Early this morning, one of Miley Cyrus' tour buses crashed in rural Virginia. The vehicle was carrying several members of Cyrus' production crew but not the singer herself. The driver of the bus is dead and one of the crew members was sent to the hospital.

There are all sorts of tragedies that are inherently tied to rock music (overdoses, car crashes, production accidents and the like), but there have been far too many incidents involving tour buses. It shouldn't be shocking, as they are unruly mammoths forced to push forward (usually in the middle of the night) over all manner of terrain for hours and hours at a time. They're difficult to handle and difficult for other drivers to deal with.

Last week, Canadian singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk updated her MySpace blog to let fans know that her tour bus had run off the road (she blamed the incident on her driver falling asleep). Just a few months ago, Bret Michaels' tour bus was struck by another car (though no injuries were reported on either side). In August, Canadian rockers MercyMe were involved in a crash that killed two people in Indiana. Last fall, Roots' drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson sent a Twitter message from an ambulance after their bus crashed outside of Paris, France. That's five major accidents in just a year, and the list goes on and on.

Of course, the most notorious (and tragic) bus accident in rock history came in September of 1986, when original Metallica bassist Cliff Burton died when the band's bus skidded off the road and crashed in Sweden (there's even a memorial stone by the crash site). The driver was awake and alert but undone by black ice in the middle of the night.

The tour bus is typically the best and most cost-effective way for most bands to cross the country (or the continent), but there's clearly a safety issue here. Are there any solutions? It's hard to tell, but something needs to be done.

"I've actually been making a lot of Yankee analogies in my interviews lately because I get asked, 'Do you feel pressure? How do you feel when someone says this? Or do you feel like you have to top yourself?' I say I do feel like I have to top myself. But I feel like I'm [Mariano] Rivera. I'm a closer."

-Fashion-forward pop superstar and New York Yankees fan Lady Gaga, explaining who she relates to on the iconic baseball team. The singer sat down for an extended interview with Sway yesterday, where she touched on the new edition of her album, her collaboration with Beyoncé and a whole host of other topics. But Gaga is also a baseball fan, and she sees a lot of herself in Rivera, the Yankees' famous closing pitcher. After suffering a loss on Sunday night in Philadelphia, the World Series returns to the Bronx tonight for Game 6, where the Yanks will try to shut the door on the Phillies and cash in on their 27th championship. Standing in their way will be Phils starting pitcher Pedro Martinez, who has a longstanding rivalry with the Yanks (he famously referred to them as his "daddy" in 2004). If all goes well for New York, Rivera should be walking onto the field around midnight tonight, and if he really wants to embrace his musical equivalent, he should really ditch his normal entrance music — Metallica's "Enter Sandman" — in favor of "Paparazzi."

Last night, Ozzy Osbourne took some time off from jamming with Metallica and headed to Worcester, Massachusetts to invade WWE's "Raw," the sports entertainment company's long-running weekly live show. Osbourne was accompanied by wife and manager Sharon, and he presided over the two hours with an iron fist, making matches, cutting promos and referring constantly to "Crazy Train." He also made copious plugs for his upcoming book "I Am Ozzy," his forthcoming autobiography that hits stores in January. (Sample text: "I survived a direct hit by a plane, suicidal overdoses, STDs. I've been accused of attempted murder. Then I almost died while riding over a bump on a quad bike at f---ing two miles per hour." The rest of it must be awesome.)

In the show's best segment, Ozzy, Sharon and seven foot giant the Great Khali sat in as judges on a segment called "Raw's Got Talent." Comedy act Santino Marella bit the head off of a Batman action figure in a pale homage to Ozzy's notorious bat-biting incident. But then "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters came up and flexed his ample muscles rhythmically to "Crazy Train," which drew big cheers from the crowd and genuine laughs from Ozzy.

WWE has been recruiting guest hosts for its Monday night show for a few months now, and Ozzy is one of the few musicians to step into the ring for the show. (Snoop Dogg and the men of ZZ Top already beat him to the punch.)

If nothing else, last night's show reminded everybody of the greatness of Ozzy's output, particularly "Crazy Train," which is always good for one more spin.

Last night's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden (the first of a two-night celebration; tonight's lineup includes U2 and Metallica) featured a series of amazing performances: Stevie Wonder jammed with John Legend on songs by Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen jammed with Tom Morello on a scorching electric version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad," and Smokey Robinson delivered a sweet, soulful "Tracks of my Tears." But the evening's most surprising musical moment came a few minutes before the show got started.

Before he delivered the formal introduction to the sold-out MSG crowd, Tom Hanks (who was producing the event for broadcast on HBO on November 29) stopped by the press room to answer a few questions about meeting his musical heroes and what rock and roll means to him. When asked what his favorite song of 2009 was, Hanks hesitated a bit before launching into a spastic performance of Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" that drew laughs and cheers from the normally jaded media crowd.

Clearly, Tom Hanks watched this year's Video Music Awards!

When a journalist asked him what it was that he liked about it, Hanks replied, "It's infectious! What are you, an idiot?" That drew another huge laugh. (He quickly apologized for calling the writer an idiot.) Apparently, he had a personal connection to the lyrics, too. "That's what I said when I met my wife. 'I like that — I'm gonna put a ring on it!'" Minutes later, Hanks was whisked away to open the show and introduce Jerry Lee Lewis, and the night was on. But despite the murderer's row of rockers that followed, nobody managed to match the majesty of Hanks' "Single Ladies" moment.

Earlier today, we attempted to handicap the 2009 World Series (which starts in only a few hours) by taking a look at the at-bat songs for the Philadelphia Phillies. This time, we take a look at the lineup offered up by the New York Yankees. It's a less eclectic batch of tunes for sure, but possibly more effective, as it's filled top-to-bottom with badass New York hip-hop and tough guy tunes sure to swing any game in the Bronx's favor.

It begins with Derek Jeter and Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" (which he and Alicia Keys will perform live during Game 2 on Thursday night), a great New York anthem for a great New York team (and a great New Yorker). Johnny Damon uses Saliva's "I Walk Alone" as his entrance tune, yet another track that connects baseball and wrestling (it's the same song used by WWE star Batista). Mark Teixeira uses Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock" (another New York-centric selection, as the band is from Long Island) while Nick Swisher saunters in to Ludacris and R. Kelly's "Rockstar."

There are some stranger moments, most notably Hideki Matsui's use of Billy Joel's "Big Shot" — a New York tune for sure, but probably not in Matsui's regular iPod rotation.

Still, the Yankees have the advantage. Sure, they've got three Jay-Z songs, but they also have a secret weapon: Closer Mariano Rivera, who enters every game with Metallica's "Enter Sandman" pumping through the PA. With a playlist like that, the World Series is the Yanks' to lose. They will "Run This Town," indeed.

Official MTV Newsroom Prediction: Yankees in 6

It's been 10 days since Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington disappeared during a Metallica concert at an arena at the University of Virginia. State police are still searching and following up on tips, and the FBI has also gotten involved. Even Metallica have lent a hand: The band posted a news story on their official Web site with Harrington's description, some photos and contact information for anybody who has a tip about her whereabouts. "We are deeply concerned about the disappearance of 20 year old Virginia Tech student Morgan Dana Harrington, who was last seen while attending our concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA, on Saturday night," the site says. According to WTTG, Metallica frontman James Hetfield has contacted Harrington's parents and has offered to add $50,000 to the $100,000 reward being offered for information the could lead to Morgan's return.

Morgan's parents were on "Today" this morning to talk about their daughter's disappearance, and they both assume that some kind of foul play is involved. "This is every parent's worst nightmare," her father said.

A few more details have emerged since Harrington's parents filed the initial missing persons report, and a narrative has been built around the incident. At some point during the show, Harrington got separated from a group of friends to go to the bathroom. Somehow, she ended up outside the venue and was not let back in (per the re-entry rules of the house). She called her friends to let them know she would find another way home — the last time anyone heard from her. Police found her purse and her cell phone on the ground between the arena and an adjacent athletic field (strangely, the battery for the phone was missing). Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Virginia State Police or the University of Virginia Police, and updated information can be found at FindMorgan.com.

At this stage, a clearer picture is coming together about "Michael Jackson's This Is It." Using a combination of rehearsals, fly-on-the-wall meetings and proper performances, it shows the once-unstoppable pop star gearing up for his big career comeback using some of his most beloved hits (and sending a message about hope and humanity in the process).

A great music doc is made up of a combination of signature moments, incredible performances and an ineffable something that can give the fan sitting on the couch that same twinge of electricity you get standing three feet from a sweaty lead singer in a packed stadium, or that awkward cringe you get seeing your favorite rock star fall apart on film. In his prime, Jackson had that magic (both kinds, unfortunately) when he took the stage, and we'll find out for sure next week if he still had it near the end of his life.

In the meantime, here are some of my favorite music documentaries, all of which have one or more of the qualities that could make "Michael Jackson's This Is It" great if producers decided to pull no punches and present the King of Pop in all his complicated glory.

Three Chords And The Truth
The Ramones, "End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones"
How could I not include this bare bones 2003 movie about my favorite band? From their early days at New York's defunct punk ground zero CBGB to massive crowds in South America, this low-budget flick is like the band themselves: Raw, fast and kind of messy. Mixing concert footage, interviews, home movies and classic TV appearances, members talk about their unlikely rise from the New York underground to legendary status, even as they lament their failure to grab the commercial brass ring and make no secret of long-simmering tensions.

Sold Out, Not Sell Out
Nirvana, "Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!"
I will watch anything about Nirvana. Hell, if there was three hours of tape of Kurt Cobain tuning his guitar in a dark room, I'd get two copies on Blu-Ray. In the meantime, this 1994 live DVD will have to do, and considering it has classic takes on some of the band's best and most beloved tunes ("About a Girl," "Come as You Are," "Polly," "Lithium" and, yes, "Smells Like Teen Spirit"). This band had to be experienced live and, unfortunately, this is the closest you can currently get.

Behind The Music
Metallica, "Some Kind of Monster" Read more...

On Saturday night (October 17), Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington traveled to the John Paul Jones Arena on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville with a group of friends to catch Metallica in concert. At some point, she got separated from her friends and hasn't been seen since. State police continue to search for Harrington and say they have several leads, though they encourage anybody with information to reach out to the them at 434-924-7166 or via e-mail at appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov.

"We talk to her almost daily," Harrington's mother Jill said. "We need to know where she is and get her back home safe as soon as possible."

Dan Harrington described this behavior from his daughter as "atypical."

The 20-year-old Harrington was last seen wearing a black Pantera T-shirt and a black skirt. According to Lt. Joe Rader of the Virginia State Police, it's unlikely that she is carrying identification or a cell phone.

Several friends have started a Facebook group to help spread the word about Harrington and to help gather information about her whereabouts.

Ever since Phish announced that they would be hosting their own three-day festival, which will be taking place on October 30 & 31 and November 1 in Indio, California at the same site as the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, speculation launched immediately about what the band would do for their "musical costume." One of the group's many traditions is to cover a classic album in its entirety on Halloween (past costumes include the Velvet Underground's Loaded and the Who's Quadrophenia), and this year will be no different.

As a way to build anticipation for the Halloween show (and the weekend itself, which is simply being called Festival 8), the band's official Web site currently contains a massive gallery of album covers. Each of these covers will be eliminated one-by-one (via a scary animated axe, complete with horror movie blood) until the last record standing gets crowned the victor. (It should be noted that we managed to guess a whole bunch of the potential albums in the above blog posts, and we still think the best idea is Billy Joel's 52nd Street.)

So far, the band has ruled out the following albums: Duran Duran's Rio, Elvis Costello's This Year's Model, Pink Floyd's Meddle, the Beatles' Rubber Soul, Firehose's Flyin' the Flannel, the Who's Who's Next, Leonard Cohen's I'm Your Man, David Bowie's Scary Monsters, the White Stripes' Elephant and Peter Gabriel's So, among others. The remaining albums are a mix of the strange (Hall & Oates' Private Eyes, Frank Zappa's Hot Rats), the divine (Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, Radiohead's Kid A, Love's Forever Changes) and the too-on-the-nose (the Grateful Dead's American Beauty, the Allman Brothers Band's Eat a Peach).

Of the remaining albums, it's probably reasonable to eliminate all of the metal (which means Metallica's Master of Puppets and Black Sabbath's Paranoid can take a walk) and hip-hop (say goodbye to the Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty). Since the newest album the group has ever covered was Talking Heads' Remain in Light, it seems unlikely they'd roll out anything too new (like Radiohead's Kid A, Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or MGMT's Oracular Spectacular).

Any of the remaining albums could probably get the nod. The Newsroom's vote? Go ahead and jam on Purple Rain, boys. You've earned it.

In the wake of last year's restart of "Friday the 13th" comes the resurrection of the other great slasher franchise of the 1980s. "A Nightmare on Elm Street," the movie that established New Line Cinema as a true studio player and awakened the careers of Wes Craven, Johnny Depp and Robert Englund, will be coming back in April of 2010, and the trailer just premiered this morning. The new film is directed by Samuel Bayer (who has made a name for himself as a video director for Green Day, Metallica, Garbage and others) and stars Jackie Earle Haley as supernatural baddie Freddy Krueger.

Based on the trailer, it appears as thought the new movie gets back to the general creepiness that inhabited the first of the franchise back in 1984. The subsequent films in the series had a more carnival atmosphere, and while they had their charms, they typically became wackier (and paler) versions of the original. One thing that is missing from this particular trailer, however, is Dokken. (Rhymes with "Rockin'!") Their song "Dream Warriors" was the official theme for "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors," and it's one of the most fantastic hair-metal film tie-ins of all time. The third movie in the series saw the return of Heather Langenkamp as Nancy Thompson and also starred a young Patricia Arquette, who makes an appearance in the Dokken video. Though it relies heavily on scenes from the movie, the band is seamlessly integrated into the clip's dream world, and it represents the only time the boys from Dokken looked even vaguely badass.