• Greece, Colonel Tom Parker, Allen Klein and Other Bad Money Managers

    Odds are, if you're reading Music Times right now, you aren't all that interested in the current financial crisis of Greece, or the fact that the nation failed to pay the 1.5 billion euros it owed the International Monetary Fund as its bailout expired. It's a big—and very complicated—deal, but we're not going to take up your time explaining the sticky situation it puts both the Mediterranean nation and the European Union in. Instead, we figured we'd show you some of the worst money management issues in music...or more specifically, the managers that ran their clients through the cleaners worst. Performers such as Elvis Presley, Beyoncé and NSYNC get hosed.

  • The 7 Highest Music Incomes of The Last 5 Years; Dr. Dre, One Direction and More

    Forbes released its annual Celebrity 100 list this week, a feature that ranks celebrities of all stripes—music, film, sports—by how socially active they are and how much they bring in. Although a number of factors add up to the final ranking, we all know that net worth is the most interesting aspect of the chart. This year's musical champ was Katy Perry, who brought in $135 million over the last 12 months, trailing only boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao overall. Music Times is looking back over the last five years and finding out what seven musicians had the biggest paydays during that span.

  • David Bowie's 6 Epic Duets with Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger and More

    Thirty years ago today, the world was in rapture over Live Aid and the dozens of musicians who were finding ways to help the cause. Two of those musicians were David Bowie and Mick Jagger, who paired up for the iconic song (and video) for "Dancing In The Street," with the proceeds from sales going to Bob Geldof's Live Aid. The song, a cover of the classic hit from Martha and The Vandellas, was as raucous as any, but ultimately became better known for the comical video of its stars literally dancing in the streets. Bowie was among the most iconic performers in music's most iconic generation...and he's shared the stage with more iconic performers than just about anyone. Here are five other original songs that Bowie wrote and performed with legendary acts.

  • Mixtape Monday: This Week's Newest Tracks For Sharing

    Each and every week we put together our favorite tracks that had premiered a few days prior into one magnificent mixtape to share with you and your friends. This time around we've decided to share new songs from Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, St. Vincent and more right here!

  • The Eagles' 5 No. 1 Hits May Surprise You (Hint: 'Already Gone' Ain't One)

    Today marks the 40th anniversary of The Eagles' "One of These Nights" getting to no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Getting to the top of the pop charts is one of the most difficult accomplishments in music, even for a major act (and even more difficult than topping the Billboard 200 albums chart). The Eagles has managed to do it five times across the band's lengthy career, and that's nothing to yawn at. Music Times decided to check out what five songs managed to peak on the chart...and were fairly surprised at what we found. If you were expecting "Take It Easy," "Peaceful Easy Feeling," "Already Gone" or other lasting hits from Their Greatest Hits...be prepared to be surprised.

  • 5 Great Chris Squire Bass Songs in Memory of The Legendary Yes-Man

    Today is a sad one for fans of classic rock, progressive rock, and the bass guitar in general: Chris Squire was one of the most deft and appreciated players of four string to emerge from the first generation of prog rock bands, and played in every one of Yes's concerts for more than 45 years. He'll miss his first show with the band on August 7 when Yes opens a tour with Toto: Unfortunately, Squire succumbed to leukemia this weekend, shortly after he had announced his first hiatus from group. Yes has long shuffled members but Squire would end up being the one constant, and now the group will have to look deep at itself before it continues touring post-2015. For just a brief overview of Squire's best bass parts, check out the five tracks below from bios massive discography.

  • James Taylor, Tony Bennett and Tom Petty: Longest Streaks Before A No. 1 Album

    James Taylor is a legend. The dude's been around for nearly 50 years. He's seen fire and he's seen rain. But there was one thing that the songwriter never saw during his lengthy career in music: A no. 1 record. That finally changed this week when 'Before This World,' his first album of original material in more than 13 years, peaked at the top of the Billboard 200. That got us at Music Times wondering...what performer took the longest to get their first no. 1 album? We ranked the Top 5, from "least" years to most..including Tom Petty, Tony Bennett and more.

  • Casting David Bowie in Musical Adaptations: Labyrinth, The Last Temptation and More

    David Bowie has been working on a musical adaptation of the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth for some time now, and today fans were greeted with the news that the title character Lazarus would be portrayed by Michael C. Hall of Dexter fame when the off-Broadway theater production begins its run later this year. Unfortunately, alas, Bowie himself won't play a role in the actual stage portion of the production, although he will work with Tony-winning writer Enda Walsh (Once) to write original songs and arrangements for the performance. Hall is a solid choice for the role of an alien who comes to Earth, seeking water for his famished planet, only to be turned to the temptations of drugs and sex. If you've watched him in Dexter, you know how much emotion he can bring to a character that struggles with expressing emotions. Hall has a decent block of Broadway work as well however, including stints in Hedwig and The Angry Inch, Chicago and Cabaret. It got us thinking…if we were to create musical versions of other Bowie films, who would we put in the Thin White Duke's shoes? Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) Certainly one of Bowie's more challenging and underrated roles in film, the performer's turn as Major Jack "Strafer" Celliers during Nagisa Oshima's Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence demands an actor that can sincerely portray the sexually ambiguous nature of Bowie's character, along with all of the other traumatic occurrences that take place during a film set in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. Celliers serves as a foil, perhaps even a romantic one, to the character of Captain Yonoi (played by Ryuichi Sakamoto), but there is no hope to be had. One man is executed before the war is over and the other is executed after the war has concluded. We recommend Andrew Garfield for a potentially breakout role…he was Tony-nominated for his role in Death of A Salesman during 2012…does he have the voice to make a musical out of Merry Christmas? Labyrinth (1986) If any of the films suggested in this list have the potential to hit Broadway, Labyrinth is probably at the top. Although a commercial failure upon release, children of that generation and later have formed a cult audience around what is probably Bowie's best-known film appearance. Also consider the fantasy realm in which the film takes place and the current pro-puppet attitude on Broadway (Avenue Q, Warhorse) and this Henson Studios is just begging for a rebirth. Bowie of course plays Jareth, the goblin king, and we're going to play the Neil Patrick Harris card here. Sure, it seems like a obvious notion, casting NPH in a prominent role in a musical, but think about it: for all of wacky musical numbers he's done on awards shows, rarely have we gotten to see him play anyone…weird (outside of Dr. Horrible). Just imagine him with Jareth's blonde coif and the rest of the glimmering outfit will just fall into place. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) If you think Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ is too touchy for Broadway…you obviously haven't been on Broadway recently. Religion is as fair game as anything, from The Book of Mormon to Jesus Christ Superstar. The latter is actually a rather watered-down version of Christ, one of the most controversial films of the '80s. Bowie, alas, did not play Jesus, but he did play a rather hard-up Pontius Pilate (give Scorsese credit…while many directors try to make Pilate out to be a sympathetic character, Bowie wants blood). It's not a headlining role, to be sure, but it's a necessary one that Bowie performs with his usual pleasant intensity. We're going for a more strapping Pilate, played by an actor who has excelled at keeping his cool while dropping the axe for years on Mad Men: Jon Hamm. Basquiat (1996) The focus of the film Basquiat should of course be upon the work of real-life artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (and the excellent performance of Jeffrey Wright in the role) but inevitably attention heads back to one of the most possessing cultural figures of the 20th Century, the artist's friend and sponson Andy Warhol. The pop art figure dominated the cultural landscape of New York City simply by knowing how to present himself, and anyone planning on featuring Warhol in a stage of film project needs to present him in a similar way, regardless of how little the plot focuses on him. If you want a replication-level performance, it's tough to do much better than Daniel Day-Lewis. The guy takes method acting to the extreme, and the results are usually good. And yes, he's sung a bit…although Nine was one of his least popular works. The Prestige (2007) This production—a battle between two turn-of-the-century magicians—hardly revolves around Bowie's character at all, yet the musician plays one of the most curious characters in both science history and regular history: Nikola Tesla. We want to throw out Joseph Gordon-Levitt's name to play the genius and theoretical physicist…and maybe not just for the sake of a Prestige musical but a whole project dedicated to Tesla himself. It got us thinking...if we were to create musical versions of other Bowie films, who would we put in the Thin White Duke's shoes?

  • Mixtape Monday: This Week's Newest Tracks for Sharing

    Each and every week we put together our favorite tracks that had premiered a few days prior into one magnificent mixtape to share with you and your friends. This time around we've decided to share new songs from Lady Gaga, Miguel, Robyn, Slayer and more right here!

  • Mixtape Monday: This Week's Newest Tracks for Sharing

    Each and every week we put together our favorite tracks that had premiered a few days prior into one magnificent mixtape to share with you and your friends. This time around we've decided to share new songs from Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, Bully, Damien Rice and more right here!

  • Ranking Alanis Morissette's 'Jagged Little Pill' 20 Years Later

    Alanis Morissette didn't release her debut album in 1995 but she may as well have: 'Jagged Little Pill' took the teen pop star who had released two questionable previous records and tore them into jagged little pieces. When the vocalist reared up and roared into the first hook of first single "You Oughta Know," the world took heed. Hang with Music Times as we count down the tracks on 'Jagged Little Pill' from least favorite to vice versa.

  • I The Mighty and 'Connector' Beg For Grander Prog-Rock Sound

    Society always celebrates the records that top the Billboard 200 album chart. Back of The Billboards is a Music Times weekly segment that looks at the opposite end: the new record that finished closest to the back of the Billboard 200 for the previous week. We hope to give a fighting chance to the bands you haven't heard of. This week we look at 'Connector,' the second album from alt-rockers I The Mighty.

  • Ornette Coleman's Best Albums by Decade: 'Shape of Jazz To Come,' 'Free Jazz' and More

    Ornette Coleman, one of the most innovative and influential figures in the history of jazz, died today of cardiac arrest and Music Times wants to revisit his catalogue across six decades and throw out the best of the bunch for those who haven't checked out his catalogue yet, including smashes such as The Shape of Jazz To Come and Free Jazz.

  • 5 Les Paul Contributions to Modern Music: Solid-Body Guitars, Multitrack Recording, More

    Today marks what would have been the 100th birthday of Les Paul, one of the greatest innovators in music history, both for his work with instruments and with recording technology (and he wasn't half bad as a guitar player either). Music Times has assembled five of Paul's greatest contributions to the music world, in order of when he was most involved in its development. Understand that none of these technologies were solely his creation, but none of them would be the way we know them today if it weren't for his contributions, from the solid-body guitar to multitrack recording.

  • 8 Victims of MC Hammer: Madonna, Vanilla Ice, AC/DC and More

    MC Hammer took his first step to the top of the Billboard 200 on this date 25 years ago with Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em , the hip-hop album that would introduce the world to "U Can't Touch This" and help the rapper to maintain a place at the top of the charts for 21 weeks, interrupted only once. That's impressive but it makes us feel bad for all of the other performers who were denied a no. 1 album by that craze. Nothing tops a best-selling album for musicians but Hammer wasn't trying to give his spot up. Music Times checked out the eight albums that took the no. 2 spot during Don't Hurt 'Em's run, from Madonna to Vanilla Ice, and listed them from least weeks to most in second place.
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