Tedium Highlight in Music: The tale of New York's greatest street musician. 

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Tag results: Music

All That Glitters

I just learned an amazing fact about gold records from the Beastie Boys that you need to learn about, too.

Cassingle Culture

Why the single version of the cassette didn’t feel as worthy of a purchase as, say, a 45. Or, perhaps, even a digital download.

Reviewers Deserve Respect

Manufacturers that strong-arm reviewers who don’t say nice things about products cannot become the norm. Which is why it’s good to see reviewers pushing back.

The Protest Song Wakes Up

A buzzy protest song about the definition of war, timed perfectly to public protests against the Israel–Hamas War, shows that there’s room for social media and protest singers to coexist.

Songs About Superman

Why was alternative rock inundated with hit songs about Superman throughout the 1990s and early 2000s? Consider the monoculture.

Not The Name That You Call Me With

The year-end Tedium awards continue with an excellent, breathtaking feature on Elliott Smith’s high-school bands. Yes, multiple.

Once More With Feeling

That AI-generated pop song sounds terrible, but it reflects a long legacy of letting machines manipulate or even generate our musical output.

The Post Of Revelations

Sufjan Stevens shares a significant part of his life in a single Tumblr post—a message that powerfully reshapes his already-powerful art.

The Lines Blur Further

The music industry has had to navigate the choppy waters of royalties, ownership, and inspiration well before AI-generated music became the hot new thing. And not just because of sampling.

A Musical War of the Worlds

Some musicals have an enduring legacy long after the final curtain is drawn. Then there's Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds.

One Song, Many Writers

How modern songwriting evolved into a game of aggressive credit—even for the people who didn’t technically do the composing.

The Chris Gaines Shuffle

Discussing the evolution and popularity of alter egos, particularly those that aren’t very successful. If we don’t talk about the bad ones, how are they ever gonna learn?

Turner Tunes

That time Ted Turner tried to compete with MTV by launching a competing music network of his own. It lasted five days longer than CNN+ did.

Sell Out With Me, Oh Yeah

Musicians selling out isn’t really that big a deal anymore—except when it’s done really poorly, as in the case of Beck’s odd NFL ad that made Neil Young mad.

To Boldly Sing

Star Trek has inspired plenty of pop culture, but nothing is as bizarre as the musical fandom following its warp trail.

Sounding Board

After pissing off half the internet with our list on faded graphics formats, we’re doing the same thing with outdated audio formats. We’re fearing the worst.

Dancing With The Walking Dead

Zombies are a big part of pop culture, but songs about them are not—except for one performed by the King of Calypso himself, Harry Belafonte.

Tedious Failures, Revisited

A little advice on how to become a successful writer, as explained via lessons on becoming a failed comedy songwriter.

A Tailgate for the Ages

In less than 20 minutes, two filmmakers captured a magnificent moment in music history. Heavy Metal Parking Lot is turning 35, and we’re ready to celebrate.

Rock Of Age$

Why the superfan will become ever more important to the music industry over time, or why $1,200 box sets exist despite appealing to only a few people.
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