It’s impossible to talk about the top female artists in country without referencing Faith Hill. Ever since the release of her debut album, Take Me As I Am in 1993, she’s enjoyed an enviable reputation as one of the most influential and commercially successful country artists in the world. To date, she’s won 5 Grammys…
Shakira is one of the most notable singer-songwriters of modern times. She has earned a reputation for being very versatile when it comes to her music. Something that is perhaps unsurprising considering that Shakira has become very successful in both English-language and Spanish-language markets. 11. Magia Magia is Shakira’s debut album. For context, it came…
The San Francisco Chronicle once described the Avett Brothers’ sound as having the “heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones.” A band with an eye on the future but a boot in the past, they almost defy…
Ritchie Valens was just 17 years old when he died alongside Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper when their private plane crashed during their tour of the Midwest. At the time of his death, Valens hadn’t released a single album, but had already established himself as one of the most talented young artists in rock…
The new wave met the old guard earlier this month as Lukas Nelson, son of Willie, captivated a packed house in Tucson. The 35-year-old Nelson has been playing music professionally since 2008, but it is performances like this that have liberated Lukas from his father’s shadow. Downtown Tucson’s historic Rialto Theatre hosted Nelson and…
Whether you know him best as an activist, a musician, or an actor, Willie Nelson is unquestionably one of the most recognizable names in country music. Over a seven-decade career, he’s pioneered outlaw country, influenced the alternative country movements of the 80s and 90s, won countless awards, and released a jaw-dropping 95 studio albums. His…
Tanya Tucker secured her first hit single at the age of just 13 years old. Unlike many child performers whose stars fade the moment they exit their teens, Tucker’s audience continued to grow as she matured. Over the course of her career, she’s released multiple hugely successful albums, won numerous Grammys and other awards, and…
In late 1981, Tesla was formed by bassist Brian Wheat and guitarist Frank Hannon By 1984, vocalist Jeff Keith and drummer Troy Luccketta had jumped on board. Over the next decade, they established themselves as the “thinking man’s hair metal band,” a welcome (if underappreciated) antidote to overblown posturing of the genre’s biggest bands In…
The Killers are a rock band formed in 2001 in Las Vegas. The founding members of the band are Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning. While Flowers is the lead vocalist, keyboardist, and bassist, Keuning plays the lead guitar and provides backing vocals. A year after the band was formed, Mark Stoermer joined the band as…