In many ways, J Dilla was the wizard behind the beat curtain of underground hip-hop and R&B in the '90s and the first half of this decade. Whether you know his name or not, it's likely you've heard - o …

The former Alecia Moore seemed destined for a colorful life early on, writing songs and performing in local clubs by the time she'd hit her teens. Yet, when P!nk finally emerged with her 2000 solo debu …

If there's one thing that's constant about P!nk's ever-evolving music, it's that she's not afraid of a challenge, taking the twists and turns of her career like a Ferrari on a winding mountain road, ye …

Sadly, Rick Nelson didn't stick around long enough to show the world everything he was capable of, but boy, did he make the most of his 45 years on this Earth. He was just a teenager when he ach …

As if all his other accomplishments weren't enough, Rick Nelson was also a country-rock pioneer, leading his Stone Canyon Band through a series of sessions that blended early-'70s SoCal mellow with an  …

Like the political but poppy punk rock that prefaced them, Sleater-Kinney writes protest music with a racing pulse - blustery battle calls free of hot air or rigid, dogmatic lyrics. So don't blame us i …

If ever a musical albatross hung around a genius' neck, it would be "Short People." Certain addle-brained audience members didn't get the joke, and it's overshadowed much of Randy Newman's worthier wor …

It's hard to believe now that he's one of the world's biggest pop stars, but there was once a time when Kanye West was looked at as nothing but a producer. Which is easy to understand considering all t …

When Michael Jackson's record-breaking album Thriller received a 25th-anniversary reboot in 2008, executive producer will.i.am had one beat-maker in mind for a decade-spanning remix of "Billie Jean": K …