Contributor
238 items by Steve Knopper Steve Knopper’s Profile on
-
On the Charts: Beastie Boys Can't Stop the Adele Juggernaut | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: The Beastie Boys haven't released a real studio album since 2004, but it's nice to find the veteran New York rappers back on the charts with Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. They hit...
May 11, 2011 5:05 PM ET -
Katy Perry Proves She's Got Staying Power | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Katy Perry. Pundits have been suggesting for months that Perry is a breezy, overnight pop sensation known only for throwaway anthems such as "Teenage Dream" and "I Kissed a Girl." Yet her...
May 4, 2011 4:05 PM ET -
On the Charts: Adele Continues to Dominate | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Adele. In an era when the record business is severely handicapped from breaking new stars, with certain crucial exceptions such as Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, the British singer-songwriter has sold roughly 1.2...
April 29, 2011 12:25 PM ET -
On the Charts: Paul Simon Earns Highest Solo Debut | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: The downsizing of Paul Simon. Just five years ago, Simon was still acting like a huge pop star, putting out albums for his longtime major record label, Warner Music, and performing in...
April 20, 2011 2:40 PM ET -
On the Charts: The Resurrection of Rap-Rock | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Current Rolling Stone cover subject Adele (Number One, 88,000 this week, 1.03 million total) is old news. Our fave album of the year so far, Britney Spears' Femme Fatale, has not...
April 14, 2011 10:50 AM ET -
On the Charts: Britney's 'Femme Fatale' Hits Number One | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Britney Spears – although in historical context, she could easily be Loser of the Week. Her Femme Fatale hit Number One on the Billboard charts with 276,000 copies. (The album's really...
April 7, 2011 1:00 PM ET -
On the Charts: Chris Brown Hits Number One and Rebecca Black Sticks Around | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Songs for Japan – a 38-song compilation of mostly existing hits such as U2's "Walk On" and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," plus live tracks by Madonna, R.E.M. and Sting – landed at...
March 30, 2011 5:30 PM ET -
On the Charts: Adele Regains Top Spot; Rise Against Sell 85,000 Albums | ARTICLE
WINNER OF THE WEEK: Adele's 21 is proving resilient on the Billboard albums chart – it hit Number One again this week, selling 98,000 copies, after dropping to Number Two last week in favor of Lupe Fiasco's...
March 23, 2011 5:25 PM ET -
Britney Spears On Her New Album, Her Favorite Music and Working With will.i.am | ARTICLE
Britney Spears will release her seventh studio album Femme Fatale on March 29th. It's her most thrilling and inventive record yet, a set of songs that just as danceable as they are unusual and forward-thinking. Rolling...
March 17, 2011 7:55 AM ET -
Mariah Carey Responds to Calls That Qaddafi Money Be Returned | ARTICLE
Mariah Carey announced today she feels "horrible and embarrassed" for performing on behalf of Muatassim Qaddafi, son of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, who hired her to sing four songs on the Caribbean island of St. Bart's during...
March 3, 2011 6:30 PM ET -
Beyoncé Says She Donated Qaddafi Money to Haiti | ARTICLE
On Monday, several prominent music-business sources told Rolling Stone that Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Usher, 50 Cent and others who've performed shows funded by Libyan leaders should donate their fees to charity. Today, Beyoncé's rep is...
March 2, 2011 4:25 PM ET -
Mariah, Beyoncé, Usher Face Calls to Donate Qaddafi Money to Charity | ARTICLE
Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Usher and 50 Cent are facing industry calls to give back the money they earned performing at lavish parties thrown by family members of Libyan dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi. "If it were me, it would...
February 28, 2011 1:10 PM ET -
Industry Lashes Out at Mariah, Beyoncé and Others Who Played for Qaddafi's Family | ARTICLE
Over the past few years, some of music’s biggest names, including Mariah Carey, Usher and Beyoncé, have taken as much as a million dollars to play private shows for the family of Libya’s brutal dictator, Col....
February 25, 2011 12:05 PM ET -
Exclusive: Britney Spears' Producer Dr. Luke Reveals 'Femme Fatale' Details | ARTICLE
Britney Spears announced today that her new album, due March 15, is titled Femme Fatale – but the superstar singer and her Los Angeles producers are still choosing songs and determining the final direction of the...
February 2, 2011 12:35 PM ET -
Despite Deal With Sony, Spotify Unlikely to Launch in U.S. Anytime Soon | ARTICLE
Spotify, the free streaming-radio service that has generated 10 million European listeners over the past two years, may be one step closer to a U.S. launch now that the Swedish company has signed a deal with...
January 21, 2011 8:55 AM ET -
Taylor Swift's 'Speak Now' Tops the Charts | ARTICLE
Taylor Swift – the bestselling artist of 2009 – got even bigger in early November, when her third album, Speak Now, broke a million...
November 25, 2010 12:00 PM ET -
Don Henley Airs Conservative Views on Copyright Law | ARTICLE
Earlier this month Don Henley settled his lawsuit against U.S. Senate candidate Chuck DeVore, a California Republican, for the politician's unauthorized use of "The Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do Is Dance"...
August 25, 2010 11:35 AM ET -
Lilith Fair Loses 10 Dates, Kelly Clarkson Quits | ARTICLE
The worst-selling summer concert season in recent memory has claimed another victim — Lilith Fair, which on Thursday canceled 10 shows, adding to a grim list that includes U2, Christina Aguilera, Limp Bizkit, Simon & Garfunkel, certain...
July 2, 2010 1:34 PM ET -
Attorney General Investigates Lollapalooza | ARTICLE
The Illinois attorney general's office is reportedly investigating Lollapalooza, the Chicago rock festival featuring Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire and Soundgarden, on antitrust grounds. As Rolling Stone first reported early this month, like Coachella, Bonnaroo and others, Lollapalooza...
June 25, 2010 3:45 PM ET -
Google to Go After Apple With New Digital Music Service | ARTICLE
Google is in "very preliminary" talks with executives in the record business to launch a new music service to compete with Apple's dominant iTunes, according to a source at a major record label and recent media reports....
June 22, 2010 4:42 PM ET

