Music

Watch Andy Burnham blind-rank his favourite bands – including Oasis, The Smiths, Wolf Alice and more

• Burnham ranked Oasis top in NME’s blind band challenge
• The article links music taste to his public profile
• Beyond The Music 2026 also features in the story

NME reports that Andy Burnham has taken part in a blind-ranking of British bands, placing Oasis first ahead of Elbow, Courteeners, Wolf Alice and The Smiths. The piece matters mainly as a light culture-and-politics story, highlighting Burnham’s long-running association with Manchester’s music scene while also linking it to…

Gerard Way pauses My Chemical Romance’s Wembley Stadium show to talk about ‘Baldur’s Gate’

• Gerard Way paused Wembley show to discuss Baldur’s Gate with a fan
• He said he had only played the first Baldur’s Gate
• The band also paid tribute to artist John Blanche

My Chemical Romance’s final Wembley Stadium show on their European ‘Long Live The Black Parade’ tour included an unexpected gaming aside when Gerard Way stopped to answer a fan’s sign about Baldur’s Gate. The moment mattered largely because it gave fans a spontaneous, personal exchange during a major…

The Outer Worlds 2 lead slams “cold take artists” following Xbox layoffs at Obsidian, says “the same DNA” that created hits like Fallout: New Vegas and more remains

• Obsidian’s Brandon Adler pushed back on post-layoff speculation.
• He said the studio still retains its core creative identity.
• The comments followed Xbox layoffs and changes at Obsidian.

Obsidian’s Brandon Adler, a co-director of The Outer Worlds 2 who is now leading an unannounced project, has responded publicly to the recent Xbox layoffs affecting the studio. He criticised commentators he called “cold take artists” for spreading unsupported claims that Obsidian is no longer the studio it…

Willie J Healey Announces New EP ‘143’

• Willie J Healey has announced a new EP, 143
• The news signals a fresh release cycle
• It follows his 2023 album Bunny

The article reports that Willie J Healey has announced a new EP titled 143, marking the start of a new release chapter for the Oxfordshire songwriter. It matters because it follows the momentum of his recent rise in profile and gives listeners a clear sign that more material…

Mastodon Announce New Album ‘Marrow Deep’

• Mastodon have announced their new album `Marrow Deep`
• It is their first album in five years
• The new single features Josh Homme

Mastodon have announced a new album, `Marrow Deep`, and released a lead single, `Snakes for Dinner`, featuring guest vocals from Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. The announcement matters because it marks the band’s first album in five years and their first full-length release since the…

“That’s really strange”: the band Bernie Taupin accused of always writing “the same” song

The available text does not include the body of the article, so the only clear claim is that it discusses Bernie Taupin singling out a band for allegedly writing “the same” song repeatedly. If accurate, the point appears to be less about a specific event and more about…

3 Songs From 1956 That Still Make Me Smile Today

The article is an opinion piece from American Songwriter in which the writer picks three songs, all released in 1956, that they say still bring them joy today. The pieces frames the 1950s as a decade whose music reliably lifts the mood, and singles out these three tracks…

The 1990s band Chris Cornell said was too good to reform: “It would be just total prostitution”

• Cornell said Temple of the Dog was too special to revive
• He felt a reunion would cheapen its original meaning
• The bandu2019s legacy rests on its 1991 one-off project

The article revisits Chris Cornell’s past remarks about Temple of the Dog, the early-1990s Seattle supergroup he once suggested was too special to bring back. Cornell argued that a reunion would feel cynical or exploitative, saying the project’s original purpose and emotional weight made it unsuited to an…

Artists With the Most No. 1 Albums on the Billboard 200: The Beatles, Madonna & More

• Madonna's CONFESSIONS II debuts at No. 1, her 10th chart-topper.
• She becomes the 11th act, third woman, to reach 10 No. 1s.
• The Beatles lead all acts with 19 No. 1 albums.

Madonna's new album CONFESSIONS II has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated 18 July 2026), giving the singer her 10th chart-topping album and making her only the 11th act, and third woman, to reach at least 10 No. 1s since the chart began weekly…

The Allen Sisters: The Songwriters Behind Some of Hall & Oates’ Greatest Hits

This article from American Songwriter highlights the often-overlooked contribution of sisters Sara and Janna Allen to the songwriting behind several of Hall & Oates' biggest hits. While Daryl Hall and John Oates are widely celebrated for their run of chart-topping singles from the 1970s to the mid-1980s —…