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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Faryl is the debut album by British mezzo-soprano Faryl Smith, released on 9 March 2009 by Universal Classics and Jazz. Smith rose to fame after her appearance on the second series of Britain's Got Talent and signed with Universal after the competition. The album was recorded during December 2008 and January 2009 and features the track "River of Light", a song set to The Blue Danube with new lyrics. Faryl was produced by Jon Cohen, and the backing music was provided by a 60-piece orchestra. As part of the album's promotion, Smith made numerous television and radio appearances and filmed a music video for "River of Light". Around this time, she met with then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street.

After its release, Faryl became the fastest-selling classical solo album in British chart history, selling 20,000 copies in the first four days, and a total of 29,200 copies in the first week, more than any other debut album of a classical singer. Faryl entered the UK Albums Chart at number 6, rising to number 4 the next week, and was the third album by a Britain's Got Talent contestant to reach the top ten in Britain. Smith subsequently embarked on a promotional tour in the US to publicise the album, where it reached number 6 on the classical chart. (Full article...)
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The Beatles in 1963
From left: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band in popular music and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock 'n' roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways. They also explored styles ranging from folk and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionised many aspects of the music industry and were often publicised as leaders of the era's youth and sociocultural movements.

Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles evolved from Lennon's previous group, the Quarrymen, and built their reputation by playing clubs in Liverpool and in Hamburg, West Germany, starting in 1960. Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers before Starr officially joined in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act, and producer George Martin developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after they signed with EMI and achieved their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four". By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars and had achieved unprecedented levels of critical and commercial success. They became a leading force in Britain's cultural resurgence, ushering in the British Invasion of the United States pop market. They made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964), which was followed by Help! (1965). (Full article...)
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Carey in 2023

Mariah Carey (/məˈraɪə/ mə-RY-ə; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Songbird Supreme", Carey is known for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style, signature use of the whistle register, and diva persona. An influential figure in popular culture, she was ranked as the fifth-greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023.

Carey rose to fame with her 1990 self-titled debut album and became the only artist to have their first five singles reach number one in the US, from "Vision of Love" to the title track of her second album, Emotions (1991). She achieved international success with the best-selling albums Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995). The remix to "Fantasy", with Ol' Dirty Bastard, introduced her new image and hip-hop-inflected sound, which she later embraced on Butterfly (1997) and Rainbow (1999). With eleven consecutive years of US number-one singles, Carey was named by Billboard as the Artist of the Decade. Following a career decline, she made a comeback with The Emancipation of Mimi (2005), her 21st-century bestseller. (Full article...)
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"Hey Ya!" is a song by American hip hop duo Outkast, performed by its member André 3000, who wrote and produced the song. Along with "The Way You Move", which was recorded by Outkast's other member Big Boi and featured Sleepy Brown, "Hey Ya!" was released by Arista Records as the second single from the duo's fifth album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, on August 25, 2003. The track became a commercial success, reaching number one in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Norway, and Sweden. "Hey Ya!" received critical acclaim upon release, and is consistently ranked as one of the greatest songs of the 2000s. The song was ranked number 10 in Rolling Stone's 2021 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". (Full article...)
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Internationalist is the third studio album by Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger. The album was released on 7 September 1998 and was often labelled Powderfinger's most adventurous work, with greater experimentation than in previous works.

Internationalist followed in the success of its predecessor, Double Allergic, and was certified five times platinum in Australia. Internationalist received four ARIA Music Awards, including "Album of the Year". The album produced four singles for the band; "The Day You Come", "Don't Wanna Be Left Out/Good-Day Ray", "Already Gone" and "Passenger", which all appeared on Triple J's Hottest 100 poll in two consecutive years. (Full article...)
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Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 12 September 1975 through Harvest Records in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States through Columbia Records, as the band's first album for the label. Based on material composed while performing in Europe, Wish You Were Here was recorded over numerous sessions throughout 1975 at EMI Studios in London.

The lyrics express longing, alienation, and sardonic criticism of the music industry. The bulk of the album is taken up by "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", a nine-part tribute to Syd Barrett, a Pink Floyd co-founder who had left seven years earlier due to his deteriorating mental health; Barrett coincidentally visited the studio during recording. As with their previous release, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Pink Floyd employed studio effects and synthesisers. Guest singers included Roy Harper, who sang lead on "Have a Cigar", and Venetta Fields and Carlena Williams, who sang backing vocals on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". To promote the album, Pink Floyd released the double A-side single "Have a Cigar" / "Welcome to the Machine". (Full article...)
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"Mothers of the Disappeared" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the eleventh and final track on their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. The song was inspired by lead singer Bono's experiences in Nicaragua and El Salvador in July 1986, following U2's participation in the Conspiracy of Hope tour of benefit concerts for Amnesty International. He learned of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, a group of women whose children had "forcibly disappeared" at the hands of the Argentine dictatorship, a situation that also happened during the Chilean dictatorship. While in Central America, he met members of COMADRES, a similar organization whose children had been abducted by the government in El Salvador. Bono sympathized with the Madres and COMADRES and wanted to pay tribute to their cause.

The song was written on a Spanish guitar, and the melody lifted from a piece Bono composed in Ethiopia in 1985 to help teach children basic forms of hygiene. The lyrics contain an implicit criticism of the Reagan Administration, which backed two South American regimes that seized power during coups d'état and which provided financial support for the military regime in El Salvador. Thematically it has been interpreted as an examination of failures and contradictions in U.S. foreign policy. The drum beat provided by Larry Mullen Jr. was processed through an effects unit that gave it a drone-like quality, which bassist Adam Clayton described as "evocative of that sinister death squad darkness". (Full article...)
$Image 8Fantasy Black Channel is the only studio album by British dance-punk revival band Late of the Pier. It was released on 30 July 2008 in Japan through Toshiba EMI and on 4 August 2008 in the British Isles on Parlophone, the band's primary label. Five tracks had already been released as singles in the United Kingdom: "Bathroom Gurgle", "The Bears Are Coming", "Space and the Woods" and "Focker" as a double A-side, and "Heartbeat". The record peaked at number 28 on the UK Albums Chart, but failed to chart in the United States.The album was recorded in lead vocalist Sam Eastgate's bedroom in Castle Donington, England, and at several locations in London. It went through a fractured creative process that lasted more than two years. It was eventually produced by Eastgate and DJ Erol Alkan between 2007 and 2008. Fantasy Black Channel does not contain a unifying musical or lyrical theme; rather, it is a collage of all the ideas, genres, and studio effects that fascinated the band members and Alkan, especially during live recording sessions. The record was very well received by critics. It was often treated as one of the best British albums of 2008 because of its eclecticism and spirit of invention. Late of the Pier did not record any further albums following the death of drummer Ross Dawson in 2015. (Full article...)$
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Fantasy Black Channel is the only studio album by British dance-punk revival band Late of the Pier. It was released on 30 July 2008 in Japan through Toshiba EMI and on 4 August 2008 in the British Isles on Parlophone, the band's primary label. Five tracks had already been released as singles in the United Kingdom: "Bathroom Gurgle", "The Bears Are Coming", "Space and the Woods" and "Focker" as a double A-side, and "Heartbeat". The record peaked at number 28 on the UK Albums Chart, but failed to chart in the United States.

The album was recorded in lead vocalist Sam Eastgate's bedroom in Castle Donington, England, and at several locations in London. It went through a fractured creative process that lasted more than two years. It was eventually produced by Eastgate and DJ Erol Alkan between 2007 and 2008. Fantasy Black Channel does not contain a unifying musical or lyrical theme; rather, it is a collage of all the ideas, genres, and studio effects that fascinated the band members and Alkan, especially during live recording sessions. The record was very well received by critics. It was often treated as one of the best British albums of 2008 because of its eclecticism and spirit of invention. Late of the Pier did not record any further albums following the death of drummer Ross Dawson in 2015. (Full article...)
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Fôrça Bruta (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈfoʁsɐ ˈbɾutɐ] ) is the seventh studio album by Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist Jorge Ben. It was recorded with the Trio Mocotó band and released by Philips Records in September 1970. Conceived at a time of political tension in dictatorial Brazil, its title comes from the Portuguese term meaning "brute force" and has been interpreted ironically due to the music's relatively relaxed style.

The album introduced an acoustic samba-based music that is mellower, moodier, and less ornate than Ben's preceding work. Its largely unrehearsed, nighttime recording session found the singer improvising with Trio Mocotó's groove-oriented accompaniment while experimenting with unconventional rhythmic arrangements, musical techniques, and elements of soul, funk, and rock. Ben's lyrics generally explore themes of romantic passion, melancholy, and sensuality, with women figuring prominently in his songs. In a departure from the carefree sensibility of his past releases, they also feature elements of identity politics and postmodernism, such as irony and reimagining of established idioms. (Full article...)
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Paul celebrating 30 Years of playing at Passim
Club, Passim
October 17, 2019

Ellis Paul (born Paul Plissey; January 14, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in Presque Isle, Aroostook County, Maine, Paul is a key figure in what has become known as the Boston school of songwriting, a literate, provocative, and urbanely romantic folk-pop style that helped ignite the folk revival of the 1990s. His pop music songs have appeared in movies and on television, bridging the gap between the modern folk sound and the populist traditions of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

Paul grew up in a small Maine town. He attended Boston College on a track scholarship, majoring in English. Injured during his junior year, Paul began playing guitar to help fill his free time and soon began writing songs. After graduating college Paul played at open mic nights in the Boston area while working with inner-city school children. He won a Boston Acoustic Underground songwriter competition and gained national exposure on a Windham Hill Records compilation which helped him choose music as a career. (Full article...)
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Is This It is the debut studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was first released on July 30, 2001, in Australia, with RCA Records handling the release internationally and Rough Trade Records handling the United Kingdom release. It was recorded at Transporterraum in New York City with producer Gordon Raphael during March and April 2001. For their debut, the band strived to capture a simple sound that was not significantly enhanced in the studio. Building on their 2001 EP The Modern Age, the band members molded compositions largely through live takes during recording sessions, while lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas continued to detail the lives and relationships of urban youth in his lyrics.

After completing the album, the Strokes embarked on a promotional world tour before its release. The album was released progressively to coincide with their tour dates, with it being released in Japan on August 22 and the United Kingdom on August 27. After the September 11 attacks, the American compact disc release was delayed from September 25 to October 9 and had its track list amended, with the song "New York City Cops" being removed and replaced with the newly written track "When It Started"; however, the American vinyl release still includes the track as a result of its release falling on September 11. Three singles were released from the album: "Hard to Explain", "Last Nite", and "Someday". (Full article...)
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The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman is the 22nd studio album by American rock group Sparks, released in August 2009. The duo's first work in the radio musical genre, the album is built around an imaginary visit to Hollywood by Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman in the mid-1950s. Its storyline focuses on the divides between European and American culture, between art and commerce. Unlike other Sparks albums, the work is conceived as a single piece, to be listened to as a whole, rather than a collection of stand-alone songs.

The work was commissioned by Sveriges Radio Radioteatern, the radio drama department of Sweden's national radio broadcaster. First released in the Swedish broadcast version in August 2009, with an English-language version following in November 2009, it features a cast of Swedish and American actors and a variety of musical styles ranging from opera to vaudeville and pop. The album's recording was a collaborative effort – while the music and English vocals were recorded by Sparks in the United States, the album's Swedish vocals were recorded by Sveriges Radio in Stockholm, and then sent to the Maels via an FTP server. The album and its ambitious dramatic concept received favorable reviews and spawned both a live show and plans to turn it into a film. (Full article...)

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Did you know (auto-generated) - load new batch

... 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?
... 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?
... that voice actress Rika Hayashi brought a golf club to the recording studio for Tonbo!, a golf-themed anime series?
... 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 Light Vessel 95 is now a recording studio?

Born this day

Birthdays in Music: October 3

Chubby Checker, (nee Ernest Evans) American singer, turns 85.
Rashid Bakr, American drummer, turns 83.
Mike Clark, American drummer, turns 80.
Lindsay Buckingham, American guitarist and vocalist with Fleetwood Mac, turns 79.
Ronnie Laws, American flautist and reed player; briefly a member of Earth Wind and Fire, turns 76.
Keb' Mo', (nee Kevin Moore) American blues singer, turns 75.
Jack Wagner, American actor and singer, turns 67.
Michael Bowie, American bassist, turns 65.
Tommy Lee, American drummer for Motley Crue, turns 64.
Niels Lan Doky, Danish jazz pianist and record producer, turns 63.
Carsten Dahl, Danish pianist, turns 59.
Gwen Stefani, American pop music performer; lead vocalist of No Doubt, turns 57.
Jason Hook, American guitarist formerly of Five Finger Death Punch, turns 56.
Kevin Richardson, American singer of Backstreet Boys fame, turns 55.
India.Arie, (born India Arie Simpson) American singer-songwriter, turns 51.
Talib Kweli, (born Talib Kweli Greene) American MC and rapper, turns 51.
Jake Shears, American vocalist of Scissor Sisters fame, turns 49.
Efe Yılmaz, Member of Turkish rock band maNga, turns 47.
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician, multi-instrumentalist, and former guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as Ataxia, Warpaint, The Bicycle Thief, turns 47.
Ashlee Simpson, American pop music performer, turns 42.

Stevie Ray Vaughan (Record production, 1954 –August 27, 1990), American guitarist and vocalist for Double Trouble, would have turned 72 this year.
Alan O'Day (Record production, 1940 –May 17, 2013), American singer and songwriter, would have turned 86 this year.
Eddie Cochran (Record production, 1938 –April 17, 1960), singer and multi-instrumentalist, would have turned 88 this year.
George Wein (Record production, 1925 –September 13, 2021), renowned American pianist, would have turned 101 this year.
Von Freeman (Record production, 1922 –August 11, 2012), American tenor saxophonist, would have turned 104 this year.
Booker Pitman (Record production, 1909 –October 13, 1969), American alto saxophonist, would have turned 117 this year.
Puddinghead Battle (Record production, 1907 –February 06, 1977), (nee Edgar Battle) American trumpeter, would have turned 119 this year.
Manuel Manetta (Record production, 1889 –October 10, 1969), American pianist, would have turned 137 this year.
Roy Webb (Record production, 1888 –December 10, 1982), American film score composer, would have turned 138 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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Glee: The Music, Volume 1 is the debut soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee, which aired on Fox in the United States. It features cover versions from the first nine episodes of the first season and was released on November 2, 2009 by Columbia Records and 20th Century Fox Television Records. The album received mixed reviews from critics, with many praising large ensemble numbers, but comparing it to karaoke tracks. It went to number one on album charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and peaked at number three in Australia and number four in both Canada and the United States. Volume 1 has been certified Platinum in these five countries.

All non-bonus tracks from the album have been released as digital singles. The cast's debut single, a cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", charted within the top five in many countries and has sold over one million copies in the US. Other high-charting and best-selling singles include the covers of Queen's "Somebody to Love", Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline", and "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked. Glee Live! In Concert! saw the cast tour the US in promotion of the series' first season and its musical releases. The album earned a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for the 2011 ceremony. (Full article...)
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Folklore (stylized in all lowercase) is the eighth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was surprise-released on July 24, 2020, through Republic Records. Conceived during quarantine in early 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the album explores themes of escapism, nostalgia, and romanticism. Swift recorded her vocals in her Los Angeles home studio and worked virtually with the producers Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff, who operated from their studios in the Hudson Valley and New York City.

Using a set of characters and story arcs to depict fictional narratives, the album departs from the autobiographical songwriting that had characterized Swift's past albums. Experimenting with new musical styles, Folklore consists of mellow ballads driven by piano, strings, orchestration, and muted percussion. Music critics classified the genre into various styles of folk, pop, and indie, namely chamber pop, indie folk, electro-folk, folk rock, and indie rock. The album's title was inspired by the lasting legacy of folktales, and its visual aesthetic adopts cottagecore. (Full article...)
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Hidden Treasures is a compilation EP by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on July 18, 1995, via Capitol Records. The album features songs that originally appeared on film soundtracks and tribute albums. Four of the tracks were released as singles, and three have received Grammy Award nominations for Best Metal Performance. Despite having garnered mediocre or negative reviews, the material on the EP has been credited with helping expand the group's MTV audience in the early 1990s. (Full article...)
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Barely Real is a 1992 EP by the American indie rock band Codeine. After releasing their previous album Frigid Stars LP in 1990, the group accepted an invitation from the quartet Bastro to tour in Europe in 1991. Following the tour, the group was invited to record a single for Sub Pop Singles Club and attempted to record their follow-up album The White Birch in 1992. The recording sessions proved to be disastrous for the group since they found themselves often with unusable tracks over several different studios. As Codeine could not record enough material for a full-length album, they decided to release what tracks they had as an EP.

The music on Barely Real continued the slowcore music style of their previous album. Barely Real also featured contributions from guest musicians such as Jon Fine of Bitch Magnet playing additional guitar on the song "Jr" and a piano cover of the song "Wird" performed by David Grubbs. Following the recording sessions, the group's drummer Chris Brokaw left the group being replaced by Doug Scharin. (Full article...)
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Fargo is a 1996 black comedy crime film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, and Peter Stormare. The film follows a pregnant police chief (McDormand), who investigates after a car salesman (Macy) hires two dimwitted criminals (Buscemi and Stormare) to kidnap his wife to extort a ransom from her wealthy father.

Filmed in the United States in early 1995, Fargo premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. Joel Coen won the festival's Prix De La Mise En Scène (Best Director Award). The film was a critical and commercial success, earning particular acclaim for the Coens' screenplay and direction and the performances of McDormand, Macy and Buscemi. Fargo received seven Oscar nominations at the 69th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Macy, winning two: Best Actress for McDormand and Best Original Screenplay for the Coens. (Full article...)
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Lights and Sounds is the fifth studio album by American rock band Yellowcard, released on January 24, 2006, in the United States through Capitol Records. Lights and Sounds is Yellowcard's first concept album, which was inspired to reflect what the band was feeling at the time of production and how they have matured in the process. Lights and Sounds also departs from the sounds on Yellowcard's previous album, Ocean Avenue (2003), scaling back much of the band's pop-punk sound in favor of a sound more generally characteristic of alternative rock.

Lights and Sounds debuted to mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, receiving criticism as the album fell short from the standard set by its predecessor, Ocean Avenue. Upon the album's release, it charted at number five on Billboard's 200 and Top Internet Albums' charts, making it the band's highest charting album to date. The album accumulated sales of just over 315,000 copies, which failed to match the 2 million sales of their previous album. Yellowcard went on to explain that the disappointment of the sales were due to their going "a bit too far" with the expectations they had thought the album would exceed. Lights and Sounds was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). (Full article...)
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Heaven Up Here is the second album by the English post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen, released on 29 May 1981. In June 1981, Heaven Up Here became Echo & the Bunnymen's first Top 10 release when it reached number 10 on the UK Albums Chart. It was also the band's first entry into the United States album charts when it reached number 184 of the Billboard 200. The songs "A Promise" and "Over the Wall" were released as singles.

Recorded at Rockfield Studios near Monmouth in Wales, Heaven Up Here was co-produced by Hugh Jones and the band. An album generally well received by fans in the United Kingdom and by critics, Heaven Up Here won the "Best Dressed LP" and "Best Album" awards at the 1981 NME Awards. The album has also been listed at number 463 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. (Full article...)
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The Owl and the Pussycat is the soundtrack album to the 1970 American film of the same name. Released by Columbia Records, it features film dialogue by Barbra Streisand and George Segal recorded over music performed by American band Blood, Sweat & Tears. The album's five tracks were all written by Buck Henry, produced by Thomas Z. Shepard.

While critiqued for lacking any Streisand singing, critics generally felt the music paired nicely with the dialogue. Commercially, the album charted in both the United States and Canada. (Full article...)
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Deep Purple, also referred to as Deep Purple III, is the third studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, released in June 1969 on Tetragrammaton Records in the United States, but not until September 1969 on Harvest Records in the United Kingdom. Its release was preceded by the single "Emmaretta" and by a long tour in the UK, whose dates were interspersed between the album's recording sessions.

The music of this album is mostly original and a combination of progressive rock, hard rock and psychedelic rock, but with a harder edge and with the guitar parts in more evidence than in the past. This was due both to the growth of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore as a songwriter and to the conflicts within the band over the fusion of classical music and rock proposed by keyboard player Jon Lord and amply implemented in the band's previous releases. (Full article...)
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Live is a live album by American singer Usher. It was recorded on October 15 and 16, 1998 in the singer's hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and released by LaFace Records on March 23, 1999. Both audio-only and video longform versions were released; it was distributed to break up the gap between Usher's second and third studio albums, My Way (1997) and 8701 (2001).

Live received generally negative reviews from critics; many criticized the poor live sound of Usher's voice on the album. Live reached number 73 on the Billboard 200, number 30 on the Top R&B Albums and number 3 on the Top Music Videos. The album has sold over 200,000 copies in the United States, and both the audio and video versions have been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). (Full article...)
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Echo & the Bunnymen is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Echo & the Bunnymen. It was their last with drummer Pete de Freitas, who died in 1989 in a motorcycle accident, aged 27. The album was produced by Laurie Latham; the sessions took place in Germany, Belgium, London and Liverpool, following an aborted attempt at recording the tracks without de Freitas and with producer Gil Norton. With Latham being an exacting producer, and lead vocalist Ian McCulloch receiving star treatment and drinking heavily, the recording was more difficult than the band had initially hoped. The album made more use of keyboards than their previous studio albums, which had been string-heavy. Three singles were issued: "The Game", "Lips Like Sugar" and "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo".

Upon its release, Echo & the Bunnymen received mixed reviews from the music press. However, the album was successful in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser degree, the United States: it reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified silver by the BPI, and in North America it reached number 51 on the United States Billboard 200 and number 51 on the Canadian RPM 100 Albums. In Europe, it stayed in the European Top 100 Albums for eight weeks, peaking at number 36 on its fourth week. (Full article...)
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Lo Mejor de...Selena is a double disc compilation album by American singer Selena. It was released posthumously in the United States on March 31, 2015, by Capitol Latin and Universal Music Latin Entertainment. The album was released after the commercial and chart success of Enamorada de Ti (2012), which featured several Latin music acts lending their voices for the remix album. The recording features six number one United States Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart singles by the singer—"Buenos Amigos", "Donde Quiera Que Estés", "Amor Prohibido", "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "No Me Queda Más", "Fotos y Recuerdos", and the US Billboard Latin Pop Airplay chart single "I Could Fall in Love".

The album debuted and peaked at number two on the US Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. A year after its release, the recording peaked at number one on the Latin Pop Albums list, giving Selena her first number one album in four years. Lo Mejor de...Selena debuted and peaked at number 102 on the US Billboard 200 chart, her highest-charting album since 1999's All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos. The recording earned the singer the Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Female at the 2016 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The album has been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) double platinum, denoting 120,000 album-equivalent units. (Full article...)

More selected albums

General images - load new batch

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

Image 1The studio at Ridge Radio in Caterham, England (from Recording studio)
Image 2The TEAC 2340, a popular early (1973) home multitrack recorder, four tracks on ¼ inch tape (from Multitrack recording)
Image 3A selection of instruments at a music studio, including a grand piano (from Recording studio)
Image 4Control room at the Tec de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus (from Recording studio)
Image 5Neve VR60, a multitrack mixing console. Above the console are a range of studio monitor speakers. (from Recording studio)
Image 6Mixing desk with twenty inputs and eight outputs (from Multitrack recording)
Image 7The Siemens Studio for Electronic Music c. 1956 (from Recording studio)
Image 8The 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 9Hip-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 10Digital 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 11Korg D888 eight-track digital recorder (from Multitrack recording)
Image 12Danny Knicely records with Furnace Mountain Band in Virginia (2012) (from Recording studio)
Image 13Donna Summer wearing headphones during a recording session in 1977 (from Recording studio)
Image 14Engineers and producers watch a trumpet player from a window in the control room during a recording session. (from Recording studio)
Image 15Scully 280 eight-track recorder at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (from Multitrack recording)
Image 16Home studio setup (from Recording studio)

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Music recording certifications are typically awarded by the worldwide music industry based on the total units sold, streamed, or shipped to retailers. These awards and their requirements are defined by the various certifying bodies representing the music industry in various countries and territories worldwide. The standard certification awards given consist of Gold, Platinum, and sometimes Diamond awards, in ascending order; the UK and Australia also have a Silver certification, ranking below Gold. In most cases, a "Multi-Platinum" or "Multi-Diamond" award is given for multiples of the Platinum or Diamond requirements.

Many music industries around the world are represented by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The IFPI operates in 66 countries and services affiliated industry associations in 45 countries. In some cases, the IFPI is merely affiliated with the already operational certification bodies of a country, but in many countries with lesser-developed industries, the IFPI acts as the sole certifying body servicing the country or region's music industry. Still other countries not represented by the IFPI have certifying bodies operating independently, such as individual record companies which service the country or region's music industry as a whole. (Full article...)
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Michael Peterson achieved his only number one in December.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1997, 23 different songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Country Singles & Tracks, in 52 issues of the magazine. Chart rankings were based on weekly airplay data from country music radio stations compiled by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.

At the start of the year, the number one song was "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)" by LeAnn Rimes, which had reached the top of the chart in the issue of Billboard dated December 28, 1996. It remained at the top for one further week in 1997 before Kevin Sharp began a four-week run at the top with his debut single, a cover version of R&B singer Tony Rich's song "Nobody Knows". This would prove to be the only number-one hit for Sharp, who died in 2014 at age 43. Three other vocalists achieved their first number-one country songs in 1997. Rick Trevino spent one week in the top spot in March with "Running Out of Reasons to Run", which would also prove to be his only number one. Trace Adkins achieved the feat with "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing" in April, and Michael Peterson scored his first and only chart-topper in December with "From Here to Eternity". (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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Puerto Rican singer Chayanne reached the top of the chart for the first time with "Fuiste un Trozo de Hielo en la Escarcha" in 1989.

The Hot Latin Songs chart (formerly Hot Latin 50 and Hot Latin Tracks), published in Billboard magazine, is a record chart based on Latin music airplay. The data were compiled by the Billboard chart and research department with information from 70 Spanish-language radio stations in the United States and Puerto Rico. Those radio stations were selected based on their number of listeners, and were asked to report their playlists for the week. This information was then entered to the Billboard computer system, and points were tabulated for each song. Before this chart's inception, the Latin music information on the magazine was presented only in the form of the biweekly album sales chart Top Latin Albums, which was divided into Latin Pop, Tropical/Salsa, and Region Mexican and continues to be listed separately.

During the 1980s, 33 songs topped the chart. According to the Billboard electronic database, the first was "La Guirnalda" by Spanish singer Rocío Dúrcal on September 6, 1986. However, in the listings included in the first printed publication of the chart on October 4, 1986, the first number-one song was "Yo No Sé Qué Me Pasó" by Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel. By the end of that year, another of Gabriel's compositions, "De Mí Enamórate", sung by Daniela Romo, also reached number one. Also in 1986, two Spanish versions of the Italian song "Tutta la vita", performed by Franco and Emmanuel succeeded one another at the top of the chart. Two songs recorded by Spanish singer Julio Iglesias peaked at number one, "Lo Mejor de Tu Vida" and "Que No Se Rompa la Noche". These songs were released from the album Un hombre solo, which received the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance. (Full article...)
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"End of Summer" by Tame Impala, the 2026 recipient

The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music and/or electronic music genres. 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".

The award for Best Dance Recording was first presented to Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder in 1998 for the song "Carry On". In 2003, the Academy moved the category from the "Pop" field into a new "Dance" field, alongside the category Best Dance/Electronic Album. According to the Academy, the award is designated for solo, duo, group or collaborative performances (vocal or instrumental), and is limited to singles or tracks only. (Full article...)
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Justin Timberlake scored his first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single with "SexyBack", which stayed at the top spot for seven straight weeks.

The Billboard Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing singles of the United States. Published by Billboard magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen SoundScan based collectively on each single's weekly physical and digital sales, and airplay. In 2006, 18 singles reached the top of the chart, the most number-ones in a chart year since 1991. A 19th single, Mariah Carey's "Don't Forget About Us", started its run at number one in 2005.

In 2006, 20 acts achieved their first U.S. number-one single, either as a lead artist or featured guest, including D4L, Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp, Slim Thug, James Blunt, Ne-Yo, Daniel Powter, Rihanna, Chamillionaire, Shakira, Wyclef Jean, Taylor Hicks, Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Fergie, T.I., and Akon. Krayzie Bone and Justin Timberlake, despite having hit number one with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and NSYNC respectively, earns their first number one songs as solo acts. Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé each had two number-one singles in this year. During the year, eight collaboration singles topped the chart, breaking the record set in 2003 and 2004, both of which had seven. (Full article...)
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The Billboard Latin Music Award for Hot Latin Song of the Year (formerly Hot Latin Track of the Year) is an honor presented annually at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, a ceremony which honors "the most popular albums, songs, and performers in Latin music, as determined by the actual sales, radio airplay, online streaming and social data that informs Billboard's weekly charts." The award is given to the best performing singles on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart, which measures the most popular Latin recordings in the United States. The Hot Latin Songs chart was established by the magazine in September 1986 and was originally based on airplay on Latin music radio stations. Since October 2012, chart rankings are based on digital sales, radio airplay, and online streaming. From 1995 to 1998, each music genre's field (pop, tropical/salsa and Regional Mexican) had their own Hot Latin Track of the Year category.

Bad Bunny, Enrique Iglesias, and Nicky Jam are the most awarded artists in the category with three wins each. With 12 nominations, Bad Bunny is the most nominated artist. He is also the first and only artist to have three and four nominated songs in the same year. Enrique Iglesias and Nicky Jam are the only artists to win twice in a row. Alejandro Fernández, Wisin & Yandel, Don Omar, Romeo Santos, Ozuna, Nicky Jam, Peso Pluma, and Grupo Frontera are the only acts with two nominated songs in the same year, a milestone achieved twice by Santos. As of 2025, the holder is "DTMF" by Bad Bunny. (Full article...)
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"I Follow Rivers" by Lykke Li (pictured in 2009) topped the Romanian Top 100 for 12 weeks in 2011 and 2012, making it the song with the most documented weeks at number one in the chart's history.

Founded in 1995, the Romanian Top 100 was the national music chart of Romania. It was compiled by broadcast monitoring services Body M Production A-V (1990s and 2000s) and by Media Forest (2010s), and measured the airplay of songs on radio stations throughout the country. In 2005, the number of radio stations involved was 120. Starting in 2004, the chart was announced during a two-hour radio show which initially emerged from a partnership with teen magazine Bravo. The Romanian Top 100 was also featured in Billboard's Music & Media magazine until 2003, and was—apart from a weekly Kiss FM podcast in the 2010s—announced on its own website. As of 2026, the Romanian Top 100 lacks usable archives, especially for the late 1990s and 2000s.

Over its 17 years of existence, around 150 documented singles reached the number-one position, the first being "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson in 1995. "I Follow Rivers" (2011) by Lykke Li spent 12 weeks at the summit, longer than any other song. The most successful artists were Madonna and Kylie Minogue with six documented number ones each. Multiple artists reached number one with several singles in a calendar year, including the Black Eyed Peas with "Where Is the Love?" and "Shut Up" in 2004. Cleopatra Stratan was four years old when she topped the chart in October 2006 with "Ghiță", making her the youngest artist ever to attain a number one in any country according to Guinness World Records. The Romanian Top 100 ceased publication after its last broadcast on 19 February 2012, and was replaced with the Airplay 100. (Full article...)
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Pam Tillis achieved her only number one in 1995 with "Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)".

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1995, 29 different songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Country Singles & Tracks, in 52 issues of the magazine, based on weekly airplay data from country music radio stations compiled by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.

At the start of the year, the song at number one was "Pickup Man" by Joe Diffie, which had been in the top spot since the issue dated December 17, 1994. Alan Jackson was the only artist to achieve three number ones in 1995, topping the chart with "Gone Country", "I Don't Even Know Your Name" and "Tall, Tall Trees". Tim McGraw had the longest unbroken run in the top spot, spending five weeks at number one with "I Like It, I Love It", and the total of seven weeks which he spent at number one with that song and "Not a Moment Too Soon" was the highest by any artist. Brooks & Dunn, George Strait and John Michael Montgomery were the only other artists to achieve more than one number one in 1995. (Full article...)
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Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 2000, 19 different songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Country Singles & Tracks, in 52 issues of the magazine, based on weekly airplay data from country music radio stations compiled by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.

Singer Faith Hill's song "Breathe" was at number one at the start of the year, having risen to the top in the issue dated December 25, 1999. The song remained at number one for six consecutive weeks until it was knocked off by "Cowboy Take Me Away", performed by the girl group the Dixie Chicks, in the issue dated February 5. "Breathe" was also named the most successful single of the year on the magazine's main singles chart, the Hot 100. Hill returned to the top of the country charts with her next single, "The Way You Love Me", which spent four weeks at number one in May and June. Only two other acts, Lonestar and Hill's husband Tim McGraw, had more than one Hot Country Songs number one during the year. Other singles with extended runs at number one include "How Do You Like Me Now?!" by Toby Keith, "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack featuring Sons of the Desert and "That's the Way" by Jo Dee Messina, each of which topped the chart for five weeks. "How Do You Like Me Now?!" was ranked number one on Billboards year-end chart of the most popular country songs. ('Full article...)