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While The Audience Turned Away, 'American Idol' Found Some Great Singers

by Linda Holmes

May 16, 2013 2:11 PM

This may have been a lousy year for ratings on our most-watched talent show, but not for talent.

Candice Glover competes Thursday night for the American Idol win.

'Space Oddity' In Space: Yes, Astronauts Are Still The Coolest Humans

by Linda Holmes

May 13, 2013 8:28 AM

If you were an astronaut, isn't a David Bowie cover what you'd be doing?

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield sits in front of a mock-up of a Soyuz TMA space craft during his pre-flight preparation at the Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, outside Moscow, in November 2012.

MTV's Musical Legacy: How 'Unplugged' Sold The Radio Star

by Linda Holmes

May 07, 2013 8:20 AM

A new book from the original MTV VJs underscores how revolutionary spinning records on television wasn't.

Kurt Cobain of Nirvana during the taping of MTV Unplugged at Sony Studios in New York City in November 1993.

Entirely Real Photos: Greetings From These ABBA Puppets

by Linda Holmes

May 06, 201311:55 AM

Can you believe it took until now to establish a permanent ABBA museum?

Puppets of the ABBA members await you at what is, believe it or not, the world's first permanent ABBA museum.

Agony, Ecstasy, Irony: The Fight For The Soul Of College A Cappella

by Linda Holmes

April 22, 2013 1:17 PM

At the real-life competition dramatized in Pitch Perfect, approaches to a subculture that's suddenly having its moment vary enormously.

The Nor'easters, of Northeastern University, perform at the International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella on Saturday night.

Best Original Song, Least Original Category

by Nick Andersen

February 22, 2013 9:00 AM

Nick Andersen says that the Academy Awards would be a lot more interesting with a few tweaks to one of the categories best suited, but least used, for showmanship.

Randy Newman performs "We Belong Together," his Academy-Award-winning entry in the Best Original Song category from the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. Newman has been nominated 15 times for the award.

Spend Grammy Night Staring At Screens With Us!

by Stephen Thompson

February 08, 2013 3:00 PM

For the fifth straight year, whether marveling at Taylor Swift's capacity for surprise or trying to figure out what to type during the combined 37 minutes of Bruno Mars performances, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson live-blogged the ceremony in an effort to serve your reading-along needs.

Taylor Swift gives the opening performance at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday in Los Angeles.

I've Heard That Somewhere: 'Glee' Covers 'Baby Got Back,' And It Sounds ... Familiar

by Linda Holmes

January 18, 2013 2:45 PM

Glee is taking a lot of heat for repurposing a cover version of "Baby Got Back" without crediting the arranger. In a social media world, it's the kind of move that has extra risks.

The cast of Glee, which is in its fourth season on Fox.

What Music Makes A Distilled Good Mood?

by Linda Holmes

January 16, 201311:20 AM

We've crowdsourced a good-mood playlist before; now we made another one. Or rather, you made another one.

It's A Wonderful (Italian-American) Life

by Mark Rotella

December 20, 201211:21 AM

It's a Wonderful Life has cemented itself as a staple of the American Christmas season. However, if you listen closely, you can also hear traces of the Italian-American singers whose smooth voices defined a generation of Christmas carols.