Britney Wigs Out

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.”

Pop's newest explosion exploits our obsession with sexuality, salaciousness

(NEWSER) - “Lady Gaga is pretty skanky,” writes James Brady Ryan for Nerve. “That might sound harsh, but there are some facts we all must face: the girl is no fan of pants, for one thing.” She may be crass, outlandish, and over-the-top sexual—but “she is also completely awesome.” And what makes her different from fellow blond sexpots like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera is that Gaga “is a skank with a brain.” More»

Bob Dylan's Christmas album is just the latest in a long line

(NEWSER) - Bob Dylan’s decision to record a Christmas album is certainly ill-advised—“fans may have stuck by him throughout the musically self-destructive late '60s, the God-bothering late '70s, and the Grateful Dead-collaborating-Madonna-imitating mid '80s, but surely even Bob's fans have a limit,” writes John Matthew Hall for the Independent. But Dylan’s not alone; Hall offers up the worst disasters in rock and roll careers, from John Lennon to Michael Jackson: More»

Plus more fun tidbits from his latest disturbing interview

(NEWSER) - Marilyn Manson, that fine upstanding Goth rocker, offers his fans a little TMI in the latest issue of Spin—including the admission that, when it comes to ex Evan Rachel Wood, he fantasizes “every day about smashing her skull in with a sledgehammer.” Other highlights:

• On the Christmas after his break-up: “Every time I called her that day—I called 158 times—I took a razorblade and I cut myself on my face or on my hands.”

Radio station mix available online

(NEWSER) - Eager fans needn’t wait until December 2—Britney Spears’ new club-friendly album can now be previewed online, MTV reports. The singer released a six-song mix from the upcoming Circus on New York radio station KTU’s Web site. Readers' comments are nearly universal in praise. The pop princess gets personal, with lyrics aimed at the constant attention she receives from paparazzi. More»