Madonna has continued digging into her vaults to look back on her musical legacy. To celebrate the release of her sixth studio album, “Bedtime Stories” (which had its thirtieth anniversary last year), "Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter" is an EP that features remixes of songs from the album and some tracks that didn’t find their way on the record.
At the time of the recording of this album, Madonna was interested in leaning more into r&b and hip-hop, enlisting the producers, Babyface, Dallas Austin, Nellee Hooper and Dave Hall to help with her vision. Many demos were recorded, leading to "Bedtime Stories" which became another critical and popular album by the superstar in 1994. The EP includes the demos, "Love Won't Wait", "Let Down Your Guard", "Freedom" and "Right on Time" which didn’t make the final cut on "Bedtime Stories". There are also dance remixed versions of the singles, "Secret" and "Human Nature" as well as the tracks, "Survival" and "Don't Stop".
Following the less than warm reception to her last album, "143", Katy Perry has wasted no time to return with some new music. First performed live during the Lyon, France leg of her Lifetimes Tour earlier this month, "Bandaids" is a pop-rock ballad about dealing with the end of a relationship. This seems to reflect Perry's current state of mind as she's currently experiencing this with her recent break-up with actor, Orlando Bloom. A new album also appears to be on the horizon but no additional information has been revealed to date. The clever music video for "Bandaids", co-directed by Perry and Christian Breslauer, seems inspired by the horror franchise, "Final Destination" with Perry appearing in numerous horrific accidents.
Here are a few new music highlights: the Swedish performer, Zara Larsson has dropped a fresh remix of her dance-pop track, "Midnight Sun" (which helped earn Larsson her first Grammy nomination) that features Muni Long; best known as an actress, Hilary Duff has had some success as a pop singer and after almost ten years returns to music with a new single, "Mature" and an album due out soon; country crooner, Orville Peck recently released an EP, "Appaloosa" that includes this ballad, "Drift Away"; Perfume Genius has the latest single, "Me & Angel" from his seventh album, "Glory" and "FMT" (which stands for "F*ck My Type") is a guitar-driven, r&b ballad by Summer Walker about prioritizing a partner who genuinely chooses her and not settling for unhealthy relationships.
It has been twenty years since the release of "Confessions on a Dance Floor", the tenth studio album by Madonna. And to celebrate this milestone, a Twenty Years Edition has been released. This anniversary collection features the entire original album (seamlessly strung together like a DJ set), B-sides and remixes. It has also been announced that Madonna is not only returning to her long-time label Warner Bros. Records but it has been teased that there is a sequel of sorts to "Confessions" on the way. Not a lot of details on that yet but we should have that to look forward to next year. In the meantime, here are a few tracks from this album.
And finally, Ace Frehley, the lead guitarist of the costumed rock band, Kiss, passed away on October 16th at the age of seventy-four. Born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951 in The Bronx, he received a guitar as a Christmas present when he was twelve, teaching himself how to play the instrument. He had gotten involved in street gangs around this time, which is when he got the nickname "Ace" but began to lose interest when music became more of a priority. Frehley began playing in local bands during high school and later got a job as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix. He drifted from several bands and worked many odds jobs to make a living before he saw an ad in The Village Voice looking for a guitarist.
When he went in to audition, he met rhythm guitarist, Paul Stanley, bass guitar player, Gene Simmons and drummer, Peter Criss. He was hired and they became Kiss in 1973. The band decided to paint their faces and create stage personas for live performances with Frehley becoming "Space Ace". They released their self-titled debut the next year and while there was no hit single, the record went gold on the strength of promoting the album and touring. With a frenzied style of guitar playing, Frehley became one of the popular rock players during the 1970's.
In 1978, each member of Kiss released a self-titled solo album with Frehley having a hit single "New York Groove", a cover of a 1975 song by the British glam-rock band, Hello, reaching number thirteen on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. After Criss was voted out of the band in 1980, Frehley became frustrated by the musical direction of Kiss and was always outvoted as the replacement drummer had no vote. Two years later, Frehley would quit Kiss. Forming his own band, Frehley's Comet in 1984, he returned to his preferred heavy metal rock and enjoyed a brief time of success. In 1996, all four original members of Kiss reunited to tour and record an album, "Psycho Circus" before disbanding again by 2002. Frehley would go on to continue his solo career, with his latest album, "10,000 Volts" released last year, until his health had begun to decline recently.
Freddie Mercury was the charismatic front man of the British rock band, Queen who helped them become one of the biggest acts in pop music history. He had been making hits with the band steadily for fifteen years and while he did managed to push them to experiment musically, his bandmates were only willing to go so far. He soon decided it was time to pursue an outside music project.
Mercury had introduced a bit of dance music to Queen's sound on their last two albums, "Hot Space" and "The Works" but with his solo album, he could experiment even further with a dance beat and there would not be a rock guitar to be found anywhere on this record. It took two years to complete due to his commitment with Queen but "Mr Bad Guy" was finally released in 1985. Mercury had written all the songs and co-produced the album with German producer, Reinhold Mack. There was a point that Michael Jackson was supposed to make an appearance on the record but it proved too difficult for these two very busy artists to find the time to get together. Since Mercury is the familiar, melodramatic voice behind his band, none of these songs would really feel completely out of place on a Queen album. Yet the singer does seem to achieve a greater sense of creative liberation on each track, letting loose and being far more musically playful than he's allowed himself to be with his group. "Mr Bad Guy" would wind up being Mercury's only solo album released during his career with him passing away in 1991 from complications of AIDS at the age of forty-five.
While "Mr Bad Guy" did attract some international attention when it was released, the album was completely ignored in the US. Time has helped give the album a new and greater appreciation. Never hearing "Mr Bad Guy" previously, my first listen made me realize that this album probably alienated many of Mercury's rock fans at the time who didn't know what to make of this dance record. I really love this collection with it boldly capturing a rhythmic sensibility that feels fresh and modern today.
To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of "Mr Bad Guy", a Special Edition vinyl reissue will be available on December 5th. You can pre-order now at FreddieMercury.com.
It's been about seven years since we last heard from Robyn, the Swedish dance-pop sensation, but the wait is finally over. The forty-six-year-old singer had announced two days ago new music was on the way and now "Dopamine" is here. For those who might not be sure, "dopamine" is a neurotransmitter made in your brain that plays a role in many bodily functions, including memory, movement, mood, attention and more. And she describes this pulsing dance song is about capturing the intensity of emotions and the acceptance of these feelings as part of the human experience.
The producer Klas Åhlund revealed in September that he and Robyn have already completed a new album, but no title or release date has been revealed yet. In the meantime, let's enjoy this new song with a music video that features her four-year-old son, Tyko dancing with her in the clip.
The nominees have been announced for the 2025 Grammy Awards with Kendrick Lamar leading the nominations with nine, including Record, Song and Album of the Year, for his album, "GNX". The rest of the Album of the Year nominees include Lady Gaga, also one of the most nominated artists for Grammys with seven for her recent studio album "Mayhem"; the Latin music superstar, Bad Bunny is up for three awards in the top categories for his latest album, "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" and a total of six nominations; Sabrina Carpenter also received six nominations for her album, "Man"s Best Friend" as well as fellow actor/musician Leon Thomas for his second studio album, "Mutt"; Justin Bieber has been recognized for his recent pop-soul collection, "Swag"; "Chromakopia", the album from alt-hip-hop artist, Tyler, The Creator, has a total of five nominations and the hip-hop duo, Clispe has been recognized for their fourth recording collaboration, "Let God Sort Em Out".
This year sees the introduction by The Recording Academy of two new categories: Best Album Cover and Best Traditional Country Album. While honoring album cover art seems long overdue, the splitting of the country music album category from "traditional" and "contemporary" seems to be as a direct result of Beyoncé's win in this category last year for her alt-country work, "Cowboy Carter", clearly disturbing some members of the Academy. However from the look of the nominees in these categories it appears to be very arbitrary on the selections with no obvious reasoning on the distinction of what makes an artist modern or traditional country.
The 68th annual Grammy Awards will be revealed on Sunday, February 1, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. CBS will air the award show and stream it live on Paramount+.
Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 2025 Grammy Awards:
Album Of The Year:
"Debí Tirar Más Fotos" – Bad Bunny
"Swag" – Justin Bieber
"Man’s Best Friend" – Sabrina Carpenter
"Let God Sort Em Out" – Clipse
"Mayhem" – Lady Gaga
"GNX" – Kendrick Lamar
"Mutt" – Leon Thomas
"Chromakopia" – Tyler, The Creator
Record Of The Year:
"Debí Tirar Más Fotos" – Bad Bunny
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Anxiety” – Doechii
“Wild Flower” – Billie Eilish
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“Luther” – Kendrick Lamar with SZA
“The Subway” – Chappell Roan
“Apt” – Rosé and Bruno Mars
Song Of The Year:
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga (Songwriters: Lady Gaga, Henry Walter and Andrew Watt)
“Anxiety” – Doechii (Songwriter: Jaylah Hickmon)
“Apt” – Rosé and Bruno Mars (Songwriters: Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas and Henry Walter)
“Debí Tirar Más Fotos” – Bad Bunny (Songwriters: Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo René Sención Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry and Roberto José Rosado Torres)
“Golden” – Huntr/x: (Songwriters: Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick)
“Luther” – Kendrick Lamar with SZA (Songwriters: Jack Antonof, Roswita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solána Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears and Kamasi Washington)
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter (Songwriters: Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff and Sabrina Carpenter)
“Wildflower” – Billie Eilish (Songwriters: Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell)
Best New Artist:
Olivia Dean
Katseye
The Marias
Addison Rae
Sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
Best Pop Vocal Album:
"Swag" – Justin Bieber
"Man’s Best Friend" – Sabrina Carpenter
"Something Beautiful" – Miley Cyrus
"Mayhem" – Lady Gaga
"I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy" (Part 2) – Teddy Swims
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
"Wintersongs" - Laila Biali
"The Gift Of Love" - Jennifer Hudson
"Who Believes In Angels?" - Elton John & Brandi Carlile
"Harlequin" - Lady Gaga
"A Matter Of Time" - Laufey
"The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2" - Barbra Streisand
Best Pop Solo Performance:
“Daisies” – Justin Bieber
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Disease” – Lady Gaga
“The Subway” – Chappell Roan
“Messy” – Lola Young
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Defying Gravity” – Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
“Golden” – HUNTR/X
“Gabriela” – KATSEYE
“APT.” – ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
“30 For 30” – SZA With Kendrick Lamar
"EUSEXUA" - FKA twigs
"Ten Days" - Fred again..
"Fancy That" - PinkPantheress
"Inhale/Exhale" - RÜFÜS DU SOL
"F— U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!!" - Skrillex
Best R&B Album:
"BELOVED" - GIVĒON
"Why Not More?" - Coco Jones
"The Crown" - Ledisi
"Escape Room" - Teyana Taylor
"MUTT" - Leon Thomas
Best Progressive R&B Album:
"BLOOM" - Durand Bernarr
"Adjust Brightness" - Bilal
"LOVE ON DIGITAL" - Destin Conrad
"Access All Areas" - FLO
"Come As You Are" - Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon
Best R&B Performance:
“YUKON” – Justin Bieber
“It Depends” – Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller
“Folded” – Kehlani
“MUTT (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)” – Leon Thomas
“Heart Of A Woman” – Summer Walker
Best Rap Album:
"Let God Sort Em Out" – Clipse
"GLORIOUS" – GloRilla
"God Does Like Ugly" – JID
"GNX" – Kendrick Lamar
"Chromakopia" – Tyler, The Creator
"SABLE, fABLE" – Bon Iver
"Songs Of A Lost World" – The Cure
"DON’T TAP THE GLASS" – Tyler, The Creator
"moisturizer" – Wet Leg
"Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party" – Hayley Williams
Best Traditional Country Album:
"Dollar A Day" – Charley Crockket
"American Romance" – Lukas Nelson
"Oh What a Beautiful World" – Willie Nelson
"Hard Headed Woman" – Margo Price
"Ain’t In It for My Health" – Zach Top
Best Contemporary Country Album:
"Patterns" – Kelsea Ballerini
"Snipe Hunter" – Tyler Childers
"Evangeline vs. The Machine" – Eric Church
"Beautifully Broken" – Jelly Roll
"Postcards from Texas" – Miranda Lambert
Best Country Solo Performance:
“Nose On The Grindstone” – Tyler Childers
“Good News” – Shaboozey
“Bad As I Used To Be” – Chris Stapleton
“I Never Lie” – Zach Top
“Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
"A Song To Sing" - Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton
"Trailblazer" - Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson
"Love Me Like You Used To Do" - Margo Price & Tyler Childers
"Amen" - Shaboozey & Jelly Roll
"Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame" - George Strait & Chris Stapleton
Best Americana Album:
"Big Money" – Jon Batiste
"Bloom" – Larkin Poe
"Last Leaf On The Tree" – Willie Nelson
"So Long Little Miss Sunshine" – Molly Tuttle
"Middle" – Jesse Welles
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television):
"How To Train Your Dragon" – John Powell, composer
"Severance: Season 2" – Theodore Shapiro, composer
"Sinners" – Ludwig Göransson, composer
"Wicked" – John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers
"The Wild Robot" – Kris Bowers, composer
Best Album Cover:
"Chromakopia" - Shaun Llewellyn & Luis “Panch” Perez, art directors (Tyler, The Creator)
"The Crux" - William Wesley II, art director (Djo)
"Debí Tirar Más Fotos" - Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, art director (Bad Bunny)
"Glory" - Cody Critcheloe & Andrew J.S., art directors (Perfume Genius)
"moisturizer" - Hester Chambers, Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, Matt de Jong, Jamie-James Medina, Joshua Mobaraki & Rhian Teasdale, art directors (Wet Leg)
Songwriter Of The Year (Non-Classical):
Amy Allen
Jessie Jo Dillon
Edgar Barrera
Tobias Jesso Jr.
This year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will honor the English rock group, Bad Company; pioneer rock performer, Chubby Checker; the late British blue-eyed soul singer, Joe Cocker; the colorful, pop-rock vocalist, Cyndi Lauper; hip-hop innovators, Outkast; the American rock band, Soundgarden and indie-rock duo, The White Stripes.
The Musical Influence Award will go to the famed female rap trio, Salt-N-Pepa and the late rock singer/songwriter, Warren Zevon. The Musical Excellence Award will be given to the late producer, arranger, and songwriter of "Philly soul", Thom Bell; the English pianist, the late Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye, the female bass player who was a part of the legendary recording session band, The Wrecking Crew. And the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which honors a non-performer, is going to Lenny Waronker, a one-time president of Warner Bros. Records, and co-founder and co-chair of DreamWorks Records who was noted for his unwavering support of the artists.
To become eligible for entry into the Hall, an artist must have released it's first commercial recording at least twenty-five years prior to the nomination year. The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on November 8th in Los Angeles at the Peacock Theater and will stream live on Disney +. ABC will have a prime-time special that will feature highlights from the event to air on January 1, 2026. The special will be available for streaming on Hulu the following day.
BAD COMPANY
Bad Company, formed in 1973 with four British musicians who first found fame with other notable bands, is considered a rock supergroup. Mick Ralphs, the ex-guitarist of Mott the Hoople; former King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell; singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke both from the band, Free, were represented by Led Zeppelin's manager, Peter Grant and Bad Company was the first group signed to that band's Swan Song label. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1974 and became an immediate hit, reaching number one on the US Billboard 200 Album chart, on the strength of the popular singles, "Can't Get Enough" "Movin' On" and the title track. More hit albums followed and charting songs that include "Good Lovin' Gone Bad", "Feel Like Makin' Love", "Young Blood" and "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy".
By the time they recorded their sixth studio album, "Rough Diamonds", Bad Company had lost their manager following the death of Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham in 1980 and had a difficult time trying to work together as a band. The album was not well received and sold poorly with Bad Company parting ways not long after the release. Although the band had officially come to an end in 1982, Bad Company would reunite later on several occasions, with various other musicians filling in over the years, to record and tour until 2019. Burrell died in 2006 and Ralphs passed away in 2025, leaving Kirke and Rodgers as the only surviving members of the original line-up. During their time together, Bad Company would go on to sell over forty million records worldwide.
CHUBBY CHECKER
Achieving his fame through several novelty songs, with the most celebrated being "The Twist", has made it a bit complicated for Chubby Checker to be taken seriously as a recording artist. He made several attempts throughout his long career, even going as far as releasing a psychedelic rock album, but Checker could never manage to be viewed beyond the singer who sparked a wildly popular dance craze. This is probably why he is only now being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even though he's been eligible since the conception of the Hall back in 1986. But the now eighty-four year old performer is finally being honored and recognized for his significant contributions to pop music.
Born Ernest Evans, he was raised in the projects of South Philadelphia where he would perform in street-corner harmony groups. He soon developed a gift of vocal impressions of popular pop singers of the day. This led to him recording a novelty record personally for Dick Clark, who was the host of the popular music and dance program, American Bandstand, called "The Class" with Checker playing a teacher doing impressions of Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Fats Domino for his students. This record got into the hands of people in the music industry, helping him score a record deal and the song was released commercially. It's been said that Clark's wife is the one who gave him the name "Chubby Checker" with "Chubby" being a nickname of his since childhood. Checker's next single was "The Twist" in 1960 (which was actually a cover that was originally recorded by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters in 1958) and went straight to number one with the help of the dance that got plenty of exposure on "American Bandstand". Checker had other popular songs that inspired dances like "Pony Time", "Limbo Rock", "The Fly" and the sequel, "Let's Twist Again". But by the arrival of the British invasion, the music of Checker fell out of favor. He would continue his career recording and touring in Europe for many years.
JOE COCKER
Born in Crookes, Sheffield, Joe Cocker, a vocalist of gritty, raw intensity, was influenced by American r&b and delivered his own style of soul when he first began singing with a vocal group as a teenager. A few years later, under the stage name "Vance Arnold", Cocker started a new band, Vance Arnold and the Avengers where they performed soul covers. This was a short lived venture yet Cocker managed to get a recording contract as a solo artist, releasing a single in 1964, "I'll Cry Instead", a cover of the Beatles' song, under the name of Arnold. The single failed to generate much interest and was dropped from the label. But Cocker was undeterred, dropping the stage name and forming a new group, Joe Cocker's Blues Band. Cocker later joined another group, The Grease Band where they played in local pubs in Sheffield.
And this helped get Cocker signed to another label and released his debut album, "With a Little Help From My Friends" in 1968. This title track was a reworking of another Beatles' song and became a huge hit in England, reaching number one of the pop chart. With a mix of covers and original songs co-written by Cocker, the album got the singer attention in the US with him making live appearances at several music festivals including being added to the lineup at Woodstock. Following that major career event, Cocker released his follow-up album, "Joe Cocker!" which featured his version of songs by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Leon Russell and two songs by the Beatles. He became a popular live act, making well attended stops all across the globe. But this would take it's toll on the singer with him suffering from severe substance abuse. After he managed to pull himself out from addiction by the late '70's, Cocker continued to be a vital presence on stage. He would find himself on the pop charts again with "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes for the soundtrack of the 1982 film, "An Officer and a Gentleman". The song became an international smash hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and winning his only Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. Cocker died from lung cancer on December 22, 2014 at the age of 70.
CYNDI LAUPER
The New York born and raised, Cyndi Lauper was exposed to wide spectrum of different musical genres as a child. By the age of twelve, Lauper learned how to play the guitar and soon started writing songs. Around this time, she also began expressing herself by dying her hair in wild colors and wearing outrageous fashions. Fortunately, her mother encouraged her daughter to express her creativity and individuality. After deciding to pursue music professionally, she started by joining several cover bands but really disliked only being able to perform other artist's songs. In 1978, Lauper met sax player, John Turi and they formed a new-wave rock band called, Blue Angel. The band recorded a few demos and sent them out to labels. But those that responded only wanted to sign Lauper to a record deal but she held out for the band. Polydor Records eventually signed the entire group and they released their self-titled debut in 1980. Despite some critical acclaim, the album was not a commercial success and Blue Angel soon disbanded.
Lauper continued singing in local clubs and met David Wolff, who became her manager and got her signed with Portrait Records. Her debut solo album, "She's So Unusual" was released in 1983. It was an immediate hit, thanks to the first single, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun". The song, originally written and recorded by Robert Hazard from a male point of view, had the lyrics slightly altered by Lauper to capture a female perspective. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" went to number two on the U.S. pop charts and with the help of MTV and the music video made Lauper a major pop star. "She's So Unusual" had a total of four top ten singles, was nominated for six Grammy Awards, (winning two including Best New Artist) and sell a total of sixteen million copies across the globe. Lauper would go on to have a successful recording career, releasing twelve studio albums to date which include different genres of music; pop standards ("At Last"), electronic dance ("Bring Ya To The Brink,"), the blues, ("Memphis Blues") and country ("Detour"). She composed music and lyrics for the Broadway musical "Kinky Boots", winning the 2013 Tony Award for Best Original Score, making her the first woman to win solo in this category. The now seventy-two year old performer has just completed her "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" Farewell World Tour but will begin her first Las Vegas residency in 2026.
OUTKAST
Over about a twelve year period, the hip-hop duo, Outkast would help innovate the genre to become one of the most important and influential artists in rap. Antwan Patton (known as "Big Boi") and André Benjamin (going by "André 3000") met while they were high school students in Atlanta. After participating in rap battles, the duo decided to pursue music together and were approached by Organized Noize, a group of local producers. As Outkast, they signed to L.A. And Babyface's label, LaFace Records in 1992 and making their first recording appearance on the remix of TLC's "What About Your Friends?".
Their debut album, "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" came out two years later with many considering this collection the beginning of what would become known as southern hip-hop. The first single, "Player's Ball" was a hit, helping create buzz for the rising hip-hop duo and the album, which was certified platinum, received critical acclaim. This helped give Outkast more creative control on their next album and the 1996 follow-up, "ATLiens" featured a more experimental sound with dub and reggae influences. They also changed their image, going from hard-partying playas to Afro-futuristic personas. This album was another million seller and Outkast's third album, "Aquemini" continued their winning streak thanks to the single, "Rosa Parks" which is widely considered to be one of their best songs.
With "Stankonia" in 2000, Big Boi and André 3000 pushed hip-hop in a new direction with more more melodic vocals and expanded the range of subject matter to more complex and introspective ideas. The singles, "B.O.B", "So Fresh, So Clean" and "Ms. Jackson" (which became the group's first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100) helped Outkast win the Best Rap Album Grammy Award. Three years later came "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below". Originally conceived as each member's solo albums, the label insisted that it would be released as a double album under Outkast's name. The singles, "Hey Ya!", "The Way You Move" and "Roses" helped the album sell well over eleven million copies and win the the 2004 Grammy for Album of the Year. Following the 2006 feature film, "Idlewild" which they starred in and the soundtrack album, Big Boy and André 3000 each went to work on solo projects. And while there was never an official announcement of breaking up, Outkast has not made another album to date.
SOUNDGARDEN
Soundgarden,one of the pioneers of grunge rock that emerged from the Seattle area beginning in the mid 1980's, helped to popularize the sound with their introspective, socially conscious lyrics accompanied by thrashing rock guitars. Lead guitarist, Kim Thayil, bassist, Hiro Yamamoto and vocalist, Chris Cornell first began playing together in 1984. Cornell initially was playing drums as well as singing but they brought in Matt Cameron. to allow him to concentrate on vocals two years later. After making the rounds locally, Soundgarden signed to the indie label, Sub Pop and released a single, "Hunted Down" in 1987. Two EPs followed before signing to another independent label, SST Records for their debut album,"Ultramega OK" in 1988. And while the record brought them attention and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance, the band felt it strayed too far from their sound.
Soundgarden's next album, "Louder Than Love" was released through a major-label, A&M Records which had some fans concerned they would leave behind their punk roots. But the album maintained their sound filled with rage and angst which expanded Soundgarden's audience. However, Yamamoto, frustrated by his feeling he wasn't making proper contributions, left the band and eventually was replaced by Ben Shepherd. Soundgarden released, "Badmotorfinger" in 1991 brought the band even more acclaim as they were swept up with the sudden popularity of grunge outside of Seattle. Three years later, Soundgarden achieved significant commercial success with "Superunknown", which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart driven by the singles, "Spoonman", "Black Hole Sun", and "Fell on Black Days", ultimately selling over six million copies in the US. By the time they went to work on their next album, creative tensions grew between the band on their musical direction with "Down on the Upside" being less hard rock than their previous output. The end of the tour to support the album in 1997 brought an end of Soundgarden. Each member went to work on solo projects before a reunion twelve years later, leading to another album, "King Animal" in 2012. But Cornell's tragic death in 2017 would sadly bring an end to Soundgarden once again.
THE WHITE STRIPES
Part of the underground garage rock revival that started in the early 2000s, the White Stripes brought a quirky style and punk-blues sensibility to their music. Jack Gillis met Meg White at high school in Detroit, where they first became friends, sharing a love of music. Able to play the guitar, keyboards and drums, Gillis performed with the country-punk band, Goober & the Peas before they broke up. Gillis and White were married in 1996 with him deciding to take on her last name. After Meg taught herself how to play the drums, the couple came together to form a band. Claiming to be siblings and wearing only black, white or red on stage, The White Stripes played around the Detroit-area indie rock scene, developing a rabid following. This lead to them being signed to a local record label and releasing their self-titled debut in 1999. It didn't make it far out of the Detroit area but still generated some buzz for the band. The duo released two more albums with their third, "White Blood Cells" capturing some mainstream success.
The couple had divorced by 2000 but continued on as a band. Their fourth studio album, "Elephant" was released on a major label and would become their biggest commercial and critical success. The single, "Seven Nation Army" would become their signature song and winning the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. In 2005, The White Stripes' next album, "Get Behind Me Satan" marked a change in the band's musical direction with piano-driven melodies and more rhythm-based guitar. Two years later, "Icky Thump" was released and delivered a return to their blues-punk rock sound. A tour had been arranged to promote the album but was cancelled due to Meg's anxiety about performing. Following a 2009 documentary concert film, "Under Great White Northern Lights" which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, the band had planned to tour behind the film but that did not occur. But by 2011, the White Stripes officially announced that they had disbanded. Jack has continued his career as a musician and producer while Meg retired and returned to Detroit.
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