1. Kevin Ayers of Soft Machine Dead at 68

    February 20, 2013 1:00 AM EST 3 0 Soft Machine (l-r): Kevin Ayers, Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge and Daevid Allen (Getty Images) Kevin Ayers, a co-founder of British psych-rock pioneers the Soft Machine who went on to a prolific solo career before falling off the map, died in his sl ...

  2. Pat Egan of Relapse Records Dies

    February 19, 2013 4:50 PM EST 5 287 52 0 Pat Egan of Relapse Records, a longtime veteran of the heavy metal music business, passed over the weekend. The director of retail sales and marketing for the metal indie had been hospitalized due to complications from pneumonia.   In social me ...

  3. Taylor Swift, Fun. Aiming For Top 10 Return on Next Week’s Billboard 200 Chart

    February 15, 2013 9:56 PM EST 2 6 19 0 In the wake of the Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, few major artists opted to release new albums this past week. So on next week's Billboard 200 chart, expect to see a lot of familiar faces at the top of the list -- with many sporting big sales in ...

  4. Chart Moves: Soundtracks Sales Sizzle Thanks to 'Pitch Perfect,' ‘Les Miserables’

    February 14, 2013 9:10 PM EST 205 22 0 Josh Groban crowned the Billboard 200 this week with "All That Echoes," his third No. 1 album . The pop singer sold 145,000 copies of the set in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Elsewhere in the top 10: Tim McGraw arriv ...

  5. How Target Scored Two Exclusive Bonus Tracks on Justin Timberlake’s ‘20/20 Experience’

    February 14, 2013 1:27 PM EST 6 14 59 0 0 Sunday night’s Grammys may have marked the official television debut of Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” (not to mention album track “Pusher Love Girl”), but the real surprise was the news that Target would be carrying an exclusive deluxe ...

  6. Lady Gaga Cancels Remaining Tour Dates for Surgery

    February 13, 2013 8:35 PM EST 1 12 23 0 The remaining dates of Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball have been cancelled, Live Nation confirmed on Wednesday. "After additional tests this morning to review the severity of the issue, it has been determined that Lady Gaga has a labral ...

  7. Concord's Glen Barros and Gene Rumsey on Label's 8 Grammy Wins, The ‘Underserved' Adult Market

    February 13, 2013 1:42 PM EST 4 1 8 0 Above: Esperanza Spalding won two of Concord's eight Grammy wins (Photo: FilmMagic) . Concord Records was the Grammy's leading label winner this year, picking up eight nods -- and it wasn't a fluke. Traditionally, Concord is one of ...

  8. Grammy Awards Send Sales Surging on Billboard Charts

    February 13, 2013 12:01 PM EST 4 12 107 0 Though Nielsen SoundScan's latest sales tracking week ended at the close of business on Sunday night, Feb. 10 -- the same day as the Grammy Awards -- the Billboard charts still feel the force of music's biggest night. While we will se ...

  9. Josh Groban Earns Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200

    February 13, 2013 10:29 AM EST 1 23 26 0 Tim McGraw, Red and Coheed & Cambria also earn Top 10 debuts Josh Groban’s All That Echoes arrives at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week, selling 145,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s the singer’s third No. 1 album, following 2003’ ...

  10. Beyonce ‘Mrs. Carter’ Tour Tickets Selling Out Fast

    February 12, 2013 3:32 PM EST 122 96 0 The first shows put on sale for the North American leg of Beyonce’s Mrs. Carter Show world arena tour sold out quickly yesterday, with shows added in several markets. Sales in Europe, where the tour begins April 15 at Kombank Arena in Belgrade, ...

  11. Grammys Spur Early Sales Gains for Mumford & Sons, Lumineers, Frank Ocean

    February 11, 2013 9:40 PM EST 7 14 0 While official numbers aren't in yet, sources suggest that some of the biggest sales winners from the Grammy Awards on Feb. 10 include Mumford & Sons, the Lumineers, Frank Ocean, Rihanna and fun. Music sales for the week ending Feb. 10, ...

  12. Chart Alert: 'Les Mis' Soundtrack Takes Top Album Spot in the U.K., Jake Bugg Upends Biffy Clyro

    February 11, 2013 10:25 AM EST 3 19 0 As the “Les Miserables” score album (Polydor/Universal) moved back to the top of the U.K. album chart yesterday,  Macklemore’s current Hot 100 No. 1 “Thrift Shop” (Macklemore), featuring Ryan Lewis and Wanz, mirrored that feat across the Atlantic ...

  13. Grammys 2013: 15 Things You Didn’t See on TV

    February 11, 2013 1:37 AM EST 2 25 94 0 0 Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z performed in black and white, Elton John dueted with Ed Sheeran, Prince presented an award with a diamond-studded cane, and Bruno Mars was joined on stage by Sting, Rihanna, and Damien Marley as part of an all-star ...

  14. Snoop Dogg Sparks Up While Busta Rhymes, Evan Bogart Share Stories at BMI ‘How I Wrote That Song’ Panel

    February 09, 2013 10:23 PM EST 51 35 0 0 Above, L-R: Luke Laird, B.o.B, Snoop Dogg, BMI VP of writer/publisher relations Catherine Brewton, Evan Bogart and Busta Rhymes. (Photo: Joe Scarnici) This year's edition of BMI's annual “How I Wrote That Song” panel, held Feb. 9 at ...

  15. Backbeat: Warner/Chappell’s Jon Platt, Singer Jill Scott Celebrate Grammy Week at ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Brunch

    February 09, 2013 8:22 PM EST 1 22 0 0 Above, L-R: ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Team. Jennifer Drake, director; Jay Sloan, senior director; Nicole George, VP; and Jonathan Jones, associate director. (Photo: Mitchell Peters) It was a warm, sunny afternoon on the the rooftop of the ...

  16. Backbeat: Rob Light, Alex Hodges, Kevin Lyman, Don Was, Many More Share Springsteen Memories at MusicCares

    February 09, 2013 3:17 PM EST 8 34 0 0 Above: Bruce Springsteen onstage at MusiCares Person Of The Year Honoring Bruce Springsteen at Los Angeles Convention Center (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage)   A unique level of fanaticism swirls around all things Bruce Springsteen. There' ...

  17. Grammy Readers Poll Results: Fun., Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran in the Lead So Far

    February 08, 2013 4:28 PM EST 52 84 0 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="267"> UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Norma ...

  18. Chart Moves: The Lonely Island's 'Yolo' Sails Onto Hot 100, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber Soar

    February 08, 2013 2:45 PM EST 5 23 0 As previously reported , Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop," featuring Wanz, logs a third week at No. 1 the Billboard Hot 100, while the latest singles by P!nk and Calvin Harris enter the top 10. Who else makes notable move ...

  19. Justin Timberlake Named Creative Director of Bud Light Platinum

    February 07, 2013 3:33 PM EST 38 540 274 0 0 Justin Timberlake has teamed up with Bud Light Platinum to become the brand’s new creative director, Anheuser-Busch announced Thursday, with a new commercial featuring the singer and his comeback single “Suit & Tie” debuting during Sund ...

  20. Justin Timberlake Shares 'The 20/20 Experience' Album Cover, Track List

    February 06, 2013 9:33 PM EST 17 30 0 Justin Timberlake's vision is stronger than ever. The pop star shared his "The 20/20 Experience" album cover and track list on Wednesday. In a nod to the title, the Tom Munro-shot image pictures Timberlake looking through an optom ...

  21. Josh Groban's 'All That Echoes' Eyeing No. 1 on Next Week’s Billboard 200 Chart

    February 06, 2013 9:21 PM EST 1 8 24 0 For the moment, it seems as if Josh Groban will collect his third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 next week with his latest release, "All That Echoes." It would follow his chart-toppers "Closer" (2004) and "Noel" (2 ...

  22. Beyonce, Destiny's Child Albums Sales Up 197% After Super Bowl

    February 06, 2013 4:47 PM EST 51 211 0 While the Super Bowl happened on the final day (Feb. 3) of the most recent Nielsen SoundScan sales tracking week, the game's halftime performer -- Beyonce -- still sees some mighty sales gains on the charts. The diva headlined the CBS-broa ...

  23. Drag City Film Distribution to Release ‘The Source Family’ Doc in May

    February 06, 2013 4:13 PM EST 1 16 19 0 Drag City Film Distribution will release Maria Demopoulos and Jodi Wille’s documentary “The Source Family” in May followed by a video-on-demand release through Gravitas Ventures. Drag City Records will also release the film’s soundtrack in May. ...

  24. Kylie Minogue Joins Jay-Z's Roc Nation

    February 06, 2013 2:44 PM EST 2 81 38 0 Kylie Minogue has joined Jay Z's Roc Nation family, the label and entertainment company announced Wednesday . The Aussie singer's U.S. publicist confirms to Billboard that the partnership is for management services, while she is still ...

  25. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ ‘Thrift Shop” Tops Hot 100 For Third Week

    February 06, 2013 2:34 PM EST 14 19 0 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis log a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their debut entry "Thrift Shop," featuring Wanz. P!nk and Calvin Harris, along with guest Florence Welch, meanwhile, ascend to the chart's top 10. ...

  26. Beck Performs David Bowie's 'Low' With 167-Piece Ensemble for Lincoln Motors' 'Relaunch'

    February 06, 2013 11:05 AM EST 160 38 0 Beck recorded an eight-minute version of David Bowie's "Sound and Vision" with an 167-piece ensemble Tuesday night that will launch Lincoln Motors' online "Hello, Again" series. Beck performed the Bowie track from ...

  27. Justin Bieber Becomes First Artist With Five No. 1 Albums Before 19th Birthday

    February 06, 2013 10:57 AM EST 182 159 0 As expected, Justin Bieber achieves his fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as "Believe Acoustic" debuts atop the list with 211,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. With the arrival, he becomes the only artist to have notched ...

  28. Britney Spears Las Vegas Residency Reportedly Narrowed Down to 2 Casinos

    February 05, 2013 7:56 PM EST 2 13 28 0 Despite recent reports to the contrary, Britney Spears is still in “deep negotiations” to headline a Las Vegas residency in the near future, says her manager Larry Rudolph. “I’d be shocked if it didn’t happen,” Rudolph told Extra on Tuesday. “[W ...

  29. Postal Service Shipping-Rate Hike Forces Indie Labels to Change Tactics

    February 05, 2013 7:05 AM EST 1 8 27 0 When he started The End Records in the sepia-toned days of 1998, Andreas Katsambas would often ship albums to fans free of charge. He says shipping rates were so low at the time that he didn’t bother to pass the fee on to consumers. “When I start ...

  30. Beyonce's Super Bowl Performance Boosts Her Album Sales 230% – Destiny's Child's 600%

    February 04, 2013 4:43 PM EST 13 54 89 0 Beyonce's Super Bowl halftime show has, predictably, sent sales of her music skyrocketing. The diva headlined the Super Bowl XLVII halftime festivities in New Orleans last night (Feb. 3), where she performed eight songs and reunited with D ...

  31. Beyonce Announces World Tour Dates After Super Bowl Halftime Performance

    February 04, 2013 12:20 AM EST 3 19 10 0 As expected , New Orleans was just the beginning. Following a Super Bowl halftime show that set Twitter ablaze, Beyonce announced that she will embark on "The Mrs. Carter Show," a nearly four month transatlantic tour that will kick off ...

  32. Beyonce Top-Tweeted Artist for Super Bowl 2013 by a Mile: Brand Bowl

    February 03, 2013 11:59 PM EST 54 25 0 Not only was Beyonce the likely ratings winner of Sunday’s Super Bowl , she was far and away the winner on Twitter, as well. Billboard teamed up with Boston.com’s Brand Bowl to track the most talked-about artists on Twitter and the relative sent ...

  33. Justin Timberlake Brings New Songs (and Jay-Z) to NOLA for Pre-Super Bowl Party

    February 03, 2013 9:52 AM EST 7 35 31 0 0 Photo: Getty Images for DirecTV Years from now, when event planners begin figuring out what might make their event talk of the town during Super Bowl week, they'll look back and cite what happened in New Orleans on Saturday night. For mor ...

  34. My Bloody Valentine Finally Release New LP Online -- Leading to Near-Immediate Server Crash

    February 02, 2013 9:13 PM EST 1 11 12 0 0 More than 21 years after the release of their landmark 1991 LP "Loveless," My Bloody Valentine have, after countless delays and missed release dates, released the follow-up. However, due to a server crash, fans found they have to wai ...

  35. Andrea Bocelli, Tegan and Sara Top 10 Bound on Billboard 200 Chart

    February 01, 2013 8:53 PM EST 3 3 0 While Justin Bieber's "Believe Acoustic" seems a lock for a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week, there should be a number of other high entries from a range of performers. "Believe Acoustic" should ente ...

  36. Chart Moves: Randy Houser Debuts in Top 20 on Billboard 200 Chart, '12-12-12' Album Returns

    February 01, 2013 8:22 PM EST 3 0 0 After a 16-year wait, country singer Gary Allan nabbed his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart this past week, as his "Set You Free" debuted atop the list with 106,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Only two albums bowed in the ...

  37. Justin Timberlake Playing 'Fans Only' Show on Grammy Night

    February 01, 2013 6:39 PM EST 5 0 Another day, another bit of news about the new Justin Timberlake album. Today, J.T. announced via Twitter that he'll be playing Los Angeles' Hollywood Palladium Feb. 10 in promotion of new album  The 20/20 Experience . Tickets go on sale ...

  38. Backbeat: Pete Townshend Receives Les Paul Award During NAMM

    February 01, 2013 1:59 PM EST 40 12 0 0 Above, L-R: Townshend's longtime friend, producer and humorist Martin Lewis; Pete Townshend; Jeff Salmon of the Les Paul Foundation The Who's Pete Townshend was honored at this year's 28th Annual Technical Excellence & Creat ...

  39. Bubbling Under: Could Kristina Maria Be The Next Carly Rae Jepsen?

    February 01, 2013 10:58 AM EST 15 0 Each Friday, Billboard presents "Bubbling Under," a weekly look at new and noteworthy acts making their way toward Billboard chart success. Up this week: Kristina Maria, Tom Odell, Blackberry Smoke and T.Rone Kristina Maria Could Kristi ...

  40. Frank Ocean, Maroon 5 to Perform at Grammys

    January 31, 2013 11:16 AM EST 6 17 0 All five nominees for album of the year at this year's Grammys will perform at the awards show next month. The Recording Academy announced Thursday that R&B singer Frank Ocean will join Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Jack White and ...

  41. Ross on Radio: It's Not Bandwagon-Jumping If The Bandwagon Keeps Moving

    January 31, 2013 10:24 AM EST 3 14 0 Should an artist follow musical trends or ignore them? For years, the industry premium has been on artists who could reinvent themselves quickly enough to reflect current pop tastes without visibly riding the tail end of a bandwagon. From Bruce S ...

  42. Justin Bieber Bound for Fifth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart

    January 30, 2013 7:08 PM EST 15 274 0 Unless something highly unexpected happens, Justin Bieber will collect his fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart next week with Believe Acoustic . Industry sources say that the set could sell between 180,000 to 190,000 copies by the end ...

  43. Chart Alert: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Remain Atop Hot 100, A$AP Rocky Reaches Top 10

    January 30, 2013 2:12 PM EST 1 12 0 Rookie rappers infuse the upper tier, as 'Thrift Shop,' featuring Wanz, maintains its command and 'F**kin Problems' flies 15-10. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis spend a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their debu ...

  44. Gary Allan Earns First No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

    January 30, 2013 10:41 AM EST 10 82 19 0 Country singer Gary Allan notches his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart as Set You Free , his ninth studio album, debuts atop the list with 106,000 sold according to Nielsen SoundScan. It grants him his best sales week ever, surpassing the ...

  45. Amanda Palmer Q&A, Part 2: Touring, and the Challenges of Small Businesses

    January 30, 2013 10:15 AM EST 4 4 33 0 In part 1 of this article, singer/Kickstarter superstar Amanda Palmer talks about why she believes a pay-what-you-want "patronage" model is the way forward for the music business, the changing relationship between artists and fans, the ...

  46. Earache, Century Media Team Up for U.S. Licensing Deal

    January 29, 2013 8:00 AM EST 44 2 0 Established metal labels Earache and Century Media Records are partnering in a three-year deal where Century Media will handle all of Earache's physical product distribution in the U.S.   The deal was finalized within the last week and takes ...

  47. Taylor Swift Scores ‘Long Term Partnership’ With Diet Coke

    January 28, 2013 6:09 PM EST 1 17 22 0 Coca-Cola confirmed Monday reports that Diet Coke has committed to "long-term partnership with" Taylor Swift. As part of Diet Coke’s Stay Extraordinary campaign, Swift will be featured in television, print and digital advertising sched ...

  48. Amanda Palmer Q&A: Why Pay-What-You-Want Is the Way Forward, and More

    January 28, 2013 7:44 AM EST Amanda Palmer is hardly your average musician. The multi-faceted artist and former co-leader of Dresden Dolls has a groundbreakingly hands-on relationship with her business affairs and, via social media, with her fans. Last year those fans pledged ...

  49. Grammy Awards 2013: Retailers Predict Sales Spikes for Mumford, Underwood, More

    January 27, 2013 1:30 PM EST 2 11 21 0 As the industry awaits the Grammy Awards show on Feb. 10, retailers are hoping that the Recording Academy aligns the show’s performance schedule to optimize sales and produce a show like the past two years, which drove consumers to retail for mo ...

  50. Chart Moves: The Tenors, Yo La Tengo, Civil Wars Debut in Top 40 on Billboard 200

    January 27, 2013 11:30 AM EST 560 1 0 A$AP Rocky's No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 chart was the big news this week, as the rapper started atop the tally with his ne album, "Long.Live.A$AP," moving 139,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was one of just tw ...

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