Some covers are recorded as a nod to the legacy of the original, only to end up becoming the definitive version of the song.
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Articles on Music history
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Song by song streaming services may be hurting the album commercially, but its place in our cultural lexicon will be harder to shake.
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Banned from the BBC, denied its rightful place on the charts, 'God Save the Queen' – released 40 years ago this month – remains one of the most controversial protest songs of all time.
The 29-year old Johannes Brahms had his first major public success with his piano quartet in G minor, but not everyone gave it glowing praise.
For those on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Artists, their life expectancy is on par with the people of Chad, the nation with the lowest life expectancy in the world.
In the internet era, musical artists freely distribute their songs and encourage fans to attend live shows. The Dead did this for 40 years.
Fifty years ago, in the first half of 1965, the British invasion was officially under way – at least, in music. It seemed like all the biggest hits on the American pop charts came from British bands. Ever…
Fifty years ago, the Rolling Stones released their breakthrough single (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, which debuted in the US during the first week of June 1965. The band’s previous singles had done well…
Before being crowned the "King of the Blues," a young Riley King honed his on-stage persona and made crucial contacts as a radio DJ.
When bands "return to their roots," is it a genuine search, or a way to court critics and sell records?
Songs no longer relay party platforms. Instead, they're used to promote "celebrity" candidates.
It's important not to conflate and confuse Cobain's varying personas.
As Record Store Day shows, there's a lot more to the vinyl revival than simple nostalgia.
Like ambulance chasers, gimlet-eyed entertainment lawyers have been trained to detect the most trivial copyright infringements.
The band's first US hit wasn't 'Satisfaction.' Released in March 1965, 'The Last Time' possessed stylistic flairs that would predict the band's future success.
Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection depicts the fully-formed artist – a blues musician, yes, but also a performer of string-band, country and pop songs.
In the 1920s, many black musicians were exploited by record companies, and faded into anonymity. Here are some of their stories.
My daughter came home from school orchestra rehearsal one day and said: Daughter: We are learning a great new song by Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. Me: Song, darling? I’d call it a piece. Daughter…
For a band that once sang “Every year is getting shorter / Never seem to find the time” – which followed an explosion of alarm clocks – Pink Floyd’s songs always seemed to take their time. During the band’s…
Top contributors
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Director, Institute for Popular Music, University of Rochester
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Adjunct Lecturer of American Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Deputy Director ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, University of Melbourne
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Associate Professor of Musicology and Director of Academic Program, Music, Western Sydney University
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Head, Interactive Composition , Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer in Music, Newcastle University
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Lecturer in Music Industry, RMIT University
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Professor in Film, University of Southampton
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Melbourne
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Lecturer in the Sociology of Gender and Program Director of Gender Studies, Macquarie University
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Associate Professor and Head of Composition, University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer in Music, Edinburgh Napier University
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Senior lecturer in Guitar, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne
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Professor of Cultural Studies, Director, Graduate Program in Gender Studies and Feminist Research, McMaster University
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Teaching Assistant in English, Queen Mary University of London
