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Happy Birthday, Pink!

Posted 9/8/10 9:30 am EST by in Music


It's time for Alecia Moore — known the world over as sassy, tough pop star Pink — to celebrate, as today is her birthday. She turns 31 years old today, and she has already accomplished plenty in those three decades. Though she began her career as a prototypical pop/R&B girl in the Christina Aguilera mold, Pink managed to break out and embrace her inner bad girl, and refreshingly, that only brought her infinitely more success. (That narrative is detailed in the song "Don't Let Me Get Me," which also happened to be a massive hit.)

Born in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pink grew into a music-savvy teenager who got into the music business early. She joined an R&B trio called Choice when she was 16, and the group caught the attention of record mogul and LaFace Records Antonio "L.A." Reid. The group recorded an album that stalled before it really had a chance to get started, and they were broken up by 1998. However, Pink (who had borrowed her stage name from Steve Buscemi's character in the Quentin Tarantino film "Reservoir Dogs") stayed with Reid's label and churned out her solo debut Can't Take Me Home, which generated her first round of hits (including "There You Go" and "You Make Me Sick").

After elevating her profile as part of the 2001 remake of "Lady Marmalade" (alongside Aguilera, Lil Kim and Mya), Pink dropped M!ssundaztood, which found her exploring more of both of her personal musical influences and her deepest feelings (with the assistance of former 4 Non Blondes songwriter Linda Perry, who also elevated herself as a pop genius with Pink). The hits from M!ssundaztood became instant radio staples, including "Don't Let Me Get Me," "Just Like a Pill" and "Get the Party Started."

Since then, Pink has been on top of the world. She has dropped three more platinum albums (2003's Try This, 2006's I'm Not Dead and 2008's Funhouse). She has developed an extra-special reputation as a live performer, and her massive world tour for Funhouse has been a huge hit in a number of different countries. In honor of her birthday, check out a live performance of "Get the Party Started."

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Happy Birthday, Debbie Gibson!

Posted 8/31/10 10:30 am EST by in Music


First of all: Yes, we know she's officially Deborah Gibson now, but for anybody who grew up with "Shake Your Love" and "Out of the Blue," she'll always be Debbie. Today is her 40th birthday, so be sure to save her the big slice of cake and let her take a few extra swings at the pinata.

Gibson broke onto the pop scene just before her 17th birthday when she dropped her debut album Out of the Blue in 1987. Though most teenage pop sensations are the product of an army of producers, songwriters and stylists, Gibson was a completely self-made star who wrote, produced and arranged all of the songs on her debut. The album spawned a cavalcade of hit singles, including "Only in My Dreams," the aforementioned "Shake Your Love" and the title track. Those songs drove Out of the Blue to sales of three million in the U.S. and over eight million worldwide.

Following a hugely successful world tour, Gibson struck again with Electric Youth in 1989. That album scored another set of giant singles, including the title track and "Lost in Your Eyes." Though her subsequent albums started to fade in the United States, she continued to have international success (especially in the U.K. and Japan). She continued to release albums throughout the '90s while she made her way into acting. She put together an excellent theater career, starring in a beloved London production of "Grease" and then coming back to the stages to star in shows like "Beauty and the Beast," "Gypsy" and "Chicago." Lately, she has become something of a cult star in sci-fi movies, such as last year's "Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus" and the forthcoming "Mega Python vs. Gatoroid" (which co-stars former rival Tiffany, she of "I Think We're Alone Now" fame).

Gibson's biggest hit was "Foolish Beat," which came from Out of the Blue and peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. She still holds the record for being the youngest star to ever write, produce and perform a chart-topping song. Gibson was an MTV staple in the '80s, and the clip for "Foolish Beat" is one of the biggest in the channel's history.

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Happy Birthday, Demi Lovato!

Posted 8/20/10 9:30 am EST by in Music


It's a special day for birthdays, and not because Fred Durst is celebrating (though you know that he is). No, today is the day that actress, musician and "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" star Demi Lovato turns 18 years old. For a girl who is only now just old enough to vote, she has certainly accomplished a great deal, starring in the Disney Channel hit "Sonny With a Chance" as well as the first "Camp Rock" film (which was one of the most-watched Disney Channel movies of all time). But it's her music career that has been the most impressive aspect of her young career, as she has released two well-received albums and has performed for tens of thousands of fans (including on this summer's "Camp Rock 2" tour with the Jonas Brothers).

Lovato's first album, 2008's Don't Forget, came on the heels of the first "Camp Rock" film. With some assistance from the Jonas Brothers (they co-wrote six of the album's 11 tunes), Don't Forget is a super-charged batch of pop-rock tunes that take advantage of Lovato's versatile voice and knack for wrapping herself around sweet melodies (especially the hit single "Get Back" and the punchy "La La Land"). She followed up that album with Here We Go Again a year later, which debuted on top of the Billboard album chart. Her second album strips away some of the layers of sound of her debut and breaks the songs down to simpler forms (it's especially prevalent on "World of Chances," which she co-wrote with John Mayer). And, not surprisingly, her tunes are some of the best on the recently-released soundtrack album for "Camp Rock 2," highlighted by "Brand New Day" and "Different Summers." In honor of her birthday, we'll be cramming 18 candles onto a single cupcake (or, short of that, we'll just present her video for "Here We Go Again").

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Happy Birthday, Madonna!

Posted 8/16/10 11:30 am EST by in Music


Do you know what today is? It's the birthday of MTV News' own Vanessa White Wolf (if you've seen any VMA pre-shows or watched any of the live streams from Lollapalooza or San Diego Comic-Con, then you're familiar with her handiwork). But while we'll be celebrating that particular festive occasion, we should also take time out to wish a happy birthday to Madonna, perhaps the most important female pop star in the history of music. She is now 52 years old, and has spent the last few decades re-defining what it is to be an international pop star.

Interestingly, big things tend to happen on Madonna's birthday. In 1986, she was not only celebrating her birthday but also the first week of a two week run on the top of the charts with "Papa Don't Preach" (which was already her fourth chart-topper). She was also on top of the Billboard album chart when she turned 28, as True Blue climbed on top the same day and spent a month up there.

In 2005, she had a more somber birthday celebration, as Madonna was injured in a horse riding accident at her home on the English countryside. She suffered three cracked ribs, a broken collarbone and a broken hand in the incident. Still, she didn't let the bumps and bruises get in her way, as her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor came out as planned that fall. Her 10th studio album, Confessions represented the rise of Madonna's current persona, which is deeply steeped in international dance music styles and club-friendly hedonism. The lead single "Hung Up" was not only her 36th top 10 hit (an accomplishment that tied her with Elvis Presley for most all-time by a solo artist) but also one of the best ringtone songs of all time. What will Madonna do next? No matter what, she'll be ahead of the curve.

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Happy Birthday, James Hetfield!

Posted 8/3/10 10:30 am EST by in Music


If you should run into Metallica frontman James Hetfield today, toss up your most powerful metal horns and buy that dude a slice of Devil's Food cake, because it's his birthday. Hetfield is now 47 years old and aging rather well for a guy who has lived as hard as he has. As the co-founder (with drummer Lars Ulrich) and voice of one of metal's most enduring bands (and one of America's finest rock institutions), Hetfield has been responsible for some of the greatest shout-alongs in history (most notably "Exit light/ Enter night/ Take my hand/ We're off to Never-Never Land!").

Born in southern California in 1963, Hetfield was raised a Christian Scientist and began his musical exploration at age nine when he began taking piano lessons. He graduated to drums and then guitar, and he got deep into Aerosmith as well as a trend that was later described as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (or NWOBHM), which included bands like Mötorhead, Diamond Head, Saxon, Iron Maiden, Tygers of Pan Tang and Angel Witch. Hetfield helped form Metallica in 1981, a lineup that originally featured Ulrich, future Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine and childhood friend (and later roommate) Ron McGovney on bass. Mustaine was later kicked out of the band for his excessive drinking (a pretty profound statement considering they would later become known as "Alcoholica") and McGovney quit out of frustration, leading to the hiring of Kirk Hammett (formerly of Exodus) and Cliff Burton on bass (whose tragic passing in 1986 lead to the hiring of Jason Newsted; when Newsted quit in 2001, he was replaced by current bassist Robert Trujillo).

Throughout their long and successful career, Metallica have seen highs (Grammy Awards, VMAs, sold-out world tours, multi-platinum albums) and some absurd lows (problems with alcohol, Hetfield's multiple injuries, the entire "Some Kind of Monster" debacle). But they continue to crank out high-powered hard rock with striking consistency. Check out the video for "I Disappear," an underrated track from the soundtrack to "Mission: Impossible 2."

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Happy Birthday, Butch Vig: Wake-Up Video

Posted 8/2/10 8:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


If you've pumped your fist to a rock song in the past 25 years or so, you probably know the work of Butch Vig. The veteran producer and musician has been responsible for some of the most dynamic, memorable and important rock music of the past few generations, having sat behind the boards on at least three stone cold classics and getting his hands dirty for many more. Vig turns 55 years old today, which means he gets to have any flavor of ice cream he wants.

Vig (real name Bryan) got his start in Madison, Wisconsin where he attended college. His first brush with professional musicianship came when he began contributing soundtrack pieces to low-budget films. He was also a member of a number of bands, including combos with future Garbage bandmates Duke Erikson and Steve Marker. Two of those bands — Spooner and Fire Town — released albums and scored minor success in the indie world, but Vig found that he was more suited for production work.

His big break came in 1991, when he produced Smashing Pumpkins' debut album Gish and also took the controls for Nirvana's legendary Nevermind. Vig became a go-to guy for alt-rockers looking for a big, complicated sound. The hits kept coming with Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream (perhaps the purest example of Vig's aesthetic), Soul Asylum's Let Your Dim Light Shine, L7's Bricks Are Heavy and two albums for Sonic Youth (Dirty and Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star).

Vig went back to playing music full time in 1995, when he released the first album by his new band Garbage, which featured Erikson, Marker and former Angelfish singer Shirley Manson. The group helped blend together '90s alt-rock sensibilities with futuristic production tricks, dance music, New Wave and whatever else made for great arena-sized beat science. Though the band hasn't released new music since 2005, anticipation for new music remains high.

In recent years, Vig has continued to produce high-profile material by Green Day (he won a Grammy for his work on 21st Century Breakdown), Foo Fighters, Muse (their song on the soundtrack to "Eclipse" is a Vig production) and AFI. He is also responsible for Against Me!'s White Crosses, one of the best album of 2010.

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Happy Birthday, Beck!

Posted 7/8/10 3:30 pm EST by in Music


By Rya Backer

On July 8 of every year, Beck (born Bek David Campbell) celebrates his birthday. This year, he turns the big 4-0. This is a big deal for a number of reasons, mostly because 40 tends to be a seminal age in a man's life and also because Beck is probably my favorite singer of all time.

When I was a teenager, I was so obsessed with Beck that I celebrated his birthday every year. There was no serious fanfare — it would usually involve getting a slice or an ice cream and saying something to the effect of, "This is for you, future husband! Happy happy!"

This morning, I celebrated by listening to his most perfect work: 1996's Odelay, an album I loved so much growing up I burned through three copies of it on cassette. (For the kids in the audience, those were like mini VHS' that were ... oh, you don’t know what VHS is? Never mind.) It's the gold standard for a perfect album, as very seldom do you want to skip a track, and all the songs sound fitting next to each other.

But my favorite Beck video of all time is probably "Sexx Laws" from my second favorite album of his, Midnite Vultures. I came home early from school to watch him debut the video on "TRL" and he had no idea he was there for the short's premiere. He kept on spoiling its concept until Carson Daly cut him off. So here's Beck and his band and a wind machine and a Jack Black cameo and some first-class dance moves!



What's your birthday wish for Beck? Let us know in the comments!

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Happy Birthday, 50 Cent! Celebrate With Your Five Best Videos

Posted 7/6/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


Somewhere, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson will be blowing out 35 candles on a giant cake, as today is his birthday. The rapper's narrative is one of the most incredible in the history of rap music, as Fiddy overcame a broken home, life as a drug dealer, jail, label woes, all types of drama, a brutal attack that nearly killed him and the death of his mentor to become one of the most successful artists of the past decade. Since his debut Get Rich or Die Tryin' hit the streets in 2003, he has spent most of his career on top of the rap world, not only churning out commercial smashes like "Candy Shop" and "21 Questions" but also well-respected street singles and mixtapes (like 2009's much-beloved double shot of Forever King and War Angel LP).

50 Cent is also one of the best video artists to emerge in recent memory. Like friend Eminem, he manages to capture just about every level of his personality — from his rough thug side to his occasional goofiness — in every single clip he has produced over the length of his career. Check out the five best clips in his collection.

"In Da Club"
The clip that got Fiddy started remains one of his best, as it does an excellent job presenting exactly who he is: An MC comfortable throwing down in the studio (even one housed in a secret facility in the desert) and holding it down after hours. Plus, there's a cameo from Dr. Dre.


"Candy Shop"
In the first video from Fiddy's sophomore effort The Massacre, he projects himself into a super-sexy mansion full of ladies who are willing to drizzle chocolate sauce on themselves (but not until they take 50's shirt off with a whip). But then there's a twist!

Read More...

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Kris Allen Fans Celebrate His Birthday With Charitable Cows

Posted 6/21/10 8:00 am EST by in Music


In honor of Kris Allen's 25th birthday, a group of fans bought him some cows. 50 cows, to be exact. But it's not like the "Live Like We're Dying" singer is going to ditch his current tour and start raising cattle (at least as far as we know). Instead, the cows purchased in Kris' name will be put to use thanks to the charity Heifer International, which tackles poverty with livestock and education. You know the Chinese proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"? It's like that, but think turf instead of surf. (And milk. Lots and lots of milk.)

The fundraising started late last week when a small group of Kris fans created a Team Heifer page called "Alright With Moo." (For the uninitiated, Kris has a catchy song on his self-titled album called "Alright With Me." You've probably had it stuck in your head thanks to those inescapable Ford commercials where Kris talks about leaves, video games and saving three cents on gas.) The initial goal for "Alright With Moo" was one cow ($500), but once word spread around Kris fan sites and "Idol" blogs, 10 cows were purchased within 12 hours. The goal was upped to one cow for every year of Kris' life: 25. How tidy!

By Friday, a birthday video tribute had been created. (Bill Gates later embedded it on his "Daily On Twitter" page, proving that the bajillionaire digs “Live Like We’re Dying” as much as the next guy.) By the time Kris had officially turned 25 early this morning, "Alright With Moo" had raised over $25,000, exceeding their initial modest goal by 5000 percent.

This isn't the first time the "Idol"-obsessed have rallied for a good cause. Earlier this year, David Archuleta fans donated thousands of dollars (and virtual cupcakes) for the Haiti Relief effort, and Adam Lambert fans spent the better part of 2009 raising a whopping $250,000 for Donors Choose. Yo, "Idol" freaks. Be more awesome. I dare you.

We have it on good authority that Kris was blown away by his fans' charitable gift. So let's all raise a glass (of milk, duh!) to toast the birthday boy, and let's give a round of applause to all those who supported the cause with awareness, tenacity and tons of moolah. (Pun intended.)

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Happy Birthday, Bono!

Posted 5/10/10 5:00 pm EST by in Music


It's a big day in the life of the man born Paul Hewson, who is one of the most famous and iconic rock stars in history. Of course, he's known to the world as Bono, the singer for U2 and a full-time activist. He turns 50 years old today, so we at MTV News wanted to wish him a very happy birthday.

Really, considering how much he has accomplished, it's incredible that Bono is only 50 years old. His band first broke out way back in 1980 with their debut album Boy, which contained their first hit "I Will Follow" (he called himself "Bono Vox" then, which translates to "beautiful voice"). Their sound began as a hybrid of punk rock agitation, New Wave beauty and Eno-esque soundscapes. Over the course of the 1980s, they gradually morphed into one of the biggest bands on the planet, with MTV staples like "New Year's Day," "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" accosting the charts. In fact, their 1987 album The Joshua Tree is largely considered to be the finest album of the 1980s and one of the best ever made.

The '90s saw U2 expanding outward both sonically and socially. Their triptych of albums — 1991's Achtung Baby, 1993's Zooropa and 1997's Pop — toyed with electronic instruments, dance music, dub, prog rock and all manner of genres in between, all while still maintaining their core identity and knocking out hits like "One" and "Discotheque." All the while, they went on huge stadium-filling tours and worked more and more on charity projects and on worldwide outreach, with Bono leading the way in addressing the AIDS epidemic and third world debt relief.

The past decade has seen the band find their roots again, and they saw their anthemic epics providing the soundtrack to important moments in history (most notably "Beautiful Day," which became an unofficial theme song of survival following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001). They continue to produce incredible music to this day, as their 2009 album No Line on the Horizon delivered a handful more hits and another huge, envelope-pushing tour.

Bono is best known for the big notes on U2's most massive hits, but for our money, the best vocal he has ever delivered is found on the somewhat forgotten single "Sweetest Thing," which came out on one of the group's greatest hits albums and remains one of their simpler, clear-eyed pop tunes. Bono is also at his most charmingly goofy in the video, which demands to be seen and appreciated.

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