Posts Tagged ‘Elvis Presley’
“People haven’t always been there for me but music always has”*…
Well, they’re there now– and of all ages…
Taylor Swift made headlines throughout 2023 thanks to her super successful Eras Tour and her relationship with a certain football player, which launched her already-sky-high popularity into the stratosphere. Now, there’s additional evidence of her global dominance, even among the 2- to 8-year-old set: The Little Golden Book about the pop star sold more than 1 million copies in its first seven months.
This makes the title Taylor Swift: A Little Golden Book Biography the fastest-selling title in Little Golden Book history…
NPD BookScan told The Washington Post that a typical Little Golden Book biography sells 5,000-6,000 copies in its first four weeks, and some become more popular over time. The Taylor Swift book sold 167,872 copies during that same time frame and sales appear to have been boosted by adults, the Wall Street Journal reports…
Laying the foundation for a lasting legacy? “The Taylor Swift Little Golden Book becomes the series’ biggest seller,” from @Simplemostsite.
Apposite? here and here (via the always-illuminating Today in Tabs)
* Taylor Swift
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As we ponder pop phenomena, we might note that, per the Luminate report issued today, Swift officially surpassed Elvis Presley’s longstanding Billboard 200 album chart record as the solo artist with the most weeks atop the chart. She set a new mark of 68 total weeks, as 1989 (Taylor’s Version) landed atop the chart for a fifth time in the final full tracking week of 2023.
That said, in order to surpass the all-time record, she has a long way to go – that crown is currently held by The Beatles, who maintain a significant lead with an impressive 132 weeks at the top of the chart.
“There is nothing permanent except change”*…
Menudo has been ranked one of the Biggest Boy Bands of All Time by several publications (Billboard, Us Weekly, Seventeen, and Teen Vogue, among others)– the only Latin band on their lists. The Puerto Rican boy band, founded by producer Edgardo Díaz in 1977, has had 39 members– who’ve been routinely replaced as they “age out,” usually at 16. It has launched the careers of a number of popular international stars, including Ricky Martin (in Menudo 1984–89) and Draco Rosa (1984–87), and sold over 20 million albums worldwide.
The band disbanded in 2009, but re-formed on its old template in 2019. And it’s just announced its latest roster, bringing its count of members up to 44…
Nearly a year after Menudo Productions announced they were on the search for new members to form the next generation of Menudo, the band has officially unveiled the five boys that will comprise the group.
On Monday (March 20), Nicolas Calero (10), Gabriel Rossell (13), Andres Emilio (14), Alejandro Querales (15) and Ezra Gilmore (12) were announced as the new faces of the eternally youthful boy band. And, in celebration of the announcement, the group also released their very first single “Mi Amore,” the first song off their upcoming debut album…
What’s old is new again: “New Menudo Boy Band Members Unveiled,” from @billboard.
* Heraclitus
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As we board the Ship of Theseus, we might recall that it was on this date in 1958, at 6.35am, that Elvis Presley reported to the Memphis draft board to be inducted in the U.S. Army. From there Elvis and twelve other recruits were taken by bus to Kennedy Veterans Memorial Hospital where the singer was assigned Army serial number 53310761.
“The sound must seem an echo to the sense”*…
As devices once common fall out of use, we stop hearing the sounds that they made…
“Conserve the sound” is an online archive for disappearing sounds. The sounds of a rotary dial phone, a Walkman, an analog typewriter, a pay phone, a 56k modem, a nuclear power plant or even a mobile phone keyboard have partly disappeared or are just disappearing from everyday life. In addition, people have their say in text and video interviews and deepen their view into the world of disappearing sounds…”
The signature sounds of the items above and so many more: “Conserve the sound,” a project of CHUNDERKSEN.
Apposite: “Google Translate for the zoo? How humans might talk to animals,” a review of Karen Bakker‘s The Sounds of Life.
And. of course, 32 Sounds.
* Alexander Pope
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As we listen in, we might recall that it was on this date in 1986, in Cleveland, that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted it’s first class of members: Little Richard, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Alan Freed, John Hammond, Buddy Holly, Robert Johnson, Jerry Lee Lewis, San Phillips, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Jimmie Rodgers, and Jimmy Yancey. The I. M. Pei designed museum opened on June 7, 1993.
“Full Metal Jacket”*…
Heavy metal is a vast and complex subculture, with supremely elitist followers and heavily codified attire, impenetrable to those outside of its fanbase. As heavy metal’s influence continues to spread throughout culture, from Justin Bieber’s Purpose Tour imitation of Pentagram’s logo to Tommy Genesis wearing Toxic Holocaust merch, Melchior Tersen’s timely and impressive book, Killing Technology [here], documents the frontline of its symbolism: patches and patch jackets, DIY garments that fans build up themselves, sometimes over many years. Patches are bought at festivals, on merch tables at gigs and from record shops and online distros. Sites like T-Shirt Slayer exist both to trade in rare items and, more importantly, to show off collections of rare items. The breadth of the genre is overwhelming, but most true metal fans would be able to size you up immediately by the patches you wear on your jacket…
Metal style was a fashion in the 90s. Now we are in an era that’s more based on reblogging than pure avant-garde creation. Still, metal visuals fascinate a public that’s not necessarily into metal as music. A consideration of the form– and more photos– at Paper Journal‘s interview with Tersen: “Killing Technology.”
* (the title of a Stanley Kubrick film)
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As we get loud, we might recall that it was on this date in 1958 that Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” become that first single to enter the U.K. pop charts at #!. The record (the B-side “treat Me Nice”) would stayed on top for three weeks.
As we prepare for Holiday travel…
“Pilots and co-pilots on many airlines are required to eat different meals to minimize the effects of food poisoning if it should occur…” Says it all.
[TotH to DoobyBrain]
As we unwrap the food that we carried on, we might recall that it was on this date in 1970 that The President met The King: Richard M. Nixon welcomed Elvis Presley into the Oval Office. Two days after meeting Vice President Spiro Agnew in Palm Springs, Presley flew to D.C., and headed unannounced to the White House (with two bodyguards), where he presented the Marine guard with a hand-written letter to Nixon offering his services in the War on Drugs. The leatherneck got permission to admit The King, but having recognized him, apparently didn’t search him: on meeting Nixon, Presley pulled out an antique Colt .45 which he presented to the President as a token of his commitment to the cause. Some weeks later, Nixon offered Presley an official position in the Administration’s anti-drug campaign.
Six and a half years later, Presley died of heart failure, attributed by the coroner’s report to “undetermined causes.” It’s widely believed, however, that his death was caused by a lethal mix of a variety of prescription drugs and obesity.
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