What was the first rock and roll song? Ask music historians and you’ll get a range of ’40s and early ’50 candidates, from “Good Rockin’ Tonight” to “Rocket 88.”

Ah, but when did the Rock Era begin? That’s easier. Everybody …

The headline-grabbing music story of the week isn’t on the Billboard charts—it’s the U.S. debut of Spotify. With the streaming-music service less than 48 hours old here, it’s a bit too soon to analyze what songs are getting the most …

If, like me, you’ve been putting together your annual summer playlist to pump at block parties and barbecues, you may have found yourself with a historically odd problem: a relative dearth of hits this year by dudes. After you’ve rounded …