Billboard
Billboard is an American music magazine, published in New York It was first published on November 1,1894, and is distinguished as being among the oldest trade magazines in the world. The magazine originally focused on bill posting and outdoor amusements before specializing in the music industry in the 1960s. Billboard maintains several internationally recognized record charts, which track the most popular songs and albums across several categories on a weekly basis.
118 articles
List of articles in the library
The 1975: How The 1975's Matty Healy Kicked Heroin and Took the Band to New Heights
Interview by Dorian Lynskey, Billboard, 2 August 2018
The most ambitious pop-rock band of its generation nearly succumbed to Matty Healy's heroin addiction. Now clean, the flamboyant frontman is taking his group to ...
Essay by Jacoba Atlas, Billboard, 6 November 1971
WHEN I mentioned to Nicky Barclay of the first successful all-girl rock band Fanny that I was working on an article dealing with women in ...
Cannonball Adderley Aims Sax at Record Market
Report and Interview by uncredited writer, Billboard, 24 October 1964
HOLLYWOOD — Julian (Cannonball) Adderley, a new jazz pactee with Capitol, is mapping plans to become a busy recording cat. The influential saxophonist feels his ...
A Flock Of Seagulls, Modern English: The Ritz, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 24 May 1986
BRITISH SYNTH-poppers a Flock of Seagulls and Modern English each dented the top 10 three to four years ago — the former with 'I Ran' ...
Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 3 September 1988
BILLED AS A quiet storm concert (a reference to urban radio's popular mellow late-night programming), these four strong acts provided a full evening of entertainment ...
Duane Allman, Delaney & Bonnie: Delaney & Bonnie And Friends: Carnegie Hall, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 17 October 1970
GUITARIST DUANE Allman, moving with agility, skill and taste from bottleneck to feedback, was probably the Friend who fitted best into the D&B format at ...
Joan Armatrading, Cook Da Books: Radio City Music Hall, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 11 May 1985
IF JOAN Armatrading is still an artist with a cult following, as she has been here for so long, then let's just say her cult ...
Brian Auger, ZZ Top: ZZ Top, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express: Felt Forum, New York NY
Live Review by Toby Goldstein, Billboard, 7 June 1975
THERE IS A certain sector of the rock audience — very young and overstimulated — that cares little about what the group onstage is accomplishing ...
Aztec Camera: Bottom Line, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 27 April 1985
AZTEC CAMERA is Roddy Frame's group, and the 21-year-old Scot doesn't let you forget it. Although he was backed by a very competent four-piece band, ...
Anita Baker, Luther Vandross: Luther Vandross, Anita Baker: Capital Center, Landover, MD
Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 29 October 1988
ON A TOUR appropriately billed The Heat, the inspired teaming of two of contemporary black music's hottest names can hardly miss. And judging from this ...
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 30 June 1984
IT WAS A folk-rocker's fantasy: R.E.M. was videotaping a concert for MTV broadcast in July, for a new series called Influences. And so the IRS Records ...
Interview by Vernon Gibbs, Billboard, 4 June 1983
IN A BUSINESS where the term "veteran" can be applied to acts that have been consistent chartmakers for at least five years, it is a ...
Basia: The Roxy, Hollywood, CA
Live Review by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 23 July 1988
PERSEVERANCE IS paying off for Basia Trzetrzelewska, despite the perpetual handicaps she endures. First she sang with Matt Bianco, an act that featured no one ...
The Beatles: Beatles Heat Flares in Court
Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 25 January 1964
CHICAGO — The Beatles, the nation's hottest recording property today, are becoming the object of the nation's hottest lawsuits, at least as far as the ...
The Beatles: Musicians Union Watching Invasion of British Groups
Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 28 March 1964
NEW YORK — The influx of the British musical groups on the U.S. personal appearance scene is disturbing the American Federation of Musicians. It's understood ...
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 19 July 1969
NEWPORT, R.I. — On paper at least the experiment of adding rock music to the Newport Jazz Festival 1969 came from the purest of motives. ...
Chuck Berry, Elvin Bishop, John Mayall: Fillmore East, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 18 October 1969
Berry, Bishop — Musical Brothers ...
Report by Vernon Gibbs, Billboard, 18 June 1988
INDEPENDENT LABELS have always been critical to the exposure of new black music. In the '50s, labels like Specialty and Chess gave pioneers like Little ...
Björk Brings Her Biophilia Concert Extravaganza to Iceland
Live Review by Kieron Tyler, Billboard, 13 October 2011
REYKJAVIK, Iceland – Two days after the release of Biophilia, her new multi-platform project, Iceland's foremost sonic auteur Björk took the stage in her hometown ...
Bob Marley & the Wailers: Early Wailers: Fussing & Fighting
Report by Larry Jaffee, Billboard, 18 June 1994
Marley Catalog Is A Source Of Strife, Suits ...
Report by Vernon Gibbs, Billboard, 5 June 1982
Revert To '60s Packaging ...
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 18 April 1970
BRINSLEY SCHWARZ is an unknown British group that aroused interest because over 100 U.K. journalists braved a 12-hour trouble beset trip from London to spend ...
Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 27 September 1969
'Watsonia' Dazzles in 'Village' ...
Overview by Vernon Gibbs, Billboard, 5 June 1982
IT MAY be one of the most frequently misused of the music industry's accolades, since in a business full of stars there are few genuine ...
James Brown, Lesley Gore, The Rolling Stones: TAMI, Electronovision's Latest, Gets N.Y. Showing
Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 21 November 1964
PRESS, TEENERS GET EYEFUL ...
Live Review by Michael Azerrad, Billboard, 17 December 1988
THIS BULGARIAN vocal ensemble, better known by the name of its Nonesuch album, Le Mystere De Voix Bulgare, made its U.S. debut here Nov. 4. ...
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 5 May 1984
IT WAS THE old, familiar scene of singer/songwriter bearing acoustic guitar and playing for an attentive college crowd. What wasn't so familiar was that the ...
Camper Van Beethoven: Cat Club, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 14 March 1987
CAMPER VAN Beethoven makes the term "genre" obsolete. The Santa Cruz, Calif.-based quintet thrives on piecing together seemingly incompatible musical styles, often within a single ...
Camper Van Beethoven, Scruffy The Cat: The Ritz, New York NY
Live Review by Evelyn McDonnell, Billboard, 19 November 1988
YOU CAN take Camper Van Beethoven out of California, but you can't take California out of Camper Van — and you can't necessarily ask the ...
Walter/Wendy Carlos: Wendy Carlos Invents New Sounds
Interview by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 21 February 1987
Material Is Digitally Generated ...
The Carpenters: Palladium, London
Live Review by Peter Jones, Billboard, 18 December 1976
COMPARED WITH the almost clinical and perfectionist act provided by the duo on a previous visit, the Carpenters went all out Nov. 22 to pull ...
Report by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 16 August 1969
GOSPEL MUSIC, songs with lyrics derived from the Old and New Testaments, a music with its roots in church choirs, is one of the oldest ...
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 8 November 1986
PERHAPS HOPING to capitalize on the nostalgia fever that has made the recent Monkees tour a success, five acts that got their start during the ...
Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 6 September 1969
King of the Blues Courts Fans ...
Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 14 March 1964
CHICAGO — Marshall Sehorn, head of his own Seahorn label, last week joined Constellation Records here in a move that brings three strong pop artists ...
Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 23 August 1969
A Double Triumph For Elyse Weinberg ...
Cassius Clay: Clay Wins: Columbia Swings
Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 7 March 1964
NEW YORK — The upset victory of Cassius Clay over Sonny Liston for the heavyweight boxing championship last week (25) also upset the operational procedures ...
Nat King Cole: Says Nat Cole: Record Industry Must Go Back to Building Stars
Interview by uncredited writer, Billboard, 25 January 1964
HOLLYWOOD — "If I had to come up in the business today, I'd be a frustrated man. No one's developing stars anymore, and the industry ...
Alice Cooper, Suzi Quatro: Madison Square Garden, New York NY
Live Review by Toby Goldstein, Billboard, 24 May 1975
WHEN ALICE Cooper's track record is summoned up, the one question that springs to mind is, what can he possibly do to surpass himself this ...
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 5 October 1968
Mann Unwraps Big Solid Surprise Pkg. ...
Elvis Costello: Broadway Theatre, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 15 November 1986
ELVIS COSTELLO'S five-night stand on Broadway roughly coincided with the World Series, which may have kept die-hard Mets fans at bay. Still, the Costello series ...
The Cramps, Screaming Blue Messiahs: The Ritz, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 30 August 1986
THAT THE Cramps have managed to thrive for 10 years without a U.S. major label deal is testimony to their devoted cult following. And that ...
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 5 October 1968
Traffic Travel on Bumpy And Separate Musical Road ...
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 21 March 1970
THE INTEREST in Miles Davis' East Village debut lay in the fact that for the past year he has supposedly been moving towards contemporary rock ...
Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 15 October 1988
THE SECOND Budweiser Superfest to play Los Angeles in the last two months didn't generate anywhere near the same excitement as the first, even though ...
Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 23 July 1988
WlTH ITS strong lineup of urban contemporary talent on display and its billing as "the hottest show of the summer," this event could hardly have ...
The Eagles, Dan Fogelberg: Academy of Music, New York NY
Live Review by Toby Goldstein, Billboard, 31 May 1975
PERFORMING AT the first of two sold-out shows May 16, the Eagles demonstrated that a band of considerable musical expertise resides behind its string of ...
Duke Ellington Orchestra: Rainbow Grill, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 9 August 1969
Quality, Taste & Warmth Mark Duke's Performance ...
Report and Interview by Holly Gleason, Billboard, 16 July 1988
LOS ANGELES — With the success of Dwight Yoakam's gold albums (Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. and Hillbilly Deluxe), producer Pete Anderson has found a beachhead ...
The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli: Looking Back at 50 Years of the Four Seasons
Interview by Wayne Robins, Billboard, 3 September 2013
THERE IS A SCENE in the hit Broadway musical Jersey Boys that represents the sustained success of Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio and their group, the ...
Aretha Franklin: Madison Square Garden, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 6 November 1971
IT WAS THE usual Aretha Franklin — which means a whole audience turned on by as impressive a display of controlled, emotional soul singing to ...
Obituary by Barney Hoskyns, Billboard, 28 January 2016
THE DEATH OF Glenn Frey has robbed the world of half the partnership at the heart of the Eagles, whose Greatest Hits 1971-1975 remains the ...
The Go-Betweens: Go-Betweens Aim To Strike Public Chord
Profile and Interview by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 14 January 1989
AT THE END of the day, what do good reviews really mean? In the case of the Go-Betweens, whose debut Capitol album 16 Lovers Lane ...
The Go-Betweens: The Knitting Factory, New York NY
Live Review by Evelyn McDonnell, Billboard, 10 December 1988
A FULL decade after they released their first single, Australia's Go-Betweens have finally found a home on a major U.S. label. Presumably, with the beautiful ...
Buddy Guy, Albert King, King Curtis: Village Gate, New York City
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 15 February 1969
NEW YORK — The world of music moves closer as the long-established jazz spot, the Village Gate, took a brief weekend — but possibly regular ...
Herbie Hancock, Kashif, Raydio: The Synthesizer: Instrument, Not The Player, Changes Music
Report and Interview by Vernon Gibbs, Billboard, 16 June 1984
HERBIE HANCOCK, Kashif, and Ray Parker Jr. praise the impact of the synthesizer on black music, feeling its unlimited sound potential and ability to provide ...
Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 13 September 1969
NEW YORK — The Cafe Au Go Go, relatively idle in recent months, interrupted renovations with a splash of good music Aug. 29-31, displaying the ...
Thelma Houston: The Living Room, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 22 March 1969
Thelma Houston Is the Gospel at Its Musical Best ...
Whitney Houston: The Long Road To Overnight Stardom
Report and Interview by Bud Scoppa, Billboard, December 1986
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, a new artist emerges who simply takes over, in utterly decisive and undeniable fashion. So it was with Whitney Houston ...
Hüsker Dü: Maxwell's, Hoboken, N.J.
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 8 June 1985
VERY RARELY does Maxwell's, the small club that has become something of a local mecca for the new roots-oriented American bands, sell out in advance. ...
Hüsker Dü, Dwight Yoakam: Irving Plaza, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 3 May 1986
THE IDEA of pairing post-hardcore Hüsker Dü with neocountry Dwight Yoakam turned out to be more perverse in theory than in practice. There was no ...
Review and Interview by David Nathan, Billboard, 17 December 1988
"SHOW BUSINESS became a lifestyle for me from the beginning," says legendary vocalist Etta James. "The road became my home I was almost like ...
The Jesus & Mary Chain: The Jesus And Mary Chain: The Ritz, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 5 April 1986
LlKE MANY previous "Next Big Things," The Jesus And Mary Chain is actually a mixture of next big things which came before. The Scottish quartet ...
Billy Joel: Rock Pianist Gets All Abuse: Joel
Interview by Ian Dove, Billboard, 25 December 1971
NEW YORK — Equipment for amplifying pianos lags "far behind" corresponding equipment for other instruments in the rock field, despite the fact that use of ...
Jo Jo Gunne, KISS: Kiss, Jo Jo Gunne: Beacon Theater, New York NY
Live Review by Toby Goldstein, Billboard, 12 April 1975
AS KISS thundered onstage March 21, for the first of two shows, it was clearly a case of "hail the conquering heroes." The sold-out crowd ...
Liberace: Waldorf Astoria, New York City
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 28 March 1970
ANYBODY WANDERING in midway through Liberace's performance would probably think they were into a remake of Hellzapoppin. Liberace (about three costume changes through his act, ...
Lone Justice: The Palace, Hollywood CA
Live Review by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 28 February 1987
IT WAS A warm homecoming in one way, a tentative one in another. Geffen's Lone Justice returned home for this first "official" gig with its ...
The Long Ryders: Long Ryders: Don't Call Us Country-Rock
Profile and Interview by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 5 January 1984
L.A. Band Following in Burrito Brothers' Footsteps ...
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 17 August 1968
Motown Acts Draw Near-Capacity Crowd ...
Bette Midler: Downstairs at the Upstairs, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 25 December 1971
THE TIME IS right for Bette Midler, a lady of flamboyant excess on stage, working the look-back-in-nostalgia bag. ...
Millie, Prince Buster, Toots & The Maytals: Atlantic Label Releases Hot on Jamaica Ska Disks
Report by uncredited writer, Billboard, 23 May 1964
NEW YORK — Atlantic Records will soon release several dozen Jamaica Ska disks. ...
The Mosquitos, The Raybeats: The Raybeats, The Mosquitos: Irving Plaza, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 16 March 1985
THE RAYBEATS have been a New York club favorite for about five years now, but it was obvious from the ovation for the openers that ...
The Nice: Ungano's, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 29 November 1969
Nice in Mixed Bag at Ungano's ...
Laura Nyro: Mayfair Theater, Santa Monica CA
Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 1 October 1988
BACK ON tour after a lengthy hiatus, innovative singer/songwriter Laura Nyro has been reminding audiences that she is a unique and exceptionally gifted artist. At ...
Yoko Ono: Beacon Theatre, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 14 June 1986
AFTER AN earlier Radio City Music Hall date was canceled because of poor ticket sales, Yoko One finally played her first concert in New York ...
Report and Interview by Ian Dove, Billboard, 6 November 1971
THEY ALSO SERVE WHO ONLY LIFT AND HANDLE... ...
The Pogues: The World, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 29 March 1986
ST. PATRICK'S DAY came to New York a few weeks early with the debut American appearance of the Pogues. But traditional Irish music never sounded ...
Elvis Presley: Spectrum, Philadelphia
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 20 November 1971
ELVIS HAS now copped the music from 2001 as his opening theme (Grand Funk also use this) but from there on in, it's Presley material all the ...
Elvis Presley: Elvis: 50 Years Of Rock'n'Roll
Retrospective by Wayne Robins, Billboard, 18 September 2004
IN THE HEAT of the Memphis summer, every year, they come. Legions of Elvis Presley fans arrive in this city for Elvis Week every August ...
Profile and Interview by Wayne Robins, Billboard, 14 September 2013
NOTE: This is an unedited version of the Billboard article that appeared on 14 September, 2013. ...
Prince & the Revolution: Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Mark Rowland, Billboard, 14 June 1986
LOS ANGELES' renovated deco showpiece proved an appropriate setting for the May 30 Prince concert. The 90-minute "warm-up" engagement for his U.S. tour — slated ...
The Ramones: Things Get Exciting Again for Ramones
Profile and Interview by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 10 November 1984
'Too Tough To Die' After 10 Years ...
The Red Hot Chili Peppers: Red Hot Chili Peppers: The Ritz, New York
Live Review by Evelyn McDonnell, Billboard, 2 June 1990
LIKE PUBLIC Enemy, Red Hot Chili Peppers appear to want to do the right thing. It's just that they keep sticking their feet in their ...
The Replacements: The Ritz, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 1 March 1986
ACCORDING TO longtime devotees, there are two kinds of Replacements concerts: those at which the band is sloppy and anything goes, and those where the ...
The Residents: The Ritz, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 8 February 1986
CHANCES ARE that if you know the Residents at all, you know them by their eyeballs, not their music. Avant-garde to the max, the San ...
Buddy Rich, Vanilla Fudge: The Buddy Rich Big Band, Vanilla Fudge: Felt Forum, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 5 October 1968
Rich Band Goes Over Rich — Fudge Have Zesty Flavor ...
The Rolling Stones: Madison Square Garden, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 13 December 1969
Stones Gather $286G Moss ...
Linda Ronstadt: Bitter End, New York NY
Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 9 August 1969
Bitter End Entranced By Linda Ronstadt ...
Brenda Russell: Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by David Nathan, Billboard, 24 September 1988
OPENING FOR Billy Ocean for the past 2½ months on her first national tour, A&M artist Brenda Russell has provided near-capacity audiences with a show ...
Severed Heads, Skinny Puppy: Skinny Puppy, Severed Heads: Roxy Theatre, Hollywood CA
Live Review by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 17 January 1987
CHAOS, NOISE, and general disarray marked a fascinating double bill that brought together two different countries' versions of the future of rock on one stage. ...
The Sex Pistols: U.K. Sex Pistols Fire a Controversy
Report by Peter Jones, Billboard, 18 December 1976
LONDON — A live televised shouting match between interviewer Bill Grundy and the EMI punk rock band, Sex Pistols, in which four-letter words flew fast ...
Shalamar, Jody Watley: Watley's Looking For A New Career
Interview by Dave DiMartino, Billboard, 25 April 1987
Ex-Shalamar Singer Finds Success Solo ...
Ravi Shankar: Fillmore East, New York NY
Live Review by Danny Goldberg, Billboard, 20 September 1969
Shankar Honors Ghandi in a Memorable Performance ...
The Smithereens, The Ben Vaughn Combo: Ben Vaughn Combo, Smithereens: CBGB, New York, NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 21 June 1986
THE SMITHEREENS and the Ben Vaughn Combo were each nominated as best new rock band in the recent New York Music Awards, although neither band ...
The Smiths: Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Mark Rowland, Billboard, 27 September 1986
SMITHSMANIA HAS yet to erupt here on the scale that it has in England, the quartet's home. But if reaction to the second of two ...
Soft Machine: Gaslight, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 17 July 1971
ORNETTE COLEMAN'S presence in the audience was no coincidence — there's mutual admiration between the CBS group and the avant jazzman. It's also apparent in ...
Interview by Alan Light, Billboard, 5 December 2014
TAYLOR SWIFT never doubted that her fifth album, 1989, would sell 1 million copies in its first week. But others were not so confident. ...
Gabór Szábo: Village Vanguard, New York NY
Live Review by Ian Dove, Billboard, 21 December 1968
Szábo: Subtle on Strings ...
Interview by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 30 March 1985
NEW YORK — Considering that Richard Thompson's albums invariably end up near the top of year-end critics' polls, one would think that the veteran British ...
Interview by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 30 March 1985
NEW YORK — Considering that Richard Thompson's albums invariably end up near the top of year-end critics' polls, one would think that the veteran British ...
Ian Tyson: Ian's 1st Solo Album Marks Return to Country Roots
Report and Interview by uncredited writer, Billboard, 23 November 1974
TORONTO – With the release of his first solo album, Ian Tyson, once one-half of the duo Ian & Sylvia, has returned to his musical ...
Charlie Watts Orchestra: The Ritz, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 24 January 1987
WATCHING CHARLIE Watts' omnipresent grin at this, the second show of a three-night stand in December with his 31-piece extracurricular jazz project, one imagined that ...
Tony Joe White: What It Is – Is Swamp Music – Is What It Is
Overview by Jerry Wexler, Billboard, December 1969
AT DRUMMER Sammy Creasons Halloween party in Memphis, his new boss, singer Tony Joe White, holds his breath to close his pores, removes a black ...
Steve Winwood: Pier 84, New York NY
Live Review by Jeff Tamarkin, Billboard, 18 October 1986
BEFORE LAUNCHING this tour in late August, Steve Winwood had long been absent from the concert circuit. And, seemingly, from his point of view those ...
Stevie Wonder: The Forum, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Mark Rowland, Billboard, 26 July 1986
THIS YEAR marks the 25th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's association with Motown, and this triumphant career retrospective proved a fitting celebration. ...
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