Most Memorable Music News of 2011

posted in: Music News

It was a big year in the world of music. The past twelve months were filled with huge collaborations, new releases across every genre and some drama as well. The year also brought us lots of new talent to go crazy over, and the loss of some incredibly influential artists. So, let’s review 2011 and highlight the top stories that affected the world of music”from concerts to television; technology to YouTube sensations.

  • Jay-Z and Kanye West teamed up to release their much-anticipated collaboration album, Watch The Throne, in the beginning of August. They’re currently on tour across the United States and Canada promoting the album, which has already been certified Platinum.
  • Tragedy struck big music festivals in a couple countries, when severe weather caused stages to collapse. Ottawa Bluesfest and Pukkelpop Festival were two of the events affected.
  • Ryan Murphy apparently took it personally when artists such as Slash, Kings of Leon and and Foo Fighters didn’t want their songs to be used on Glee. Dave Grohl was especially pissed, calling out Murphy for thinking every artist would want their songs featured on his show.
  • Speaking of drama, some artists learned the hard way that Twitter is not all fun and games. For example, rapper The Game almost got himself in trouble with the authorities, when he tweeted a number for fans to call, which happened to be the phone number of the  Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
  • Rebecca Black took the Internet by storm with her song and music video for “Friday”. There’s no real explanation needed…just this:
  • The music world lost Amy Winehouse and her incredible voice, when she passed away on July 23rd.
  • Spotify finally launched in the US this summer, allowing music fans across the country to stream music for free, share playlists with friends and even have their listening activity posted to Facebook. More updates and new features are going to be announced soon.
  • A few of our favorite bands decided to call it quits. RIP R.E.M., The White Stripes and LCD Soundsystem.

Didn’t see a story you thought was an important part of 2011 music news? Let us know in the comments!