Alan Cross
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For the first time in 35 years, the Billboard Top 40 has no hip-hop or rap songs. Here’s whyHip-hop and rap have been driving culture in the U.S. for almost four decades now, especially in America. So why are these songs missing from the Top 40? It's ...complicated.EntertainmentNov 9, 2025
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From boxer shorts requests to vintage wines, the strange world of concert ridersWhen an artist is on tour, they often require some very specific backstage provisions in their concert riders. Sometimes, things can get very weird.EntertainmentSep 28, 2025
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I’ll give up the iTunes Music Store — when you pry it from my cold, dead handsI've been a heavy, diehard user of iTunes from the moment it was made available for Windows in 2003. I'll never give it up, even though some claim streaming has made it obsolete.EntertainmentSep 7, 2025
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Record stores, radio specials and other things I miss about the old music industryThe music industry has gone through a lot of changes over the last 25 years and while it's important to adapt, there are some things about the old days that are missed.EntertainmentAug 17, 2025
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Gavin Rossdale on the new Bush album, cooking, and staying away from social mediaWith the 10th studio album from Bush now available, Gavin Rossdale talks about songwriting, the enduring legacy of the '90s, and how to make a killer cauliflower dish.EntertainmentJul 20, 2025
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The tortuous process of finding a name for your bandNext to actually writing songs, the most difficult thing a band has to do is come up with a name. It is not easy.EntertainmentJun 8, 2025
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Finally, a mental health survey of the Canadian music industry. The situation is direPreliminary results of a mental health survey of people working in Canada's music industry show high rates of anxiety, fatigue and financial stress among the initial respondents.EntertainmentMay 11, 2025
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Trump, tariffs and music: What could possibly go wrong?The zigzagging, on-again-off-again policies regarding tariffs in the U.S. will have a greater impact on music than people realize. Possibly. Maybe.EntertainmentApr 20, 2025
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It’s time to update the definition of Canadian content. You can have a sayOur Canadian content rules when it comes to music on the radio have been unchanged on the books since 1971. It's time for an update. Here's how you can get involved.EntertainmentMar 2, 2025
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Alan Cross’s 10 predictions for the world of music in 2024Making predictions about the future is a generally silly exercise but let's go ahead anyway and prognosticate about where music will go in 2024.EntertainmentDec 31, 2023
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