Music Charts

Paul Wall Update

Chart Check: R. Kelly

The Houston 100: From Scarface to Robert Earl Keen

The Houston 100: The Master List

Chamillionaire: Not So Dirty

Bartender, Pour the Wine: Ten Great Country Breakup Songs

MP3: Jackie Wilson and Laverne Baker, Like You’ve Never Heard Them Before

Tonight: Shontelle at House of Blues

The Kanye Is a "Sharp Dressed Man"

Rocks Off would like to thank Dallas Observer Music Editor Pete Freedman for hipping him to this little nugget: the White Folks Get Crunk blog has chosen DJ Shade's splice job welding Kanye West's "Love Lockdown" and ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" as one of 2008's top five mashups (it's No. 4). ... More >>

Hitsville: The Year in Music, by the Numbers

You don't need a half-wit music critic to tell you it's been a remarkable year for America, one historians will be discussing and researching for centuries to come. War, financial collapse, politics, technology: All have been dinner-table topics for many Americans. Racial barriers in 2008 were demol ... More >>

The Return of Chart Check: Beyonce Runs "Rings" Around the Competition

[Note: Chart Check is back, now spotlighting Texans on this week's various Billboard lists.] The Billboard 200 (albums) 4. Beyonce, I Am... Sasha Fierce 8. Jaime Foxx, Intuition Hot 100 (singles) 2. Beyonce, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" 19. Beyonce, "If I Were a Boy" Digital Songs 5. Beyonce, ... More >>

Rotation: Plies' Da REAList

Plies, Florida's 32-year-old snarl with a rapper hidden underneath, is nothing if not a work horse. Over the last 16 months he's released three(!) full-length albums: The Real Testament ("Shawty" feat T-Pain), Definition of Real ("Bust it Baby Pt. 2"), and, most recently, Da REAList. (That's three ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Texas Music Will Solve Everything! Thanks, Ed!

Photo by aznviolaguyOkay, Ed, if you insist. We've been lax in our examinations of Ed Shane's monthly Flack Fest, Best in Texas, lately. Let's rectify that. In the January issue, publisher Shane led off with this sterling bit of advice as the national and world economies fell apart. "Be careful. ... More >>

Gene Loves Jezebel

Photo by aznviolaguyOkay, Ed, if you insist. We've been lax in our examinations of Ed Shane's monthly Flack Fest, Best in Texas, lately. Let's rectify that. In the January issue, publisher Shane led off with this sterling bit of advice as the national and world economies fell apart. "Be careful. ... More >>

Vanilla Ice

Photo by aznviolaguyOkay, Ed, if you insist. We've been lax in our examinations of Ed Shane's monthly Flack Fest, Best in Texas, lately. Let's rectify that. In the January issue, publisher Shane led off with this sterling bit of advice as the national and world economies fell apart. "Be careful. ... More >>

Snoop Dogg

Photo by aznviolaguyOkay, Ed, if you insist. We've been lax in our examinations of Ed Shane's monthly Flack Fest, Best in Texas, lately. Let's rectify that. In the January issue, publisher Shane led off with this sterling bit of advice as the national and world economies fell apart. "Be careful. ... More >>

The Irish Tenors’ Christmas Special

The classical/pop trio makes its debut in Houston

Pro Athlete Musicians

Athletes step off the field and into the studio

Max Stalling, blacktopGYPSY

Athletes step off the field and into the studio

Hoob Job

Athletes step off the field and into the studio

Live

Live appears Friday, September 29, at Verizon Wireless Theater, 520 Texas, 713-230-1600.

Brian Keane, Wayne Sutton and Rachel Loy

Friday, February 10, Dan Electro's Guitar Bar, 1031 East 24th Street, 713-862-8707.

Ice Ice Maybe

A decade after Vanilla Ice melted down, he's back with the man who made him

Racket

In his first 24 years of life, Brad Turcotte has already become a music-business veteran

Six Strings Under

Unlike many of his rock guitar god peers, Joe Satriani has yet to flee to audiences overseas

Olga Tañón

Unlike many of his rock guitar god peers, Joe Satriani has yet to flee to audiences overseas

Earl Thomas Conley

Unlike many of his rock guitar god peers, Joe Satriani has yet to flee to audiences overseas

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Has Miranda Lambert Sparked a Revolution In Nashville?

If there is a ticking time bomb signaling the impending end of the '80s hair-band nature of mainstream country music, Miranda Lambert is probably lighting the fuse. Lambert's third album, Revolution, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart last week and sold 23 percent more (almost ... More >>

Brand New

If there is a ticking time bomb signaling the impending end of the '80s hair-band nature of mainstream country music, Miranda Lambert is probably lighting the fuse. Lambert's third album, Revolution, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart last week and sold 23 percent more (almost ... More >>

The Music of True Blood, Episode 1.5: Playing Chicken With the Train, and an AIDS Burger

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. With Season 2 just completed, Rocks Off is now working our way backw ... More >>

Aventura

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. With Season 2 just completed, Rocks Off is now working our way backw ... More >>

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Alan Ball was known for his masterful use of music in Six Feet Under. He's lost none of his touch when it comes to his current HBO series, True Blood - which happens to be set in the Louisiana swamps, not terribly far from Houston. With Season 2 just completed, Rocks Off is now working our way backw ... More >>

Hello Dolly

Online dating services are no match for Dolly Levi

Chris Isaak

Online dating services are no match for Dolly Levi

Music of Frank Sinatra with Matt Dusk

Online dating services are no match for Dolly Levi

Thursday

Online dating services are no match for Dolly Levi

Free Energy

Online dating services are no match for Dolly Levi

Soul City: The Amazing Jazz Crusaders

Black History Month is always a great time to recall some of Houston's greatest musical innovators and leaders. Rocks Off will highlight some of them during the remainder of February. "Hey, let's get back to that down-and-dirty old-school chicken-shack sound" mosaicrecords.com​While Houston ... More >>

Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers

Black History Month is always a great time to recall some of Houston's greatest musical innovators and leaders. Rocks Off will highlight some of them during the remainder of February. "Hey, let's get back to that down-and-dirty old-school chicken-shack sound" mosaicrecords.com​While Houston ... More >>

Controversial Producer Huey Meaux Dead At 82

​Huey P. Meaux, the onetime studio and record-label owner and chart-topping producer who helped define the Gulf Coast sound through hits by the Sir Douglas Quintet, Freddy Fender and Barbara Lynn, died this morning at age 82. Known as the "Crazy Cajun," Meaux died at his home in Winnie, his n ... More >>

Literary Greats

​Huey P. Meaux, the onetime studio and record-label owner and chart-topping producer who helped define the Gulf Coast sound through hits by the Sir Douglas Quintet, Freddy Fender and Barbara Lynn, died this morning at age 82. Known as the "Crazy Cajun," Meaux died at his home in Winnie, his n ... More >>

Beyonce's 4 & 11 Other Numerical Album Titles

​Beyonce is not the first artist to title her album after a number. Here are 11 more - one of which B may have to unseat from the top of the charts when her fourth solo album, 4, is released next month. Chicago, Chicago III-Twenty 1 (1971-91): Chicago had a simple formula for naming albums: ... More >>

Mana

​Beyonce is not the first artist to title her album after a number. Here are 11 more - one of which B may have to unseat from the top of the charts when her fourth solo album, 4, is released next month. Chicago, Chicago III-Twenty 1 (1971-91): Chicago had a simple formula for naming albums: ... More >>

10 Awesome, Awful & Odd "Hey Jude" Covers

​This week in 1968, The Beatles inaugurated their Apple Records label in a most auspicious fashion, releasing "Hey Jude" as a 45. The B-side was "Revolution." Written by Paul McCartney and employing a 36-piece orchestra, "Jude" did nothing to dispel the perception that Paul was the "soft" Beat ... More >>

George Strait's Top 20 Songs Of All Time: Nos. 5-1

​As Rocks Off dives into the top slots of our favorite George Strait songs from his 30-year career - see Nos. 20-16, 15-11 and 10-6 - we are waiting anxiously to see if King George was able to knock Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter IV from atop the Billboard 200. A top seat for the brand-new Here For a ... More >>

OFF!

​As Rocks Off dives into the top slots of our favorite George Strait songs from his 30-year career - see Nos. 20-16, 15-11 and 10-6 - we are waiting anxiously to see if King George was able to knock Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter IV from atop the Billboard 200. A top seat for the brand-new Here For a ... More >>

Do Hit Singles Still Help Sell An Album?

J: Cole: Zero hit singles, 218K first-week sales.​​The music industry has been reeling from a host of ailments, none more severe than crippling record sales. Fortunately, 2011 has been a strong year so far, with CD sales on the rise. Spearheaded by the likes of Adele, Lady Gaga and Lil Wayn ... More >>

Top 20 Throwback TV Theme Songs Part 1

​We grew up on television. Whether it was Saturday morning cartoons, afternoon re-runs, Sunday Disney and Wild Kingdom or Thursday night "must see" TV, we saw it. We noticed that on November 2, 1985, the Miami Vice soundtrack went to number one on the Billboard charts where it would stay for ... More >>

Top 20 Throwback TV Theme Songs Part 2

Only a big dummy wouldn't have this show on the list.​Yesterday, we hit you up with the best ten TV theme songs that didn't quite make the top of our list. We heard a few quibbles from fellow television aficionados, but their cries of frustration were muffled by the sounds of "The LOOOVVE BOA ... More >>

RIP "Drift Away" Singer, Native Houstonian Dobie Gray

Pop/Soul/Country singer/songwriter Dobie Gray passed away today after a long, respected career as a silky crooner and songwriter, who achieved moderate success in the '60s and '70s. He had his biggest hit with "Drift Away," in 1973 and re-emerged in 2003 when Uncle Cracker recorded the song and ha ... More >>