Ryan Book, The Music Times

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  • Madonna's 'Rebel Heart' Drops 19 Places on Billboard 200; Is Album Leak or Aging Fan Base to Blame?

    Analysts were surprised when the Empire soundtrack trumped Madonna's Rebel Heart on the Billboard 200, although it managed to take the no. 1 position on the actual albums chart. Even more surprising is how poorly the album has done going forward in its second week. Rebel debuted by selling around 117,000 copies during its first week but immediately dropped to 22,800 copies during its second week, dropping more than 80 percent and 14 places on the Albums chart. More dramatically, the record fell from no. 2 to no. 21 on the Billboard 200.

  • Stevie Wonder and 5 Other Artists Banned in Apartheid South Africa: The Beatles, Pink Floyd and More

    Stevie Wonder was a political lighting rod during 1985, and most of it was tied to politics in another nation: The pianist was arrested during a South African Apartheid protest outside of Congress and later would dedicate his Best Original Song Oscar (which he won for "I Just Called to Say I Love You" from The Woman in Red) to Nelson Mandela, who remained imprisoned at Pollsmoor Prison. That action led the South African government to ban all of Wonder's music across the board. He wasn't the first musician to deal with censorship from the paranoid Apartheid government however. Here are five other acts, including Pink Floyd and The Beatles, that got banned.

  • 'The Fast and The Furious': Ranking The 7 Soundtracks...Featuring Ludacris, Pitbull, Iggy Azalea and Plenty More

    Last week featured the release of the soundtrack for 'Furious 7,' the final installment in the 'Fast and Furious' film franchise. Your correspondent admits that he wasn't a huge fan of the first edition when it debuted during 2001. He's since warmed up to the series as the films have started to feature more and more absurd stunts, and more and more Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The final film, which premieres in theaters next week, looks to be a proper, adrenaline-fueled final chapter and a fitting tribute to Paul Walker. One thing that hasn't necessarily gotten better as the films have progressed: The soundtrack albums. Music Times ranks the seven film companion albums from worst rides to best.

  • Sleeping With Sirens, Mark Knopfler and Awolnation Crack Albums Chart Top 10 with New Releases

    The good news about the albums chart is that it gives performers who didn't crack the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 to make their stand without worrying about streams and singles, but that will still have to wait until after Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly.' The rapper's third album, and first to top the albums chart, sold 319,000 copies, nearly quadrupling the next highest total on the list.

  • Kendrick Vs. Everybody: How Did 'To Pimp A Butterfly' Sell Compared to Recents from Kanye West, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj and More?

    Kendrick Lamar was certainly king of the Billboard 200 this week, as To Pimp A Butterfly sold three times as many copies as any other record on the market during the last week. Part of the hip-hop game, more so than any other genre, is arguing about who's no. 1. Generally that means a ranking of who can drop the best bars, but money—regardless of what Jay Z and Jermaine Dupri tell you—is most certainly a thang. So how does the most hyped performer in recent years stack up against industry giants in terms of sales?

  • Omar Souleyman Announces New Music (Featuring Help from Four Tet, Modeselektor), World Tour Schedule

    Omar Souleyman has announced that his new album, Bahdeni Nami, will drop on July 28 and will feature assistance from more mainstream fans such as Four Tet, Modeselektor (and later remixes to come from the Black Lips' Cole Alexander), according to Pitchfork. Souleyman has been a mainstay in his homeland of Syria for years as a celebrated wedding party singer, and has gathered Western appreciation in recent years thanks to acclaimed releases such as 2013's Wenu Wenu.

  • Pitbull Broadcasting Live Show at Apollo Theater for Debut of Globalization Station on Sirius XM

    Pitbull has joined a group of big names such as Eminem, Bruce Springsteen, Tiesto and others in the ranks of having his own SiriusXM satellite radio channel. Globalization, the name of the new outlet (and the rapper's last album), will hit the airwaves on May 19. The station will feature a range of music that appeals to "Mr. Worldwide," from his Cuban-American influences to his American hip-hop favorites.

  • 5 Surprising Hip-Hop Ghostwriters: Will Smith, Dr. Dre and Jim Jones Had Curious Helpers with These Hits

    The hot news in hip-hop today is the rumor that Compton rapper Skeme may have ghostwritten songs for Iggy Azalea, including "Fancy," the no. 4 song of 2014. This news probably surprises no one, despite denials from the performer herself and mentor T.I. that anyone else had a hand in crafting her hits. And if anyone is that shocked or appalled by the news...perhaps they should check out the history of hip-hop. You'll be surprised at how many songs are actually written by the least likely of performers. Here are just a few examples.

  • Justin Timberlake, Bobby Brown, Zayn Malik and More: 5 Boy Bands After The First Member Left

    Zayn Malik has announced that he's leaving One Direction, a declaration that Directioners have been fearing for weeks, following in the rumors of his infidelity and general dissatisfaction. We're not suggesting that the group is officially done, but the history of boy bands suggests that when one member decides to leave the fold, that's a good indication the honeymoon, and often the group itself, is over. Here are five cases of major members leaving a boy group and what happened afterward. Featuring One Direction, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and more.

  • Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly' Dominates Billboard 200—'Empire,' Modest Mouse and 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Contend for No. 2

    Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly has become his first release to top the Billboard 200 despite dropping a tad earlier than expected. The album went on to sell 363,000 equivalent copies, including single downloads and streams-breaking Spotify records in the process- on its way to the top. That was also the second largest debut of the year—behind Drake—giving hip-hop the two biggest albums of the year so far.
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