Rock's Worst Career Moves

Even so, the 'beloved iconoclast' puts together an interesting collection

(NEWSER) - With the announcement of Bob Dylan’s Christmas in the Heart, “smirkers got smirkier”—you try picturing Dylan singing the lyric, “How’d ya like to hang a stocking on a great big coconut tree?” without smirking—but in the end, the collection is interesting, if a bit silly; “a surreal and occasionally rousing collection of gooey holiday ballads,” writes Amanda Petrusich for Pitchfork. More»

(NEWSER) - It’s no exaggeration to say that Michael Jackson “made a more profound impact in the arenas of soul, R&B and dance-pop than any other singer or songwriter in history,” writes Jim DeRogatis in the Chicago Sun-Times. But while many fans reach for Thriller, “widely considered the best-selling disc of all time,” DeRogatis and other “hardcore fans” cast their lot with 1979’s Off the Wall. More»

Memorabilia displayed in city he loved

(NEWSER) - A new exhibit of John Lennon memorabilia includes a bloodied hospital bag holding the clothes he wore the night he was shot to death, reports the Guardian. The bag is the most jolting display of the new show launched by Lennon's widow at the Manhattan annex of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "John came back to me in a brown paper bag. I want the world to know that," said Yoko Ono. More»

Lennon, Marley, Berry rock on

(NEWSER) - "Towering natural abilities" and "exceptional creative powers" infuse the most memorable music of generations, forged by Blender's top 50 pop-music geniuses. The top 10:

1. Bob Dylan: Each of his brave self-reinventions is "an authentic American original."
2. John Lennon: "His drive pushed the Beatles from a covers band to the world’s best-loved and most influential pop act."
3. Chuck Berry: His guitar riffs are still the "bedrock" of rock and roll five decades on.
4. Bob Marley: "No one did more to define and popularize a musical genre."
5. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards: Duo created "decade of classics."

Michael Jackson tops the list again

(NEWSER) - When you’re a celebrity, dying doesn’t have to mean you stop making money. Forbes offers up its annual list of the top-earning celebs of the past year:

1. Michael Jackson: The King of Pop is in the top spot for the second year in a row, earning $170 million thanks to music sales, his stake in the Sony/ATV catalog, and a new Cirque du Soleil tour.
2. Elvis Presley: The King of Pop is followed by the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, who earned $55 million, much of which came from Graceland admissions. A Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas didn’t hurt, either.
3. Marilyn Monroe: A resurgence in popularity is partly to thank for her $27 million in earnings; for example, she was featured in an ad for J’Adore fragrance, and soon she’ll be getting her own line of cafes.
4. Charles Schulz: The Peanuts creator earned $25 million as his creations found themselves coming into the digital age via a video game, e-books, and a Facebook app, among other things.
5. John Lennon: The Beatles sold 1.6 million albums last year after finally arriving in the iTunes Store, which may have something to do with Lennon’s $12 million in earnings. Also helping? Yet another Cirque show.