Portal:Record production

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The Record Production Portal

Noted audio engineer Roger Nichols at a vintage Neve recording console

P:RECORD

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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Orpheus, the hero of the opera

L'Orfeo (SV 318) (Italian pronunciation: [lorˈfɛːo]), or La favola d'Orfeo [la ˈfaːvola dorˈfɛːo], is a late Renaissance/early Baroque favola in musica, or opera, by Claudio Monteverdi, with a libretto by Alessandro Striggio. It is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus, and tells the story of his descent to Hades and his fruitless attempt to bring his dead bride Eurydice back to the living world. It was written in 1607 for a court performance during the annual Carnival at Mantua. While Jacopo Peri's Dafne is generally recognised as the first work in the opera genre, and the earliest surviving opera is Peri's Euridice, L'Orfeo is the earliest that is still regularly performed.

By the early 17th century the traditional intermedio—a musical sequence between the acts of a straight play—was evolving into the form of a complete musical drama or "opera". Monteverdi's L'Orfeo moved this process out of its experimental era and provided the first fully developed example of the new genre. After its initial performance the work was staged again in Mantua, and possibly in other Italian centres in the next few years. Its score was published by Monteverdi in 1609 and again in 1615. After the composer's death in 1643 the opera went unperformed for many years, and was largely forgotten until a revival of interest in the late 19th century led to a spate of modern editions and performances. At first these performances tended to be concert (unstaged) versions within institutes and music societies, but following the first modern dramatised performance in Paris, in 1911, the work began to be seen in theatres. After the Second World War many recordings were issued, and the opera was increasingly staged in opera houses, although some leading venues resisted it. In 2007, the quatercentenary of the premiere was celebrated by performances throughout the world. (Full article...)
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Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) is the debut studio album by the American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released on November 9, 1993, by Loud Records and RCA Records. The recording sessions took place during late 1992 to early 1993 at Firehouse Studio in New York City, and the album was produced by the group's de facto leader RZA. Its title originates from the martial arts films Enter the Dragon (1973) and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978).

The distinctive, gritty sound of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) created a blueprint for hardcore hip-hop during the 1990s, and helped return New York City hip-hop to national prominence. Its sound also became greatly influential in modern hip-hop production, while the group members' explicit, humorous, and free-associative lyrics have served as a template for many subsequent rap records. Serving as a landmark release in the era of hip-hop known as the East Coast Renaissance, its influence helped lead the way for several other East Coast rappers, including Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, and Jay-Z. (Full article...)
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Promotional image of the band in 1981. Left to right: Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson.

Rush was a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto in 1968 that primarily comprised Geddy Lee (vocals, bass guitar, keyboards), Alex Lifeson (guitar) and Neil Peart (drums, percussion). The band's original line-up comprised Lifeson, drummer John Rutsey, and bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones, whom Lee immediately replaced. After Lee joined, the band went through a few line-up changes before arriving at its classic power trio line-up with the addition of Peart in July 1974, who replaced Rutsey four months after the release of their self-titled debut album; this line-up remained unchanged for the remainder of the band's career.

Rush first achieved moderate success with their second album, Fly by Night (1975). The commercial failure of their next album Caress of Steel, released seven months after Fly by Night, resulted in the band nearly getting dropped from their then-record label Mercury Records. Rush's fourth album, 2112 (1976), reignited their popularity, becoming their first album to enter the top five of the RPM Top Albums Chart. Their next two albums, A Farewell to Kings (1977) and Hemispheres (1978), were also successful, with the former becoming Rush's first to enter the UK Albums Chart. The band saw their furthest commercial success throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with most albums charting highly in Canada, the US and the UK, including Permanent Waves (1980), Moving Pictures (1981), Signals (1982), Grace Under Pressure (1984), Roll the Bones (1991), Counterparts (1993), and Test for Echo (1996). Rush continued to record and perform until 1997, after which the band went on a four-year hiatus due to personal tragedies in Peart's life. The trio regrouped in 2001 and released three more studio albums: Vapor Trails (2002), Snakes & Arrows (2007), and Clockwork Angels (2012). Rush performed their final concerts in 2015, with Peart retiring from music later that year. Lifeson confirmed in January 2018 that the band decided not to resume activity following the R40 Tour, which was later cemented by Peart's death from glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, on January 7, 2020, at the age of 67. Lee and Lifeson have continued to periodically work together since Peart's death, including performing at the 25th anniversary celebration of South Park and tributes to then-recently deceased Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022. (Full article...)
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When You Get a Little Lonely is the debut studio album by American actress and singer Maureen McCormick. It was released on April 4, 1995, through the label Phantom Hill. After playing Marcia Brady in the sitcom The Brady Bunch, she was offered a solo record deal in the mid-1970s but rejected the offer to attend school. McCormick had previously recorded four albums as part of The Brady Bunch and a duet album with her co-star Christopher Knight. In 1994, she signed with her brother's record label, Phantom Hill, and recorded When You Get a Little Lonely in Nashville, Tennessee and Hollywood, California. Barry Coffing was the executive producer and arranged and produced all the songs. McCormick wanted to fuse genres into the album's overall country sound.

The album received mainly negative reviews; some reviewers were critical of McCormick's choice to record country music. She promoted it through live performances and CD signings. Its title track and "Tell Mama" were released as singles. When You Get a Little Lonely was re-released in 2008 as a Circuit City exclusive. Since the album's release, McCormick has continued to perform country music and has participated in the reality television show Gone Country. In a 2008 interview, McCormick said she was disappointed by restrictions to the recording process and wished she had written at least one song for it. When You Get A Little Lonely is her only album as a solo artist. (Full article...)
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Tool performing in 2022

Tool is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1990. It consists of vocalist Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey and bassist Justin Chancellor, who replaced founding member Paul D'Amour in 1995. Tool has won four Grammy Awards, performed worldwide tours, and produced albums topping charts in several countries.

The band has released five studio albums, one EP and one box set. They emerged with a heavy metal sound on their first studio album, Undertow (1993), and became a dominant act in the alternative metal movement with the release of their follow-up album Ænima in 1996. The group's efforts to combine musical experimentation, visual arts, and a message of personal evolution continued with Lateralus (2001) and 10,000 Days (2006), gaining critical acclaim and international commercial success. Their fifth studio album Fear Inoculum was released on August 30, 2019, to widespread critical acclaim. Prior to its release, the band had sold more than 13 million albums in the US alone. (Full article...)
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South of Heaven is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on July 5, 1988, by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's second collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose production skills on their previous album Reign in Blood (1986) had helped their sound evolve. Given the frenetic pace of Reign in Blood, Slayer made no attempt to top it on South of Heaven; rather, the band offset and complemented Reign in Blood by deliberately slowing the tempo down on South of Heaven, as well as by utilizing undistorted guitars and toned-down vocals.

It was the band's last album released by Def Jam, although the rights were transferred to Rubin's new label Def American Recordings after Rubin ended his partnership with Russell Simmons. The album was one of only two Def Jam titles to be distributed by Geffen Records through Warner Bros., as Def Jam's then-distributor Columbia refused to release work by the band. (Full article...)
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Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) is the fourth studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on November 11, 2000, by Nothing and Interscope Records. A rock opera concept album, it is the final installment of a triptych that also included Antichrist Superstar (1996), and marked a return to the industrial metal style of the band's earlier work, after the glam rock-influenced production of Mechanical Animals (1998). After its release, the band's eponymous vocalist said that the overarching story within the trilogy is presented in reverse chronological order: Holy Wood, therefore, begins the narrative.

In the aftermath of the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, national news media reported that the perpetrators were wearing the band's T-shirts during the rampage, and had been influenced by their music, both of which were untrue. As their first release after the massacre, the record was Manson's rebuttal to the accusations leveled against him and the group, and was described by the vocalist as a "declaration of war". It was written in the singer's former home in the Hollywood Hills and recorded in several undisclosed locations, including Death Valley and Laurel Canyon. His ambitions for Holy Wood initially included an eponymous film exploring its backstory—a project which has since been abandoned and was modified into the as-yet-unreleased Holy Wood novel. (Full article...)
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Slay Tracks: 1933–1969 (usually referred to as Slay Tracks) is the debut EP by American indie rock band Pavement. Pavement—at that time, a duo of just its two founding members Stephen Malkmus (guitar, vocals) and Scott Kannberg (guitar)—recorded Slay Tracks with producer and future member Gary Young (drums) during a four-hour session. Pavement self-released the EP as a 7" vinyl record on the band's own record label Treble Kicker in 1989. The music of Slay Tracks was influenced by indie and punk rock bands such as Swell Maps and The Fall, and many of the lyrics were inspired by life in the band's hometown of Stockton, California.

Although only 1,000 copies of Slay Tracks were pressed, the EP became an underground hit. Upon release, the EP was critically praised by independently produced zines. The EP managed to generate buzz for Pavement in the UK after The Wedding Present's cover of the song "Box Elder" received some airplay from the famous radio disc jockey John Peel. The release and relative success of Slay Tracks was significant to Pavement's subsequent signing to Drag City, and later to Matador Records. The band's Westing (By Musket and Sextant) (1993) compiled the songs from the band's three EPs prior to their debut album Slanted and Enchanted: Slay Tracks, Demolition Plot J-7, and Perfect Sound Forever. The compilation allowed those songs to reach a wider audience than the EP's limited initial release. (Full article...)
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Mayer performing in 2019

John Clayton Mayer (/ˈmeɪ.ər/ MAY-ər; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-lived rock duo Lo-Fi Masters. After their split, Mayer continued to play at local clubs, refining his skills and gaining a minor following. He performed at the 2000 South by Southwest festival, and was subsequently signed by Aware Records, an imprint of Columbia Records through which he released his debut extended play (EP), Inside Wants Out (1999). His first two studio albums—Room for Squares (2001) and Heavier Things (2003)—were both met with critical and commercial success; the former spawned the single "Your Body Is a Wonderland", which won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, while the latter peaked atop the Billboard 200.

By 2005, Mayer had moved away from the acoustic music that characterized his early records, and further delved into the blues and rock music which had originally influenced him. Forming the John Mayer Trio, he released the live album Try! (2005) and his third studio album, Continuum (2006). Both were met with positive critical reception, while the latter was nominated for Album of the Year, and won both Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for its single "Waiting on the World to Change" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. It was followed by Battle Studies (2009), which marked his return to pop. (Full article...)
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The Fifth Element is a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film conceived and directed by Luc Besson, as well as co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, and Chris Tucker. Primarily set in the 23rd century, the film's central plot involves the survival of planet Earth, which becomes the responsibility of Korben Dallas (Willis), a taxicab driver and former special forces major, after a young woman (Jovovich) falls into his cab. To accomplish this, Dallas joins forces with her to recover four mystical stones essential for the defence of Earth against the impending attack of a malevolent cosmic entity.

Besson started writing the story that was developed as The Fifth Element when he was 16 years old; he was 38 when the film opened in cinemas. Besson wanted to shoot the film in France, but suitable facilities could not be found; filming took place in London and Mauritania instead. He hired comic artists Jean "Moebius" Giraud and Jean-Claude Mézières, whose books inspired parts of the film, for production design. Costume design was by Jean Paul Gaultier. (Full article...)
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Nirvana performing live at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. Kurt Cobain is in the foreground and Krist Novoselic is in the background.

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, before recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990. Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Despite a short mainstream career spanning only three years, their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture.

In the late 1980s, Nirvana established itself as part of the Seattle grunge scene, releasing its first album, Bleach, for the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989. They developed a sound that relied on dynamic contrasts, often between quiet verses and loud, heavy choruses. After signing to the major label DGC Records in 1991, Nirvana found unexpected mainstream success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit", the first single from its landmark second album Nevermind (1991). A cultural phenomenon of the 1990s, Nevermind was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and is credited for ending the dominance of hair metal. (Full article...)
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"Déjà Vu" is a song by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé, featuring rapper Jay-Z. It was produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, 808-Ray and Beyoncé for her second solo album, B'Day (2006). "Déjà Vu" is an R&B song, which incorporates elements of 1970s funk and soul music. Its music is largely based on live instrumentation, including bass guitar, hi-hat and horns, except the Roland TR-808 drum machine, which is a non-live instrument. The song's title and lyrics refer to a woman being constantly reminded of a past lover.

"Déjà Vu" was released as the album's lead single to US radio stations on June 24, 2006. The song received generally mixed critical reviews. Many critics noted the similarities of "Déjà Vu" with Beyoncé's own 2003 song "Crazy in Love". Critics commended the assertiveness and the sensuality with which Beyoncé sings the lyrics and compared her vocal delivery to that of Tina Turner in the late 1980s. "Déjà Vu" and its Freemasons club remix version received three nominations at the 2007 Grammy Awards. It was recognized as the Best Song of 2006 at the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards. (Full article...)

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... that when Divine's song "Lately" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998, it became the first number-one single for the performers, the songwriters, the producers, and the record labels?
... 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 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 to promote the Buffalo Club, Rising Tide Records sent packages of plastic buffalo to music industry executives in Nashville?
... that one critic interpreted a SZA song as being about her fears about the growing influence of AI in the music industry?
... that Light Vessel 95 is now a recording studio?

Born this day

Birthdays in Music: December 18

Bramwell Morrison, Canadian musician; "Bram" of Sharon, Lois & Bram, turns 84.

Wadada Leo Smith, American avant-garde jazz trumpeter, turns 83.

Keith Richards, Brit guitarist with Rolling Stones, turns 81.

Bill Nelson, Brit guitarist for Be-Bop Deluxe, turns 76.

Martha Johnson, Canadian vocalist with Martha and the Muffins, turns 74.

Elliot Easton, American lead guitarist with The Cars, turns 71.

Jacek Kochan, Polish drummer, turns 69.

Geordie Walker, Brit guitarist with Killing Joke, turns 66.

Daddy G, (born Grant Marshall) Brit musician with Massive Attack, turns 65.

Robson Green, Brit actor and singer, turns 60.

Steve Dullaghan, Brit bassist with The Primitives, turns 58.

Andy Miller, Brit guitarist of Dodgy fame, turns 56.

Cowboy Troy, (born Troy Coleman) American country-rapper, turns 54.

DJ Lethal, (born Leor Dimant) Latvian disc jockey with Limp Bizkit and House of Pain, turns 52.

Raymond Herrera, American drummer of Fear Factory fame, turns 51.

Euroboy, (born Knut Schreiner) Norwegian musician of Turbonegro fame, turns 50.

Axwell, (born Axel Hedfors) Swedish DJ with Swedish House Mafia, turns 47.

Maria Brink, American vocalist with In This Moment, turns 47.

Christina Aguilera, American pop music performer and Mickey Mouse Club alum, turns 44.

Lindsay Armaou, Irish-Greek girl group vocalist with B*Witched, turns 44.

Murphy Lee, (born Tohri Murphy Lee Harper) American rapper, turns 41.
YBN Nahmir (born Nicholas Simmons), American rapper and songwriter, turns 25.
Billie Eilish, American singer and songwriter, turns 23.

DMX (Record production, 1970 –April 9, 2021), American rapper, would have turned 54 this year.

Randy Castillo (Record production, 1950 –March 26, 2002), American drummer, would have turned 74 this year.

Deke Leonard (Record production, 1944 –January 31, 2017), Welsh guitarist with Man, would have turned 80 this year.

Bobby Keys (Record production, 1943 –December 02, 2014), American saxophonist, would have turned 81 this year.

Sam Andrew (Record production, 1941 –February 12, 2015), American singer and songwriter for Big Brother and the Holding Company, would have turned 83 this year.

Chas Chandler (Record production, 1938 –July 17, 1996), Brit bassist for The Animals, would have turned 86 this year.

Joel Hirschhorn (Record production, 1938 –September 18, 2005), American songwriter and composer, would have turned 86 this year.

Allen Klein (Record production, 1931 –July 04, 2009), American record industry executive, would have turned 93 this year.

Al Jones (1930 – 1976), American drummer, would have turned 94.

Don Heckman (Record production, 1930–November 18, 2020), American clarinetist and music critic, would have turned 94 this year.

Nick Stabulas (Record production, 1929 –February 06, 1973), American drummer, would have turned 95 this year.

Harold Land (Record production, 1928 –July 27, 2001), American tenor saxophonist, would have turned 96 this year.

Ira Gitler (Record production, 1928 –February 23, 2019), American music historian and critic, would have turned 96 this year.

Bill Reichenbach Sr. (Record production, 1923 –May 16, 2008), American trombonist and composer, would have turned 101 this year.

Big Miller (Record production, 1922 –June 09, 1992), (born Clarence Horatio Miller) American trombonist, would have turned 102 this year.

Barry Galbraith (Record production, 1919 –January 13, 1983), American guitarist, would have turned 105 this year.

Eddie Vinson (Record production, 1917 –July 02, 1988), American alto saxophonist and blues shouter, would have turned 107 this year.

Pee Wee Crayton (Record production, 1914 –June 25, 1985), American guitarist and vocalist, would have turned 110 this year.

Lawrence Lucie (Record production, 1907 –August 14, 2002), American session musician (guitarist), would have turned 117 this year.

Fletcher Henderson (Record production, 1897 –December 28, 1952), American bandleader and pianist, would have turned 127 this year.

Sam Morgan (Record production, 1887 –February 25, 1936), American trumpeter, would have turned 137 this year.

Augusta Holmès (Record production, 1847 –January 28, 1903), French composer, would have turned 177 this year.

List of musical events • Anniversaries • More birthdays...

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These are all Good articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

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Indestructible is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. A self-produced effort, Indestructible is the first Disturbed album that did not feature Johnny K, the producer of Disturbed's previous three albums, The Sickness, Believe, and Ten Thousand Fists. Indestructible was recorded at Groovemaster Studios in Chicago, Illinois. The album features two songs, "Perfect Insanity" and "Divide", that were written by Disturbed prior to their first album, The Sickness, but were never previously released.

The album shows Disturbed abandoning the nu metal sound prominent on previous three albums and features significantly darker themes than any of their previous work, according to the band. Some of the lyrical themes involve actual experiences that vocalist David Draiman had endured over the course of the past few years prior to making the album, including "bad relationships", a motorcycle accident that he was involved with, and an incident of suicide. To match the aggressive attitude and nature of said themes, Draiman told the other band members to create darker, more textural music than they have before. Despite these themes, the title track, "Indestructible", is meant to encourage those in the military that are fighting in wars and boost their morale. (Full article...)
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Guitar Solos is the debut solo album of English guitarist, composer, and improviser Fred Frith. It was recorded while Frith was still a member of the English experimental rock group Henry Cow and was released in the United Kingdom on LP record by Caroline Records in October 1974. The album comprises eight tracks of unaccompanied and improvised music played on prepared guitars by Frith without any overdubbing.

Guitar Solos was voted one of the best albums of 1974 by NME critics. AllMusic called it a landmark album because of its innovative and experimental approach to guitar playing. It also attracted the attention of Brian Eno, resulting in Frith playing guitar on two of Eno's albums, and spawned two follow-up albums, Guitar Solos 2 (1976) and Guitar Solos 3 (1979). (Full article...)
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Blood Harmony is the debut extended play by American singer-songwriter Finneas. It was released by his record label OYOY, distributed by AWAL, on October 4, 2019. All of the material on the EP was produced and written by Finneas.

Blood Harmony was supported by the release of four singles, from 2018 to 2019. The lead single, "Let's Fall in Love for the Night" peaked at numbers 17 and 24 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs and Rock Airplay charts, respectively. Finneas toured the United States throughout October 2019 in support of the EP. A deluxe edition was released on August 7, 2020, featuring the 2018 single "Break My Heart Again" and a new version of "Let's Fall in Love for the Night" entitled "Let's Fall in Love for the Night (1964)". The EP peaked at number 14 on the US Heatseekers Albums chart and number 47 on the Lithuanian Albums chart. (Full article...)
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Rocket Science is a 2007 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jeffrey Blitz, and starring Reece Thompson, Anna Kendrick, Nicholas D'Agosto, Vincent Piazza, and Aaron Yoo. It tells the story of Hal Hefner, a fifteen-year-old stutterer who decides to join his school's debate team when he develops a crush on its star member, and addresses the themes of coming of age, sexuality, and finding one's voice.

Blitz conceived a rough storyline for the film while making Spellbound, a documentary about 1999's Scripps National Spelling Bee, but an HBO Films executive persuaded him to write the film based on his own adolescence when he told her about his experiences as a stutterer. The film's producers visited several cities in the United States and Canada; Thompson was cast based on a tape which his agent had sent and a follow-up audition after the first actor cast in the lead was forced to pull out. The film was shot over 30 days in Baltimore, Maryland and Trenton, New Jersey. (Full article...)
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In the Land of Grey and Pink is the third album by English progressive rock band Caravan, released in April 1971 on Deram Records. It was produced by David Hitchcock and was the last album to feature the original lineup of Richard Coughlan, Pye Hastings, Richard Sinclair and Dave Sinclair until 1982's Back to Front.

The album was written and recorded during late 1970 and early 1971, and featured more material from Richard Sinclair. Hastings, who had been the main songwriter on the previous two releases, contributed only one track. Instrumentally, the music is dominated by David Sinclair's keyboard solos, and side two is taken up by a 22-minute suite of songs, "Nine Feet Underground". The cover features a Tolkien-influenced painting. (Full article...)
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Up! Close and Personal is the fourth live video album by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller, and produced by team composed of Dan Braun, Cliff Burnstein, Carol Donovan, McCarthy-Miller, Peter Mensch, and Marc Reiter. The concert was filmed in November 2003 at a sound stage in Nashville, Tennessee, with an audience of 300 people. When conceptualizing the show, Twain desired to make the setting intimate and perform the songs acoustically, so she turned to bluegrass band Alison Krauss and Union Station to perform backup during the concert. It was also modeled after Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special, with a similar stage and Twain being costumed by a black, leather jumpsuit. Up! Close and Personal premiered on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) on November 25, 2003, and was high in ratings, being watched by over 9 million viewers in the United States.

Nearly a year later, Up! Close and Personal was released by Mercury Nashville Records, in DVD format, as a video album on November 8, 2004 to coincide with the release Twain's Greatest Hits album. The video also served as a source to audio tracks used as B-sides for the singles from Greatest Hits. Up! Close and Personal received mixed reviews from music critics (some who believed she was overshadowed by Krauss' talents, others who complimented her vocal talents) and positive commercial outcomes. It peaked at number eight on Billboard's Top Music Video sales chart, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of 100,000 copies in the United States. (Full article...)
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The Golden Age of Grotesque is the fifth studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on May 13, 2003, by Nothing and Interscope Records, and was their first album to feature former KMFDM member Tim Sköld, who joined after longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez amicably left the group over creative differences. It was also their final studio album to feature keyboardist Madonna Wayne Gacy and guitarist John 5, who would both acrimoniously quit before the release of the band's next studio album.

The record was produced by Marilyn Manson and Sköld, with co-production from Ben Grosse. Musically, it is less metallic than the band's earlier work, instead being more electronic and beat-driven. This was done to avoid creating music similar to hip-hop influenced forms of nu metal, a then-predominant genre that the vocalist considered cliché. Despite this, the album's sound has been compared to the likes of several nu metal bands, notably Slipknot and Korn. Manson collaborated with artist Gottfried Helnwein to create several projects associated with the album, including Doppelherz, a 25-minute surrealist short film which was released on limited edition units of the record as a bonus DVD. The Golden Age of Grotesque was also the title of the Manson's first art exhibition. (Full article...)
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Michael Jackson's This Is It (or simply This Is It) is a posthumous two-disc soundtrack album by American singer Michael Jackson. Released by MJJ Music on October 26, 2009, This Is It features previously released music, as well as six previously unreleased recordings by Jackson. This Is It was released to coincide with the theatrical release of Michael Jackson's This Is It, a concert film documenting Jackson's rehearsals for the This Is It concert series at the O2 Arena in London. This Is It is the sixth album to be released by Sony and Motown/Universal since Jackson's death on June 25, 2009.

This Is It debuted at number one in fourteen countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Italy, and France. This Is It also peaked within the top 10 of the charts in several other nations. This Is It has been certified gold, platinum, or double-platinum in multiple countries. This Is It was the twelfth best-selling album of 2009 in the United States and the third best-selling album of 2009 based on worldwide sales. By March 2010, the soundtrack had sold 5 million copies globally. The title track from the album, "This Is It", earned Jackson a nomination in 2011 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. (Full article...)
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Hasta la Raíz (transl. To the Root) is the fifth studio album by Mexican recording artist Natalia Lafourcade, released on March 17, 2015, through Sony Music Mexico. After the success of her previous album, Mujer Divina – Homenaje a Agustín Lara (transl. Divine Woman – A Homage to Agustin Lara), a tribute to Mexican singer-songwriter Agustín Lara, Lafourcade decided to record an album with original recordings. Lafourcade spent three years writing the songs and searching for inspiration in different cities, resulting in songs that express very personal feelings regarding love. The record was produced by Lafourcade, with the assistance of Argentinian musician Cachorro López and Mexican artist Leonel García.

Upon its release, Hasta la Raíz received favorable reviews from music critics, with some critics expressing skepticism about her songwriting and saying she had stayed within her comfort zone, and others praising her evolution as a musician and naming the album one of the best pop releases of the year. The record peaked at number eight in the US Billboard Latin Albums and number one in Mexico, where it was certified double platinum and gold, with over 150,000 copies shipped in the country. Hasta la Raíz received a nomination for Album of the Year and won Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album at the 16th Latin Grammy Awards. The album also won Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. (Full article...)
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The Beyoncé Experience Live is the third live and fourth video album by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It was released through Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment on November 16, 2007. It was filmed at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on September 2, 2007 during her world tour The Beyoncé Experience. It features guest appearances from rapper Jay-Z on "Upgrade U" and former Destiny's Child bandmates Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland on "Survivor". The show featured on the album was broadcast on different channels; for one night only on November 19, 2007, the film was shown in ninety-six theaters across the United States, while Black Entertainment Television (BET) aired an edited version of the concert on Thanksgiving Day, with AEG Network and 3sat also airing the concert.

The album features performances of songs from Beyoncé's first two solo studio albums Dangerously in Love (2003) and B'Day (2006) as well as songs which she recorded with Destiny's Child. Upon its release, The Beyoncé Experience Live received mostly positive reviews from music critics who praised Beyoncé's live performances of the songs. The album was also commercially successful, peaking at number two on the US Top Music Videos, and being certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The live version of "Me, Myself and I" (2003) from the album gained a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards (2009). The show was re-enacted by American performer Neal Medlyn during his performance at the New Museum in New York City, New York in April 2008. (Full article...)
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Here I Stand is the fifth studio album by the American singer Usher, released on May 13, 2008, by LaFace Records. Inspired by love for his then-wife—Tameka Foster—and son, Usher recorded many ballads for the album. Prior to the album's recording, Usher split with his mother, Jonnetta Patton, as manager and hired Benny Medina. Usher's estranged father died months before the release of Here I Stand; this also influenced themes of the album. It was originally to be titled Measure of a Man, but the singer named it Here I Stand to mark "a new chapter in life".

Usher promoted Here I Stand by performing on several television shows including Total Request Live, 106 & Park and Good Morning America. Among other concert appearances, he embarked on a One Night Stand: Ladies Only Tour, performing fifteen shows in November 2008. Six singles were released from Here I Stand: "Love in This Club", "Love in This Club Part II", "Moving Mountains", "What's Your Name", "Here I Stand" and "Trading Places". "Love in This Club", which features rapper Young Jeezy, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and New Zealand Singles Chart. (Full article...)
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A Black Mile to the Surface is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. It was released on July 21, 2017, through Loma Vista Recordings and Favorite Gentlemen. Recording for the album took place from the summer of 2016 onwards with producer Catherine Marks. The lead single, "The Gold", was released on June 9, 2017, alongside a music video directed by Mike Dempsey and Johnny Chew. Two more singles, "The Alien" and "The Moth", were released later in the summer.

Inspired by their work on the soundtrack for the 2016 film Swiss Army Man, band members Andy Hull and Robert McDowell set out to create an album that was a reset from the band's previous studio albums Cope and Hope (both 2014). A Black Mile to the Surface is an alternative rock and Americana record, interweaving a concept album set in a South Dakota mining town with reflections on Hull's young daughter. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised Hull's storytelling and the album's cinematic stylings. Commercially, it performed well, debuting at number 33 on the US Billboard 200. (Full article...)

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General images - load new batch

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

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

Featured lists - load new batch

Featured lists have been determined by the Wikipedia community to be the best lists on English Wikipedia.

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Barbara Mandrell topped the chart with "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool", which came to be regarded as her signature song.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1981, 48 different singles topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Country Singles, in 52 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.

Alabama, Razzy Bailey, T. G. Sheppard and Hank Williams Jr. tied for the most number ones of the year, with three chart-toppers each. As Alabama's "Feels So Right" was one of the few songs to spend a second week at number one, the band had the highest total number of weeks in the top spot, with four. Ten other acts achieved more than one number one in 1981. Several acts topped the chart for the first time in 1981: Charly McClain with "Who's Cheatin' Who", Sylvia with "Drifter", Rosanne Cash with "Seven Year Ache", Earl Thomas Conley with "Fire and Smoke", Ronnie McDowell with "Older Women", Steve Wariner with "All Roads Lead to You", and the duo of David Frizzell and Shelly West with "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma". Shelly West's appearance at number one fell between two chart-toppers achieved in 1981 by her mother, Dottie West. (Full article...)
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Pee Wee King ended the year at number one on all three charts.

In 1951 Billboard magazine published three charts covering the best-performing country music songs in the United States: Most-Played Juke Box (Country & Western) Records, Best-Selling Retail Folk (Country & Western) Records and Country & Western Records Most Played By Folk Disk Jockeys. The juke box chart was compiled based on a "weekly survey among a selected group of jukebox operators whose locations require country and western records", the best sellers chart based on a "survey among a selected group of retail stores, the majority of whose customers purchase country and western records", and the jockeys chart based on a "weekly survey among a select list of over 400 disk jockeys specializing in country and western tunes". The juke box chart would be discontinued in 1957 and the other two charts merged in 1958 to form a multimetric chart, which has been published weekly since that date and since 2005 has been entitled Hot Country Songs.

In the first issue of Billboard of 1951, each chart had a different number one, although two were by the same artist. Lefty Frizzell was atop both the juke box and jockeys charts, with "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time" and "I Love You a Thousand Ways" respectively, while the best sellers chart was headed by Hank Snow with "The Golden Rocket". During the year, each of the three charts had a song spend more than ten consecutive weeks at number one: Frizzell had an unbroken run of eleven weeks in the top spot of the best sellers chart with "Always Late (with Your Kisses)" and had a similar run at number one on the jockeys chart with "I Want to Be with You Always". The longest run at number one on any of the charts, however, was the fourteen consecutive weeks which Tennessee Ernie spent atop the juke box chart with "Shotgun Boogie". Frizzell reached number one for the first time in late 1950 and achieved five chart-toppers within 18 months, but soon afterwards his chart performance began to decline, his career suffering in part due to issues in his personal life. He was the only artist with four number-one country songs in 1951; Snow and Eddy Arnold each had three. Hank Williams had two number ones on the jockeys chart, but none on either of the other two charts. (Full article...)
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The Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to quality country music collaborations for artists who do not normally perform together. 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".

Originally called the Best Country Vocal Performance, Duet, the award was first presented to Kenny Rogers and Ronnie Milsap at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988 for the single "Make No Mistake, She's Mine". The next year, the category's name was changed to Best Country Vocal Collaboration, a name it held until 1996 when it was awarded as the Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. In 2011, the category was merged with the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance, forming the Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance in order to "tighten the number of categories" at the Grammy Awards. (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...)
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Faron Young topped the chart in the fall with "Country Girl".

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine since 1958, when the magazine amalgamated its separate C&W Best Sellers in Stores and Most Played C&W by Jockeys charts. In 1959, eleven different songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot C&W Sides, in 52 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.

At the start of the year the song at number one was "City Lights" by Ray Price. The song had been in the top spot since the issue of Billboard dated October 20, 1958, the first in which the magazine combined country sales and airplay into a single chart, and remained at number one until the issue dated January 19, 1959. Four artists achieved a number one country single for the first time in 1959: Johnny Horton with "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)", George Jones with "White Lightning", which replaced Horton's song at number one, Stonewall Jackson with "Waterloo", and the Browns with "The Three Bells". Of these, Jones would prove to have the most prolific career, topping the Hot Country chart in four consecutive decades. At the time of his death in 2013, he had placed more singles on Billboard's charts than any other artist in any genre. (Full article...)
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Three songs by Bob Wills reached number one in 1946, including "New Spanish Two Step", which spent 15 consecutive weeks in the top spot.

From 1944 until 1957, Billboard magazine published a chart that ranked the top-performing country music songs in the United States, based on the number of times a song had been played in jukeboxes; until 1948 it was the magazine's only country music chart. In 1946, nine different songs topped the chart, which was published under the title Most Played Juke Box Folk Records. The chart was compiled based on a survey of jukebox operators nationwide, and its methodology allowed for the possibility of records tying for a position. On several occasions during 1946 two or more songs tied for the number-one spot, including the issue of Billboard dated February 2, when four songs tied for the peak position. The Juke Box Folk chart is considered part of the lineage of the current Hot Country Songs chart, which was first published in 1958.

In 1946 the top spot was dominated by two songs which each spent 16 weeks at number one and which between them topped the chart from February to September. In the issue of Billboard dated February 2, "Guitar Polka" by Al Dexter reached number one for the first time, albeit jointly with three other songs. After one week out of the top spot it returned to number one, where it spent fifteen consecutive weeks, one of them jointly with "New Spanish Two Step" by Bob Wills, widely known as the "King of Western swing". After Dexter's run at number one ended, Wills's song returned to the top spot and also spent fifteen consecutive weeks atop the chart. Wills had topped the chart earlier in the year with "Silver Dew on the Blue Grass Tonight" and "White Cross on Okinawa" and was the only artist to take three different songs to number one in 1946. Dexter, however, had the highest number of total weeks at number one, spending 21 weeks in total (including two tied weeks) atop the chart with "Guitar Polka" and "Wine Women and Song". Wills and Dexter were the only acts with more than one chart-topper during the year. (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.

Enrique Iglesias and Nicky Jam are the most awarded acts in the category with three wins each. 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. Bad Bunny became the only act to have three nominated songs in the same year. As of 2017, only Iglesias and Nicky Jam have won Hot Latin Song of the Year twice in a row. As of 2023, the holders are Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma for the song "Ella Baila Sola". Enrique Iglesias and Bad Bunny became tied for the most nominations as of 2023. (Full article...)
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Hank Williams Jr. reached number one in 1972 with "Eleven Roses". At the time he did not sport the beard, dark glasses and hat which he adopted after suffering severe facial injuries in 1975.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1972, 27 different singles topped the chart, at the time published under the title Hot Country Singles, in 53 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports supplied by stores.

In the first issue of Billboard of the new year, "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" by Charley Pride spent its fifth week at number one. The following week, it was displaced by the double A-sided single "Would You Take Another Chance on Me" / "Me and Bobby McGee" by Jerry Lee Lewis. Freddie Hart spent the most weeks at number one in 1972, occupying the top spot for a total of 11 weeks with "My Hang-Up Is You", "Bless Your Heart" and "Got the All Overs for You (All Over Me)". "My Hang-Up Is You" had the longest unbroken run at number one, spending six weeks at the top of the chart in the spring. This was twice as long as any other song spent at number one during 1972. Hart had been a recording artist since the early 1950s and made his first appearance on the Hot Country chart in 1959, but had never reached the top 10 until 1971, when "Easy Loving" went to number one. That song began a run of top 10 entries which lasted until 1975, when his chart performance began to decline again. In addition to Hart, Merle Haggard and Pride each achieved three number ones in 1972, spending six and seven weeks respectively at the top of the chart. (Full article...)
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The Beatles had eighteen number-one singles on the NME chart, only one of which never topped the Record Retailer chart.

The NME (or New Musical Express) was a British weekly popular music newspaper. Record charts in the United Kingdom began on 14 November 1952 when NME imitated an idea started in American Billboard magazine compiled their own hit parade. Until 15 February 1969, when the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) chart was established, many periodicals compiled their own charts. During this time the BBC used aggregated results of the prominent NME, Melody Maker, Disc, Record Mirror and, later, Record Retailer charts to compile their Pick of the Pops chart. Prior to 1969 there was no universally accepted source or "official" singles chart; however, the Official Charts Company and Guinness' British Hit Singles & Albums regard the canonical sources for this period as NME before 10 March 1960 and Record Retailer from then until the BMRB took over in 1969. Although Record Retailer is now the most predominantly used source for charting music in the 1960s, NME had the biggest circulation of charts in the decade and was more widely followed. After the BMRB was formed, the NME continued compiling its own chart up until 14 May 1988.

The Allisons' entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, entitled "Are You Sure?", was the first single to be number one on the NME chart but not to reach the top spot on Record Retailer's chart. In total, sixteen songs failed to reach number one with Record Retailer but topped the NME chart. In 1969, after the BMRB chart was introduced, four songs topped the NME but not the BMRB chart. Notable discrepancies include "19th Nervous Breakdown", which reached number one for the Rolling Stones on the NME, Disc, and Melody Maker charts, topped the BBC's Pick of the Pops aggregated chart and was announced as number one on Top of the Pops; however, because it did not reach number one on the Record Retailer chart, it is omitted from the Official Charts Company's canon. The Beatles' "Please Please Me" suffered the same fate so, arguably, should be considered the Beatles' first number-one single. Conversely, Elvis Presley's double A-side, "Rock-A-Hula Baby"/"Can't Help Falling in Love", reached number one on all charts except NME because the entries were split by NME according to which song was requested when the shop returned its figures. (Full article...)
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"(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets was the first single to sell 1 million copies in the UK.

The definition of a million-selling single, as regarded by the Official Charts Company (OCC), has changed in line with new technology for music consumption. Originally only physical record sales were counted since the start of the UK Singles Chart in November 1952. Digital downloads of a track were included from 2004 onwards and from 2014 onwards BPI-certified awards (Silver, Gold and Platinum) and the weekly charts include audio streaming. In 2017, the OCC included streaming in their definition of a million-seller and published a full list of the 311 songs which had achieved this. Certified awards can also include shipments (sales to trade). The OCC and Music Week regularly announce when a record becomes a million seller. (Full article...)