Contributor
239 items by Steve Knopper Steve Knopper’s Profile on
-
The Best Summer Concert Bargains | ARTICLE
The days of seeing the world's biggest rock and pop bands for a few bucks, plus a little extra for parking and service fees, are as long-gone as Peter Frampton's curly hair. But amid $650 Stones...
May 21, 2013 12:05 PM ET -
On the Charts: 'Gatsby' Soundtrack Living the High Life | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: The Great Gatsby soundtrack. Not since the swing craze of the late Nineties have so many popular artists been so obsessed with tuxedos and the Lindy Hop. The Leonardo DiCaprio movie opened last...
May 15, 2013 2:55 PM ET -
On the Charts: Can't Hold Macklemore and Ryan Lewis | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. You thought you'd be finished with this hippie-hip-hop duo after "Thrift Shop" finally dropped down the charts? Nope. Billboard reports the band's latest single, "Can't Hold Us," received a...
May 8, 2013 12:40 PM ET -
The Doors Get an iPad App: A 'Major, Major Project' | ARTICLE
As he painstakingly went through music and photos for the new Doors app on the iPad, Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman found the bit he was looking for on a tape reel marked "Excited Utterances." The...
May 7, 2013 1:05 PM ET -
Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen Neil Young Join Global Citizen Ticket Drive | ARTICLE
To fight world hunger and transform their fans into social activists, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Beyoncé, Black Sabbath, Neil Young, Kanye West, My Morning Jacket and dozens of other stars...
May 1, 2013 9:20 PM ET -
On the Charts: Michael Buble, 'Idol' Alum Fantasia on Top | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Fantasia. With her pedigree as a 2004 American Idol winner, Fantasia commands more gold-standard publicity than most above-average R&B singers. (Her album Side Effects of You has exactly one great track: the swinging,...
May 1, 2013 12:20 PM ET -
iTunes' 10th Anniversary: How Steve Jobs Turned the Industry Upside Down | ARTICLE
Apple's iTunes Music Store, which opened 10 years ago this Sunday, exists for one major reason: Napster. By late 2002, the file-sharing service that had peaked with 80 million users was no longer in business. The Recording Industry...
April 26, 2013 2:45 PM ET -
On the Charts: Can Fall Out Boy 'Save Rock and Roll'? | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Fall Out Boy. Save Rock and Roll is the title of the once-mighty emo band's comeback album – and maybe it's not even an exaggeration. That speaks to the health of...
April 24, 2013 12:00 PM ET -
Twitter #Music App Is Splashy, Fun and a Work in Progress | ARTICLE
The new Twitter #Music app has a beautiful, intuitive interface – popular, up-and-coming and shared songs arranged in iTunes-style wallpaper squares, each begging to be clicked. If only it worked properly. Today's the big release day after...
April 18, 2013 3:20 PM ET -
On the Charts: Psy's 'Gentleman' Earns YouTube Love | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Psy. Yes, horse-dancing YouTube phenom Psy's new song "Gentleman" is a copy of "Gangnam Style," but the video is just as breezy and funny, with an elevator reappearance of the Man Dressed...
April 17, 2013 12:25 PM ET -
On the Charts: Bruno Mars Keeps Hitting Singles | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Bruno Mars. Unorthodox Jukebox, which came out last fall, is starting to hit the Rihanna/Katy Perry stratosphere – the album hasn't sold many copies, but each single outdoes the last one....
April 10, 2013 12:35 PM ET -
Michael Jackson Trial May Hinge on Conrad Murray Testimony | ARTICLE
The latest super-trial involving Michael Jackson will hinge on a few key questions: Did executives from AEG Live, Jackson's concert promoter, hire Dr. Conrad Murray? And did they pressure Murray into pumping Jackson full of...
April 10, 2013 11:05 AM ET -
On the Charts: Justin Timberlake Holds Fast to Number One | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Justin Timberlake. Again. The 20/20 Experience had the biggest sales debut of the year, then dropped 67 percent in its second week – 318,000 sales, although easily still ahead of
April 3, 2013 12:00 PM ET -
On the Charts: Justin Timberlake Has Best Sales Week Ever | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Justin Timberlake. Of course. The 20/20 Experience sold 968,000 copies in its debut week, the most since Taylor Swift's Red did 1.2 million last October. Swift may be a hotter...
March 27, 2013 10:00 AM ET -
Deke Richards, Motown Songsmith, Dead at 68 | ARTICLE
Deke Richards, the Motown songwriter, arranger and producer who founded the Corporation, the team that wrote the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save" and other Sixties and Seventies hits, died Sunday...
March 26, 2013 10:30 AM ET -
Rolling Stones Settle on Promoter for Arena Tour | ARTICLE
The Rolling Stones...
March 21, 2013 10:51 AM ET -
On the Charts: David Bowie and Bon Jovi Debut Strong | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: David Bowie. Yes, technically, Bon Jovi's What About Now is Number One (95,000 copies sold) and Bowie's The Next Day (85,000) is Number Two. But be honest – given...
March 20, 2013 12:25 PM ET -
On the Charts: Jimi Hendrix Earns Highest Chart Debut Since 1969 | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Jimi Hendrix. What appears to be the late guitar hero's final studio album, consisting of unreleased tracks recorded with a variety of musicians between 1968 and 1970, sold 72,000 copies and made...
March 13, 2013 6:42 PM ET -
Van Halen Shoot Down Tour Rumors: 'Nothing's Been Discussed' | ARTICLE
Irving Azoff, manager of Eddie, Alex and Wolfgang Van Halen, has debunked a rumor singer David Lee Roth has spread in recent interviews that rockers Van Halen will perform "probably 50, 60 shows" in Europe beginning...
March 12, 2013 6:55 PM ET -
On the Charts: Bruno Mars Discount Keeps Atoms for Peace From Top Spot | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Bruno Mars. How do you get to Number One? In the old days, long before SoundScan, record labels used to pressure key record stores into over-reporting their sales figures. These days, the process...
March 6, 2013 12:30 PM ET
