Music covers the people, performances and recordings that shape what we hear, from classic rock and pop to newer artists and regional industries. It also includes the stories behind songs, albums, tours and the creative choices that give them lasting appeal.
For readers, music offers both discovery and connection: a chance to find new voices, revisit familiar favourites and understand how artists build their work and careers. Disputes over samples, reunions and the changing business of entertainment show how creativity, money and cultural influence intersect.
Leo Sayer had to abandon his first recording of “When I Need You” after deciding its blues arrangement did not suit the song. Returning to the original demo’s approach helped turn the 1977 track into a US No. 1, and Sayer’s last chart-topping single there. Written by Albert…
Sam Fender has criticised the proposed prices for his 2027 stadium tour, saying they were higher than he intended and will be changed. He also said the tour would not divide standing areas into separate tiers, after learning that a premium front-standing option had been planned. The announced…
Sam Fender has said reported ticket prices for his 2027 UK and Ireland stadium tour are being changed because they were higher than he intended. He also said standing areas will not be divided into “front” and “general” sections, a plan he said he had not known about.…
The Beatles’ *Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band* took the idea of an album with a shared theme and pushed it to new extremes. The article argues that its ambition may have seemed excessive in 1967, but the risk helped establish the concept album and influenced later musicians.…
The writer recalls arriving at a Midlands boarding school in 1991, where loud, confident boys seemed to dominate and his own quietness left him feeling dismissed. Discovering the Stone Roses’ debut album and guitarist John Squire showed him that someone could be reserved yet charismatic, ambitious and artistically…
Five acts with roots or beginnings in 1969 later helped shape popular music, though most found their greatest success in the 1970s and beyond. Their stories show how early partnerships and lineup changes laid the groundwork for influential pop, disco, rock and prog rock. Earth, Wind & Fire…
The writer reflects on how five John Anderson songs are tied to memories of childhood, family and growing up. The piece presents Anderson’s music as a lasting link to home and to formative moments, from hearing songs in a relative’s kitchen or truck to discovering them on cassette.…
The article highlights three 1980s one-hit wonders that it says unsettled parents as music and technology changed: Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax”, rap music entering the mainstream, and Buckner and Garcia’s “Pac-Man Fever”. It presents them as examples of adults fearing new sounds and cultural shifts that appealed…
Macklemore called for a “free Palestine” and condemned US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during his first concert since being removed from Ed Sheeran’s North American tour. He also voiced support for people affected by conflict and hardship in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon and…
Emily Bratt argues that fines for people who play audio aloud in public may help, but will not solve antisocial behaviour on their own. Drawing on her experience living and working in Japan, she says Britain should also teach civic responsibility and rebuild social norms that encourage consideration…