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The Lilith Fair revolution of the late '90s certainly introduced a lot of great female-centric music into the universe, though a great deal of it ended up being forgettable. It seemed like for every Erykah Badu breaking boundaries and exploring new territories, there were dozens of Chantal Kreviazuks just strumming and crooning. Fiona Apple seemed like she would be one of the performers leaving a long-lasting impression, and though she has gotten lost in the shuffle in the new millennium, she did leave an unforgettable mark on music.

On this day in 1996, Apple's debut album Tidal hit store shelves and introduced the world to her particular brand of rock, which drew inspiration from R&B, folk, jazz and alt-rock, just for good measure. Her point of view was that of a more grounded Tori Amos, as her tales of heartbreak and relationship complications were colored by neglect, abuse and rage. Tidal is a profoundly dark album, featuring a handful of mysterious dirges that create haunting moods inside which Apple's breathy, expressive voice could live.

Tidal ended up being a double-edged sword for Apple, as it became a huge hit. It sold over three million copies and made Apple a radio and MTV staple with tracks like "Shadowboxer," "Sleep to Dream" and her biggest hit, "Criminal." The latter turned Apple into a complicated icon, as the song's video (directed by auteur Mark Romanek) featured her barely dressed in a number of demure poses that cast her as a sex object rather than than an empowered artist. Nearly a decade-and-a-half later, it still feels as intense (and as problematic) as it was then.

Tags Fiona Apple, video

By Sandrine Milet

There have been many firsts on this season of "So You Think You Can Dance," and on Thursday night (July 22) we got another one. During the last five minutes of the show, Nigel Lythgoe announced that they were doing something they had never done before on the show: They wouldn't be sending anybody home this week.

With his injury, Billy was automatically put in the bottom three last night, and he was joined by Robert and Jose, both of whom danced for their life. But as the night went on and performances from the American Ballet Theatre, DJ Smart (a contestant from Vegas), All-Stars Lauren and Neil, Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull unfolded, I started to believe that Billy was going to be sent home simply because the last two eliminations were also because of injuries.

That's why it came as a huge shock when Nigel revealed that all three of them were safe. At first, the audience went wild, ecstatic that the dancers got a second chance (although there must have been a reason why America voted at least two of them in the bottom three). But since they were screaming so loud, they didn't quite catch the most important part: Two contestants would be eliminated next week.

There reason for doing this was explained in simple terms: They simply couldn't make up their minds. They felt that Robert is at a standstill, that Jose isn't improving in other genres besides his own and they were a little disappointed that Billy didn't end up dancing on Wednesday night after his doctors gave him the OK. (In his defense, you don't want to mess around with injuries, especially when it can cost you your spot on the show, and Nigel should know that.)

But to me, it seemed obvious who to send home last night since it was equally obvious Wednesday night who really needed to step up his game. It looks like the judges were just delaying what they'll eventually have to do in the future.

Who do you think should have been sent home last night? Let us know in the comments!

Tags So You Think You Can Dance

After an eight year hiatus, Bush are back together. The British post-grunge band who stormed the American charts with smashes like "Everything Zen," "Little Things" and "Machinehead" from their debut album Sixteen Stone have returned to the rock scene with a new tour and a brand new album called Everything Always Now (which should hit stores in October).

Nearly a decade has passed between Bush albums, and as Rossdale explained to MTV News' Matt Elias in the studio in Los Angeles, his writing has evolved profoundly since the release of 2001's Golden State. "You don't want to repeat yourself," Rossdale said. "I've thought a lot that if I repeated myself, I might have been more successful. Had I done Sixteen Stone over and over again, I might have been much larger."

His method now draws from an unusual source of inspiration. "It's more of a hip-hop approach," Rossdale said of his process. "I start with the drums. I set a vibe and I write off that mood. I used to write songs acoustically, like folk music, but I got much more into creating a mood."

Rossdale is no stranger to collaboration. His post-Bush band Institute featured co-production from Helmet's Page Hamilton, his solo album featured team-ups with Linda Perry, the Eurythmics' Dave Stewart and Garbage's Shirley Manson, and he has recently appeared on tracks with Apocalyptica and Carlos Santana. But with his new love for starting with the drums, would he consider a true hip-hop collaboration?

Bush will get the chance to play its new music for the world when they play the Epicenter Music Festival in Fontana, California, on September 25.

What hip-hop artist would you like to see Gavin Rossdale work with? Let us know in the comments!

Tags bush, gavin-rossdale, video

"Me, at 17, was not the most popular. It was weird in my high school. I didn't really fit in any clique. I kind of bounced around. I really didn't fit in. I wasn't comfortable there. I was just like, 'I got to leave early. I got to do what I can to start my life.' I only had two classes left in my senior year, so I doubled up in 11th grade and left school a year early. High school just wasn't for me. I just couldn't wait to get out."

-"Jersey Shore" star Jenni "JWoww" Farley, explaining to MTV's "When I Was 17" about the trouble she had fitting in during her high school years. In fact, she was so frustrated with how things were going that she sped up her education and ended up graduating early. But her experience in high school wasn't entirely unpleasant, as she did manage to find a way to have some fun. "When I was 17, my best fried Trina got me into bowling," she explained. "It was just something to do. You weren't old enough to go out and drink and have a good time. I was actually really good."

JWoww's story is part of the newest episode of "When I Was 17," which airs this Saturday (July 24) at 11 a.m. on MTV. The show also features her "Jersey Shore" pals Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino (who tells a story about his senior prank) and Paul "DJ Pauly D" DelVecchio (who explains his teenage motorcycle obsession). Of course, the entire "Jersey Shore" crew will be back for a new season of the show next Thursday night, July 29 on MTV.

Tags Jersey Shore, JWoww, Quote

After weeks of knocking at the door from the second position, Eminem and Rihanna finally found their way to the promised land this week. Their "Love the Way You Lie" — the unstoppable single from Eminem's latest album Relapse, which also sits on top of the Billboard album chart with one-and-a-half million copies sold — moved ahead of Katy Perry's "California Gurls" to take first place. Perry had an incredible run at the top of the chart, as "California Gurls" spent six weeks in the pole position (and, at number two this week, could easily make its way back up to the top).

"Love the Way You Lie" is the fourth chart-topping single for Eminem. He first found his way to the peak of the mountain with "Lose Yourself," the single from the biographical film "8 Mile." (Not only was that Slim Shady's first chart-topping single, but also the first song he won an Oscar for.) Eminem next hit the top of the charts with "Crack a Bottle," the tag-team single with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent that came from Em's big comeback album Relapse in 2009.

But now the one-two punch of "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie" has cemented Eminem as one of the greatest crossover rappers of all time. Even Jay-Z, the other MC who could stake a claim to the title "Best Rapper Alive," has only been to the top of the charts one time (though he has been a featured performer on three other chart-toppers: Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker," Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" and Rihanna's "Umbrella"). Eminem hasn't announced what the next single from Relapse will be (though "Won't Back Down" would be a great one), but it will be interesting to see if Slim Shady can keep his chart-topping streak going.

What do you think Eminem's next single should be? Let us know in the comments!

Tags Eminem, Jay-Z, Katy Perry, Rihanna

On Wednesday night (July 21), Katy Perry unveiled the album cover for her upcoming LP Teenage Dream (which is set to hit store shelves on August 24). In typical Perry fashion, the cover is eye-catching, provocative and sexy, featuring a nude Perry ensconced in pink cotton candy (a continuation on the themes set up in the video for her chart-topping single "California Gurls"). Perry is no stranger to nudity (she is starkers in the "California Gurls" clip and once tweeted a photo of herself eating a pizza while soaking naked in a bathtub), so the cover isn't a surprise.

But the practice of putting naked people on album covers is as old as rock and roll, and though there are a handful of classic nude covers, Perry's tops them all. Here are her new peers. (Obviously, all of the links below lead to some level of nudity, so click with caution.)

Jimi Hendrix, Electric Ladyland
The guitar legend's final album (during his life, at least) originally had a cover that featured a series of nude women. Though that cover was actually released in the U.K., the United States version was changed to a blurred image of Hendrix's head because the other was considered indecent.