Portal:Record production

The Record Production Portal

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This portal is focused on music production within the era of written records through sound recordings, digital downloads, and beyond. Its scope includes articles that document the considerations and mechanisms used by, and consistent with, the purview of the production element. As an art form, music predates transcription and simultaneously transcends descriptive limitations. As an industry, music has demonstrated consistent viability over time. The record producer conjoins these potential, and serves as a broker to bridge the demand (spawned by their aspirations) with supply and satisfaction. The results are measurable and attributable, derived from effort and skillful application of craft, to a manifestation of the art in its melodic form. (Read more)

The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, represent and supply music creators. Among the many individuals and organizations that operate in the industry are: the songwriters and composers who write songs and musical compositions; the singers, musicians, conductors, and bandleaders who perform the music; the record labels, music publishers, recording studios, music producers, audio engineers, retail and digital music stores, and performance rights organizations who create and sell recorded music and sheet music; and the booking agents, promoters, music venues, road crew, and audio engineers who help organize and sell concerts. (Read more)

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Featured articles are displayed here, which represent some of the best content on English Wikipedia.

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Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 24, 1991, by Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Rick Rubin, its musical style differed notably from the band's previous album Mother's Milk (1989), reducing the use of heavy metal guitar riffs and accentuating the melodic songwriting contributions of guitarist John Frusciante. The album's subject matter incorporates sexual innuendos and references to drugs and death, as well as themes of lust and exuberance.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200, and produced hit singles "Under the Bridge", "Give It Away", "Suck My Kiss", "Breaking the Girl" and "If You Have to Ask". The album received widespread critical acclaim and propelled the band into worldwide popularity. Heavily uncomfortable with fame, Frusciante quit the band during its 1992 tour; he rejoined in 1998. (Full article...)
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Nine Inch Nails performing in June 2022; from left to right: Ilan Rubin, Trent Reznor, Alessandro Cortini, Atticus Ross, and Robin Finck.

Nine Inch Nails, an American industrial rock band fronted by Trent Reznor, has toured all over the world since its creation in 1988. While Reznor—the only official member until the addition of Atticus Ross in 2016—controls its creative and musical direction in the studio, the touring band performs different arrangements of the songs. In addition to regular concerts, the band has performed in both supporting and headlining roles at festivals such as Woodstock '94, Lollapalooza 1991 and 2008, and many other one-off performances including the MTV Video Music Awards. Prior to their 2013 tour, the band had played 938 gigs.

Nine Inch Nails' live performances contrast with its in-studio counterpart.
Reznor writes and performs nearly all Nine Inch Nails studio material, with occasional instrumental and vocal contributions from other artists. However, Reznor has typically assembled groups of backing musicians to interpret songs for tours and other live performances. Keyboardist Alessandro Cortini said that "if you see the show and you're used to the CDs it's pretty clear that the studio entity is different from the live entity". (Full article...)
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Be Here Now is the third studio album by the English rock band Oasis, released on 21 August 1997 by Creation Records. The album was recorded at multiple recording studios in London, including Abbey Road Studios, as well as Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey. Although most tracks retain the anthemic quality of previous releases, the songs on Be Here Now are longer and contain many guitar overdubs. Noel Gallagher said this was done to make the album sound as "colossal" as possible. The album cover features a shot of the band members at Stocks House in Hertfordshire. It is the last Oasis studio album to feature founding members guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan as the two left in 1999, and the first to entirely feature Alan "Whitey" White on drums, having joined the band two years prior.

Following the worldwide success of their first two albums, Definitely Maybe (1994) and (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995), the album was highly anticipated. Oasis' management company, Ignition, were aware of the dangers of overexposure and, before release, sought to control media access to the album. The campaign included limiting pre-release radio airplay and forcing journalists to sign gag orders. The tactics alienated the press and many industry personnel connected with the band and fuelled large-scale speculation and publicity within the British music scene. (Full article...)
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Joseph Szigeti

Joseph Szigeti (Hungarian: Szigeti József, [ˈsiɡɛti ˈjoːʒɛf]; 5 September 1892 – 19 February 1973) was a Hungarian violinist.

Born into a musical family, he spent his early childhood in a small town in Transylvania. He quickly proved himself to be a child prodigy on the violin, and moved to Budapest with his father to study with the renowned pedagogue Jenő Hubay. After completing his studies with Hubay in his early teens, Szigeti began his international concert career. His performances at that time were primarily limited to salon-style recitals and the more overtly virtuosic repertoire; however, after making the acquaintance of pianist Ferruccio Busoni, he began to develop a much more thoughtful and intellectual approach to music that eventually earned him the nickname "The Scholarly Virtuoso". (Full article...)
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Smith performing in 2003

Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known as Elliott Smith, was an American musician and singer-songwriter. Raised primarily in Texas, he lived much of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he gained popularity in the 1990s. Smith's primary instrument was the guitar, though he also played piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica. His work was distinguished by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin" vocal style, his "artful chord changes," and his themes of "addiction, depression, and alienation.". The New Musical Express (NME) described him as a "widely adored singer-songwriter," who "touched countless lives with his compelling musicianship and lyricism."

After playing in the rock band Heatmiser for several years, Smith began his solo career in 1994, with releases on the independent record labels Cavity Search and Kill Rock Stars (KRS). In 1997, he signed a contract with DreamWorks Records, for which he recorded his final two albums. Smith's song "Miss Misery", recorded for the film Good Will Hunting (1997), was nominated for the 1998 Academy Award for Best Original Song. (Full article...)
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Tragic Kingdom is the third studio album by the American rock band No Doubt, released on October 10, 1995, by Trauma Records and Interscope Records. It was the final album to feature original keyboardist Eric Stefani, who left the band in 1994. The album was produced by Matthew Wilder and recorded in 11 studios in the Greater Los Angeles area between March 1993 and October 1995. Between 1995 and 1998, the album spawned seven singles, including "Just a Girl", which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, and "Don't Speak", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay and reached the top five of many international charts.

The album received mostly positive reviews from music critics and became the band's most commercially successful album, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 as well as topping the charts in Canada and New Zealand. At the 39th Annual Grammy Awards, No Doubt earned nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rock Album. The album has sold over 16 million copies worldwide, and was certified Diamond in the United States and Canada, Platinum in the United Kingdom, and quadruple Platinum in Australia. Tragic Kingdom helped facilitate the ska revival of the 1990s, increasing the visibility and commercial success of other ska bands. The album was ranked number 441 on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. (Full article...)
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By the Way is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released July 9, 2002, on Warner Bros. Records. It sold more than 286,000 copies in its first week, and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Singles included "By the Way", "The Zephyr Song", "Can't Stop" and "Universally Speaking". Additionally, "Dosed" was released as a promotional single in the US and Canada. The lyrical subject matter vocalist Anthony Kiedis addresses in By the Way is a divergence from previous Red Hot Chili Peppers albums, with Kiedis taking a more candid and reflective approach to his lyrics.

By the Way was lauded by critics as a departure from the band's previous styles, and is recognized for the melodic and subdued emotions given by the Chili Peppers. Guitarist John Frusciante is credited with writing most of the album's melodies, backing vocal arrangements, bass lines, and guitar progressions, therefore changing the direction of the recording dramatically: "his warm, understated guitar work and his doo-wop style vocal harmonies are king this time around." By the Way contained very little of the signature funk-rock fusion the band had become known for playing. Frusciante has stated that writing "By the Way [was] one of the happiest times in my life." The album went on to sell more than eight million copies worldwide. The album has come to be regarded by many as one of the band's finest works. (Full article...)
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Remain in Light is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Talking Heads, released on October 8, 1980, by Sire Records. The band's third and final album to be produced by Brian Eno, Remain in Light was recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas and Sigma Sound Studios in New York in July and August 1980.

After the release of Fear of Music in 1979, Talking Heads and Eno sought to dispel notions of the band as a mere vehicle for frontman and songwriter David Byrne. Drawing influence from Nigerian Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti, they blended African polyrhythms and funk with electronics, recording instrumental tracks as a series of looping grooves. Session musicians included the guitarist Adrian Belew, the singer Nona Hendryx, and the trumpeter Jon Hassell. (Full article...)
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Me and Juliet is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The sixth stage collaboration by Rodgers & Hammerstein, it tells a story of romance backstage at a long-running musical: assistant stage manager Larry woos chorus girl Jeanie behind the back of her electrician boyfriend, Bob. Me and Juliet premiered in 1953 and was considered a modest success — it ran for much of a year on Broadway and had a limited run in Chicago (altogether nearly 500 performances), and returned a small profit to its backers.

Rodgers had long wanted to write a musical comedy about the cast and crew backstage at a theatre. After Rodgers and Hammerstein had another hit with The King and I in 1951, Rodgers proposed the backstage project to his partner. Hammerstein was unenthusiastic, thinking the subject matter trivial, but agreed to do the project. The play required complex machinery, designed by Jo Mielziner, so that the audience could view action not only on the stage of the theatre where the show-within-the-show (also named Me and Juliet) takes place, but in the wings and on the light bridge (high above the stage, from which the lighting technicians train spotlights) as well. (Full article...)
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(L–R): Ballard, Wilson, and Ross performing "My World Is Empty Without You" on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1966

The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. The premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful American vocal group, with twelve number 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Most of these hits were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland. The breakthrough by the Supremes is considered to have made it possible for future African-American R&B and soul musicians to find mainstream success. Billboard ranked the Supremes as the 16th greatest Hot 100 artist of all time.

Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Betty McGlown, the original members, were all from the Brewster-Douglass public housing project in Detroit. Forming as the Primettes, they were the sister act to the Primes (with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who went on to form the Temptations). Barbara Martin replaced McGlown in 1960, and the group signed with Motown the following year as the Supremes. Martin left the group in early 1962, and Ross, Ballard, and Wilson continued as a trio. (Full article...)
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Theatre poster, 1879

H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London on 25 May 1878, and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical theatre piece up to that time. H.M.S. Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan's fourth operatic collaboration and their first international sensation.

The story takes place aboard the Royal Navy ship HMS Pinafore. The captain's daughter, Josephine, is in love with a lower-class sailor, Ralph Rackstraw, although her father intends her to marry Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. She abides by her father's wishes at first, but Sir Joseph's advocacy of the equality of humankind encourages Ralph and Josephine to overturn conventional social order. They declare their love for each other and eventually plan to elope. The Captain discovers this plan, but, as in many of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, a surprise disclosure changes things dramatically near the end of the story. (Full article...)
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Segundo Romance (English: Second Romance) is the tenth studio album by Mexican singer Luis Miguel, released on 30 August 1994 through WEA Latina. Like Luis Miguel's 1991 album Romance, Segundo Romance comprises cover versions of boleros (Latin ballads) written between 1934 and 1993. It was produced by Luis Miguel with Juan Carlos Calderón, Kiko Cibrian and Armando Manzanero and recorded in early 1994 at the Record Plant in Los Angeles.

Luis Miguel promoted the album with tours in the United States and Latin America from August to December 1994. Four singles were released: "El Día Que Me Quieras", "La Media Vuelta", "Todo y Nada", and "Delirio". The former two reached the top of the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States. (Full article...)

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... that until the release of the documentary Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop, sexual abuse claims involving record producer Johnny Kitagawa went widely unreported in Japanese media?
... that according to Billboard magazine, Laufey created a blueprint for jazz music in the modern music industry and helped push it back into the mainstream?
... that one critic interpreted a SZA song as being about her fears about the growing influence of AI in the music industry?
... that Light Vessel 95 is now a recording studio?
... that voice actress Rika Hayashi brought a golf club to the recording studio for Tonbo!, a golf-themed anime series?
... that former residents of Wolf's Lair include the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, but a recording studio was not added until the estate was bought by Moby in 2010?

Born this day

Birthdays in Music: October 2

Ron Meagher, American bassist with The Beau Brummels, turns 85.
Don McLean, American singer and songwriter, turns 81.
Richard Hell, American vocalist for The Voidoids, turns 77.
Mike Rutherford, Brit guitarist for Genesis, Mike & the Mechanics, turns 76.
Sting (musician), (nee Gordon Sumner) British actor, singer and songwriter, turns 75.
John Otway, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, turns 74.
Greg Jennings, American guitarist for Vince Gill and Restless Heart, turns 72.
Phil Oakey, Brit vocalist for Human League, turns 71.
Freddie Jackson, American soul music performer, turns 70.
Robbie Nevil, American pop music producer and songwriter, turns 68.
Django Bates, British pianist, turns 66.
Sigtryggur Baldursson, Swedish drummer for Sugarcubes, turns 64.
Gillian Welch, American folk singer, turns 59.
Bud Gaugh, American drummer for Eyes Adrift, Long Beach Dub Allstars/Sublime, turns 59.
Kelly Willis, Country singer , turns 58.
Badly Drawn Boy, British singer-songwriter, turns 57.
Dion Allen, American R&B singer for Az Yet, turns 56.
Tiffany, American pop music singer, turns 55.
Lene, Norwegian vocalist with Aqua, turns 53.
LaTocha Scott, American R&B singer for Xscape , turns 53.
Mandisa, American singer and former American Idol contestant, turns 50.

Proof (Record production, 1973 –April 11, 2006), American rapper member of the groups 5 Elementz, Funky Cowboys, Promatic, Goon Sqwad, and D12, would have turned 53 this year.
Chris LeDoux (Record production, 1948 –March 9, 2005), American country singer-songwriter, would have turned 78 this year.
Jo-el Sonnier (Record production, 1946 –January 13, 2024), American cajun musician, would have turned 80 this year.
Ronnie Ross (Record production, 1933 –December 12, 1991), Indian baritone saxophonist, would have turned 93 this year.
Howard Roberts (Record production, 1929 –June 28, 1992), American guitarist, would have turned 97 this year.
Leon Rausch (Record production, 1927 –May 14, 2019), American country music singer with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, would have turned 99 this year.
Phil Urso (Record production, 1925 –April 7, 2008), American tenor saxophonist, would have turned 101 this year.
Wally Rose (Record production, 1913 –January 12, 1997), American pianist, would have turned 113 this year.

List of musical events • Anniversaries • More birthdays...

Selected albums - load new batch

These are all Good articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

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Body Language is the ninth studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on 10 November 2003 by Parlophone. Following the commercial success of her eighth studio album Fever (2001), Minogue enlisted a diverse group of writers and producers to aid in creating a new album, including Cathy Dennis, Dan Carey, Emiliana Torrini, Johnny Douglas, and Kurtis Mantronik among others. Influenced by the musical works of the 1980s and artists like Prince and Scritti Politti, Body Language musically differs from Minogue's previous albums, which mainly featured disco-oriented dance-pop tracks, and instead explores genres like synth-pop, electroclash, R&B, and hip hop. Lyrically, the album touches upon themes of flirtation, romance, introspection and heartbreak.

Following its release, Body Language received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many of whom complimented Minogue for experimenting with new genres and the overall production of the album. Some critics, however, opined that many songs lacked catchy material and were not suitable for dancing. Commercially, Body Language peaked at number two on the albums chart of Australia and was certified double-platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number six and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). (Full article...)
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Lotus is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. RCA Records released it on November 9, 2012. The album is Aguilera's first effort following her divorce from Jordan Bratman. Lotus is a pop album with elements of dance-pop and rock in the form of upbeat songs and piano-driven ballads. Aguilera described the album as a "rebirth", drawing inspiration from events in her life, her appearance on The Voice, and her divorce. The album was recorded at Aguilera's home studio. As executive producer, she collaborated with a wide range of producers, including new partners Alex da Kid, Max Martin, Lucas Secon and Tracklacers.

Two singles were released from Lotus. The first single "Your Body" charted within the top 40 of most countries. The second one, "Just a Fool", was a duet with fellow The Voice coach Blake Shelton and peaked at number 71 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "Let There Be Love" was released as a promotional single along with a music video and a letter to her fans in August 2013. It topped the US Dance Club Songs chart. (Full article...)
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Debut is the international debut studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk, released on 5 July 1993 by One Little Indian and Elektra Entertainment. It was produced by Björk and Nellee Hooper and was Björk's first recording following the dissolution of her previous band, the Sugarcubes. The album departed from the rock style of her previous work and drew from an eclectic variety of styles, including electronic pop, house music, jazz and trip hop.

Debut received critical acclaim from British music critics, though American reviews were mixed. It exceeded sales expectations, charting at number two in Iceland, three in the United Kingdom, and 61 in the United States. Debut was certified gold in Canada and platinum in the US, where it remains Björk's best-selling album. Five singles were released from Debut: "Human Behaviour", "Venus as a Boy", "Play Dead", "Big Time Sensuality" and "Violently Happy". All charted in the UK, with only "Human Behaviour", "Violently Happy" and "Big Time Sensuality" charting on dance and modern rock charts in the US. (Full article...)
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Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American military science fiction action film. It is the fourth installment of the Terminator franchise, serving as a sequel to Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). It is directed by McG and written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris. It is the only Terminator film to date not to feature Arnold Schwarzenegger, though his likeness briefly appears digitally. Instead, it stars Christian Bale and Sam Worthington with Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Michael Ironside, and Helena Bonham Carter in supporting roles. In a departure from the previous installments, Salvation is a post-apocalyptic film set in the year 2018. It focuses on the war between Skynet's machine network and humanity, as the remnants of the world's militaries have united to form the Resistance to fight against Skynet. Bale portrays John Connor, a Resistance fighter and central character, while Worthington portrays cyborg Marcus Wright. Yelchin plays a young Kyle Reese, a character first introduced in The Terminator (1984), and the film depicts the origins of the T-800 Terminator.

After troubled pre-production, with the Halcyon Company acquiring the rights from Andrew G. Vajna and Mario Kassar, and with several writers working on the screenplay, filming began in May 2008 in New Mexico, and ran for 77 days. (Full article...)
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Invincible is the tenth and final studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released on October 30, 2001, by Epic Records. The album features appearances from Carlos Santana, the Notorious B.I.G. (posthumous), Fats, and Slash. It incorporates R&B, pop, and soul, and similarly to Jackson's previous material, explores themes such as romance, isolation, and media criticism. It was the final album of original material he released before his death in 2009.

The creation of Invincible was expensive and laborious, featuring the work of ten record producers and over 100 musicians. Jackson started the multi-genre production in 1997 and did not finish until eight weeks before the album's release. With reported expenses of close to $30 million, it remains the most expensive album ever made. The lead single, "You Rock My World", was Jackson's final hit single during his career, reaching number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2002 Grammy Awards. (Full article...)
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Led Zeppelin III is the third studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 5 October 1970. It was recorded in three locations. Much of the work was done at Headley Grange, a country house, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Additional sessions were held at Island Studios and Olympic Studios in London. As with the prior album, the band eschewed the use of guest musicians, with all music performed by band members Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitars), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and John Bonham (drums). The range of instruments played by the band was greatly enhanced on this album, with Jones especially emerging as a multi-instrumentalist, playing a wide range of keyboard and stringed instruments, including various synthesizers, mandolin and double bass, in addition to his usual bass guitar. As with prior albums, Page served as producer on the album, with mixing done by Andy Johns and Terry Manning.

The album showed a progression from straightforward rock towards folk and acoustic music. While hard rock influences were still present, such as on "Immigrant Song", acoustic-based songs such as "Gallows Pole" and "That's the Way" showed Led Zeppelin were capable of playing different styles successfully. The band wrote most of the material themselves, but as with prior records, included two songs that were re-interpretations of earlier works: "Gallows Pole", based on a traditional English folk song, by way of American singer Fred Gerlach; and "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper", a reworking of a blues song by Bukka White. The acoustic material developed from a songwriting session between Plant and Page at Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Wales, which influenced the musical direction. (Full article...)
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Heartbreaker is the seventh studio album by Romanian singer Inna. It was released for streaming to YouTube and SoundCloud by Global Records on 27 November 2020, and was issued to fellow platforms and released for digital download a week later under the same label. An EDM, Middle Eastern and Latin-influenced dance-pop release, the album was preceded by Inna's retransition to the EDM genre following the release of Yo (2019), her experimental and gypsy-inspired sixth studio album.

Heartbreaker was created over the course of three weeks in a mansion where Inna resided with Romanian songwriters and producers Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, David Ciente, Alexandru Cotoi and Minelli. To document the progress made on what was initially planned to be an extended play (EP), Inna uploaded daily YouTube vlogs that constituted the first season of her Dance Queen's House series. However, the EP was ultimately scrapped after the creation of over 50 songs to choose from. Heartbreaker was aided by the release of two singles—"Flashbacks" and "Maza". The former reached number one on Russia's radio ranking, and the top ten in Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. (Full article...)
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The Sound of White is the debut studio album by Australian pop singer-songwriter Missy Higgins, released 6 September 2004 by Eleven. It won the 2005 ARIA Music Award for Best Female Artist. Higgins had secured recording contracts with Eleven and Warner Bros. while still in high school, after winning a competition for unsigned artists run by radio station Triple J. Her winning song, "All For Believing", is included on this album. After a backpacking trip in 2002, Higgins toured and wrote songs during 2003. She wrote most tracks alone and collaborated on three songs, with Kevin Griffin, Jay Clifford and Clif Magness respectively. The Sound of White was recorded in 2004 with producer John Porter.

Higgins' first single from the album was "Scar", released in August ahead of the album. Three more singles were released, "Ten Days" in November, "The Special Two" in April 2005 and "The Sound of White" in August. Critics gave the album mixed reviews and it achieved commercial success, reaching number one on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Albums Chart and was accredited platinum twelve times. The album was nominated for five ARIA Awards in 2004 and won 'Best Pop Release'. The following year it was nominated for eight ARIA awards and won five. In 2005, Higgins won the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) 'Song of the Year' award for "Scar". (Full article...)
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The Glass Passenger is the second studio album by American rock band Jack's Mannequin. Frontman Andrew McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in mid-2005 following the recording of their debut album Everything in Transit. While touring, McMahon suffered from writer's block, which did not dissipate until mid-2006; many of the songs that would appear on The Glass Passenger were written mid-to-late 2007. Further writing sessions were held when a number of the dates were cancelled due to McMahon suffering from exhaustion and fatigue. The Glass Passenger was produced by McMahon and Jim Wirt and co-produced by CJ Eiriksson; the tracking marked the first time McMahon worked with the band in the studio.

Though the main recording sessions took place at two California-based studios (4th Street Recording and Sound City), additional recording followed at several other studios in both California and Texas. Most of the recording was done by December 2007, but label and business problems started to creep into the sessions, resulting in McMahon going on a sabbatical in January 2008. Around this time, the band signed to Sire Records and scheduled the album's release for April/May. Musically a power pop album, with comparisons to Ben Folds and Bruce Hornsby, The Glass Passenger saw McMahon focus on the aftermath and the recovery from his leukemia, backed with a new-found perspective on the world. (Full article...)
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Risk is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released on August 31, 1999, by Capitol Records, the band's last album to be released by the label. The first Megadeth album since 1990 to feature a lineup change, Risk marks the studio debut of drummer Jimmy DeGrasso with the band, as well as the final appearance of longtime guitarist Marty Friedman, who announced his departure a year later. Meant to be a breakthrough on alternative rock radio, Risk received a mixed response because of the great deviation from the band's traditional sound. The backlash ultimately resulted in the band returning to a heavier sound on their next album, The World Needs a Hero.

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has blamed the record's lack of success on the fact that it was released under the "Megadeth" moniker: "if anybody else's name was on 'Risk', it would have sold". The album debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200 chart with 74,000 copies sold in its first week. As with the rest of Megadeth's studio records released by Capitol, the album was remixed and remastered in 2004, with several bonus tracks added. This reissue also featured a different cover. (Full article...)
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Dónde Están los Ladrones? (Spanish: [ˈdonde esˈtan los laˈðɾones]; transl. Where Are the Thieves?) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, released on 25 September 1998 by Sony Music Colombia. After attaining success in Latin America with her major international debut, Pies Descalzos (1995), Shakira met producer Emilio Estefan, who identified her potential to break into the U.S. Latin market and became her manager. For work on the new album, Shakira also enlisted her previous collaborator Luis Fernando Ochoa, along with Lester Mendez, Javier Garza, Pablo Flores and Estéfano Salgado. Dónde Están los Ladrones? is stylistically Latin rock; it incorporates Latin pop elements and influences of Middle Eastern music.

Upon its release, Dónde Están los Ladrones? received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its sound and lyrics; Shakira was sometimes compared to Alanis Morissette. Commercially, the album was a success, selling over one million copies within its first month of release. It peaked at number 131 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and topped Billboard's Top Latin and Latin Pop Albums charts. The album received numerous record certifications in various countries, including a platinum certification in the United States and a triple-platinum certification in Shakira's native Colombia. Dónde Están los Ladrones? won several accolades and was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards. In 2020, it was ranked number 496 by Rolling Stone on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. (Full article...)
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To the Edge of the Earth is a limited edition extended play (EP) by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, released in the United States on March 25, 2008, by Virgin Records. The two-disc set includes three different recordings of the band's track "A Beautiful Lie" and a DVD featuring two versions of the song's music video. The photography for the release was handled by Jacques Descloitres from NASA, who provided satellite images of the Arctic Circle.

To the Edge of the Earth was conceived in support to the environmental campaign which Thirty Seconds to Mars began with the release of their single "A Beautiful Lie" (2007). It was enclosed as a digipak made of environmentally friendly material. Lead vocalist Jared Leto filmed a music video for the song in Greenland, which has been credited for raising public awareness of global warming and green politics. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various record production-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Neve VR60, a multitrack mixing console. Above the console are a range of studio monitor speakers. (from Recording studio)
Image 2Mixing desk with twenty inputs and eight outputs (from Multitrack recording)
Image 3Donna Summer wearing headphones during a recording session in 1977 (from Recording studio)
Image 4A selection of instruments at a music studio, including a grand piano (from Recording studio)
Image 5The studio at Ridge Radio in Caterham, England (from Recording studio)
Image 6Danny Knicely records with Furnace Mountain Band in Virginia (2012) (from Recording studio)
Image 7Digital audio interface for the Pro Tools computer-based hard disk multitrack recording system. Digital audio quality is measured in data resolution per channel. (from Multitrack recording)
Image 8Control room at the Tec de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus (from Recording studio)
Image 9Scully 280 eight-track recorder at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (from Multitrack recording)
Image 10The TEAC 2340, a popular early (1973) home multitrack recorder, four tracks on ¼ inch tape (from Multitrack recording)
Image 11Hip-hop producer and rapper RZA in a music studio with two collaborators. Pictured in the foreground is a synthesizer keyboard and a number of vinyl records; both of these items are key tools that producers and DJs use to create hip-hop beats. (from Hip-hop production)
Image 12The TASCAM 85 16B analog tape multitrack recorder can record 16 tracks of audio on 1-inch (2.54cm) magnetic tape. Professional analog units of 24 tracks on 2-inch tape were common, with specialty tape heads providing 8, or even 16 tracks on the same tape width (8 tracks for greater fidelity). (from Multitrack recording)
Image 13Korg D888 eight-track digital recorder (from Multitrack recording)
Image 14Home studio setup (from Recording studio)
Image 15The Siemens Studio for Electronic Music c. 1956 (from Recording studio)
Image 16Engineers and producers watch a trumpet player from a window in the control room during a recording session. (from Recording studio)

Featured lists - load new batch

Featured lists have been determined by the Wikipedia community to be the best lists on English Wikipedia.

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The 2026 recipient, "Anxiety" by Doechii.

The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".

Originally called the Grammy Award for Best Video, Short Form, the award was first presented in 1984, as was a similar award for Best Long Form Music Video. From 1986 to 1997, the category name was changed to Best Music Video, Short Form. However, in 1988 and 1989, the award criteria were changed and the video awards were presented under the categories Best Concept Music Video and Best Performance Music Video. The awards were returned to the original format in 1990. The category was called Best Short Form Music Video until 2012, from 2013 it was shortened to Best Music Video. Award recipients include the performers, directors, and producers associated with the winning videos, except for its first two years when the Grammy went to the performing artist only. For unknown reasons, the award for the Best Music Video in 1987 - Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits - went to the band only, not to the director(s) or producer(s). (Full article...)
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In 1952, Billboard magazine published three charts covering the best-performing country music songs in the United States. At the start of the year, the charts were published under the titles Most-Played Juke Box (Country & Western) Records, Best-Selling Retail Folk (Country & Western) Records and Country & Western Records Most Played By Folk Disk Jockeys. Beginning with the issue of Billboard dated November 15, the titles of the charts were changed to Most Played in Juke Boxes, National Best Sellers, and Most Played By Jockeys respectively, with the genre denoted in an overall page title rather than within the titles of the charts themselves. All three charts are considered part of the lineage of the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart, which was first published in 1958.

In the first issue of Billboard of the year, "Slow Poke" by Pee Wee King retained its place at number one on both the juke box and retail charts from the previous week but was displaced from the top spot on the jockeys chart by Carl Smith's "Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way". Smith had three number-one country songs in 1952, two of which topped all three listings. Webb Pierce was the only other artist to take as many as three different songs to the top spot in 1952, although none of his songs reached number one on all three charts during the year. The longest-running number one on both the juke box and retail charts was "The Wild Side of Life" by Hank Thompson, which on both listings spent fifteen consecutive weeks in the top spot before being replaced by "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" by Kitty Wells. Wells' song, which had been written as an answer song to "The Wild Side of Life", was the first million-selling country single by a female artist and the first Billboard country number one by a solo female. Despite this success, it did not top the jockeys chart, as the song's lyrics were deemed too controversial by some radio stations. (Full article...)
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With nine number-one hits attained in the 1980s and 1990s, LL Cool J emerged as one of the most successful artists on the Billboard rap chart.

Hot Rap Songs is a record chart published by the music industry magazine Billboard which ranks the most popular hip hop songs in the United States. With hip hop having greatly increased in mainstream popularity in the late 1980s, Billboard introduced the chart in their March 11, 1989 issue under the name Hot Rap Singles. Prior to the addition of the chart, hip hop music had been profiled in the magazine's "The Rhythm & the Blues" column and disco-related sections, while some rap records made appearances on the related Hot Black Singles chart. The inaugural number-one single on Hot Rap Singles was "Self Destruction" by the Stop the Violence Movement. From its 1989 inception until 2001, the chart was based solely on each single's weekly sales. To formulate chart rankings, Billboard assembled a panel of selected record stores to provide reports of each week's top-selling singles.

Between 1989 and 1999, 173 singles topped the Hot Rap Singles chart, with "Hot Boyz" by Missy Elliott featuring Nas, Eve and Q-Tip being the final number-one single of the 1990s. The single's 18-week reign at the top spot extended into the next decade, and until 2019 it held the record for the most weeks at number one in the chart's history. LL Cool J and Puff Daddy each attained nine number-one hits on the Hot Rap Singles chart during its first 11 years, the most for any artist during this period. In a 25th anniversary listing of the top 100 songs in the history of Hot Rap Songs based on chart performance, "Me So Horny" by the 2 Live Crew and "Tootsee Roll" by 69 Boyz were the highest-ranked singles of the 1980s and 1990s respectively. (Full article...)
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Marty Robbins spent 10 weeks at number one with "Don't Worry".

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1961, nine different singles topped the chart, which at the time was published under the title Hot C&W Sides, C&W being an abbreviation for country and western. Chart placings were based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.

Each of the nine number ones during the year was by a different artist. In the first issue of 1961, dated January 9,^[A] Johnny Horton reached number one with "North To Alaska", replacing Ferlin Husky's "Wings Of A Dove", the final chart-topper of 1960. Horton's single spent five weeks at number one before Husky's song returned to the top of the chart for two further weeks. "North to Alaska" was a posthumous number one for Horton, who had died in an automobile accident the previous November. Following Husky's spell in the top spot, Marty Robbins had the longest unbroken run at number one of the year, spending ten consecutive weeks atop the chart with "Don't Worry". Immediately after this run, Faron Young had a nine-week spell atop the listing with "Hello Walls", an early songwriting success for Willie Nelson, who would go on to be one of the most successful and celebrated singers in country music history. Despite continuing to chart regularly, Young would not reach number one again until 1972. (Full article...)
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The Everly Brothers took the songs "Bye Bye Love" and "Wake Up Little Susie" to number one on both the best sellers and jockeys charts.

In 1957, Billboard magazine published three charts covering the best-performing country music songs in the United States: Most Played C&W in Juke Boxes, which had appeared in Billboard since 1944, C&W Best Sellers in Stores, which had debuted in 1948, and Most Played C&W by Jockeys, which had launched in 1949. The "C&W" used in the titles of the charts was an abbreviation for "country and western", a term which Billboard had adopted for the genre in 1949, replacing the earlier "folk music". The Juke Box chart was published for the final time in the issue of Billboard dated June 17, 1957. The other two listings merged in 1958 to form a combined chart, which since 2005 has been published as Hot Country Songs.

At the start of 1957, the number-one position on all three charts was held by "Singing the Blues" by Marty Robbins, who achieved a second number one in June with "A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)". The latter song also topped all three charts and was at number one on the final C&W juke box chart published by Billboard. Robbins was the only artist with more than one chart-topper on the juke box listing, and his total of eleven weeks in the top spot was the most by any artist on the chart. Three other acts had more than one country number one in 1957. Bobby Helms took both "Fraulein" and "My Special Angel" to the top of both the best sellers and jockeys charts; the singles were his first two chart entries but would prove to be the only country number ones of his career. The Everly Brothers also topped both charts with "Bye Bye Love" and "Wake Up Little Susie". Elvis Presley was the only act with three country number ones during the year; he reached the peak position on the juke box chart in May with "All Shook Up" and later in the year topped the best sellers chart with the double-sided entries "Teddy Bear" / "Loving You" and "Jailhouse Rock" / "Treat Me Nice". Despite their success on the other charts, none of Presley's songs topped the jockeys chart, which was based on radio airplay. Three songs topped only the jockeys chart, including "Four Walls" by Jim Reeves, which spent eight non-consecutive weeks atop the listing beginning in May, but failed to top either of the other two charts. (Full article...)
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Hank Williams Jr. reached number one in 1972 with "Eleven Roses". At the time he did not sport the beard, dark glasses and hat which he adopted after suffering severe facial injuries in 1975.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1972, 27 different singles topped the chart, at the time published under the title Hot Country Singles, in 53 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports supplied by stores.

In the first issue of Billboard of the new year, "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" by Charley Pride spent its fifth week at number one. The following week, it was displaced by the double A-sided single "Would You Take Another Chance on Me" / "Me and Bobby McGee" by Jerry Lee Lewis. Freddie Hart spent the most weeks at number one in 1972, occupying the top spot for a total of 11 weeks with "My Hang-Up Is You", "Bless Your Heart" and "Got the All Overs for You (All Over Me)". "My Hang-Up Is You" had the longest unbroken run at number one, spending six weeks at the top of the chart in the spring. This was twice as long as any other song spent at number one during 1972. Hart had been a recording artist since the early 1950s and made his first appearance on the Hot Country chart in 1959, but had never reached the top 10 until 1971, when "Easy Loving" went to number one. That song began a run of top 10 entries which lasted until 1975, when his chart performance began to decline again. In addition to Hart, Merle Haggard and Pride each achieved three number ones in 1972, spending six and seven weeks respectively at the top of the chart. (Full article...)
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The Oak Ridge Boys (pictured in 2013) had two number one singles in 1980.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1980, 43 different singles topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Country Singles, in 52 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.

In the first issue of Billboard of 1980, Kenny Rogers moved into the number one position with "Coward of the County", his fifth consecutive country number one. The song went on to tie for the year's longest unbroken run at the top with Ronnie Milsap's double A-sided single "My Heart" / "Silent Night (After the Fight)" and "Lookin' for Love" by Johnny Lee. All three singles spent three consecutive weeks at number one. Rogers returned to the top of the country chart later in the year with "Lady", which was a crossover success, also reaching number one on Billboard's pop chart, the Hot 100. Rogers was experiencing a lengthy spell of success with smooth sounds which appealed equally to country and pop audiences and established him as a major star in both genres. Milsap had the most country number ones of any artist in 1980, taking four different singles to the top spot, followed by Mickey Gilley with three. Milsap's total of six weeks at number one was the most achieved by an individual act. (Full article...)
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Westlife had 11 No. 1 singles between 2000 and 2009, including a cover of Phil Collins' "Against All Odds", which they released as a duet with Mariah Carey in 2000

The UK singles chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. In the 2000s, the chart week ran from Sunday to Saturday, and the top 40 singles were revealed each Sunday on BBC Radio 1. At the start of the decade, before the advent of legal music downloads, it was based entirely on sales of physical singles from retail outlets, but in 2005 permanent downloads began to be included in the chart compilation.

During the 2000s, 274 singles reached the No. 1 position on the chart, the most of any decade so far. Over this period, Westlife were the most successful group and music act at reaching the top spot, with 11 No. 1 singles. Rihanna and Jay-Z's song "Umbrella" spent 10 weeks at No. 1 in 2007, the longest spell at the top of the charts since Wet Wet Wet's 1994 hit "Love Is All Around", which topped the charts for 15 weeks. The Internet allowed music to be heard by vast numbers of people on social networking sites such as YouTube and Myspace; it also increased piracy. This and the introduction of the UK Singles Downloads Chart in 2004 led to a decrease in record sales and a reduction in the number of copies sold of a No. 1 record on the singles chart. Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" became the first song to reach the top of the charts based on downloads alone in 2006, remaining at No. 1 for nine consecutive weeks. (Full article...)
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Randy Travis spent four weeks at number one in 1988.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1988, 49 different songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Country Singles, in 53 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.

Only four songs spent more than a single week at number one in 1988: "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" by Kathy Mattea, "I Told You So" by Randy Travis, "I'll Leave This World Loving You" by Ricky Van Shelton and "When You Say Nothing at All" by Keith Whitley. Travis and Shelton each scored two other number ones during the year to give them a total of four weeks in the top spot. This figure was matched by Rosanne Cash, who achieved three solo number ones and one in collaboration with her then-husband Rodney Crowell, making her the only artist to take four different songs to number one in 1988. Highway 101, Restless Heart, George Strait and Tanya Tucker each topped the chart with three different songs. (Full article...)
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George Jones had a six-week run at number one with "She Thinks I Still Care".

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1962, 11 different singles topped the chart in 52 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores. The chart was published under the title Hot C&W Sides through the October 27 issue and Hot Country Singles thereafter, a title it would retain until 1990.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 6, the number one song was "Walk On By" by Leroy Van Dyke, in its eleventh week in the top spot. The single remained atop the chart through the issue dated March 3 for a final total of nineteen weeks at number one. This figure set a record for the most weeks at number one on the Hot Country chart which would stand for more than 50 years until Florida Georgia Line spent 24 weeks at number one between December 2012 and August 2013 with the song "Cruise". Claude King tied Van Dyke for the most weeks spent at number one in the calendar year of 1962, with an unbroken run of nine weeks in the peak position with the song "Wolverton Mountain". Marty Robbins had an eight-week run at the top with "Devil Woman". (Full article...)