• 20 Funniest Memes & Reactions to Meek Mill's 'Wanna Know' Diss

    Just as we were all beginning to scratch our heads in askance wondering why Mill had yet to respond, the rapper finally debuted his track late Thursday evening via Hot 97's DJ Funk Flex Show. Naturally social media kicked into overdrive, as fans shared mixed responses to the track as well as dozens of hilarious memes erected in Mill's honor.
  • Ranking Bond Theme Songs: Adele, Madonna, Tina Turner and More Join James

    Bookies in the UK have closed betting on the performer behind the theme song for the new James Bond film, Spectre, as an anonymous bettor placed a £15,000 wager that Radiohead will perform the track. There's no official word yet from the band or the studio...but it's safe to say that no one throws away that much money without a good hunch. Although director Sam Mendes says that a song has indeed been recorded and will be officially released soon, all we can do right now is wonder. In the meantime, take a look at the theme songs from the previous seven installments of the Bond series, which we've ranked from worst to first.
  • Queen Elizabeth and Concerts: The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, One Direction and More

    Fifty years ago on this date, The Beatles debuted its new film, Help!, in London and there was a very big name in the crowd at the debut: Queen Elizabeth II. This constituted arguably the greatest gathering of famous British-folk in the last century, while also demonstrating that the monarch was more than happy to take in popular entertainment along with her constituents (a fan site for the Royal Family notes that she has considerably more "lowbrow" taste than her husband, Prince Philip). If you need more proof of the Queen's enjoyment of popular music, here are some more instances from recent (and not so recent) years.
  • Jay Z/Nas, Tupac / Notorious B.I.G.: The Best Hip-Hop Diss Tracks Ever

    The hottest story in hip-hop for the last week has been Meek Mill's allegations that Drake uses a ghostwriter, and the Toronto rapper turned up the heat by releasing "Charged Up," a perceived diss track aimed at his accuser. Responses to Drake's release have been fairly positive, at least from fans (Mill himself hasn't responded to the track yet) but Drizzy has a while to go in terms of both attitude and wordplay if he wants to land on the list of the greatest diss tracks ever. Here are five examples, from the Nas/Jay Z beef to the Tupac Shakur/Notorious B.I.G. beef that set a high bar for vitriol.
  • 6 Hip-Hop Song Sans Verses for AC: Tupac, Eminem, Kanye West and More

    Has your mother ever commented how much she enjoys the chorus to "See You Again" or "Monster," but that she really wishes Wiz Khalifa and Eminem (respectively) hadn't "ruined" the song with their raps? She's not the first. This week we found out that a revised version of the former song, featuring only Charlie Puth's hook, as well as new melodic verses in place of Khalifa's bars, has been on the rise at Adult Contemporary radio...occasionally known as "Adult Conservative." The only thing less likely to end up on AC than hip-hop is heavy metal, but as rappers frequently find themselves invited to guest on pop singles (such as Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" featuring Kendrick Lamar), labels sometimes edit the "offending" portion out, resulting in a safer, frequently less exciting product.
  • 5 Best Twitter Beefs of 2015: One Direction, Iggy Azalea, Taylor Swift and More

    Twitter hasn't been short on beefs for 2015, but this week has blown up the social media service as Meek Mill has called out Drake for allegedly using a ghostwriter, and Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift have gone back and forth about VMA nominations and body shape. They weren't the first musicians to stir things up with 140 characters (or several salvos of 140 characters) this year. Here are five other digital battles that have gone down during 2015 thus far, including One Direction, Iggy Azalea and...believe it or not... not Azealia Banks (we take her tweets for granted anymore).
  • 60 Years of Mouseketeers: Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Miley and More

    Today marks an important anniversary for the most epic day in Disney history: Walt opened the gates of Disneyland to the world, and introduced the Mouseketeers to the world. The preteen performers might seem like a gimmick now, but the lengths at which the Disney company went to recruit talented youngsters has paid off over the years. Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake (and of course Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff and other stars who would go on to fame with other Disney programs and outside careers) are among the biggest names, but some other big names have had their Mouseketeer career forgotten in light of their other achievements. Here are five of the other stars you may not have realized were in Mickey's minor league system.
  • 8 Songs More Popular Live: Bruce Springsteen, U2, Bob Marley and More

    Bob Marley and The Wailers played a concert at Lyceum Theater on this date 40 years ago, which included the iconic version of the song "No Woman No Cry" that more fans are now familiar with, thanks to its inclusion on 'Legend.' The song had appeared on the equally iconic album 'Natty Dread' during 1974, but its inclusion ten years later on the posthumous compilation propelled it to new heights, earning a ranking as the no. 37 song of all time by Rolling Stone. It's not the only song that has gathered even more fame as a live cut. Here are seven other iconic numbers that still receive more play in their live forms, from Bruce Springsteen, U2, Eric Clapton and more.
  • Kurt Cobain, The Beatles and Michael Jackson: Bad Musician Statues

    A humorous petition has suggested that Outkast's Andre 3000 and Big Boi be carved into Georgia's historic Stone Mountain, a monument near Atlanta that's drawn controversy for its homage to the Confederacy in the form of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson in Mt. Rushmore-style. Our official stance at Music Times is that the ATLiens riding in a Cadillac on the side of the mountain wouldn't hurt. And, even if it does border on the absurd, it wouldn't be the worst statue of a musician to be erected. Alas, The Beatles, Kurt Cobain and Michael Jackson (especially Michael Jackson) have been subjected to attempted memorials that fall way short of tastefulness.