1. Billboard Music Awards Executive Producer Don Mischer Talks Sunday’s Show: ‘This Show Is Big’ (Q&A and Video)

    May 18, 2013 10:30 AM EDT LAS VEGAS — It’s Friday afternoon, around 50 hours from the beginning of the months-in-the-making Billboard Music Awards, and in the darkened MGM Grand Garden Arena rehearsals for Justin Bieber and Will.I.Am’s tag-team performance of “#ThatPower ...

  2. George Strait, Demi Lovato's New Albums Bound for Top Three on Billboard 200

    May 17, 2013 9:12 PM EDT Country icon George Strait is heading for a No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200 chart next week with his new album, "Love Is Everything." Meanwhile, Demi Lovato's fourth studio effort, "Demi," is aiming for a No. 3 bow. Acc ...

  3. President Obama Hosting White House Concert Honoring Carole King With Billy Joel, Gloria Estefan, Emeli Sande

    May 17, 2013 1:11 PM EDT President Barack Obama is putting on a show at the White House next week for singer-songwriter Carole King. She is the first woman to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress. The White House says Obama will prese ...

  4. Bubbling Under: Passenger's Worldwide Ride Continues

    May 17, 2013 12:57 PM EDT Each Friday, Billboard presents "Bubbling Under," a weekly look at new and noteworthy acts making their way toward Billboard chart success. Up this week: Passenger, A Great Big World, Dakota Bradley and Chrystian   Passenger All the Li ...

  5. Justin Bieber's 'Baby' With New Streaming Data Beats Out Elton John For RIAA's Top Platinum Single of All Time

    May 17, 2013 11:26 AM EDT Bieber's song "Baby" featuring Ludacris becomes the highest-certified single in history now that the RIAA incorporates on-demand streaming numbers into its Gold and Platinum certifications for digital singles. Elton John's do ...

  6. Chart Moves: Mariah Carey Moves Up In R&B/Hip-Hop Songs History; Florida Georgia Line Sets Record; Jennifer Lopez Returns

    May 17, 2013 10:47 AM EDT As previously reported, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis tally a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Can't Hold Us," featuring Ray Dalton. Who else can hold their head high with noteworthy moves on the Hot 100 and other ...

  7. Chart Moves: Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines Makes Solo Debut, She & Him Bows on Cassette

    May 17, 2013 9:30 AM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the top three were all debuts , as Lady Antebellum, "The Great Gatsby" soundtrack and the "Now 46" compilation moved in. Lady A's latest, "Golden," gave the country ...

  8. MTV, VH1, CMT Partner With Pizza Hut for Coverage of Hangout Music Festival

    May 17, 2013 9:00 AM EDT Viacom networks MTV, VH1 and CMT are teaming up with Hangout Music Festival, a three-day concert series in Gulf Shores, Ala., for multi-platform news coverage that will air across the three flagship networks as well as MTV2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, ...

  9. Superfly’s Plans To Improve This Weekend’s GoogaMooga Festival

    May 17, 2013 6:29 AM EDT The Great GoogaMooga is back for seconds. Superfly Present’s food-and-music festival is returning to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park tonight after an inaugural year that made more headlines for its problems than its successes—namely, bringing together ...

  10. Billboard Music Awards Playlist and Collaborations Revealed

    May 16, 2013 9:00 AM EDT When superstars come together on a collaboration, the results can be electrifying. The 2013 Billboard Music Awards promise to be a highly-charged night, with confirmation that some of the biggest names in music will team-up to perform their bigg ...

  11. Memorial in L.A. for Slayer's Hanneman Planned for May 23

    May 15, 2013 9:47 PM EDT A memorial for Slayer's Jeff Hanneman, who died earlier this month at age 49, is set for May 23 at Los Angeles' Hollywood Palladium. The memorial, which will be open to the public, is set to last four hours, from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Attenda ...

  12. 'The Voice': Shakira Confirms Season 5 Exit, Usher Expected to Follow

    May 15, 2013 9:42 PM EDT "The Voice" could soon be returning to its original panel. Days after news surfaced that Christina Aguilera was in talks to return to the hit NBC series, with Cee Lo Green reportedly hot on her heels, season four coach Shakira confirms ...

  13. Vampire Weekend Aiming for No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart

    May 15, 2013 6:34 PM EDT Rock band Vampire Weekend is winging its way to a second No. 1 album next week. Its new Modern Vampires of the City album, released yesterday (May 14), may sell around 120,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday (19), according to i ...

  14. Lady Antebellum Scores Third No. 1 Album, 'Gatsby' Debuts Strong at No. 2

    May 15, 2013 1:54 PM EDT Country trio Lady Antebellum earns its third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as its new Golden debuts with 167,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album sold slightly better than initially forecast: A week ago, industry sources ...

  15. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 'Hold' Atop Hot 100, Selena Gomez 'Get's First Top 10

    May 15, 2013 1:39 PM EDT Macklemore & Ryan Lewis'  "Can't Hold Us," featuring Ray Dalton, logs a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Selena Gomez scores her first top 10 with "Come & Get It" and Mariah Carey debuts at No. ...

  16. Backbeat: SESAC Pop Music Awards Pop Off With Michelle Williams, Swizz Beatz, Mumford's Ben Lovett; Honor Daniel Glass, Rico Love

    May 14, 2013 6:12 PM EDT SESAC hosted its 17th Annual Pop Awards last night at the New York Public Library. Rico Love captured top honors at the event taking home both Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year awards for his hit, "Heart Attack" as recorded b ...

  17. Third Man Records Announces Sun Records Partnership, Reissuing Johnny Cash, Rufus Thomas, Prisonaires

    May 14, 2013 4:32 PM EDT Third Man Records, the Nashville-based label and vinyl manufactory founded by Jack White, announced today a partnership with another Nashville-based label, Sun Records, in order to reissue the iconic label's vast catalog of classic, influen ...

  18. Solange Signs With Sony For New Label, Phoenix Talk R. Kelly, ‘Very Special’ Fall Tour; More News From DC’s Sweetlife Festival

    May 14, 2013 10:53 AM EDT 2 1 0 0 It’s Saturday, May 11, and Jonathan Neman is gazing out across the lawn of Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion as Solange slinks through a funky early-afternoon set.   It’s a venue he attended countless times as a music fan during his years in ...

  19. Christina Aguilera Could Snag $12 Million for 'Voice' Return

    May 13, 2013 10:01 PM EDT 1 0 12 0 0 Christina Aguilera is in talks to return to "The Voice," a source close to the singer tells The Hollywood Reporter . A source says Aguilera's payday is likely to be in the vicinity of $12 million. The Mark Burnett-produced NBC si ...

  20. Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter, Columbia's Rob Stringer On the Making of 'Random Access Memories'

    May 13, 2013 2:45 PM EDT This in-depth story on Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories" is from the May 18th edition of Billboard featuring a cover package on the Billboard Music Awards (airing Sunday, May 19 at 8:00 p.m ET on ABC) hosted by cover subject Tr ...

  21. Paul Simon, Quincy Jones, Kevin Spacey, More Celebrate Phil Ramone's Life and Legacy at Memorial Concert

    May 13, 2013 12:19 PM EDT The life of legendary producer Phil Ramone was celebrated Saturday night in grand style, with performances from many of the acts he produced down through the years such as Billy Joel, Paul Simon and Tony Bennett, along with remembrances from Qui ...

  22. Billboard Music Awards Kick-Off Sunday With Prince, Madonna, Lil Wayne, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, More

    May 11, 2013 4:03 PM EDT 46 31 1 0 There is nothing small about this Sunday night’s Billboard Music Awards at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena airing live on ABC at 8 ET hosted by “30 Rock”’s Tracy Morgan. Just consider for a moment the sheer star power of  those appearing: li ...

  23. Chart Moves: Selena Gomez 'Get's First Hot Digital Songs Top 10; Arianna Drives Onto Hot 100; Florida Georgia Line Dominates Country Airplay

    May 10, 2013 3:47 PM EDT As previously reported , Macklemore & Ryan Lewis log an historic No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, as "Can't Hold Us" (featuring Ray Dalton) follows their "Thrift Shop" (featuring Wanz) to the top, making the ...

  24. Festival Sponsorship Spending Projected to Set Record in 2013

    May 10, 2013 2:33 PM EDT 79 68 119 6 0 Sponsorship for the live music business is up more than 15% in three years as more brands look to tap into fans’ passion This story below on the growth of branding at U.S. music festivals is from the May 18 edition of Billboard magazine feat ...

  25. Chart Moves: Fleetwood Mac Returns After 10 Years, Lindsey Stirling Hits New Chart High

    May 10, 2013 8:30 AM EDT 1 13 25 0 0 This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Kenny Chesney roped his seventh No. 1, as "Life on a Rock" arrived atop the list with 153,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was one of just two debuts in the top 10 this week, a ...

  26. What's Next for Randy Jackson After 'American Idol'? (Analysis)

    May 09, 2013 9:19 PM EDT 1 3 11 0 0 The goal of “American Idol,” a dozen seasons ago when it started, was to create stars out of unknowns. It did so for Simon Cowell, perhaps the most famous A&R man on the planet, who has surrounded himself with television and music projects ...

  27. As I Lay Dying's Tim Lambesis Pleads Not Guilty to Murder Solicitation Charge

    May 09, 2013 8:00 PM EDT As I Lay Dying's Tim Lambesis pled not guilty to a solicitation-of-murder charge at his arraignment on Thursday. As I Lay Dying Singer Tim Lambesis Arrested Over Plot to Kill Wife Bail was set at $3 million, sources on the scene confirmed t ...

  28. Slayer's Jeff Hanneman Death Due To Alcohol-Related Cirrhosis

    May 09, 2013 7:11 PM EDT One week after Slayer's Jeff Hanneman died at the age of 49, the guitarist/songwriter's official cause of death has been revealed to be alcohol-related cirrhosis, or an irreversible scarring of the liver. In a message posted to Slayer& ...

  29. Selena Gomez and PSY Rebound on Social 50 Chart

    May 09, 2013 6:40 PM EDT The Social 50 ranks the most popular artists on YouTube, Vevo, Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, Wikipedia, Myspace and Instagram. The chart's methodology blends weekly additions of friends/fans/followers along with artist pageviews, song play ...

  30. Randy Jackson Exits 'American Idol'

    May 09, 2013 6:20 PM EDT It’s official: Randy Jackson is leaving American Idol. The longtime judge and last remaining member of the original panel, which featured Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul, exits the program after 12 seasons. "Yo! Yo! Yo! To put all of the specu ...

  31. Mariah Carey No Longer Managed by Randy Jackson

    May 09, 2013 11:33 AM EDT It’s been described as an “experiment,” a “rebound” and “a little bit of a joke,” but alas, Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson are going back to being just friends. The veteran American Idol judge is no longer co-managing Carey, The Hollywood Report ...

  32. Rolling Stones Sax Man's Wild Life Story Optioned for Documentary

    May 08, 2013 9:11 PM EDT 1 2 14 1 0 Independent producer Scott Putman and director-producer Jeff Stacy have secured rights to saxophonist Bobby Keys' rollicking, addictively readable biography "Every Night's a Saturday Night: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Leg ...

  33. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' 'Can't Hold Us' Tops Hot 100, Sets Chart Record

    May 08, 2013 1:15 PM EDT The act becomes the first duo in the chart's five-decade history to send its first two singles to No. 1. Plus, Florida Georgia Line's 'Cruise' sails back into the top 10 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis'  "Can't Hol ...

  34. Adam Levine, 'Voice' Coach and Maroon 5 Frontman, Inks Development Deal at NBC

    May 08, 2013 11:23 AM EDT Adam Levine's NBC footprint is about to grow larger. The "Voice" coach and Maroon 5 frontman has inked a one-year first-look development deal at NBC with his longtime manager-turned-producing partner Jordan Feldstein. Together, th ...

  35. Kenny Chesney Logs Lucky Seventh No. 1 Album On Billboard 200

    May 08, 2013 11:02 AM EDT Country king Kenny Chesney grabs his seventh No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as Life on a Rock debuts atop the list. The set sold 153,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Among country acts with the most No. 1s on ...

  36. DFA Label Documentary Short Celebrating 12th Anniversary Released (Watch)

    May 08, 2013 10:00 AM EDT DFA Records is now on a small screen near you (actually, below). Today, the Red Bull Music Academy released a 12-minute documentary short entitled “Too Old To Be New, Too New To Be Classic: 12 Years of DFA” that examines the history of NYC’s inf ...

  37. Madonna to Be Honored as Top Touring Artist at Billboard Music Awards

    May 08, 2013 9:00 AM EDT 3 186 35 1 0 Madonna will be honored with the Top Touring Artist award at the upcoming Billboard Music Awards, an achievement earned by the worldwide success of her MDNA tour. CLICK FOR COMPLETE LIST OF BBMA FINALISTS • J.Lo, Lil Wayne, Minaj Performing • ...

  38. Michael Jackson's Doctor Unqualified In Many Areas, Expert Says

    May 07, 2013 10:04 PM EDT Michael Jackson's doctor was not qualified to treat the singer for insomnia or drug addiction and botched resuscitation efforts, an expert cardiologist testifying for the singer's mother told a jury on Tuesday. Dr. Daniel Wohlgelernter ...

  39. Justin Timberlake's Acting Agency, WME, Locks Down All of the Star's Future Business

    May 07, 2013 6:08 PM EDT Actor and singer Justin Timberlake is taking his music touring business to WME. Although previously signed with talent agency CAA, WME had been repping Timberlake as an actor since 2009. It will now inherit all of his future business, including ...

  40. Mariah Carey's '#Beautiful' Featuring Miguel Off To Strong Radio, Sales Start

    May 07, 2013 3:20 PM EDT Mariah Carey's new single, "#Beautiful," is logging an impressive beginning, thanks to hefty first-day airplay across an array of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment-owned radio stations and a solid initial sales forecast.   The ...

  41. Universal Music Publishing Acquires Criterion Music Corp

    May 07, 2013 2:48 PM EDT Universal Music Publishing Group has acquired Criterion Music Corporation and its affiliated entities, it was announced today by Zach Horowitz, Chairman & CEO, UMPG, and Bo Goldsen, President of Criterion The company will relocate to UMPG’s ...

  42. Independent Study: Sacred Bones Records

    May 07, 2013 10:29 AM EDT 7 65 39 1 0 Label: Sacred Bones Records Founded: 2007 Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn Number of Employees: 5 Next Release: Pharmakon, Abandon , May 14 Distributor: Secretly Canadian Twitter: @SacredBones Website: SacredBonesRecords.com "Independent St ...

  43. Rolling Stones Concert Promoter On 'Flex Pricing' Ticket Strategy: ‘I Want the Brokers Pissed Off’

    May 07, 2013 8:59 AM EDT Price adjustments on Stones shows in L.A. and elsewhere reflect a “flex pricing” strategy and attempts by promoter AEG Live and the Stones to keep tickets out of the hands of brokers, according to John Meglen, co-president of AEG Live subsidiary ...

  44. Justin Timberlake Announces '20/20' World Tour

    May 06, 2013 11:20 AM EDT Justin Timberlake will follow-up his upcoming stadium trek with Jay-Z with his first solo world tour in six years, bringing his traveling experience to dozens of countries through 2014, it was announced on Monday. "The 20/20 Experience Worl ...

  45. 'Boston Strong' Concert Organizer: 'This Town Can't Be Brought Down'

    May 03, 2013 8:52 PM EDT With the Boston Marathon bombings now firmly in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to look ahead to the future of the victims and the city itself -- reason enough for New Kids on the Block to organize and recruit acts for an all-star benefit concer ...

  46. Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman Remembered at Somber But Celebratory Golden Gods Awards Ceremony

    May 03, 2013 4:46 PM EDT 1 60 14 0 0 The death of Slayer's Jeff Hanneman was announced just hours before Revolver Magazine's 2013 Golden Gods Awards, so it certainly cast a somber pall over the proceedings. But just as with the tragic deaths of "Dimebag" Darre ...

  47. Rolling Stones Offer Last-Minute $85 Tickets to Tour Opener at Staples Center

    May 03, 2013 3:16 PM EDT Ahead of the opening night of its “50 and Counting” tour at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on May 3, the Rolling Stones announced that a new block of more than 1,000 seats priced at $85 would be available for last minute purchase, according to Ruet ...

  48. LMFAO Takes Ex-Manager to the California Labor Commissioner

    May 03, 2013 11:37 AM EDT At a trial starting on Monday, LMFAO will be shouting "TAA" at RPMGR LMFAO is the Los Angeles-based electronic pop duo of Stefan Kendal Gordy (RedFoo) and Skyler Austen Gordy (SkyBlu). RPMGRP is the chart-topping duo's former mana ...

  49. Billboard Taps SonicBids for Music Awards Post-Party Talent Search

    May 02, 2013 9:28 PM EDT After a night including performances from Prince, Taylor Swift and Lil Wayne, Billboard is looking for one act to take the Billboard Music Awards from the party to the after-party. One group will get to follow the evening of superstar acts with ...

  50. Chart Moves: The Neighbourhood Debuts, Van Halen's '1984' Returns After 20-Plus Years

    May 02, 2013 8:22 PM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Michael Buble achieved his fourth No. 1 album with "To Be Loved," as the pop singer's latest started with 195,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Meanwhile, Fantasia scored ...

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