Tag: Music
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R.I.P. Chuck Berry, godfather of rock’n’roll
“If you had to give rock’n’roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry,” John Lennon once said. Now Berry has died aged 90. Did he launch the most important idea of the 20th century?
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La La Land: dancing all the way to history
Bursting into song was once a hallmark of Hollywood magic — but it has been out of fashion for decades. Now it’s back, critics say it is ‘perfect escapism’ for difficult times. Is that all?
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Cohen: ‘an anchor flung into a churning sea’
Leonard Cohen has died. He was the ‘Godfather of Gloom.’ His songs were ‘a manual for living with defeat’. His most famous line was a ‘broken Hallelujah’. What was he trying to tell us?
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Twenty years on: ‘what I really really want’
The Spice Girls started a music and pop feminism revolution in 1996 when their first single ‘Wannabe’ exploded onto the charts. But has ‘girl power’ really been good for women?
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The sonnet that helped to heal America
Amidst the tears and rage yesterday over the mass shooting in Florida, it was arguably a simple love sonnet read at the country’s top drama awards that did most to tend the nation’s wounds.
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Ukraine wins Europe’s ‘Hunger Games of music’
The theme of Eurovision 2016 was ‘Come Together’. But its winning song about Crimean oppression was a highly controversial dig at Russia. Is a song contest the right place for politics?
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‘He just dripped musicality from every pore’
The hugely influential and prolific musician Prince has died at his home in America at the age of 57. Some are now hailing him as the greatest musical genius ever in the history of pop.
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‘Fifth Beatle’ who brought classical to pop
They are the most influential rock’n’roll band of all time. Behind their success was George Martin, a musical ‘genius’ who changed the sound of pop music. Just how big were the Beatles?
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Scientists unlock ‘music room’ inside brain
Music: we know we love it, but we don’t know why. That could change, however, with the discovery of an area in the brain devoted to picking up musical sounds. How important is this find?
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‘Radical’ Super Bowl sparks anti-Beyoncé rally
It has been four days since Beyoncé took the half-time stage at the Super Bowl. But her symbolic performance invoking anti-racist movements is still causing controversy. What happened?
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Wogan’s death prompts public grief debate
One of Britain’s best-loved broadcasters, Sir Terry Wogan, has died. His passing has led to a range of tributes. But the public reaction to celebrity deaths has made some uncomfortable.
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Bowie: chameleon, banker, videogamer, genius
Celebs, writers, world leaders, ordinary fans: the world has come together to mourn David Bowie’s death. What made him so great? Was he a brilliant artist — or is the truth more complicated?
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2015 in culture: Women narrow the gender gap
Adele, J-Law, the Turner Prize: 2015 was a bumper year for women in culture. Is it time we acknowledged that there’s no difference between male and female artists?
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British culture rules the world, says author
As Britain’s imperial power diminished, its popular culture conquered the world, according to a new book. Should Britain congratulate itself on being willing to push boundaries?
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Nobody owns Happy Birthday song, says judge
Until this week, the most-used song on the planet was earning Warner Music about £1.3m a year. Now a court challenge to liberate the copyright has won. Will this undermine artists?