What makes American Idol such a pop-hit-generating juggernaut? The show-closing singles its winners are forced to sing are uniformly awful, so there must be something about Idol itself that ensures hits. Is it the fact that it’s a cannily crafted competition that gives pop fans a rooting interest in budding acts with compelling backstories? It’s [...] Read more

It’s now been just over a month since Apple flipped the switch at the iTunes Music Store and gave the major labels what they wanted: higher-priced hit singles. Since April 7, downloads at the world’s largest music retailer have varied in price–from 69 cents for hundreds of low-profile catalog tracks to $1.29 for best-sellers, both [...] Read more

The most notable move on any of Billboard‘s flagship singles charts this week isn’t on the Hot 100, where the Black Eyed Peas make it a month at No. 1 with the tiresome “Boom Boom Pow.” Instead, over on the normally snoozy Modern Rock chart, a veteran band makes the second-biggest leap to No. 1 [...] Read more