• John Lennon: Remembering the Singer with 10 Inspiring Quotes [PHOTOS]

    John Lennon had established himself as a superb solo artist by the time 1980 rolled around. The Beatles disbanded a full decade earlier, and Lennon had found a way to captivate listeners without his writing partner Paul McCartney. He released five LPs in the '70s, including his debut, "John Lennon/The Plastic Ono Band" and his masterpiece "Imagine." There was a five-year hole in his recording career from 1975-80, but in November 1980 Lennon came back with "Double Fantasy." It was the former Beatle's final album. Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman 34 years ago today, Dec. 8. It is a loss that still perplexes fans and admirers to this day. Even the singer's killer has awakened from his delusional haze, telling the parole board in July, "I am sorry for being such an idiot and choosing the wrong way for glory." This year's anniversary is not a milestone. It is not a nice, rounded-off number like 30 or 35, both of which are far less important than 25 and 50. But while Lennon's death left a void in popular music, it also robbed the world of a truly beautiful mind that never hesitated to comment on the state of the world. He did not just say, "War is bad," he opted for the positive and tried to spark a movement from that: "Give peace a chance." So, yes, 34 means little. But it is difficult to look at 2014 and not think about what kind of wisdom Lennon could offer if he were still with us. What would he tell us about unrest stemming from the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases that we are missing? What insights could he offer on gay marriage rights? And do not forget the NFL. There is no shortage of moral problems and quandaries in today's social media society. Would Lennon even bother with Twitter? We will never know the specific answers to those questions. Thankfully, Lennon spoke his mind often during his 40-year stay on Earth, and those snippets of wisdom remain a guiding light for fans of peace, creativity and love.

  • 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 Lana Del Rey, Netherfriends, The Decemberists, Purity Ring and more right here!

  • The NCAA Playoffs, As Decided by Every School's Music Alumni: Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State Face Off

    We at Music Times have, at best, a tenuous connection with college athletics. We write about music. At the same time, nothing is trending like the first ever NCAA College Football Playoff. The University of Alabama and University of Oregon held tight to their top spots in the bracket of four, Florida State slid up one spot after a close game with Georgia Tech and Ohio State jumped into the last available spot with a crushing victory over Wisconsin. The best thing we can do, lacking the athletic know-how, is check out how this would turn out based on famous musical alumni from each school. Check it out.

  • 8 Great Albums From 2014 You Probably Haven't Heard of

    It's that time of year again when every music magazine and website publishes their list of the year's best albums (stayed tuned for the Music Times list in a few weeks), and for the most part, each list tends to shuffle around the same 50–100 albums in different orders. However, there are a ton of great albums released every year that unfortunately fly under the radar and don't get as much attention. Here are eight great albums from 2014 that you probably haven't heard (not to be presumptuous or anything).

  • 10 Bands That Broke Up In 2014

    Unless you're the Rolling Stones, no band can last forever, and in 2014 we lost plenty of wonderful bands. Some split up due to internal differences, while others felt like they had done all they could do artistically. Here are 10 bands that broke up in 2014.

  • Song Questions with Song Answers: Rod Stewart and Shakira, Lil Jon and Hall & Oates, and More

    Acts like One Direction and Taylor Swift have created armies of super-creepy, devoted fans. We're not talking about the typical Directioner...we're talking about the stalkers and X-rated fan fiction writers. Fortunately this isn't the '60s, where fans could apparently infiltrate the music industry and send messages to their idols. The best example is Elvis Presley, specifically his hit "Are You Lonely Tonight?," which according to Billboard generated at least four songs titled "Yes, I'm Lonely Tonight" and one "Oh, How I Miss You Tonight" as "answers" to his question. Odds are these songs were more about profits than untamed hormones, but we love the idea of response tracks.

  • The Rolling Stones' 'Let It Bleed': 9 Songs Ranked For Its 45th Anniversary

    Today, Dec. 5, marks the 45th anniversary of the Rolling Stones' classic 1969 album Let It Bleed, which was their last to feature founding member Brian Jones, who tragically passed away five months before the album's release at age 27. It also marked the band's first release featuring Jones' replacement, Mick Taylor. To celebrate the anniversary of this incredible album, here are its nine songs ranked, from worst to best.

  • Michael Brown, Eric Garner: 10 Tribute Songs From T.I., Alicia Keys, J. Cole, And More

    Following the grand jury decisions regarding the police-related deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO and Eric Garner in Staten Island, NY, plenty of musicians have expressed their outrage and calls for peace and unity by releasing songs inspired by these incidents. Here are 10 songs inspired by the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

  • 5 Versions of "Little Red Rooster" Ranked; From Howlin' Wolf to The Rolling Stones

    Fifty years on this day The Rolling Stones landed their second no. 1 track: "Little Red Rooster." As with the band's first no. 1 ("It's All Over Now"), the second time atop the charts was a cover of a previous blues track. A number of acts have made singles of the blues standard and Music Times will dare to rank the renditions of the single in terms of quality.

  • David Bowie, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Fallon, The Pogues: 8 Best Holiday Duets [LISTEN]

    Duets are special. They tend to carve out little moments in time when two artists link up and compliment their talents to the delight of listeners. There are tons of holiday duets out there, but we decided to put a list together of some classic, some silly and some forgotten team efforts. Bing Crosby, David Bowie, Jimmy Fallon and The Pogues all made the cut.

  • Musicians and Knives, Never A Good Combination: Assault Charges from Sid Vicious to Jay Z

    Word to the wise: If someone leaks your album early, don't attempt to murder them. It was a d--k move on their part but the court will rarely give you leniency because your victim is a tool. This was what Jay Z learned when he was convicted for stabbing Lance Rivera under the belief that the latter party had bootlegged Vol. 3...The Life and Times of S. Carter. Knives are a less popular tool for murder in the modern era but that hasn't stopped the musicians listed below.
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