Top Stories

Stories in Beat that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.

The Best Country Music In 2022
One of the best things to come out of 2022 was an abundance of refreshing and lyrically poignant new music. From Kelsea Ballerini’s GRAMMY-nominated song “HEARTFIRST” to country crooner Nate Smith’s “Whiskey On You,” we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite songs to come out this year!
By Jennifer Barnes3 years ago in Beat
30 Great Songs of Donna Summer
Donna Summer achieved major success throughout her career. She made it into the Top 10 with 14 songs in the US and has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide. To this day her albums still sell about 1.5 million copies per year every year and her fan base is as strong and fervent as it was in the 1970s. I love Donna Summer. Her voice was amazing. I would go so far as to call her one of the greatest vocalists of all-time.
By Rick Henry Christopher 3 years ago in Beat
Like Phantoms Forever
“Welcome to the Black Parade” used to be my least favorite song on My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade, which happens to be my favorite album of all time. With over half a billion Spotify streams to date and a permanent spot on every mid-2000s emo nostalgia playlist, it is by far their most iconic song. But I skip it almost every time it comes on. I still like it, but once you’ve listened to a few too many mid-2000s emo nostalgia playlists, you start to get very tired of that G note intro.
By Abbey 3 years ago in Beat
Chances Are Your Favorite Christmas Songs Were Written By Jewish People
For most Christmas lovers, you'd think that the popular Christmas songs they've come to love were created by others who loved the holiday. Right? Well, it might come as a surprise, but most of the Christmas songs we've come to love and celebrate with every year were not written by Christians... they were written by Jews.
By Jenika Enoch3 years ago in Beat
Documentary Review: Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill
Lost Angel The Genius of Judee Sill Directed by Andy Brown and Brian Lindstrom Written by Documentary Starring Judy Sill, David Crosby, Linda Ronstadt.
By Sean Patrick3 years ago in Beat
The Ultimate Autumn Playlist For Nerds
Call me weird if you like, but autumn and winter are my favourite seasons. Sure, summer is nice with it's heat and it's pretty flowers and the opportunity to wear shorts but...it's just not for me.
By Leigh Hooper3 years ago in Beat
The Night I performed at an Iconic Venue
As a young man, I was heavily into the punk rock scene, and via my involvement in that, I produced a crude music fanzine called Aural Nightmares. I also attended many local gigs, starting off with mainstream acts, such as Chelsea and the Vibrators, but later branching off into the anarcho-punk sector, seeing bands like Conflict, Amebix and the Subhumans.
By Joe Young3 years ago in Beat
A Brief History of "It's My Party"
Lesley Gore It was in 1962 that 16-year-old Lesley Gore went for her voice lesson. But this time around she and her piano player decided to visit a local studio in New York to cut some demos. Through an agent her demo made it to the desk of Irving Green the president of Mercury Records. Green was impressed by what he heard and signed the 16-year-old Gore. Green teamed Gore with up-and-coming producer Quincy Jones. Jones had just finished recording his jazz albums Big Band Bossa Nova and Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits. He also just wrapped up recording projects with Nana Mouskouri, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington and went right into working with Count Basie, Billy Eckstine, and the Teen Queen of the U.S.A. Lesley Gore.
By Rick Henry Christopher 3 years ago in Beat
A Brief History of "Tears of a Clown"
Smokey Robinson and The Miracles It was 1966 when 16 year old Stevie Wonder wrote the music for "Tears of a Clown." He then gave the instrumental to Smokey Robinson during the Motown Christmas party that year. He told Smokey that he had a great instrumental, but he couldn't come up with any lyrics.
By Rick Henry Christopher 4 years ago in Beat
Cardi B Returns to Middle School with a Bag, but How Much is Enough?
While it is beautiful for an artist like Cardi B to go back to her middle school with $100,000 in tow, what is the limit? How much (or how little) should artists and other figures in the spotlight give to their previous institutions of learning whether they be elementary schools or universities and everything in between?
By Skyler Saunders4 years ago in Beat
The Softer Side of Tupac Shakur: Poetry, Life, & Wisdom
When most of us hear the name Tupac Shakur, we think of 90s rap music and a rather tough exterior. But underneath that hard shell lies a much softer side of him that few people realize existed. After his death, some of his most intimate, hand-written poems, including a book of his childhood poetry and illustrations, were uncovered. His poetry, which is quite heartfelt and profound, offers a window into his personal life, allowing us to see far beyond his hip-hop persona. While the lyrics in some of his rap songs were offensive enough to insult most women and anyone he hated, his poetry is quite the contrast with his music and the image he portrayed.
By Jennifer M. Ward4 years ago in Beat
A Playlist Of Places
Introduction I was wondering if I could create a playlist of songs I love about places, because I love the place or have a great friend who lives there or it is just a beautiful song that makes me want to go there. We all love something that gives us a feeling of warmth, comfort and longing.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 4 years ago in Beat