Showing 1 - 25 of 3223
Artist: Mr. Serv-On
Another cog in Master P's No Limit Records machine, Mr. Serv-On went to high school with Master P (as well as most of the other members of No Limit) and signed to the label on the cusp of Master P's breakout into the mainstream. Around the time Master P's Ghetto D hit number one on the album charts, Serv-On's Life Insurance (using the No Limit... [+] Read More
Artist: Serve Chilled
Artist: The Beatles
So much has been said and written about the Beatles -- and their story is so mythic in its sweep -- that it's difficult to summarize their career without restating clichés that have already been digested by tens of millions of rock fans. To start with the obvious, they were the greatest and most influential act of the rock era, and introduced... [+] Read More
Artist: 2Pac
2Pac became the unlikely martyr of gangsta rap, and a tragic symbol of the toll its lifestyle exacted on urban black America. At the outset of his career, it didn't appear that he would emerge as one of the definitive rappers of the '90s -- he started out as a second-string rapper and dancer for Digital Underground, joining only after they had... [+] Read More
Artist: Barry Manilow
In terms of both record sales and career longevity, Barry Manilow is one of the most successful adult contemporary singers ever. That success hasn't necessarily translated to respect (or even ironic hipster appreciation) in most quarters; Manilow's music has been much maligned by critics and listeners alike, particularly the romantic ballads... [+] Read More
Artist: Alvin & the Chipmunks
Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are the three cute -- but mischievous -- little critters that thousands of children lovingly know as a singing trio called Alvin & the Chipmunks. These appealing characters were first brought to life in the '50s by singer and songwriter Ross Bagdasarian, who was writing songs and recording under the name David Seville.... [+] Read More
Artist: Slipknot
Slipknot's mix of grinding, post-Korn alternative metal, Marilyn Manson-esque neo-shock rock, and rap-metal helped make them one of the most popular bands in the so-called nu-metal explosion of the late '90s. But even more helpful was their theatrical, attention-grabbing image: the band always performed in identical industrial jump suits and... [+] Read More
Artist: Bryan Adams
From the mid-'80s to the mid-'90s, Canadian singer/songwriter and guitarist Bryan Adams was one of the most successful recording artists in popular music worldwide. Usually dressed in blue jeans, sneakers, and white T-shirts, the energetic performer stalked stages around the globe, electric guitar in hand, singing his own up-tempo pop/rock songs... [+] Read More
Artist: Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley may be the single most important figure in American 20th century popular music. Not necessarily the best, and certainly not the most consistent. But no one could argue with the fact that he was the musician most responsible for popularizing rock & roll on an international level. Viewed in cold sales figures, his impact was... [+] Read More
Artist: Moby
Moby was one of the most controversial figures in techno music, alternately praised for bringing a face to the notoriously anonymous electronic genre, as well as being scorned by hordes of techno artists and fans for diluting and trivializing the form. In either case, Moby was one of the most important dance music figures of the early '90s,... [+] Read More
Artist: Don Moen
A songwriter and performer who gained success with a style of praise & worship song that hewed closely to the words of the Bible, Don Moen was working in the field by the early '80s. He grew up in Minnesota, then attended Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, where his musical talents first bloomed. During the late '70s and early '80s, he was a... [+] Read More
Artist: Lil Jon
Atlanta and the surrounding area had always been a hotbed for party rap and bass music throughout the '90s, and more than anyone else, Lil Jon & the Eastside Boyz took these styles to the masses with a cutting-edge Dirty South attitude perfect for the burgeoning club scene of the time. The Atlanta-based rapper/producer began as a club DJ before... [+] Read More
Artist: Eagles
With five number one singles and four number one albums, the Eagles were among the most successful recording artists of the 1970s; at the end of the 20th century, two of those albums, Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and Hotel California, ranked among the ten best-selling albums ever, according to the certifications of the Record Industry... [+] Read More
Artist: Breaking Benjamin
In late 2000, guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James Klepaski made a surprising and unexpected decision: they left Lifer, an alternative metal band that was signed to Universal and was gaining commercial acceptance. Fink and Klepaski departed Lifer (which was originally called Strangers with Candy) so that they could join forces with singer... [+] Read More
Artist: Shania Twain
Emerging in the mid-'90s, Shania Twain became the most popular country music artist since Garth Brooks. Skillfully fusing mainstream, AOR rock production with country-pop, Twain and her producer/husband Robert John "Mutt" Lange created a commercial juggernaut with her second album, The Woman in Me. The record became a multi-platinum phenomenon,... [+] Read More
Artist: Alonso Mudarra
A Spanish cleric and composer who served at the cathedral in Seville. ~ Mary K. Scanlan, All Music Guide [+] Read More
Artist: Three Days Grace
The members of Three Days Grace began bashing punk chords when they were in their teens, carving a derivative yet energetic sound that fueled their live performances. Three Days Grace was formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada, in 1997 by Adam Gontier (vocals, guitar), Brad Walst (bass), and Neil Sanderson (drums). The group was originally called... [+] Read More
Artist: Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong was the first important soloist to emerge in jazz, and he became the most influential musician in the music's history. As a trumpet virtuoso, his playing, beginning with the 1920s studio recordings made with his Hot Five and Hot Seven ensembles, charted a future for jazz in highly imaginative, emotionally charged improvisation.... [+] Read More
Artist: Cheb Mami
The traditional music of Algeria is combined with Spanish, Moroccan, French, and Arabic influences to create the dance-inspiring sounds of "the Prince of Rai," Cheb Mami (born Khelifati Mohamed). Cheb Mami's music was described in a press release from the ARK 21 record label, as "Arabic rock & roll retaining virtues of traditional music but... [+] Read More
Artist: Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder is a much-beloved American icon and an indisputable genius not only of R&B but popular music in general. Blind virtually since birth, Wonder's heightened awareness of sound helped him create vibrant, colorful music teeming with life and ambition. Nearly everything he recorded bore the stamp of his sunny, joyous positivity; even... [+] Read More
Artist: Ignace Jan Paderewski
A legendary virtuoso pianist in the great romantic tradition; also a philanthropist and Polish patriot. Several times Paderewski interrupted his concert career to serve Poland, first in 1919 to serve as Prime Minister, then in 1940 to serve as President of the Polish Parliament in exile in Paris. His piano compositions give insight into the last... [+] Read More
Artist: Weird Al Yankovic
The foremost song parodist of the MTV era, "Weird Al" Yankovic carried the torch of musical humor more proudly and more successfully than any performer since Allan Sherman. In the world of novelty records -- a genre noted for its extensive back catalog of flashes-in-the-pan and one-hit wonders -- Yankovic was king, scoring smash after smash over... [+] Read More
Artist: The Notorious B.I.G.
In just a few short years, the Notorious B.I.G. went from a Brooklyn street hustler to the savior of East Coast hip-hop to a tragic victim of the culture of violence he depicted so realistically on his records. His all-too-brief odyssey almost immediately took on mythic proportions, especially since his murder followed the shooting of rival... [+] Read More
Artist: Edith Piaf
Edith Piaf is almost universally regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Still revered as an icon decades after her death, "the Sparrow" served as a touchstone for virtually every chansonnier, male or female, who followed her. Her greatest strength wasn't so much her technique, or the purity of her voice, but the raw, passionate power of... [+] Read More
