Music History

Sting topped a Blender magazine poll of the worst lyricists. The criticism included references to Vladimir Nabokov in The Police song “Don't Stand So Close to Me” and other literary allusions. Neil Peart of Rush came second and Scott Stapp of Creed third.

Bono responded with a lengthy comment to Rolling Stone’s review of U2’s album “Boy,” reflecting on the group’s debut album.

In an interview with the Calgary Herald, Dave Coulier said that he was the man referred to in Alanis Morissette’s song “You Oughta Know.” Morissette neither confirmed nor denied his claim.

Paul McCartney, a vegetarian for 30 years, objected when a Liverpool McDonald's displayed his photograph, accusing the restaurant of using his image to attract customers. His spokesman Geoff Baker publicly condemned the chain, prompting the restaurant to remove the photographs.

Ringo Starr posted a video message on his website announcing that he would no longer accept fan mail or sign items sent to him. He explained that he did not have the time and disliked seeing signed items subsequently sold online for thousands of dollars. Later, he signed memorabilia only for charitable purposes.

During his weekly radio programme on 6 Music, Bob Dylan revealed that he was in talks with several car companies about possibly becoming the voice of their satellite navigation systems.

Rolling Stone published a 1970 interview with John Lennon in which he discussed some of the reasons for The Beatles' breakup. Lennon said that his bandmates did not respect and insulted Yoko Ono, and he also criticized his former songwriting relationship with Paul McCartney.

Shinedown singer Brent Smith became the target of a remark about his weight by Today host Kathy Lee Gifford, who said she thought he was Meat Loaf. Smith finished the performance with the song “Second Chance”, but the comment affected him. Several years later, he used it as motivation to quit drinking alcohol and begin an intensive fitness regimen.

The British Daily Telegraph published a report claiming that 17-year-old Benjamin Keough, Elvis Presley's grandson, had been offered a $5 million contract by Universal Records to record up to five albums. Universal Music Group subsequently officially declared the report completely false. Keough never released any commercial music during his lifetime.

British newspaper Daily Telegraph reported that Universal Records had offered Elvis Presley's 17-year-old grandson Benjamin Keough $5 million for up to five albums. Universal Music Group quickly declared the widely repeated report completely false, and Keough never released commercial music during his lifetime.

Esquire magazine named Kate Beckinsale its Sexiest Woman Alive and published a video featuring the actress accompanied by Jet's song “Goodbye Hollywood.”

An unpublished series of photographs of The Beatles by Astrid Kirchherr was exhibited at the Victoria Gallery and Museum in Liverpool, documenting their early years, their stay in Tenerife and the filming of “A Hard Day’s Night” in Liverpool in 1964.

Paintings by Bob Dylan displayed at a museum in Copenhagen came under criticism from some Danish critics and academics.

Morrissey caused controversy after telling the British newspaper The Guardian that he considered Chinese people a "subspecies" in connection with what he claimed was their treatment of animals.

Queen's song “Bohemian Rhapsody” was voted the greatest song of all time for waving a lighter in the air in a poll conducted by Zippo. “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin came second, followed by “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” by Meat Loaf.

Louis Tomlinson of One Direction sent his bandmate Harry Styles a tweet that, according to the source, became the second most retweeted post in history.

The website The Smoking Gun published Janet Jackson's performance contract, which stipulated that a comedian appearing at the same event could not mention the singer or any member of the Jackson family in their act.

Forbes named Beyoncé and Jay-Z the highest-paid celebrity couple, with combined earnings of $78 million, including $40 million for Beyoncé and $38 million for Jay-Z.

Insane Clown Posse protested against the FBI's classification of their fans, collectively known as “Juggalos,” as a criminal gang in its “2011 National Gang Threat Assessment Report.” At the annual Gathering of the Juggalos in Illinois, they announced their intention to sue the FBI. Despite this, the FBI continued to classify Juggalos as an organized gang in later years.

Internal emails from promoters of Michael Jackson’s planned 2009 This Is It concerts were released, in which they expressed concerns about his condition during preparations for the shows.

Miley Cyrus's performance at the MTV Video Music Awards prompted a complaint from the American organization Parents Television Council because of its sexually suggestive nature.

According to American media reports, Little Richard suffered a heart attack at home on September 30 in the presence of his family. According to the source, he had not performed since nearly collapsing during a concert in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 2012.

Spotify announced that it had acquired the rights to John Lennon's solo catalog and made it available worldwide for streaming. The offering included his eight solo studio albums, from Plastic Ono Band to Milk and Honey, and three official compilations. Collaborations with Yoko Ono were not included.

In an interview with Esquire magazine, Keith Richards harshly criticized The Beatles' “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Jimmy Page said he did not expect another Led Zeppelin reunion. The last performance by the three surviving members took place in 2007 at a one-off concert at London's O2 Arena, with Jason Bonham on drums in place of his father, John Bonham.

The first presidential playlists were released. The selection included songs by Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and John Legend.

Aretha Franklin told Billboard.com that there was a possibility her life story could appear on Broadway. She said she would like to see a dramatic musical and felt the timing was right, especially following the success of “Jersey Boys”. The Broadway project ultimately did not happen.

Ultimate Classic Rock published the feature “This Day in Rock History: August 28”, which recalled Bob Dylan’s meeting with The Beatles in 1964, Dylan’s first performance with Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm in 1965, Bruce Dickinson’s final concert with Iron Maiden in 1993, and the release of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” in 1975.

Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones told the New York Daily News that rap music was for “people who can't hear” and criticized its musical construction. He said that, in his view, rap listeners only needed a drum beat and someone shouting over it. In the same interview, he also commented on Metallica and Black Sabbath.

Spotify reported that “The Girl From Ipanema” had been streamed more than 40,000 times after it was played during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Cher’s spokesperson rejected a tabloid report claiming that the singer was suffering from a serious illness and was close to death, dismissing the report as “dog shit.” In early 2017, Cher began the successful “Classic Cher” residency in Las Vegas.

Chance the Rapper took part in the #SoGoneChallenge and posted a video in which he rapped about his pregnant girlfriend over the instrumental of Monica's 2003 hit “So Gone”. The video was quickly retweeted more than 250,000 times, and the challenge went viral.

President Barack Obama released his summer music playlists on Spotify for the second year in a row. It was his final year in the presidency.

Jon Sudano posted a YouTube video in which he sang the lyrics of Smash Mouth's "All Star" over the musical accompaniment of John Lennon's "Imagine". The video went viral and attracted millions of views. He subsequently made similar videos pairing other well-known songs, including "Y.M.C.A.", "Under the Bridge", and "Wonderwall".

The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society reported on a newly identified prehistoric crocodile species named Lemmysuchus obtusidens in honor of Lemmy Kilmister, frontman of Motörhead.

Several days after Ted Nugent claimed that his involvement with the National Rifle Association had contributed to his not being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he wrote on Twitter that Ted was “just not good enough”.

The music video for Taylor Swift's “Look What You Made Me Do” premiered at the MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The ceremony was hosted by Katy Perry and the viewership of 5.68 million was the lowest since 1994.

Graceland announced that during October the estate would be illuminated in pink to support breast cancer awareness. The pink lighting was scheduled to begin on October 2 and continue throughout the month.

Graceland announced that during the first week of October the estate would be illuminated in pink as part of breast cancer awareness efforts.

Taylor Swift publicly expressed her political views for the first time by endorsing two Democratic candidates in Tennessee and urging her 112 million Instagram followers to vote. Vote.org subsequently recorded a significant increase in voter registrations.

After Jason Aldean's wife Brittany posted a makeup video on Instagram with a caption saying she wanted to thank her parents for not changing her gender during her “tomboy” phase, Maren Morris responded to her post on Twitter. The dispute increased tensions between more conservatively and progressively oriented members of the country music community.

Metallica's classic song “Enter Sandman” topped the list of songs with the most frequently misheard lyrics, while Mick Jagger was named the singer people found hardest to understand. A survey of 1,000 Americans by WordFinder also found that 65% of people preferred the incorrect version after discovering they had been singing their favorite song lyric incorrectly for years.

The Republican presidential debate opened with a sample of Oliver Anthony's song “Rich Men North Of Richmond”, which criticizes corrupt and incompetent politicians in Washington. The candidates were asked why the song had generated such a strong response across the country.

Amy Winehouse's 2007 performance on Radio 1 Live Lounge, in which she sang a cover of “Valerie” by The Zutons, was voted the best performance on the programme during its first 25 years. Arctic Monkeys came second and third.