Record Biz Meltdown Continues: Sony Studios to Close

In yet another sign that the music industry might just close up shop and move to Florida, Sony Music Studios — one of New York's biggest recording hubs — will close its doors in August, citing difficult financial times. Elton John, Billy Joel, Jennifer Lopez, Missy Elliott, and Sheryl Crow have all recorded at the storied studios, which have also hosted TV shows, including Nirvana's "MTV Unplugged." The shutdown comes two years after the legendary Hit Factory closed up shop, leaving New York with few powerhouse recording studios.

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Song Stories

“Baby Got Back”

Sir Mix-a-Lot | 1992

While watching a Budweiser commercial during the Super Bowl, Sir Mix-a-Lot thought the skinny female models in the ad didn’t represent reality. So he wrote this ode to ample bottoms, featuring its famous to-the-point lyric: “I like big butts and I cannot lie.” MTV banished the video, featuring shaking booties and sexually suggestive fruit, to 9 p.m. or later. “I thought my career was over,” he told Rolling Stone. “Then I called Rick Rubin, and I told him the video was banned, and he was like, 'Great!' We sold another 2 million records.”

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