• 7 Highest Priced Records on eBay Right Now: The Beatles, Robert Johnson and The Stooges Included

    Jack White made headlines last week when he announced that he was the bidder who spent $300,000 for the acetate of Elvis Presley's original single, a 7" pressing from Sun Records featuring "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin," and that his label Third Man Records would be releasing copies of the recording for Record Store Day 2015. That inspired us to check out what the highest-priced albums on eBay were at the moment, and readers ate it up, so we've decided to try it again, looking at every LP priced at more than $1,000 on the online auction site at the moment, which included hot numbers from The Beatles, Robert Johnson, The Stooges and more.
  • Amanda Bynes, Johnny Cash and Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes: 5 Cases of Celebrity Arson and Other Fire Crimes

    Steve Miller found himself in the hot seat when he arrested for disorderly conduct after he lit a pile of his friend's belongings on fire and attempted to fight police who responded to the call (how good of a friend this was seems like a question worth asking). The leader of the Steve Miller Band should consider himself lucky that his dumb decision didn't get out of control. Most of the individuals arrested or charged with the crimes listed below had to deal with much more severe consequences for their actions, including Johnny Cash and Amanda Bynes.
  • Detroit Gospel Group 21:03 Thrives When Incorporating City's Techno and Soul Background on 'Outsiders'

    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 21:03 and 'Outsiders,' the new EP from the urban gospel group.
  • The Upstage, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Former Stomping Ground, Struggling to Gather Support for Renovation

    Bruce Springsteen fans, or at least a few of them, are working to save The Upstage, a venue in Asbury Park where The Boss and the E Street Band began their storied career. The venue will be going up for auction soon and Carrie Potter, the granddaughter of the original owners, is concerned that the new owners will potentially demolish the building to make room for new condominiums and development. She and Peter Ames Carlin, the author of Springsteen's biography Bruce, are aspiring to renovate the building and reestablish it as a music venue with a museum in tow.
  • Drake, Taylor Swift and Mark Ronson Propel Music Sales in Positive Nielsen Soundscan Q1 Industry Report

    Nielsen SoundScan has already released its report for Q1 of music sales for 2015 and so far things are looking good during the new year. Digital downloads have rebounded from the previous year by some degree, vinyl sales continue to rebound and...overall album sales aren't plummeting quite as fast as they once were. Taylor Swift, Drake and Mark Ronson are the ones to thank, based on the research provided.
  • Country Fans in The UK Chafe at Bro-Country as Well; New Guardian Editorial Lambasts State of Genre

    The emergence of "bro-country" and how much it irritates the previous generations of country music fans is not news. Americans, as the biggest consumers of the genre, haven't done much to eliminate it from the airwaves however, relative to how much we complain about it. Complaints from the sidelines—performers such as the Zac Brown Band and Ray Price—have largely been criticized by the genre's biggest stars or have been ignored by the music listening body as a whole. Perhaps we need a third party, one disconnected from the scene, to settle the matter. That happened when London's The Guardian published a scathing report on the state of country music in the United States.
  • Morrissey Tour Comes for United States after Two False Starts; Blondie and Amanda Palmer Among Openers

    Morrissey's last two attempts at a tour in North America haven't gone so well, as both were cut short by illness. The vocalist has announced a new run however and we're hoping that third time is indeed the charm. Although a constant opener hasn't been announced yet, Blondie has been named as a one-night opener for Moz's show at Madison Square Garden in New York, while Amanda Palmer will open for the closing night of the run in San Jose.
  • Billboard Hot 100 vs. Official Charts Company by Decade: Madonna, 50 Cent, Mark Ronson and 40 Years of No. 1s

    Few people realize just how different the music across the pond is from that we listen to in America, that the Hot 100 doesn't exist in the UK, and that its equivalent to our singles chart doesn't just feature a whole bunch of American artists with even more One Direction and Ellie Goulding tracks. Music Times is looking back at the last five decades of music, and at the no. 1 hits on April 2 every ten years on the spot, going back to 1975. The ultimate contest, of course, is which country has better taste. Last month the win went to the UK in the best-of-five showdown. This month features Madonna, 50 Cent, Mark Ronson and more in the field.
  • Kendrick Lamar, 'Empire,' Action Bronson and Earl Sweatshirt Help Hip-Hop Dominate Album Sales Chart

    The past few weeks have been amazing for hip-hop, as the Empire soundtrack and Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly have led both the Billboard 200 to three straight weeks of rap at no. 1. Although it's only been a two-week streak on the Album Sales chart (Empire was outsold by Madonna's Rebel Heart during its first week), this week is still newsworthy as the Top 3 spots on the chart are all held by hip-hop albums.
  • Are 76 Arrests at Ultra Music Festival 2015 a Good or Bad Thing? Depends What Media Outlet You Ask

    Depending on where you read your summary of last weekend's Ultra Music Festival, you may have come away with different ideas about whether the Miami electronic music event was a safe success or another round of EDM anarchy. Consider these headlines...the first is from Yahoo! News: "76 arrested at electronic music festival in Miami." Then compare it with that of Dancing Astronaut, a site specializing in electronic coverage: "Only 76 arrests made at Ultra Music Festival; lowest since 2012."
  • Apple and Beats Music May Face Antitrust Investigation for Pressuring European Record Labels

    The European Commission is reportedly preparing for an investigation of Apple with regard to its forthcoming relaunch of Beats Music streaming service. The Hollywood Reporter indicates that questionnaires have been sent out to several European music labels, which is usually an indication that someone has filed a complaint and may be followed by an antitrust investigation.
Real Time Analytics