songs; in all, the group recorded upwards of 50. The band, as well as Feldmann, would regularly spend 18 hours in the studio a day, aiming to start and complete multiple songs in that timeframe. The album's title comes from the band's home state of California, and its artwork was illustrated by the street artistD*Face. (Full article...)
Image 3
Kikuuiki (Mixing Airspace; stylized as kikUUiki, Japanese pronunciation:[ki̥kɯꜜːiki]) is the fourth studio album by Japanese band Sakanaction. It was released on March 17, 2010, through Victor Entertainment. In January, the album was preceded by the single "Aruku Around", which was met with the greatest commercial success for the band since their debut, reaching number three on Oricon's singles chart. The album was nominated as one of the finalists for the CD Shop Awards, and was lauded by critics for its cohesive sound and literary lyrics. At the time of release, it was their most commercially successful release since their debut, reaching number three in Japan.
Sakanaction spent most of 2009 experimenting on the album's single "Aruku Around", followed by two months of recording in January and February 2010. Most of the final recording stages were spent on the song "Me ga Aku Aiiro", a seven-minute rock opera used as a promotional single during its release. The album saw a new recording approach for the band, where the members worked more spontaneously and synchronized. The album was influenced by the commercial success of "Aruku Around", and was written as a response to the song. (Full article...)
Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer Madonna, released on November 12, 1984, by Sire Records. Following the success of her 1983 eponymous debut album, Madonna was eager to start working on its follow-up. She selected Nile Rodgers to produce the album due to his work on Let's Dance (1983) by David Bowie, which she was a fan of. To ensure it be exactly as she envisaged it, Madonna chose all the songs for the album: she penned five of her own, four of which were co-written with former boyfriend and collaborator Stephen Bray, and four were written by other artists. Recording sessions took place at Power Station studio in New York City. Rodgers enlisted the help of his former Chic bandmates Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson.
Upon release Like a Virgin received mixed reviews from music critics: Rodgers's production received praise, but Madonna's vocals were criticized. It became Madonna's first number one album on the Billboard 200, as well as the first female album to sell over five million copies in the United States. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) later certified it diamond for shipment of ten million units. Overseas, it reached number one in Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. With sales of over 21 million copies worldwide, Like a Virgin remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. Four official singles were released from the album ―all reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, with the title track becoming Madonna's first number one, and "Material Girl" reaching number two. (Full article...)
Image 6
It's Better If You Don't Understand is the debut extended play (EP) by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. The pop EP consists of four tracks and its title comes from the final lyrics of one of its songs, "The Other Side". It was released on May 11, 2010, by Elektra Records in the United States, and on August 11, 2010, by Atlantic Records in France. The song "Count on Me" was not featured on the track list of the latter release. All of the material on the EP was produced by the Smeezingtons, the production team composed by Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine, with the closing track being co-produced by Jeff Bhasker.
It's Better If You Don't Understand received generally positive reviews from music critics – AllMusic's David Jeffries praised the EP as showcasing Mars's songwriting abilities and its music being a genre that "leans towards" pop, while About.com's Bill Lamb stated that it is "music that should be on your radio", and called the release a "pop pleasure". The EP peaked at number 99 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States, and at number 97 on the UK Singles Chart. As of 2011, it has sold 27,000 copies in the United States. To promote the EP, Mars released a home video for "The Other Side". It charted at number 117 on the UK Singles Chart. (Full article...)
Image 7
Bachata Rosa (Spanish for Romantic Bachata, transl. Pink Bachata) is the fifth studio album by Dominican singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and his group 4.40. It was released on 11 December 1990, by Karen Records. It brought bachata music into the mainstream in the Dominican Republic and gave the genre an international audience. A Portuguese version of the record was released in 1992 under the title Romance Rosa; it was certified gold in Brazil. The album received a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album and two Lo Nuestro Awards for Tropical Album of the Year and Tropical Group of the Year.
Seven singles were released from the record, four of which became top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Tropical Albums. It remained the top-selling album on the chart for 24 weeks and was certified platinum (Latin field) in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In Spain, the album spent eight weeks at the number one position on the chart. In the Netherlands, the record peaked at number two on the Mega Album Top 100 and was certified gold. Bachata Rosa was praised by critics, who commended Guerra's songwriting and the record's production, citing it as one of his most important works. (Full article...)
Image 8
Why Should The Fire Die? is the third major album release and fifth album overall by progressiveacoustic trio Nickel Creek. The album was released on Sugar Hill on August 9, 2005, in the United States, and on August 8 in the United Kingdom. Why Should the Fire Die? is the first Nickel Creek album to feature string bassist Mark Schatz. It would be their last album before their hiatus between 2007 and 2014, after which they released their album A Dotted Line.
Modern Life Is Rubbish is the second studio album by the English alternative rock band Blur, released in May 1993. Although their debut album Leisure (1991) had been commercially successful, Blur faced a severe media backlash soon after its release, and fell out of public favour. After the group returned from an unsuccessful tour of the United States, poorly received live performances and the rising popularity of rival band Suede further diminished Blur's status in the UK.
Under threat of being dropped by Food Records, for their next album Blur underwent an image makeover championed by frontman Damon Albarn. The band incorporated influences from traditional British guitar-pop groups such as the Kinks and the Small Faces, and the resulting sound was melodic and lushly produced, featuring brass, woodwind and backing vocalists. Albarn's lyrics on Modern Life Is Rubbish use "poignant humour and Ray Davies characterisation to investigate the dreams, traditions and prejudices of suburban England", according to writer David Cavanagh. (Full article...)
Image 10
The Best of George Harrison is a 1976 compilation album by the English musician George Harrison, released following the expiration of his EMI-affiliated Apple Records contract. Uniquely among all of the four Beatles' solo releases, apart from posthumous compilations, it mixes a selection of the artist's songs recorded with the Beatles on one side, and later hits recorded under his own name on the other.
The song selection caused some controversy, since it underplayed Harrison's solo achievements during the 1970–75 period, for much of which he had been viewed as the most successful ex-Beatle, artistically and commercially. Music critics have also noted the compilation's failure to provide a faithful picture of Harrison's contribution to the Beatles' work, due to the omission of any of his Indian music compositions. In a calculated move by EMI and its American subsidiary, Capitol Records, the compilation was issued during the same month as Harrison's debut on his Warner-distributed Dark Horse label, Thirty Three & ⅓. (Full article...)
Image 11
Olivia is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Olivia. It was released on May 15, 2001, through J. As the first artist signed to the record label, Olivia was referred to as "the First Lady of J". Olivia is an R&B album with elements of hip hop, jazz, and pop. Its lyrics revolve around sexuality and romance. Critics noticed two distinct tones on the album, which Olivia identified as softer R&B alongside harder hip hop sounds. Guest vocals are provided by Petey Pablo and Jimmy Cozier. Olivia wrote six of the album's twelve tracks where she sings and raps.
The album received mixed reviews from critics. It peaked at number 55 on the Billboard 200 and at number 22 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Two singles—"Bizounce" and "Are U Capable"—were released from the album. "Bizounce" reached number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the BillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It peaked at number sixteen on the Canadian Singles Chart. Olivia did extensive promotion for the album which included television performances, live shows, and a tour leading up to the album's release. Following its release, Olivia was removed from J; she later criticized its founder Clive Davis for being too controlling and forcing her into a bad girl image; he denied these claims. (Full article...)
Image 12
B7 is the seventh studio album by American singer Brandy. It was released on July 31, 2020, through her own label Brand Nu, Inc. and eOne Music. Her first studio album since Two Eleven (2012), the album features production from Darhyl Camper, Jr. and LaShawn Daniels, among others. B7 is an R&B album exploring themes such as self-love, tumultuous romantic relationships, mental health and single motherhood.
The album received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the album's authenticity and cohesiveness, as well as Norwood's vocals. B7 debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 25,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. The album and its songs were nominated for various awards, including a Grammy Award. It spawned two singles: "Baby Mama" and "Borderline". Furthermore, "No Tomorrow, Pt. 2" featuring Ty Dolla Sign, a remix of the album track "No Tomorrow" was also released in promotion of the album. (Full article...)
Image 11The TASCAM 85 16B analog tape multitrack recorder can record 16 tracks of audio on 1-inch (2.54cm) magnetic tape. Professional analog units of 24 tracks on 2-inch tape were common, with specialty tape heads providing 16 or even 8 tracks on the same tape width, for greater fidelity. (from Multitrack recording)
Image 12Hip hop producer and rapper RZA in a music studio with two collaborators. Pictured in the foreground is a synthesizer keyboard and a number of vinyl records; both of these items are key tools that producers and DJs use to create hip hop beats. (from Hip hop production)
Image 14Digital audio interface for the Pro Tools computer-based hard disk multitrack recording system. Digital audio quality is measured in data resolution per channel. (from Multitrack recording)
The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance (awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration until 2017, and Best Rap/Sung Performance from 2018 to 2020) is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs on which rappers and singers collaborate. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
The name and definition of the category were changed in June 2020, with immediate effect, to represent the inclusivity of the growing hybrid performance trends within the rap genre. According to the Recording Academy, "This category is intended to recognize solo and collaborative performances containing elements of rap and melody over modern production. This performance requires a strong and clear presence of melody combined with rap cadence, and is inclusive of dialects, lyrics or performance elements from non-rap genres including R&B, rock, country, electronic or more. The production may include traditional elements of rap or elements characteristic of the aforementioned non-rap genres." (Full article...)
Image 2
Jim Reeves had his first number one in 1953. In 1953 Billboard magazine published three charts covering the best-performing country music songs in the United States: Most Played in Juke Boxes, National Best Sellers, and Most Played By Jockeys. The three charts had been published since 1944, 1948 and 1949 respectively. All three charts are considered part of the lineage of the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart, which was first published in 1958.
In the issue of Billboard dated January 3, Hank Williams was at number one on both the best sellers and jockeys charts with "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", retaining a position it had held on both listings since the final issue of 1952. Williams thus held the top spot when he died in the early hours of January 1, 1953. Following his death, Williams achieved considerable chart success in the first half of 1953, particularly on the best sellers chart. He returned to number one on that listing later in January with the final single released in his lifetime, "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive", and went on to have two further posthumous number ones with "Take These Chains from My Heart" and "Kaw-Liga", the latter of which spent 13 consecutive weeks at number one, the year's longest unbroken run atop any of the three charts. His total of 19 weeks at number one on the retail listing (including one when he tied for the top spot) was the most achieved by any act, and he achieved the same feat on both the juke box and jockeys charts, with 10 and 15 weeks at number one respectively. "Your Cheatin' Heart", which fell short of the number one position on the best sellers chart, topped both the other listings, meaning that five songs by Williams reached number one on one or more of the charts in 1953. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians in country music history, Williams was among the inaugural class of entrants to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961. (Full article...)
Image 3
Rapper Eminem's "Lose Yourself" was the longest-running number-one single released in 2002.
The Billboard Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing singles of the United States. Published by Billboard magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen SoundScan based collectively on each single's weekly physical sales and airplay. In 2002, there were seven singles that topped the chart, the lowest number of singles to top the chart in a single year ever (if the two songs which peaked in 2001 are included, 2002 would have the second lowest number of chart-topping singles in a year, behind 2005). Although nine singles reached number one in fifty-two issues of the magazine in the calendar year, two songs began their peak position in 2001 and are thus excluded.
In 2002, five acts earned their first U.S. number one single, either as a lead artist or featured guest. These artists were Ashanti, Nelly, Kelly Clarkson, and Eminem. Kelly Rowland, despite having hit number one with Destiny's Child, also earns her first number one song as a solo act. In 2002, Ja Rule, Ashanti, and Nelly had two number-one singles in the Billboard Hot 100. (Full article...)
Image 4
"I Follow Rivers" by Lykke Li (pictured in 2009) topped the Romanian Top 100 for 12 weeks in 2011 and 2012, making it the song with the most documented weeks at number one in the chart's history.
Founded in 1995, the Romanian Top 100 was the national music chart of Romania. It was compiled by broadcast monitoring services Body M Production A-V (1990s and 2000s) and by Media Forest (2010s), and measured the airplay of songs on radio stations throughout the country. In 2005, the number of radio stations involved was 120. Starting in 2004, the chart was announced during a two-hour radio show which initially emerged from a partnership with teen magazine Bravo. The Romanian Top 100 was also featured in Billboard'sMusic & Media magazine until 2003, and was—apart from a weekly Kiss FM podcast in the 2010s—announced on its own website. As of 2024, the Romanian Top 100 lacks usable archives, especially for the late 1990s and 2000s.
Over its 17 years of existence, around 150 documented singles reached the number-one position, the first being "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson in 1995. "I Follow Rivers" (2011) by Lykke Li spent 12 weeks at the summit, longer than any other song. The most successful artists were Madonna and Kylie Minogue with six documented number ones each. Multiple artists reached number one with several singles in a calendar year, including the Black Eyed Peas with "Where Is the Love?" and "Shut Up" in 2004. Cleopatra Stratan was four years old when she topped the chart in October 2006 with "Ghiță", making her the youngest artist ever to attain a number one in any country according to Guinness World Records. The Romanian Top 100 ceased publication after its last broadcast on 19 February 2012, and was replaced with the Airplay 100. (Full article...)
Image 5
Reba McEntire was one of a large number of acts with two number one singles in 1986. She also performed on the year-end number one by Hank Williams Jr. but was not credited on the chart Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1986, 52 different songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Country Singles, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores. No song managed more than a single week at number one during the year.
The first number one of the year was "Have Mercy" by mother-daughter duo the Judds. In the fall, Conway Twitty achieved his 40th and final Hot Country number one with "Desperado Love", 18 years after he first topped the chart with "Next in Line". Twitty's total of 40 number ones would remain a record for the highest number of country chart-toppers by an artist until 2006, when the record was broken by George Strait. Two female acts tied for the most number ones of the year, each reaching the top spot three times: the Forester Sisters (including one in collaboration with the Bellamy Brothers) and the Judds. More than a dozen acts each achieved two number ones, including Crystal Gayle and Gary Morris, who each achieved one solo number one as well as performing together on the hit "Makin' Up for Lost Time (The Dallas Lovers' Song)". One of Juice Newton's two number ones, "Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)", a duet with Eddie Rabbitt, had originally been performed by Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson on the soap operaDays of Our Lives the previous year. The song was not initially released commercially, but after Newton and Rabbitt's version became a hit, Loring and Anderson's recording was released and topped the Hot Adult Contemporary chart, meaning that versions of the same song by two different acts were number ones in their respective genres within a month of each other. (Full article...)
Image 6
Trumpeter, bandleader and singer Louis Armstrong was an important innovator of early jazz. He introduced many contemporary popular songs to the jazz world that are now considered standards.Jazz standards are musical compositions that are widely known, performed and recorded by jazz artists as part of the genre's musical repertoire. This list includes compositions written in the 1920s that are considered standards by at least one major book publication or reference work. Some of the tunes listed were already well-known standards by the 1930s, while others were popularized later. The time of the most influential recordings of a song, where appropriate, is indicated on the list.
A period known as the "Jazz Age" started in the United States in the 1920s. Jazz had become popular music in the country, although older generations considered the music immoral and threatening to old cultural values. Dances such as the Charleston and the Black Bottom were very popular during the period, and jazz bands typically consisted of seven to twelve musicians. Important orchestras in New York were led by Fletcher Henderson, Paul Whiteman and Duke Ellington. Many New Orleans jazzmen had moved to Chicago during the late 1910s in search of employment; among others, the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band and Jelly Roll Morton recorded in the city. However, Chicago's importance as a center of jazz music started to diminish toward the end of the 1920s in favor of New York. (Full article...)
Image 7
Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel had the best-performing Latin single in 1997, 1998 and 2001. The year-end charts for the Hot Latin Songs chart are published in the last issue of Billboard magazine every year. Initially, the chart was based on information provided by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, which collected airplay information from Latin radio stations in the United States. On the week ending October 20, 2012, the methodology was changed to track the best-performing Spanish-language songs based on digital downloads, streaming activity, and airplay from all radio stations in the country. The Year-End charts represent aggregated numbers from the weekly charts that were compiled for each artist, song and record company.
Mexican singer-songwriters Ana Gabriel and Juan Gabriel have had the best-selling single of the year three times each. The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences awarded Juan Gabriel the Person of Year Award for his professional accomplishments and commitment to philanthropic efforts. Venezuelan singer Franco De Vita's "Te Amo" ranked at number eight in 1989 and received a gold certification in Latin America and Spain for the album Al Norte del Sur. De Vita also wrote "Tal Vez", performed by Ricky Martin, the number-one single of 2003. Billboard magazine posthumously named singer Selena the Top Artist of the 1990s, due to her fourteen top-ten singles in the Hot Latin Songs chart (including seven number-one hits). Selena had the most successful singles of 1994 and 1995, "Amor Prohibido" and "No Me Queda Más". (Full article...)
Image 8
In 1952, Billboard magazine published three charts covering the best-performing country music songs in the United States. At the start of the year, the charts were published under the titles Most-Played Juke Box (Country & Western) Records, Best-Selling Retail Folk (Country & Western) Records and Country & Western Records Most Played By Folk Disk Jockeys. Beginning with the issue of Billboard dated November 15, the titles of the charts were changed to Most Played in Juke Boxes, National Best Sellers, and Most Played By Jockeys respectively, with the genre denoted in an overall page title rather than within the titles of the charts themselves. All three charts are considered part of the lineage of the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart, which was first published in 1958.
In the first issue of Billboard of the year, "Slow Poke" by Pee Wee King retained its place at number one on both the juke box and retail charts from the previous week but was displaced from the top spot on the jockeys chart by Carl Smith's "Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way". Smith had three number-one country songs in 1952, two of which topped all three listings. Webb Pierce was the only other artist to take as many as three different songs to the top spot in 1952, although none of his songs reached number one on all three charts during the year. The longest-running number one on both the juke box and retail charts was "The Wild Side of Life" by Hank Thompson, which on both listings spent fifteen consecutive weeks in the top spot before being replaced by "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" by Kitty Wells. Wells' song, which had been written as an answer song to "The Wild Side of Life", was the first million-selling country single by a female artist and the first Billboard country number one by a solo female. Despite this success, it did not top the jockeys chart, as the song's lyrics were deemed too controversial by some radio stations. (Full article...)
Image 9
American Idol winner Carrie Underwood spent eleven weeks at the top of the chart in 2006. Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 2006, 23 different songs topped the chart in 52 issues of the magazine, based on weekly airplay data from country music radio stations compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.
The number one song at the start of the year was "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" by Billy Currington, which had reached number one in the issue of Billboard dated December 31, 2005, and remained at the top until the issue dated January 14 when it was replaced by "She Let Herself Go" by George Strait. This gave Strait his 40th number one, tying the record held by Conway Twitty for the highest number of Hot Country Songs number ones. Strait returned to the top spot in September with "Give It Away" to take the record outright. (Full article...)
Image 10
The Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to quality country music collaborations for artists who do not normally perform together. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
Featured articles - 
.jpg)
Selected albums - 
Engineers and producers watch a trumpet player from a window in the control room during a recording session. (from Recording studio)
Neve VR60, a multitrack mixing console. Above the console are a range of studio monitor speakers. (from Recording studio)
Mixing desk with twenty inputs and eight outputs (from Multitrack recording)
The TEAC 2340, a popular early (1973) home multitrack recorder, four tracks on ¼ inch tape (from Multitrack recording)
Donna Summer wearing headphones during a recording session in 1977 (from Recording studio)
Home studio setup (from Recording studio)
Control room at the Tec de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus (from Recording studio)
A selection of instruments at a music studio, including a grand piano (from Recording studio)
Korg D888 eight-track digital recorder (from Multitrack recording)
The TASCAM 85 16B analog tape multitrack recorder can record 16 tracks of audio on 1-inch (2.54cm) magnetic tape. Professional analog units of 24 tracks on 2-inch tape were common, with specialty tape heads providing 16 or even 8 tracks on the same tape width, for greater fidelity. (from Multitrack recording)
Hip hop producer and rapper RZA in a music studio with two collaborators. Pictured in the foreground is a synthesizer keyboard and a number of vinyl records; both of these items are key tools that producers and DJs use to create hip hop beats. (from Hip hop production)
Scully 280 eight-track recorder at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (from Multitrack recording)
Digital audio interface for the Pro Tools computer-based hard disk multitrack recording system. Digital audio quality is measured in data resolution per channel. (from Multitrack recording)
Danny Knicely records with Furnace Mountain Band in Virginia (2012) (from Recording studio)
The studio at Ridge Radio in Caterham, England (from Recording studio)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Commons
Wikibooks
Wikidata
Wikinews
Wikiquote
Wikisource
Wikiversity
Wiktionary
