Music

The five songs that inspired Glen Hansard the most: “Teaching me how to sing”

• Glen Hansard named the five songs that most inspired his music.
• Picks include Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen tracks.
• His own "Falling Slowly" also made the list as a pivotal song.

Glen Hansard, the Irish singer-songwriter best known for "Falling Slowly" and his role in the film Once, has spoken about the five songs that most shaped him as a musician, offering insight into the folk-rooted influences behind his own work. The piece, published in tribute to Hansard, reflects…

How Apple Music’s Stephen Campbell Is Building ‘A Portal Into the Depth & Breadth’ of Dance Music

• Apple Music launches Club Live, streaming festivals and club nights live
• Dance music named fastest-growing genre in 2026, up 18.9% year-on-year
• Apple previously used Shazam tech to license and pay for DJ mixes

Apple Music's global head of dance, electronic and DJ mixes, Stephen Campbell, is expanding the platform's dance music offering with Club Live, a service that broadcasts festivals and club shows live via the Apple Music Club streaming radio station. The launch comes as dance music enjoys a surge…

On This Day in 1963, the Beach Boys Debuted on the Hot 100 With the First Song Brian Wilson Ever Wrote

• Beach Boys' "Surfer Girl" entered the Hot 100 on 3 August 1963
• Song later peaked at No. 7, the band's second top 10 hit
• Brian Wilson has given conflicting accounts of writing it

On this day in 1963, the Beach Boys entered the Billboard Hot 100 with "Surfer Girl," a song Brian Wilson has long claimed was the first he ever wrote. The single went on to peak at No. 7 about a month later, becoming the band's second top 10…

The 2002 adaptation Stephen King vowed would be his last: “When you get done, you get done”

The article content I was given is just site navigation/menu text, not the actual story — my attempt to fetch the full page was blocked (403), and I don't have permission to run a web search to find the content elsewhere. Could you either paste the full article…

The punk legends Lemmy dismissed as “a joke”

• Lemmy called punk band The Slits "a joke" and "fucking awful"
• He admired Sid Vicious but scorned most other punk acts
• Comments seen as reflecting sexism The Slits faced in the 1970s

Lemmy Kilmister, frontman of Motörhead, was known for his blunt, often derisive opinions of the punk rock scene, despite his own band sharing much of its rebellious, drug-fuelled spirit with the movement that emerged around it in mid-1970s Britain. While Motörhead is frequently cited by punk purists as…

Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 Countdown For Aug. 8, 2026 | Billboard News

• "Choosin' Texas" logs a 16th week atop the Hot 100.
• Morgan Wallen's new song "Been By Now" debuts at No. 2.
• Ella Langley and Olivia Dean also hold strong top-10 positions.

Billboard's weekly video countdown ran through the top 10 of the Hot 100 chart for the week dated 8 August 2026, highlighting continued strength for Morgan Wallen, Ella Langley and Olivia Dean. A new Morgan Wallen track has entered the top 10, joining his existing collaboration with Ella…

Costume Designer Arianne Phillips on How Madonna Inspired ‘I Want Your Sex,’ and Finding Olivia Wilde’s Frustrated Artist Look for ‘The Invite’

• Costume designer Arianne Phillips details work with Olivia Wilde on two films.
• "The Invite" features Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton.
• Madonna inspired styling for Wilde's role in "I Want Your Sex."

Costume designer Arianne Phillips has discussed her collaborations with Olivia Wilde on two new films, "The Invite" and Gregg Araki's "I Want Your Sex," building on their earlier work together on "Don't Worry Darling." Phillips praised Wilde's fearlessness both as a director and as a performer, noting her…

BREAKING BENJAMIN Tops Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart With ‘Something Wicked’

• "Something Wicked" gives Breaking Benjamin their ninth No. 1 rock radio hit.
• Single has amassed nearly 11 million streams and topped Apple Music/iTunes charts.
• Band launches US tour 2 September with Chevelle and Starset support.

Breaking Benjamin's latest single, "Something Wicked", has reached No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, marking the ninth career chart-topper for the American hard rock band. The track, first performed live at the Welcome To Rockville festival earlier this year, is being positioned as a preview of…

‘Trainspotting: The Musical’ UK tour cancelled as tickets were “just not selling”

• Trainspotting: The Musical's UK tour has been cancelled entirely.
• Producers blame poor ticket sales amid tough economic conditions.
• Final show is 5 September in London; refunds promised to ticketholders.

Trainspotting: The Musical has cancelled its UK tour after weak ticket sales, cutting short a run that was due to visit Glasgow, Aberdeen, Manchester, Sheffield and other cities from 19 October. The stage adaptation of Irvine Welsh's cult novel and film had already completed a London run at…

JEFF PILSON On FOREIGNER’s Live Shows: ‘We’ve Been Able To Keep It Really Fresh, And We Keep Reinventing Ourselves’

• Foreigner mixes acoustic, orchestral and electric shows on its 50th tour
• Pilson says varied setlists keep performances feeling fresh
• Band reports surprising growth in young, female fanbase online

Foreigner bassist Jeff Pilson has discussed how the band keeps its live shows fresh during its ongoing 50th-anniversary tour, which includes acoustic performances, orchestral gigs and occasional reunions with original vocalist Lou Gramm. Speaking to Bass Musician Magazine, Pilson credited the band's varied formats and enduring songwriting for…