In Hounds of Love, Kate Bush’s extraordinary vocal performances are the musical equivalent of speaking in tongues. There are few more thrilling, literate, and ambitious works of popular music.
The singer has been criticised for ‘fetishising’ motherhood. But by disrupting stereotypes she is striking a major blow for black women.
St Vincent performing with Dave Grohl (at rear) after Nirvana was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York in 2014.
Lucas Jackson/Reuters
The airwaves were once dominated by rock gods delivering blistering guitar solos. Times have changed but a new crop of electric guitarists are strumming their way to glory.
The story of African-American music is a story of eclipsing expectations and subverting norms.
Bob Dylan pictured in 2012: his long synopses of a seemingly random list of books made up the bulk of this week’s Nobel Prize speech.
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Nirvana’s Nevermind was emblematic of the 1990s. But in today’s fragmented digital age, can anyone nominate an album that defines the first or second decade of the 21st century?
In Australia, musicians’ total income actually went up last year. While the music industry still faces many challenges, there is now a world-wide push to boost artists’ royalties paid by streaming services such as Spotify.
A saxophone player busks in New York: as technology transforms their industry, quite a lot of musicians are leaving the field.
Michael Tapp
Whenever you listen to a streamed song, like it but don’t buy it and instead stream it again, you are casting a vote for the future nonexistence of professional musicians.
Leonard Cohen in 2012 accepting an award for his song lyrics.
Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters
Leonard Cohen, who has died at 82, had both a tragic vision and a voice that was warm, funny and closely observant. His unique gaze helped fans see the world anew.