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Kenny Lewis & One Voice Earn First Gospel Airplay No. 1 With ‘He’s Been Good’

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Kenny Lewis & One Voice’s “He’s Been Good” — featuring Charles Jenkins, Bridgette Hurt and Lemmie Battles — rises from No. 3 to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Gospel Airplay chart dated Feb. 5. In the tracking week ending Jan. 30, the song rose by 20% in plays, according to MRC Data, good for Greatest Gainer honors on the survey.

“Good” marks the first No. 1 for Lewis and his longtime backing choir One Voice, as well as Hurt and Battles. Jenkins scores his sixth leader.

Jenkins wrote the song solo.

“Honestly, I have been dreaming of this day for a long time,” Lewis tells Billboard. “‘He’s Been Good’ has touched so many lives. I couldn’t feel anymore blessed.”

For Chicago natives Lewis and One Voice, “Good” is their sixth Gospel Airplay entry. The act logged its first with “Every Body Every Body!” (No. 12, 2007), its previous highest peaking hit.

Meanwhile, Jenkins ties James Fortune & FIYA for the third-most Gospel Airplay No. 1s, dating to the chart’s 2005 start. Kirk Franklin and Tamela Mann lead with eight each.

Jenkins also places on Gospel Airplay with “Never Knew Love,” with his backing group Fellowship Chicago and Stephanie Mills. The song, at No. 24 (up 1%) after reaching No. 21, updates Mills’ classic “Never Knew Love Like This Before,” which hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980.

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Robots Don’t Need Permission to Dance to BTS’ ‘IONIQ: I’m On It’: Watch the High-Tech Performance

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Jimmy Fallon welcomed the first-ever robotic guests to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Tuesday (Feb. 1), and it turns out they can dance to BTS.

The robots, each named SPOT, were the brainchild of Boston Robotics CEO Robert Playter, who accompanied his creations to 30 Rock to show off everything SPOT can do, from pouring a beer and opening a door to walking up the studio’s stairs straight into the audience.

“You mean what’s its day job?” the tech businessman joked after Fallon asked what the robot’s purpose was. “So, SPOT goes into dangerous places where people don’t want to go, nuclear power plants, electric utilities, and does inspections in making sure that the equipment is running well. So we made SPOT as a platform. You can attach lots of equipment, including the arm and the head. … But we’ve also recently learned some new tricks. Would you like to see?”

One of those new tricks happened to be grooving to the Korean boy band’s music. “We teamed up with BTS to put together a special dance show that we would like to show you tonight,” Playter told a game Fallon, who responded, “I love BTS. I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

From there, three of the omnidirectional robots took over the Tonight Show stage to perform a fully choreographed dance routine to the idols’ 2020 corporate collaboration with Hyundai, “IONIQ: I’m On It.”

When BTS dropped the musical tie-in to Hyundai’s line of electric vehicles back in the summer of 2020, they also gave a sit-down interview about how ARMY “charges” their own energy and the daily efforts they make for the Earth and the environment.

Watch a trio of SPOTs dance to “IONIQ: I’m On It” below.

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How to Get Tickets to the 2022 Billboard Women in Music Awards

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For the first time ever, tickets will be available to the public to attend Billboard‘s annual Women in Music Awards on Wednesday, March 2, at the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles, CA.

American Express Card Members can access the Amex presale here beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m. PT until Thursday, Feb. 3, at 10 p.m. PT. General on-sale will then be available beginning at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 4, at billboardwomeninmusic.com. Ticket prices range from $65 to $95.

To ensure the safety of all attendees and staff, Billboard will comply with all applicable COVID-19 federal, state and local laws for the 2022 Women in Music Awards.

The event, hosted by Ciara, will recognize music’s top female artists, producers and executives for their contributions to music industry, their communities and beyond. Bonnie Raitt will receive this year’s Icon Award, and Gabby Barrett will take home the Rising Star Award presented by Honda.

Phoebe Bridgers is 2022’s Trailblazer Award recipient, and Doja Cat will receive the Powerhouse Award. Karol G will be honored with the Rule Breaker Award, Saweetie will receive the Game Changer Award and Summer Walker gets this year’s Chartbreaker Award. The honorees will also perform at the ceremony.

Reservoir Media’s Founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi will receive the Executive of the Year Award.

Additional honorees, including the 2022 Woman of the Year Award recipient, performers, celebrity presenters and more will be announced soon. For more information on Women in Music and to keep up with the latest announcements, visit billboardwomeninmusic.com, and follow along on Instagram and Twitter @billboard with the hashtag #BBWomenInMusic.

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The Biggest No. 2 Hot 100 Hits of All Time

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It’s tough to accept at the time – a single catches fire with the public, flies up the chart and lands just shy of the top spot. Despite peaking at No. 2 on the weekly Billboard Hot 100, many songs that initially take the silver medal still emerge as massive winners in the end. Some, including a case just last year, sustain enough momentum to leapfrog No. 1 hits to become the year’s top Hot 100 single; others become the springboard for artists to eventually capture that chart-topping hit; and a select few dominate pop culture so much that you’d swear that they, surely, definitely, unquestionably have topped the chart — before the facts reveal otherwise.

While the No. 1s get plenty of shine, let’s take a moment to celebrate another slate of hit singles. In honor of 2/2/22, here is Billboard’s countdown of the top 50 songs to peak at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

50. Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Weeks at No. 2: one
Peak Date: May 9, 1992
Just Under: Kris Kross, “Jump”

49. Toto, “Rosanna
Weeks at No. 2: five
Peak Date: July 3, 1982
Just Under: The Human League, “Don’t You Want Me” and Survivor, “Eye of the Tiger”

48. Linda Ronstadt featuring Aaron Neville, “Don’t Know Much
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: Dec. 23, 1989
Just Under: Phil Collins, “Another Day in Paradise”

47. Technotronic featuring Felly, “Pump up the Jam
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: Jan. 20, 1990
Just Under: Michael Bolton, “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”

46. En Vogue, “Don’t Let Go (Love)
Weeks at No. 2: four
Peak Date: Jan. 18, 1997
Just Under: Toni Braxton, “Un-Break My Heart”

45. Ritchie Valens, “Donna”
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: Feb. 23, 1959
Just Under: Lloyd Price, “Stagger Lee”

44. The Spinners, “The Rubberband Man
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: Dec. 4, 1976
Just Under: Rod Stewart, “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna be Alright)”

43. Eddie Murphy, “Party All the Time
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: Dec. 28, 1985
Just Under: Lionel Richie, “Say You, Say Me”

42. Silver Convention, “Get up and Boogie (That’s Right)
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: June 12, 1976
Just Under: Wings, “Silly Love Songs”

41. The Everly Brothers, “Bird Dog
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: Sept. 15, 1958
Just Under: Domenico Modugno, “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)” and Tommy Edwards, “It’s All in the Game”

40. Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Weeks at No. 2: seven
Peak Date: Dec. 5, 2009
Just Under: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind” and Ke$ha, “TiK ToK”

39. Ferrante & Teicher, “Exodus
Weeks at No. 2: one
Peak Date: Jan. 23, 1961
Just Under: Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra, “Wonderland by Night”

38. Ace of Base, “All That She Wants
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: Nov. 6, 1993
Just Under: Meat Loaf, “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)”

37. Ciara featuring Missy Elliott, “1, 2 Step
Weeks at No. 2: seven
Peak Date: Jan. 8, 2005
Just Under: Mario, “Let Me Love You”

36. Sam Smith, “Stay With Me
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: Aug. 16, 2014
Just Under: Magic!, “Rude”

35. John Lennon, “Woman”
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: March 21, 1981
Just Under: REO Speedwagon, “Keep on Loving You” and Blondie, “Rapture”

34. Céline Dion, “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now
Weeks at No. 2: five
Peak Date: Oct. 26, 1996
Just Under: Los Del Rio, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” and BLACKstreet featuring Dr. Dre, “No Diggity”

33. Laura Branigan, “Gloria
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: Nov. 27, 1982
Just Under: Lionel Richie, “Truly” and Toni Basil, “Mickey”

32. Donna Lewis, “I Love You Always Forever
Weeks at No. 2: nine
Peak Date: Aug. 24, 1996
Just Under: Los Del Rio, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)”

31. Jackson 5, “Dancing Machine
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: May 18, 1974
Just Under: Ray Stevens, “The Streak”

30. Keith Sweat, “Twisted”
Weeks at No. 2: one
Peak Date: Aug. 17, 1996
Just Under: Los Del Rio, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)”

29. Deborah Cox, “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here
Weeks at No. 2: eight
Peak Date: Dec. 5, 1998
Just Under: R. Kelly & Céline Dion, “I’m Your Angel” and Brandy, “Have You Ever?”

28. Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me
Weeks at No. 2: one
Peak Date: Aug. 22, 2009
Just Under: The Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”

27. Chubby Checker, “Limbo Rock
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: Dec. 22, 1962
Just Under: The Tornados, “Telstar”

26. Backstreet Boys, “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: Sept. 6, 1997
Just Under: The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Mase, “Mo Money Mo Problems” and Mariah Carey, “Honey”

25. Kelly Clarkson, “Since U Been Gone”
Weeks at No. 2: one
Peak Date: April 9, 2005
Just Under: 50 Cent featuring Olivia, “Candy Shop”

24. Village People, “Y.M.C.A.
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: Feb. 3, 1979
Just Under: Chic, “Le Freak” and Rod Stewart, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?”

23. England Dan & John Ford Coley, “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: Sept. 25, 1976
Just Under: Wild Cherry, “Play That Funky Music”

22. Juice WRLD, “Lucid Dreams
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: Oct. 6, 2018
Just Under: Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B, “Girls Like You”

21. Taio Cruz, “Dynamite
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: Aug. 21, 2010
Just Under: Eminem featuring Rihanna, “Love the Way You Lie”

20. Bette Midler, “From a Distance”
Weeks at No. 2: one
Peak Date: Dec. 15, 1990
Just Under: Stevie B, “Because I Love You (The Postman Song)”

19. Marshmello & Bastille, “Happier
Weeks at No. 2: one
Peak Date: Feb. 16, 2019
Just Under: Ariana Grande, “7 Rings”

18. Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud
Weeks at No. 2: eight
Peak Date: Jan. 31, 2015
Just Under: Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk!”

17. Color Me Badd, “I Wanna Sex You Up
Weeks at No. 2: four
Peak Date: June 8, 1991
Just Under: Extreme, “More Than Words” and Paula Abdul, “Rush Rush”

16. Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: March 20, 2010
Just Under: Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris, “Break Your Heart” and Rihanna, “Rude Boy”

15. Jim Reeves, “He’ll Have to Go”
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: March 7, 1960
Just Under: Percy Faith and His Orchestra, “The Theme from “A Summer Place””

14. Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen
Weeks at No. 2: three
Peak Date: May 16, 2015
Just Under: Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth, “See You Again”

13. Lifehouse, “Hanging by a Moment
Weeks at No. 2: four
Peak Date: June 16, 2001
Just Under: Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya & P!nk, “Lady Marmalade” and Usher, “U Remind Me”

12. Faith Hill, “Breathe
Weeks at No. 2: five
Peak Date: April 22, 2000
Just Under: Santana featuring The Product G&B, “Maria Maria” and Aaliyah, “Try Again”

11. OneRepublic, “Counting Stars
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: Jan. 18, 2014
Just Under: Pitbull featuring Ke$ha, “Timber”

10. The Tony Rich Project, “Nobody Knows”
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: March 23, 1996
Just Under: Céline Dion, “Because You Loved Me”

9. Usher, “You Make Me Wanna…”
Weeks at No. 2: seven
Peak Date: Oct. 25, 1997
Just Under: Elton John, “Candle in the Wind 1997 / Something About the Way You Look Tonight”

8. John Cougar, “Hurts So Good”
Weeks at No. 2: four
Peak Date: Aug. 7, 1982
Just Under: Survivor, “Eye of the Tiger”

7. Foreigner, “Waiting for a Girl Like You”
Weeks at No. 2: 10
Peak Date: Nov. 28, 1981
Just Under: Olivia Newton-John, “Physical” and Daryl Hall & John Oates, “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”

6. Shania Twain, “You’re Still the One”
Weeks at No. 2: nine
Peak Date: May 2, 1998
Just Under: Next, “Too Close” and Brandy & Monica, “The Boy Is Mine”

5. Tag Team, “Whoomp! (There It Is)”
Weeks at No. 2: seven
Peak Date: July 31, 1993
Just Under: UB40, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and Mariah Carey, “Dreamlover”

4. Timbaland featuring OneRepublic, “Apologize”
Weeks at No. 2: four
Peak Date: Nov. 10, 2007
Just Under: Chris Brown featuring T-Pain, “Kiss Kiss” and Alicia Keys, “No One”

3. Jewel, “Foolish Games/You Were Meant for Me”
Weeks at No. 2: two
Peak Date: April 19, 1997
Just Under: Puff Daddy featuring Mase, “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” and The Notorious B.I.G., “Hypnotize”

2. Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Weeks at No. 2: one
Peak Date: May 22, 2021
Just Under: Silk Sonic, “Leave the Door Open”

1. LeAnn Rimes, “How Do I Live”
Weeks at No. 2: four
Peak Date: Dec. 13, 1997
Just Under: Elton John, “Candle in the Wind 1997 / Something About the Way You Look Tonight” and Savage Garden, “Truly Madly Deeply”

Billboard’s Biggest No. 2 Hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 through Feb. 5, 2022, and includes only songs that peaked at No. 2 on the list. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.

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For Lil Wayne, Mac Miller & More, Bringing Mixtapes to Streaming Is a Boon — But Clearing Them Is ‘Hell’

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In the last few years, many cult-favorite hip-hop mixtapes from the 1990s and 2000s have made their way to streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Tidal and Spotify. Fan demand helped, but the hard work was done by sample clearance experts like Deborah Mannis-Gardner, who negotiated with copyright owners and labels whose songs and recordings were sampled on the tapes, to secure the necessary licenses.

In 2021 alone, streaming services started offering Mac Miller’s critically acclaimed 2014 mixtape Faces, A$AP Rocky’s 2011 debut Live. Love. A$AP; Megan Thee Stallion’s compilation project Something For Thee Hotties which includes a handful of her standalone freestyles from the last few years, and Nicki Minaj’s breakout 2009 project, Beam Me Up Scotty.

“This all started during COVID last year where artists were not delivering new material,” says Mannis-Gardner, CEO of DMG Clearances. “A lot of these artists and labels were thinking, how can we earn revenue?”

Mixtapes, which traditionally live rent-free on distribution platforms like DatPiff, Hotnewhiphop and YouTube, can become a goldmine for artists, copyright holders, labels, songwriters and producers once the samples they contain are licensed and subsequently made available on streaming services. Lil Wayne’s No Ceilings and Minaj’s Beam Me Up have so far generated $800,000 and $462,000 in revenue, respectively, Billboard estimates, while Mac Miller’s Faces brought in $2.1 million — about $1.5 million of that from vinyl records. Licensing the samples and interpolations isn’t easy, though – especially in a way that everyone can benefit.

“You have to crunch a lot of numbers budget wise and then make sure that everyone is going to make money,” Mannis-Gardner says. She knows “because I went through the hell of clearing it,” she notes with a laugh.

Mannis-Gardner, often referred to as the Sample Clearance Queen, did the licensing work for Miller’s Faces, Weezy’s No Ceilings, Minaj’s Beam Me Up Scotty, Drake’s compilation album, Care Package, and Megan’s Something For Thee Hotties, the latter of which required a quick turnaround.

“I was given five working days and I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, could you have given me more time?’ And they’re like, ‘We’re sorry, but we know you can do it.’ And we did.”

Something For Thee Hotties, released this year by 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling slightly over 38,500 equivalent album units in the U.S. within its first week, according to MRC Data. That represents 38 million on-demand U.S. streams of the set’s tracks.

Mannis-Gardner says Republic Records president and COO Avery Lipman was “one of the geniuses who thought of the idea” to begin rolling out decade-old tapes, as a way to keep fans engaged and create sources of income for artists and labels during an unprecedented dip in the live music industry.

The first mixtape to hit major streaming platforms during the pandemic was Republic artist and mixtape king Lil Wayne’s 2009 No Ceilings, a longtime fan favorite, in August 2020. Of the 21 tracks on the recording, all but two included samples — most of them instrumentals pulled from popular songs from 2009, including Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles “I Gotta Feeling” from the Black Eyed Peas and David Guetta’s “Sexy Bitch.”

Young Money Entertainment president and Wayne’s manager Mack Maine says clearing that many samples “was a frigging nightmare.” If it was up to him, he adds, all of Wayne’s estimated 29 mixtapes would be available to streaming, but “It’s a very tedious process. It takes months,” he continues, identifying high cost and “giving up splits” (i.e., percentages of revenue and ownership of a song) as the primary roadblocks.

Mannis-Gardner says that Wayne’s team was prepared to give up “a hundred percent of the publishing” due to how heavy the sample usage was, but she was able to keep a portion of the publishing for Wayne and the mixtape’s producers. In the end, ten 10 tracks that included instrumentals from Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Dorrough and 3 Deep, among other acts, were not re-released, due to clearance issues.

The vetted version of No Ceilings went on to debut at No. 18 on the Billboard 200, with 23,000 album equivalents sold in the first week of its re-release.

Mannis-Gardner noted the various obstacles when clearing samples. In some cases, the rightsholder of the composition or recording may ask for a higher fee or split than an artist or label is willing or able to offer. Other times, featured artists or their labels may be unwilling to give clearances of their own, “The bottom line is when it’s an illegal [mixtape], it isn’t earning revenue,” she explains. “What I try to tell the copyright holders is, yes, there was a mistake made. Let’s rectify it. Let’s clear it. Because not only are you going to get the DSP and the revenue from the audio, it opens it up for synch revenue as well.”

While some copyright holders are willing to compromise, others — angry that their compositions or recordings were used without permission — won’t budge. “That’s when I usually get on my knees and beg and grovel and plead and say, ‘Please, what can we do to make it happen?”

Sometimes that’s not enough. In 2008, singer Karma-Ann Swanepoel, sued Lil Wayne over his 2007 track, “I Feel Like Dying,” which featured a sample of her vocals from Karma’s “Once.”

“She sued and felt like Wayne sold a million in the first week because [‘I Feel Like Dying’] was on the mixtape and he was performing it at all the shows and everybody thought that song would be on Tha Carter III,” Maine says. Now, Wayne can never perform the emo-rap song, which many say redefined hip-hop’s relationship with drugs.

A year before the Swanepoel suit, Prince’s lawyers sent Weezy a cease-and-desist letter after he used part of “Diamonds and Pearls” on the Curren$y-assisted track, “Diamonds and Girls.”

“God bless the legend,” says Maine of Prince. “He [didn’t] play about his sh–.”

Some creators won’t allow the use of a sample based on the message of the song. Maine says that Wayne twice attempted to sample Janet Jackson and got rejected both times. “It’s tough to get a Janet approval,” he explains. “She doesn’t want you to say certain words in the song, you gotta try to make it clean. She’s not letting you say the female dog word, things like that. It’s not like she won’t clear it, but she’s very particular about what she clears.”

While long-time fans may anticipate hearing the exact same mixtape they downloaded from DatPiff years ago, that’s rarely the case. Sometimes, some samples can’t be cleared, but other issues can also force changes.

“I sometimes get really upset when rappers are like, ‘This didn’t make the album because the sample wasn’t cleared in time,” Mannis-Gardner says. “I’m thinking you either never gave me the sample or you gave me 24 hours,” she explains. “There are so many layers of approvals. We can never just blame sample clearances.”

A$AP Rocky producer Clams Casino says that clearing samples wasn’t even an afterthought when he was working on Rocky’s career-altering 2011 mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP. “It was just a free internet mixtape,” says Casino, born Michael Volpe. “I never thought I would be making money from making music.”

As of Oct. 29, 2021, when RCA and A$AP Rocky Recordings re-released the mixtape on streaming services, Casino makes money from the five songs he produced on the original, “Palace,” “Bass,” “Wassup,” “Leaf” and “Demons,” plus a track that was added to the current version, “Sandman.” Three tracks from the original mixtape, “Purple Swag: Chapter 2,” “Out of This World,” and “Kissin’ Pink,” were cut due to sample clearance issues, says Clams, and a sample of an Ol’ Dirty Bastard interview was snipped from “Leaf” for the same reason. Live Love debuted at No. 43 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 20 on the Top Rap Albums chart. The mixtape’s songs collectively registered 17.4 million U.S. on-demand streams in the Oct. 29-Nov. 4 tracking week, according to MRC Data.

“The 10-year anniversary felt like a monumental moment for us to celebrate its overall cultural significance and to highlight the impact that A$AP Rocky and the A$AP Mob have made specifically in hip-hop culture,” says Carolyn Williams, executive vice president of RCA Records. “It was only right that we went through the necessary processes to make this a permanent part of the commercial streaming music landscape for everyone to experience.”

“For the first time in 10 years we’re talking about [splits],” says Clams. “[When] it was online on the mixtape websites, there was not really a reason to do that.”

According to Mannis-Gardner, a lot of artists think this way. “If you sample a song, it has a value because you sampled it for a reason, to help promote you as an artist,” she says. “And therefore, there should be compensation. Nothing should ever be free in the music industry.”

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Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame nominees 2022: Eminem, Kate Bush, Beck and more receive nods

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The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame has revealed its nominees for the Class of 2022.

READ MORE: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has turned into a museum. Time for change

Eminem, Kate Bush, Beck, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Rage Against The Machine, A Tribe Called Quest, Carly Simon, Judas Priest, Fela Kuti, New York Dolls, Dionne Warwick, MC5, DEVO and Pat Benatar have made the nominees list.

A body of more than 1,000 artists, industry members and historians will help decide which five acts out of the 17 will progress into the final round of induction consideration. Fans also have the chance to contribute to the selection process by voting every day here or at the museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

Five acts will then be tallied among the other ballots to ultimately decide the Class of 2022.

Eminem. CREDIT: Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

This year marks the first time that Eminem has become eligible for a nomination. The Rock Hall’s rule is that an act must have released their first commercial recording 25 years earlier than the year of the nomination.

Eminem joins Beck, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, A Tribe Called Quest, Carly Simon and Dolly Parton in being a first-time Rock Hall nominees this year, although several of those acts have been eligible before 2022.

As Billboard notes, this is the sixth nomination for Detroit rockers MC5 and the fourth nod for Rage Against The Machine. Kate Bush, Judas Priest, New York Dolls, Eurythmics and Devo have all now been nominated three times.

It’s the second nod for Dionne Warwick and the late Fela Kuti after being nominated in 2021. It’s also Pat Benatar’s second nomination, after first appearing on the 2020 ballot.

The Rock & Roll Class of 2022 is revealed in May. A date and location for the ceremony itself has yet to be announced but the event will happen sometime this autumn.

Kate Bush. Credit: Getty

Last May Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame CEO Greg Harris defended the lack of heavy metal inductees following the announcement of that year’s shortlist.

Foo Fighters, Jay-Z and Tina Turner all featured in the 2021 cohort of inductees alongside The Go-Go’s, Carole King and Todd Rundgren in the Performers category. Kraftwerk, Gil Scott-Heron and Charley Patton, meanwhile, each received the Early Influence Award.

However, Rage Against The Machine and Iron Maiden – who were confirmed to be in the Rock Hall’s Class Of 2021 last February – were not included in the final list, prompting renewed conversation around the ceremony’s lack of heavy metal acts.

“It’s an interesting one, because we do [celebrate metal],” Harris told Audacy Music during an interview. “We celebrate all forms of rock’n’roll… We nominated Maiden, Judas Priest have been nominated, we put Def Leppard in.”

Harris explained that “over 80 per cent of [nominees] eventually do get inducted” into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

“So it’s really a question of: let’s keep nominating them, let’s get ​’em on the ballot, and let’s get it out to the voting body,” Harris continued. “This ballot had 16 artists on it. They just can’t all go in.”

The post Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame nominees 2022: Eminem, Kate Bush, Beck and more receive nods appeared first on NME.

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Renowned Australian music manager Glenn Wheatley has died

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The renowned Australian music manager Glenn Wheatley has died at the age of 74, reportedly from complications of COVID.

Wheatley, who managed some of Australia’s best-selling acts including John Farnham and Delta Goodrem, died yesterday (February 1) in Melbourne.

The Guardian writes that Wheatley had reportedly been seriously ill for weeks and was hospitalised after contracting COVID. Several outlets have said that Wheatley died of complications from the disease, although his cause of death hasn’t been confirmed.

The Queensland-born Wheatley was bassist for the Masters Apprentices in the ’60s, playing on the hits ‘Turn Up Your Radio’ and ‘Because I Love You’.

In 1975 he founded the Wheatley Organisation and became manager of Little River Band. Farhham was lead singer with Little River Band in the early-mid ’80s.

Wheatley famously mortgaged his house to bankroll Farnham’s 1986 comeback album ‘Whispering Jack’, which topped the charts for 25 weeks and became one of the biggest selling albums in Australia.

Farnham said in tribute to Wheatley: “There are no words, our hearts are broken. Our love and thoughts to all who loved Glenn, especially his family…he was one of a kind, special to so many.”

Devastating news… there are no words, our hearts are broken.
Our love and thoughts to all who loved Glenn, especially his family… he was one of a kind, special to so many …#glennwheatley

— John Farnham (@JacksPlaceJF) February 1, 2022

The Masters Apprentices said in a group statement that they are “deeply saddened” by Wheatley’s death. “We will miss him greatly. He has left his mark forever on Australian music,” they said.

“My condolences to his wife Gaynor, and all of his family, during this ever so sad time,” singer Marcia Hines wrote. “May he Rest In Peace.”

Wheatley also helped the early career of Delta Goodrem, an Australian artist who’d first found fame on the soap Neighbours. Goodrem’s debut album ‘Innocent Eyes’ bagged a then-record 29 weeks atop the ARIA Albums Chart, and won ARIA Awards for highest-selling album in both 2003 and 2004.

Goodrem wrote: “Glenn impacted the lives of so many, including mine. I will always remember him calling my family about my music after hearing a demo CD from when I was just 13 years old. What followed was many treasured memories. I am forever grateful for our time together in my early career. May he Rest In Peace. All my love and prayers are with his family at this time.”

Wheatley is survived by his wife, Gaynor Martin, and his three children.

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Vintage vinyl LP of ‘Girl From Ipanema’ leads to arrest of Italian fugitive

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After 25 years on the run, an Italian fugitive was arrested when undercover police tricked him into leaving his fingerprints on a vinyl LP of the hit ‘60s song, ‘Girl From Ipanema’.

Read More: What’s causing the vinyl delay? “Adele is not the problem”, say music industry insiders

As The Times reports, the 69-year-old Roberto Vivaldi fled Italy in the 1990s after being convicted of money laundering and fraudulent bankruptcy had been living under a fake name. The prolific fraudster had also decided to pivot careers and had been running a vintage record shop on the island of Isla de Margarita in Venezuela. Vivaldi’s sales took off during the pandemic, right around the time police reopened his case.

After authorities discovered his social media profiles and that he’d been selling vinyl records online, Interpol officers created a false identity and placed an order for some LPs including an early pressing of ‘Garota de Ipanema’ by its Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim, which was re-recorded in English as ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ by Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz.

El día de hoy fue detenido en la isla de Margarita, por funcionarios de INTERPOL, el ciudadano de nacionalidad italiana: Roberto Vivaldi, quien presenta Notificación Roja, por la OCN de Roma. Por fraude, bancarrota, omitir impuesto y estafa pic.twitter.com/172DgSbxmd

— Carlos Gárate (@Carlosgarate14) March 5, 2021

When police received their copy of bossa nova jazz hit, it was covered in Vivaldi’s fingerprints.

“We checked the social media accounts of his family, friends and known associates and, using software, found some were in touch with a profile based in Venezuela,” said chief Alessandro Gallo. “They were all very careful when communicating with this profile, until an old friend of Vivaldi’s sent birthday greetings on a day which did not coincide with the date of birth listed on the profile.”

He continued: “When the records arrived in Italy we dusted the covers for fingerprints and found what we wanted — some of the prints matched Vivaldi’s. To get Venezuela to arrest him we needed more than prints, and since he was only selling online we still needed an address.”

The officers, still posing as record collectors, continued to contact the conman building an online friendship before meeting him in person and arresting him on the spot.

“When Vivaldi showed up at the restaurant for an appointment he discovered the Venezuelan police were waiting for him,” added Gallo. The fugitive now been extradited to Italy, where he will serve out his sentence.

Meanwhile, Vivaldi’s former industry has been under stress recently, with worldwide delays in the manufacturing of vinyl. Last year, reports emerged that Adele’s ‘30’ was partially to blame for the backlog of production problems, thanks to the 500,000 copies she’d had pressed.

Despite vinyl villains and production issues, fans are still investing in their record collections. Last year vinyl albums outsold CDs in the US for the first time in 30 years, with the biggest sellers being Taylor Swift, Adele and Olivia Rodrigo. In the UK vinyl record sales were the highest they’ve been in 30 years, with some of the biggest sellers being Sam Fender, Adele and ABBA, despite widely publicised issues with backlogs and delays.

The post Vintage vinyl LP of ‘Girl From Ipanema’ leads to arrest of Italian fugitive appeared first on NME.

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Velvet Piping And Quilted Leathers Make For A Luxurious Air Jordan Womens OG

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Not many years back, Nike was often under fire for neglecting their female audience, as most collaborations and colorways were released exclusively in men’s sizes. Thankfully, things are a lot different now, and the Air Jordan Womens OG was one of the first silhouettes to usher in this change.

As it returns for 2022, the silhouette seems to be taking a few cues from A Ma Maniere, as this upcoming colorway features new, luxurious materials. For starters, a pink velvet outlines the upper’s every panel, fencing off the various shades of cream. And while certain instances are rather standard, opting for either suede or smooth leather, the inserts across the side and heel appear far more premium thanks to their quilted finishing. Additionally, the bright yellow logo hits and subtle cool-toned accents do their best to celebrate Spring, albeit in a way far more subtle than offerings previous.

For a closer look at this upcoming Air Jordan Womens OG, check out the official images below.

Elsewhere in Jordan news, the Air Jordan 11 Cherry is what’s releasing this Holiday season.

Where to Buy

Make sure to follow @kicksfinder for live tweets during the release date.

Air Jordan Womens
Release Date: 2022
Color: N/A

Womens: $140
Style Code: DQ5349-271

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Hot Pink Gets The Nike Air Max Pre-Day Ready For Summer 2022

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The Nike Air Max Pre-Day is far from being the brand’s most popular sneaker (that distinction – at least in 2021 – went to the Air Force 1), but it continues to deliver compelling, vintage-inspired styles to a growing consumer audience looking for just that.

Recently, the silhouette has abandoned the multi-color arrangements seen throughout its earliest days in favor of a near-tonal hot pink ensemble. Canvas bases and synthetic leather overlays across the forefoot, along the tongue and across the heel boast slightly-varying shades, with “Black” interrupting at the profile swooshes and collar lining. Underfoot, sole units keep things simple in a tried-and-proven color combination, allowing the exposed Air Max bubble to steal the spotlight.

Enjoy official images of the pair here below, and anticipate a Nike.com launch in the coming months.

Elsewhere under the NIKE, Inc. umbrella, an Air Jordan 11 “Cherry” is expected to drop during the holiday season.

Where to Buy

Make sure to follow @kicksfinder for live tweets during the release date.

Nike Air Max Pre-Day “Hot Pink”
Release Date: 2022
Color: N/A

N/A: $180
Style Code: DH5106-600

Images: Nike

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Who Should Be Inducted Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022? Vote!

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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the 17 musicians eligible for induction into the Rock Hall’s Class of 2022 on Wednesday (Feb. 2), but who should be given a coveted slot?

First-time nominees for the Class of 2022 are Dolly Parton, Beck, Eminem, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, A Tribe Called Quest, and Carly Simon. Though some artists have been eligible for decades, Rock Hall rules state that an artist’s first commercial recording needs to be released 25 years earlier than the year of nomination. With this rule, Eminem scored a nom in his first year of eligibility.

There are also a series of repeat nominees for this year’s class. MC5 and Rage Against the Machine nabbed their sixth and fourth nominations, respectively, while Kate Bush, Judas Priest, New York Dolls, Eurythmics and Devo secured their third nods. Two-time nominees include Dionne Warwick, Fela Kuti and Pat Benatar.

A body of more than 1,000 artists, industry members and historians decide which nominees will be inducted into the Rock Hall, but fans can have a say in the selection process by casting their vote for the Class of 2022 at  vote.rockhall.com or in person at the museum in Cleveland. The list of inductees will be revealed in May.

So who do you think should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Vote below!

Take Our Poll

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