After weeks of speculation, Elton John and Britney Spears‘ long-rumored collaboration “Hold Me Closer” has finally arrived. Produced by Andrew Watt and Cirkut, the track is built around John’s 1972 classic “Tiny Dancer” and his ’90s song “The One,” and features new vocals from John and Spears. Its cover photo sports photos of both artists […]
British rock quartet Yard Act has teamed with Elton John for a new version of the song “100% Endurance” from its acclaimed debut album, The Overload, which hit No. 2 in the U.K. earlier this year. Recalling the genesis of the unlikely collaboration, Yard Act frontman James Smith says, “Elton John saw our stuff, and […]
Last year, when helping assemble SPIN‘s 50 Best Albums of 1971, I wondered if that year could have been popular music’s absolute peak. Now I’m asking myself that same question all over again. As I built a spreadsheet for 1972, gathering our writers’ votes alongside my own weird choices, I was once again struck by […]
Elton John had to pause his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour due to the unfolding COVID pandemic in March 2020. His retirement plans may have been thwarted, but John took the opportunity to keep working. The result? An expansive collection of duets called The Lockdown Sessions, featuring artists like Dua Lipa, Stevie Wonder, Brandi Carlile, […]
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Metallica’s self-titled album (better known as The Black Album), the heavy metal legends hit The Howard Stern Show to discuss both the classic album and the new covers album, The Metallica Blacklist. Featuring a wide variety of artists (some expected and some very, very not) covering their favorite tracks on The Black […]
Three of the 100 are in this picture! The Rolling Stones, in 1964, from left to right: Bill Wyman, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Brian Jones. The problem with lists like this is they are invariably bullshit. So our prime objective was to make sure we didn’t do a bullshit list. I’m not saying we did a scientific one […]
The concert industry exploded in the 1970s, and the live album, a stopgap project once reserved for only the biggest artists, became a compulsory ritual and a pivotal moment for many artists. Live albums captured legendarily loud bands like The Who and The Ramones in their natural element. Once obscure regional acts like Bob Seger, […]
A caricature drawing of Kurt Cobain, done by the icon himself, brought in $281,250 at Julien’s Auctions Music Icons sale. The sale price was 28 times the original estimate. The drawing, done in black felt pen on TNT Music Centre in Singapore stationery, depicts Cobain playing the guitar and is signed “Kurdt Kobain Rock Star.” […]
A guitar played by Eddie Van Halen, his brother Alex’s drumkit, and memorabilia from Kurt Cobain, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Cher, Lady Gaga, Madonna and more are up for grabs at the Music Icons auction by Julien’s Auctions, which will take place from June 11-13 2021. In total, more than 1,000 items will […]
“Chosen Family,” Rina Sawayama’s soaring ballad dedicated to LGBTQ+ individuals who lost family and friends after coming out, has just gotten a piano-driven makeover courtesy of Sir Elton John. A new lyric video shows Sawayama with flowing, mermaid hair and peony silk gloves, singing beside John in a glistening black blazer. The new version scales […]