It Was 40 Years Ago Today...

Recent controversy over Nas's new release is far from the first

(NEWSER) - Nas’s new album gained its fair share of buzz before release because he originally planned to call it the 'n-word.' He settled on no title at all. Other album controversies, from the Los Angeles Times:

• The Beatles, Yesterday and Today: The so-called butcher cover featured mutilated baby dolls before being quickly pulled.

Company turned down $46M bid

(NEWSER) - Abbey Road Studios owner EMI is not looking to sell the legendary operation after all, according to officials. The music conglomerate is working on a "revitalization project" and a "sustantial injection" of fresh capital to make the iconic studios profitable again, said a statement. EMI is deep in debt but last year rejected a $46 million offer to buy the studio because executives want to keep the birthplace of the Beatles Abbey Road in the fold, the BBC reports. More»

It can be yours for about $40M

(NEWSER) - EMI is looking to sell iconic Abbey Road Studios, renowned for producing the Beatles album of the same name. The music conglomerate is in serious debt and expects the sale to fetch up to $47 million. Beatles fans still flock to the North London site to take their photo on the familiar road outside. The studio also has seen the production of albums by Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and Jeff Beck, Reuters reports. More»

Beatles, meanwhile, maintain dominance with big week

(NEWSER) - Jay-Z and the Beatles lit up the charts this week, Billboard reports. Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3 sold 476,000 copies, easily capturing the top spot for the week, and giving the rapper his 11th No. 1 album. That nabs him the record, previously held by Elvis, for the solo act with the most No. 1s ever. The Beatles, meanwhile, sold a whopping 626,000 albums this week, a huge leap from just 21,000 the week before. More»

Fab Four expected to hold five top 20 spots

(NEWSER) - It’s a flashback to Beatlemania in Britain after the release of remastered versions of the band’s discography, Reuters reports. The Fab Four are expected to hold at least five of the top 20 spots on the pop charts when the sales week closes Saturday, along with 15 of the top 75 albums. “It is clear that the Beatles' enduring appeal shows no signs of waning," says one expert. More»