VH1 Brings Back Behind the Music

Salon offers up a mid-year list

(NEWSER) - Now that we're more than halfway through 2011, the Salon staff compiled the best books, movies, music, and TV of the year so far. Among its recommendations:

• Film: Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is quite good—but Lee Chang-dong's Poetry, about a 66-year-old woman who may have Alzheimer's, is a masterpiece. Another surprising inclusion: Matthew McConaughey-vehicle The Lincoln Lawyer, directed by Brad Furman.
• Books: You'd never know The Pale King, David Foster Wallace's third and last novel, was actually unfinished at the time of his death and pieced together by his longtime editor. Also worth checking out: novelist Andre Dubus III's memoir, Townie.

We all love Norah Jones, but she's still on this list

(NEWSER) - You would never guess, but Jimi Hendrix was technically a one-hit wonder. Yep, the definition of the term is “an artist or band who only has one song make the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart,” regardless of album sales or performance on other charts, writes Sam Greenspan. He goes on to list 10 more very surprising one-hit wonders on 11points.com :

• Grateful Dead, “Touch of Grey”: “Go figure—an eternally loyal army of hippies doesn't translate into huge financial returns.”
• Garth Brooks, “Lost in You”: His “only top 40 single was from that rock album he made under the pseudonym ‘Chris Gaines.’ No song actually attributed to Garth Brooks has ever made the top 40. Ouch.”

Poison frontman, 'Celebrity Apprentice' contestant rushed to hospital

(NEWSER) - Bret Michaels is hospitalized in the intensive care unit and in critical condition after suffering bleeding in his brain, People reports. The Poison frontman, a contestant on this season of Celebrity Apprentice, had an emergency appendectomy last week. His doctors "are running several tests," and the 47-year-old's prognosis "will be touch and go for the next few days while he is under intense observation," a source says. More»

Critics split on Jennifer Lopez as host, agree on singer as musical guest

(NEWSER) - The Jennifer Lopez image-rehab train pulled into Saturday Night Live station last night, to mixed reviews.

• "Her appearance on the show—bizarro Hallmark lyric songs included—was a very obvious attempt at rebranding herself as a down-to-earth, un-diva-like sweetheart, but it just came across as weird and overly acted," Hortense writes for Jezebel . Although there were some high points, "overall, it was a pretty craptacular show."

Rapper will undergo dental surgery on Friday

(NEWSER) - Lil Wayne will wait until March 2 to begin serving his one-year term for a weapons charge. The rapper won a postponement today so he could have dental surgery on Friday. The prosecution agreed that Wayne, who has a cracked tooth, would get better care from his own dentist than at Riker's Island, MTV reports. Meanwhile, the star took time to say goodbye to his fans via streaming video this morning. More»