Bands & Artists History

EVERY AVENUE

Formed: 2003 in Marysville, MI

Years Active: 00's

Genre: ROCK

Every Avenue's energetic combo of emo and pop took root in 2003, when members David Ryan Strauchman (vocals, piano), Joshua Randall (guitar), Jimmie Deeghan (guitar), Cameron "Cam" Grestiner (bass), and Michael Govaere (drums) first came together in Marysville, Michigan. A self-titled record was released that same year on the band's own tab. By 2007, however, Fearless Records had noticed Every Avenue's promise and signed them to the label's roster. The six-song Ah! EP was issued that summer, and a full-length record, Shh. Just Go with It, was released in early 2008. Subsequently, the band became regulars on the Vans Warped tour before recording 2009’s Picture Perfect and 2011’s Bad Habits for Fearless Records.

BOYS LIKES GIRLS

Genre: ROCK

Unafraid to wear their heart on their collective sleeve, the Boston-based emo-pop outfit Boys Like Girls features singer/guitarist Martin Johnson, bassist Bryan Donahue, drummer John Keefe, and guitarist Paul DiGiovanni (the last two members being cousins). After Boys Like Girls posted several demo recordings online, the band's lively hooks and youthful enthusiasm had gathered them quite a following by 2005's end, while also catching the attention of industry players like booking agent Matt Galle (My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday), and producer Matt Squire (Panic at the Disco, Northstar), both of whom contacted the band about working together. Following a national PureVolume-sponsored tour with Hit the Lights and A Thorn for Every Heart, Boys Like Girls entered the studio with Squire to record their debut album. The resulting self-titled effort appeared in August 2006 on Red Ink. Although initial sales were slow, the album eventually went gold, and tracks like "Thunder" helped Boys Like Girls maintain a presence on the Billboard charts throughout 2008. Following the release of a DVD, Read Between the Lines, the band returned to the recording studio to commence working on a second album, which appeared in 2009 under the title Love Drunk. In 2011, the band announced it had parted ways with bassist Donahue and was working on a new album.

GO RADIO

Genre: ROCK

Singer/guitarist Jason Lancaster left Mayday Parade in April 2007, shortly after the band finished recording the album A Lesson in Romantics for Fearless Records. Burnt out on music and needing a break, Lancaster quickly discovered, however, that he couldn't stay away from playing for long, and by 2008, he had moved on and formed the similar-sounding Go Radio. Based in Tallahassee, FL, he recruited bassist Matt Burns and drummer Steven Kopacz, and after going through two guitarists, the band eventually found another guitarist in Alex Reed by 2009. It was decided within weeks that the guys wanted the group to be more than just a hobby, and in August 2008, Go Radio's first EP of emo-laced pop/rock was released, titled Welcome to Life. They toured behind the record, sharing dates with fellow Floridian rockers Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, among others, and in January 2010, they were signed by Lancaster's old label, Fearless Records. Go Radio's second EP, Do Overs and Second Chances, was recorded with the help of producers Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount (All Time Low, Mayday Parade) and issued in April 2010. The seven-song record was then supported on the road with A Day to Remember, August Burns Red, and Silverstein.





 LINKIN PARK

Formed: January 1, 1996

Although rooted in alternative metal, Linkin Park became one of the most successful acts of the early 2000s by welcoming elements of hip-hop, modern rock, and atmospheric electronica into their music. The band's rise was indebted to the aggressive rap-rock movement made popular by the likes of Korn and Limp Bizkit, a movement that paired grunge's alienation with a bold, buzzing soundtrack. Linkin Park added a unique spin to that formula, however, focusing as much on the vocal interplay between singer Chester Bennington and rapper Mike Shinoda as the band's muscled instrumentation, which layered DJ effects atop heavy, processed guitars. While the group's sales never eclipsed those of its tremendously successful debut, Hybrid Theory, few alt-metal bands rivaled Linkin Park during the band's heyday.


Drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, and MC/vocalist Mike Shinoda attended high school in Southern California, where they formed the rap-rock band Xero in 1996. Bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, singer Mark Wakefield, and DJ/art student Joseph Hahn joined soon after, and the band courted various labels while playing hometown shows in Los Angeles. Few companies expressed interest in Xero's self-titled demo tape, however, prompting Wakefield to leave the lineup (he would later resurface as the manager for Taproot). Hybrid Theory became the band's temporary moniker in 1998 as replacement singer Chester Bennington climbed aboard, and the revised band soon settled on a final name: Linkin Park, a misspelled reference to Lincoln Park in Santa Monica. With Bennington and Shinoda sharing vocal duties, the musicians now wielded enough power to distinguish themselves from the wave of nu-metal outfits that had appeared during the decade's latter half. Warner Bros. vice president Jeff Blue took note and signed Linkin Park in 1999, sending the band into the studio with Don Gilmore shortly thereafter.


Linkin Park titled their debut album Hybrid Theory, a tribute to the band's past, and released the record during the fall of 2000. "Crawling" and "In the End" were massive radio hits; the latter song even topped the U.S. Modern Rock chart while peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, an example of the band's crossover appeal. Linkin Park joined the Family Values Tour and also played shows with Cypress Hill, leading the group to log over 320 shows in 2001 alone. Come January 2002, Hybrid Theory had received three Grammy nominations and sold over seven million copies. (Sales later topped ten million, earning the album "diamond status" and making Hybrid Theory one of the most successful debuts ever.) Despite their meteoric rise, however, Linkin Park spent the remainder of the year holed up in the recording studio, again working with producer Don Gilmore on a follow-up album. Meanwhile, the timely summer release of Reanimation helped appease the band's eager audience, offering remixed versions of Hybrid Theory's tracks.


A proper sophomore effort, Meteora, arrived in March 2003, featuring a heavier sound and stronger elements of rap-rock. Although the record spawned several modern rock hits, songs such as "Numb," "Somewhere I Belong," and "Breaking the Habit" furthered the band's crossover appeal by simultaneously charting on the Hot 100. Linkin Park once again supported the album with ample touring, including performances with the second annual Projekt Revolution Tour (the band's own traveling festival, which originally launched in 2002) and additional shows with the likes of Metallica and Limp Bizkit. Live in Texas was released to document the band's strength as a touring act, and the bandmates tackled various personal projects before beginning work on a second remix project.


Released in 2004, Collision Course found the band collaborating with king-of-the-mountain rapper Jay-Z, resulting in a number of mashups that sampled from both artists' catalogs. Collision Course topped the charts upon its release, the first EP to do so since Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies, and Jay-Z furthered his association with the band by asking co-founder Mike Shinoda to explore the possibility of a solo hip-hop project. He did, dubbing the project Fort Minor and releasing The Rising Tied in 2005 with Jay-Z as executive producer. Linkin Park then reconvened in 2006 to begin work on a third studio album, which saw Shinoda sharing production credits with Rick Rubin. The resulting Minutes to Midnight arrived in 2007, debuting at number one in several countries and spawning the Top Ten single "What I've Done." In 2010 the band teamed up with Rubin again to produce its fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns.





AVRIL LAVIGNE

Born: September 27, 1984 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Years Active: 00's
Genre: ROCK

Avril Lavigne first appeared in summer 2002, touting an addictive debut single (the spunky pop/rock gem "Complicated") and a skatepunk image that purposely clashed with the polished glamour of mainstream pop. Lavigne, who was 17 at the time, quickly rose to teen idol status, selling several million copies of her debut album, Let Go (the best-selling album by a female artist in 2002), while inspiring a genuine fashion craze with her penchant for tank tops and neckties. As the decade progressed, so did Lavigne's marketable sound, which took a contemplative turn on the sophomore effort Under My Skin before reaching an aggressively upbeat tone for 2007's The Best Damn Thing.


Born into a devout Christian household in the small town of Napanee, Ontario, Lavigne sharpened her vocal talents in church choirs, local festivals, and county fairs. She began playing guitar and writing songs in her early teens, focusing her early efforts on country music and contributing vocals to several albums by local folk musician Steve Medd. Arista Records caught wind of the singer and brought her aboard at the age of 16, with CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid personally taking Lavigne under his wing. She quit high school, relocated to Manhattan, and set to work with a handful of prime songwriters and producers, but the partnerships only produced country songs, not the rock music in which Lavigne had become increasingly interested. Arista relented and instead sent Lavigne to Los Angeles, where she fashioned her melodic, edgy debut alongside such writing teams as the Matrix. Released in 2002, Let Go was the polished product, and its four high-charting singles -- "Complicated," "Sk8er Boi," "I'm with You," and "Losing Grip" -- led the album to multi-platinum status within its second month of release. Lavigne became the youngest female musician ever to have a number one album in the U.K., and she supported the wildly popular disc (which eventually gained eight Grammy nominations) with a tour of Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia.


Compared with the skin-bearing antics of other teen idols -- Britney Spears chief among them -- Lavigne was a new kind of superstar, one whose appeal didn't rely on sexy videos or suggestive music. She further distinguished herself by bypassing the assistance of professional writing teams during the creation of her second album, choosing instead to collaborate with singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk, Evanescence's Ben Moody, and Evan Taubenfeld (who had previously worked with Lavigne as her touring guitarist). Released in May 2004, Under My Skin was more serious than its predecessor, dealing with such issues as premarital sex ("Don't Tell Me"), depression ("Nobody's Home"), and the death of Lavigne's grandfather ("Slipped Away"). The album debuted at number one in more than ten countries, went platinum within one month, and further established Lavigne as a pop icon. Incidentally, a song that was co-written by Lavigne and ultimately cut from the final track list -- "Breakaway" -- was later given to Kelly Clarkson, who used it as the title track and lead-off single for her Grammy-winning sophomore album.


Lavigne married her boyfriend of two years, Sum 41's Deryck Whibley, in July 2006, just one month after the animated film Over the Hedge announced her cinematic debut (Lavigne voiced the part of Heather, a hungry opossum). She also appeared in Richard Linklater's fictional adaptation of Fast Food Nation, which was released that November. Nevertheless, she spent most of the year working on her third album, enlisting former blink-182 drummer Travis Barker to play drums, and cherry-picking a variety of producers (including her husband) to helm the recording sessions. The Best Damn Thing appeared in April 2007, and its lead-off single, "Girlfriend," marked a return to the bratty, spunky, punk-pop of her first album. "Girlfriend" soon became the subject of controversy as the '70s power pop band the Rubinoos sued Lavigne, claiming that her tune reworked their 1979 song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." No amount of bad publicity could hurt the singer, however, as "Girlfriend" became her biggest U.S. single ever and The Best Damn Thing topped album charts worldwide.


Lavigne filed for divorce from Whibley in October of 2009. The dissolution of their union featured heavily on her next album, 2011's Goodbye Lullaby, which included tracks produced by Whibley.



DAUGHTRY

Formed: December 26, 1979 in Roanoke Rapids, NC
Years Active: 00's
Genre: ROCK

Bo Bice proved that American Idol could have a rocker as a finalist, but Chris Daughtry proved that the show could generate a successful rocker outside the context of the show. Of course, it helped that he was the polar opposite of Bice, a shaggy retro-rocker soaked in the South. Bold and bald, Daughtry was the picture of a modern rocker, living by the rulebook written by Live and Fuel. These were the qualities that helped make Chris Daughtry the most successful new rock & roll singer of 2006, as well as one of the most successful Idol graduates in the show's history.


Like many American Idol finalists, Daughtry had a long run as an amateur musician. The North Carolina native -- born in Roanoke Rapids, he lived in Charlottesville, Virginia before establishing himself in the Greensboro area -- began singing in local rock bands when he was 16 years old. He continued to play local shows after his high-school graduation in 1998, marrying his girlfriend Deanna several months after the January 2000 birth of their son Griffin (he also adopted Deanna's daughter from a previous marriage). Family man he may have been, but Daughtry didn't let his rock & roll dream die, as he continued to play guitar and sing in a band called Absent Element. He also auditioned for Rock Star: INXS in 2005 but was rejected -- a rejection that turned out to be rather fortunate, as it freed him to audition for the far more popular televised singing competition American Idol.


Daughtry was featured heavily during the show's seemingly never-ending audition rounds for two reasons: he was telegenic, and he capitalized on the rocker promise of Bo Bice and Constantine Maroulis from the previous season. Moreover, he was bald and handsome, had a terrific smile, and his devotion to family made for great TV. Daughtry sailed through to Hollywood and made it into the final 12, where he was hailed as a standout and soon seemed to be a favorite to win. Daughtry mania began to peak in March when his rendition of Fuel's "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" caused such a sensation that rumors began to fly that Fuel wanted to hire him as their lead singer -- something that proved to be no rumor, as the modern rock group, savoring the new press, practically pleaded for his presence after he was voted off the show. But this was still two long months away -- two months in which he continued to be one of the top draws in the season, even courting some controversy when he sang Live's arrangement for Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line." This moody reinterpretation was misinterpreted as a Daughtry original, and on the results show he had to clarify where he had learned this version. Still, this controversy paled to his exit from the show in May: Daughtry was one of the final four and Katharine McPhee just narrowly beat him, a result that visibly shocked the rocker. Daughtry would soon have the last laugh.


After he was kicked off of Idol, he turned down Fuel's standing offer of replacing their lead singer and set off on his own career, signing with Idol's 19 Entertainment group and RCA Records in July 2006. By the time his album materialized in November, it had turned into a project by a band called DAUGHTRY (spelled all in capital letters), whose lineup featured guitarist Jeremy Brady, guitarist Josh Steely, bassist Josh Paul, and drummer Joey Barnes. They did not play as a band on the finished album, though, as Brady was replaced after the album's release by Brian Craddock -- a matter of semantics overlooked by most, especially in light of the album's blockbuster success. Like many hotly anticipated albums of the SoundScan era, it debuted high on the charts, but it surprisingly remaining in the Top Ten for months. Leadoff single "It's Not Over" proved to be equally popular. This meant that DAUGHTRY was not only a huge hit by Idol standards, it was one of the few hit rock albums -- period -- in 2006.


By February, it was evident that Chris Daughtry's popularity eclipsed his American Idol rivals Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, as DAUGHTRY was certified the fastest-selling debut album in SoundScan history. Five hits charted in the Top 40 before the singer set to work on a sophomore album. Released in 2009, Daughtry's Leave This Town was a solid follow-up to his hit debut album and featured more of his signature back-to-basics modern rock sounds. In 2011, Daughtry returned with the album Break the Spell. Once again produced by Howard Benson, who helmed Daughtry's 2007 self-titled debut and 2009's Leave This Town, Break the Spell featured the leadoff single "Renegade."


MAROON 5

Formed: January 1, 1994

A mix of polished pop/rock and neo-soul made Maroon 5 one of the most popular bands of the 2000s, with songs like "This Love," "She Will Be Loved," and "Makes Me Wonder" all topping the charts worldwide. Previously, bandmates Adam Levine (vocals/guitar), Jesse Carmichael (keyboards), Mickey Madden (bass), and Ryan Dusick (drums) had spent the latter half of the '90s playing in Kara's Flowers, even releasing a debut album for Reprise Records while still attending high school. The record tanked, however, and Kara's Flowers found themselves dropped from Reprise's roster. After briefly attending college, the bandmates regrouped as Maroon 5, added former Square guitarist James Valentine to the lineup and embracing a more R&B-influenced sound. Several years later, the quintet had officially risen to the forefront of pop music with Songs About Jane and It Won't Be Soon Before Long, both of which went multi-platinum.


Songs About Jane propelled the band into the mainstream, but the album was not an immediate hit. Octone Records had signed the newly christened Maroon 5 in 2001, and the debut album Jane received a lukewarm response upon its in June 2002. "Harder to Breathe" became a radio staple 17 months later and was soon followed by the omnipresent "This Love," whose steamy video (featuring frontman Levine and a barely clothed girlfriend) wooed the TV-watching crowds at MTV. Songs About Jane finally entered the Billboard Top Ten in August 2004, more than two years after the album's release, and follow-up singles like "She Will Be Loved" and "Sunday Morning" helped the album move over 2.7 million copies by year's end.


Maroon 5 toured exhaustively in support of Jane's slow-burning success, issuing two stopgap recordings -- 2004's 1.22.03.Acoustic and 2005's Live Friday the 13th -- while traveling the world alongside groups like the Rolling Stones and John Mayer. Their schedule was especially trying on percussionist Dusick, who sustained wrist and shoulder injuries and was often unable to play. By fall 2006, Dusick had been officially replaced by Matt Flynn (the former drummer for Gavin DeGraw), and the revised band released its sophomore effort in May 2007. It Won't Be Soon Before Long proved to be less popular than its predecessor (which had sold more than four million copies in the U.S. alone), but it still enjoyed double-platinum certification while spinning off the chart-topping single "Makes Me Wonder."


Maroon 5 had cemented their status as pop/rock heavyweights, and they now had the connections to prove it. Released in late 2008, Call and Response: The Remix Album reinterpreted the band's catalog with remixes by influential producers like Mary J. Blige, Mark Ronson, and Pharrell Williams. Meanwhile, the band worked with a different producer -- veteran rock/country architect Robert John "Mutt" Lange -- on a third studio album, Hands All Over, which was released in September 2010.



TAYLOR SWIFT

Born: December 13, 1989 in Wyomissing, PA
Years Active: 00's
Genre: CTRY

Taylor Swift became one of country's brightest (and youngest) faces in 2006, when the 16-year-old released her first album. Although new to the American public, Swift had been performing since her preteen years in Wyomissing, PA, where she first took the stage as part of a children's theater troupe. Encouraged by the troupe's manager to pursue music instead, Swift began performing karaoke songs at a local mall, with open-mike gigs following shortly thereafter. She sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a Philadelphia 76ers game at the age of 11; the following year, she began practicing the guitar several hours each day, modeling her early songwriting attempts on crossover artists like Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks. Swift's parents realized her dedication and began making regular visits to Nashville, Tennessee, where Swift could perform casually and meet with songwriters in the area. The family then decided to move to an outlying Nashville suburb, which accelerated Swift's career.


While performing at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Swift caught the eye of music industry veteran Scott Borchetta, who signed her to his newly formed label. Swift joined the roster at Big Machine Records and released her debut single, "Tim McGraw," in August 2006. The song drew upon her experience as a lovelorn high-school student, a theme that Swift revisited throughout her self-titled debut album. Released in late 2006, Taylor Swift catapulted the young songwriter to stardom, spawned a handful of hits (five consecutive Top Ten singles, a new record for a female solo artist), and earned multi-platinum status. Swift also received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, an award she ultimately lost to Amy Winehouse. Two subsequent EPs -- Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection and Beautiful Eyes -- helped maintain Swift's popularity while she worked on another album, which arrived in November 2008.


Swift's debut record made her a queen in the country world, but 2008's Fearless positioned her as the year's biggest star of any genre. The sophomore album went gold during its first week of release; combined with the sales of its predecessor, it also made Swift the highest-grossing artist of 2008. The accolades increased in 2009, when Fearless went multi-platinum and took home two ACM awards, five American Music Awards, five CMAs, two CMTs, and a controversial trophy at the MTV Video Music Awards (Kanye West infamously stormed the stage during Swift's acceptance speech to throw his support to Beyoncé, claiming she deserved the award instead). Meanwhile, "You Belong with Me" peaked at number two on the pop charts, officially cementing Swift's status as a crossover artist. By the time 2009 drew to a close, Fearless had sold nearly six million copies in America alone, making it the year's best-selling album.


Swift kicked off the new year by contributing two songs to the Valentine's Day soundtrack. She also made a cameo in the film, playing the high-school sweetheart of her real-life boyfriend, Taylor Lautner. Swift then focused her attention on wrapping up her third album, Speak Now, which she'd written entirely on her own throughout the two previous years. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and by August 2011 had sold over 5.5 million copies worldwide. That same year, Swift released her first live album, World Tour Live.




BRUNO MARS

 

Genre: ROCK

After working a string of behind-the-scenes jobs -- including writing songs for Brandy, singing backup for the Sugababes, and impersonating Elvis -- songwriter/producer Bruno Mars put his name on top of the charts in 2009 by co-writing Flo Rida's hit song "Right Round." One year later, he collaborated with rapper B.o.B on “Nothin’ on You” and co-wrote Travis McCoy's "Billionaire," both of which became Top Ten hits. Mars used that momentum to launch a solo career, quickly becoming the first male vocalist in two decades to crack the Top Ten with his first four singles.


Born Peter Hernandez in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mars kicked off his career at the age of four by fronting his uncle’s band, becoming Oahu's youngest Elvis impersonator in the process. Ten years later, he was impersonating the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, as part of the Legends in Concert show. After graduating high school in 2003, he took his uncle's advice and moved to California to pursue a music career. After months of frustration, he met songwriter Phillip Lawrence, who convinced Mars to try his hand at writing songs for other artists. The two dubbed themselves the Smeezingtons and co-wrote “Long Distance,” which was recorded in 2008 by R&B singer Brandy. More offers arrived after that, and Mars and Lawrence scored their first number one hit in 2009, when they co-authored Flo Rida's international smash "Right Round."


By 2010, Mars seemed to be everywhere: singing alongside B.o.B on the chart-topping “Nothin’ on You,” co-writing Travie McCoy's “Billionaire,” and collaborating with Cee-Lo Green on the Grammy-nominated hit "F*ck You!" He also began issuing his own material, starting with the May 2010 release of his first EP, It's Better If You Don't Understand. Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Mars' full-length debut, appeared later that year and quickly produced a number one single, "Just the Way You Are."


B.O.B.

Born: November 15, 1988 in Decatur, GA
Years Active: 00's;0 's
Genre: RAP

Of all the rap artists who emerged from Atlanta during the late 2000s, B.o.B -- who was only 17 when he signed his first major-label record deal -- was one of the most unique. His borderline eccentricity and artistic mind, belied by his music's conventional Dirty South sound, raised his stock above his Southern comparisons and welcomed comparisons to OutKast (specifically that group's offbeat half, André 3000). B.o.B also chose his partners wisely, scoring a handful of Top 40 singles during 2010 by collaborating with vocalists like Rivers Cuomo, Hayley Williams, and Bruno Mars.


Although he grew up on the east side of Atlanta in Decatur, Bobby Ray Simmons was born in North Carolina on November 15, 1988. Making music became an early hobby, and he played trumpet and other instruments throughout grade school. By the time he was in high school, he'd already secured management and had formed a production duo called the Klinic. At age 15, he even successfully sold a beat of his own to Slip-N-Slide recording artist Citty. When his partner left for college, though, B.o.B decided to launch a solo career and subsequently recorded a hazy, spoken word-like ode to marijuana named "Cloud 9."


In 2006, B.o.B's manager helped sneak him into Club Crucial (owned by Atlanta rap star T.I.), and the teenaged MC wowed the audience with his self-produced song. Industry veteran TJ Chapman was part of that crowd and agreed to co-manage B.o.B, a partnership that only one month later led to B.o.B's signing with Atlantic and its subsidiary imprint, Rebel Rock, run by Florida-based producer Jim Jonsin. His first single for Atlantic, 2007's Haterz Everywhere, reached the Top Five of Billboard's Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart. Before long, publications like XXL, Spin, and MTV took notice of the Atlanta rapper, running "Artist to Watch" features and tagging him as the next Atlanta rap artist to blow up nationally. B.o.B's second single, "Grip Your Body," featuring guest British soul siren Amy Winehouse, also fared well.


B.o.B's official breakthrough came in 2010, though, when he topped the charts with "Nothin' on You" and reached number two with “Airplanes,” the latter song featuring special guest vocals from Paramore's Hayley Williams. Both songs appeared on his full-length debut, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, which was released later that year and quickly went gold. Originally planned as a mixtape, his sophomore album Strange Clouds followed in 2012.


 
ELLE VARNER

Elle Varner, a 22 year old Brooklyn resident hailing from Los Angeles, spent most of her childhood in green rooms and witnessed her parents’ battle to make their mark in the music industry. While music runs through her veins, her ear for harmony, melody and complex rhythm was nurtured after attending Amazing Grace Conservatory in Los Angeles. Elle continued on her destined path and went on to graduate from NYU’s esteemed Clive Davis Program of Recorded Music, where she was named the “Most Likely to Get Signed” and “Most Likely to Win a Grammy.” A few years later Elle was signed to an album deal with MBEKI Entertainment/ J Records (home of Alicia Keys). Elle was one of the first artists featured in the BET Music Matters campaign and performed on the BET Awards 2010, the highest rated and most watched Awards show on all of cable TV. Elle’s unparalleled sound is a combination of funk and meticulous rhythm with an added quirkiness as showcased throughout her forthcoming debut album PERFECTLY IMPERFECT.




LMFAO

Genre: ROCK

An electro-rap duo from Los Angeles, CA, LMFAO made their major-label debut in 2008. Comprised of producers, DJs, and clothing designers Redfoo and SkyBlu (the son and grandson, respectively, of Motown impresario Berry Gordy), LMFAO worked the club circuit for years before making their major-label debut in 2008 with the single "I'm in Miami Bitch," a song inspired by their first experience at the Winter Music Conference. In the wake of the single's release on Interscope and its hitting the charts in several countries, LMFAO toured the American club circuit and prepared their full-length album debut, Party Rock, which was released in July 2009. "La La La" and "Shots" (featuring Lil Jon) also charted, and LMFAO placed songs on Jersey Shore and Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami. In 2010, the duo featured on a worldwide Top Ten hit, David Guetta's "Gettin' Over You." Their next single as LMFAO was the suitably anthemic "Party Rock Anthem," which topped the charts in more than ten countries during 2011, including the U.S. The follow-up full-length, Sorry for Party Rocking, was released in June 2011.


DAVID COOK

Born: December 20, 1982 in Houston, TX
Years Active: 00's
Genre: ROCK

The winner of the seventh season of Fox's American Idol competition, David Cook is a rock-oriented vocalist with a bent toward a commercial post-grunge sound. Although born in Houston, Texas in 1982, Cook grew up in Blue Springs, Missouri, where he first began singing in various elementary-school concerts. The budding musician then participated in his high-school drama program and appeared in many musical productions. During his junior year of high school, Cook formed the band Axium along with a classmate and performed with the group throughout his college years, even releasing two independently produced albums that garnered some national recognition. Although he attended the University of Central Missouri on a theater scholarship, Cook switched degree programs after two years and studied graphic design instead. After graduating in 2006, he parted ways with Axium and moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to pursue his musical interests. While there, he worked as a bartender and performed with the band the Midwest Kings.


Cook released an independently produced solo album, 2006's Analog Heart, before auditioning for the 2008 season of the Fox vocal competition American Idol. (Not surprisingly, Analog Heart began to sell online during Cook's time on American Idol; it was ultimately pulled from Amazon.com not long after being listed as the website's number one seller.) Initially, Cook came to the Idol auditions to support his younger brother Andrew, who did not make the cut. However, after gaining encouragement from his brother, Cook sang Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" for the show's judging panel and was accepted into the competition's Hollywood round. A guitar player since age 12, Cook took advantage of the show's new rule allowing vocalists to play instruments on-stage, and for many of his subsequent performances accompanied himself on guitar.


Although he did not receive much attention during American Idol's early stages, his third week's performance of Lionel Ritchie's "Hello" drew rave reviews from the judges, who praised him for transforming an R&B song into a post-grunge power ballad. It was a formula that Cook would repeat with much success a few weeks later, when he performed a rock arrangement of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" borrowed directly from a recording by former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. Also bringing some extra attention to Cook was the revelation that his older brother was battling cancer. Sensationally, Cook was taken to the hospital during the competition for treatment for high blood pressure and heart palpitations, purportedly caused by stress over his brother's situation. However, he quickly returned to the show and dismissed the event as a minor precaution.


Often referred to as "the Battle of the Davids," the 2008 finale of American Idol pitted Cook against 17-year-old wunderkind David Archuleta, who many critics and fans predicted would beat the elder Cook. However, on May 21, 2008, Cook ultimately received 56 percent of the final vote and was crowned the winner. Two weeks later, 11 songs by Cook entered the Billboard Hot 100, an unprecedented feat that nearly doubled the chart's previous record.


His full-length major-label debut was released six months later, featuring collaborations with artists like Chris Cornell, Collective Soul's Ed Roland, and Our Lady Peace's Raine Maida. The album was certified platinum in early 2009, just as the new season of American Idol was starting up. Cook toured for much of the year and began working on material for his second album, This Loud Morning, after the show wrapped up in December. As before, he called upon a number of co-writers for help, working with everyone from Ryan Tedder (who helped write the lead single, "The Last Goodbye") to Johnny Rzeznik. Recording sessions began in June 2010, with the album hitting stores one year later.



VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Genre: ROCK

Describing their sound as "Upper West Side Soweto," New York City's Vampire Weekend mix preppy, well-read indie rock with joyful, Afro-pop-inspired melodies and rhythms. Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, and Chris Tomson formed the band early in 2006, when they were finishing up their studies at Columbia University. Taking their name from a movie Koenig made during his freshman year, the band started out by playing gigs at the university's literary societies and at parties. Word spread about Vampire Weekend's unique sound and lyrics ("Oxford Comma," one of the band's earliest songs, referred to comma use in a list of three items), buoyed by the band's self-released EPs, which they recorded in locations spanning their Columbia dorm rooms to a family barn. The buzz around Vampire Weekend reached a peak in 2007: that summer, the band embarked on its biggest tour yet, made several appearances at that year's CMJ Music Marathon, and signed with XL Records that fall. The Mansard Roof EP was Vampire Weekend's debut release for the label, followed by their self-titled first album early in 2008. Debuting within the Top 20 of both the American and U.K. album charts, the eponymous record proved to be one of the year's most popular indie releases. Vampire Weekend celebrated its success by hitting the road for the better part of two years, and keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij gathered additional accolades by releasing an album with Discovery, his electro side project with Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles. Amidst this flurry of activity, Vampire Weekend found time to return to the studio for the creation of Contra, which was readied for release in early 2010.


TIMBALAND

Born: March 10, 1971

Timbaland ascended to the top of the pop industry in the late '90s, impressively balancing his in-demand hitmaking abilities with his outlandish production style. Few rap producers were capable of such a balance between commerce and craft. Timbaland produced an endless list of hits, primarily for a select group of affiliates (Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, Jay-Z, Ginuwine) though also for a number of other A-list artists (Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Justin Timberlake). Even so, he always infused a remarkable sense of individuality and creativity into his productions. When you hear a Timbaland production generally there is no mistaking it for anyone else's work: stuttering bass-heavy bounce beats offset resounding high-end synth stabs, all of this often complemented by his own signature-like quiet murmuring beneath the track; and no sampling. However, over time Timbaland began taking an increasingly assembly-line approach to production, working with a team of co-producers and songwriters including Nathaniel "Danjahandz" Hills, the Clutch, and Justin Timberlake. Plus, he began producing an increasingly wide array of acts, ranging from alternative icons Björk and M.I.A. to MOR pop/rockers the Fray and Ashlee Simpson.


In the late '90s, when Timbaland was still relatively new on the scene, the Virginia native worked extensively with Missy ("The Rain"), Aaliyah ("If Your Girl Only Knew"), and Ginuwine ("Pony"). Later, once he'd established himself with these three, he began working with the top rappers in the industry, namely Jay-Z ("Big Pimpin'"), Nas ("You Won't See Me Tonight"), Snoop Dogg ("Snoop Dogg [What's My Name, Pt. 2]"), and Ludacris ("Rollout [My Business]"). He also worked occasionally with lesser-known regional artists such as Petey Pablo ("Raise Up"), Pastor Troy ("Are We Cuttin'"), and Tweet ("Oops [Oh My]"). As a result of his exceptional success as a producer, Timbaland eventually established his own record label, Beat Club, and began unveiling his own stable of artists (Bubba Sparxxx, Ms. Jade). His records, most co-billed with rapping friend Magoo, spotlighted his access to the top rappers in the business: Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Wyclef Jean. From 1997 through 2003, he released three Timbaland & Magoo albums, while 1998's Tim's Bio was a solo album in name. Released in 2007, Timbaland Presents Shock Value, along with its equally ambitious 2009 sequel, featured a mixture of vocalists, rappers, and rock bands. The former scored a couple major hits: "Give It to Me," featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, reached number one on the Hot 100, while "The Way I Are," with Keri Hilson and D.O.E., topped out at the third position.




KATY PERRY

Born: October 25, 1984 in Santa Barbara, CA
Years Active: 00's
Genre: ROCK

A former Christian artist, Katy Perry rebranded herself as a larger-than-life pop star and rose to prominence during the summer of 2008. Before she topped the charts with songs like "I Kissed a Girl" and "California Gurls," though, she spent the better part of a decade recording music under a different name. Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (or Katy Hudson, as she billed herself on her 2001 gospel album) was born on October 25, 1984, in Santa Barbara, CA. Raised in a religious household as the daughter of two pastors, she was forbidden to listen to secular bands as a child, although a childhood slumber party introduced her to the music of Alanis Morissette and Freddie Mercury. Religious music remained at the forefront, however, and Katy released a self-titled Christian album in 2001 under her original name. She would later abandon the genre (and her given surname) in favor of a pop career.


At age 17, she began working with hitmaker Glen Ballard, who had produced and co-written Alanis Morissette's chart-topping Jagged Little Pill in 1995. Several years later, she teamed up with the Matrix, a Grammy-nominated production/songwriting team whose résumé included collaborations with Avril Lavigne, Shakira, and Korn. Tired of producing music for other artists, the Matrix had plans to record an album of their own, with Perry serving as one of the group's two singers. The project was ultimately shelved, but not before Perry appeared in a 2004 write-up by Blender magazine, who hailed her as "the Next Big Thing!"


With the Matrix's unreleased album sitting in the vaults at Sony Records, Perry went back to the drawing board and began working on a solo album for Columbia. The project was eventually canceled, although two of its songs were later given to Kelly Clarkson, who scored a Top 40 hit with "I Do Not Hook Up" several years later. Perry (who, by this point, had shed her original surname due to its similarity to actress Kate Hudson) then signed with Capitol, who encouraged their new client to write her own music and helped establish her image as a boisterous, tongue-in-cheek pop star. Perry's debut single, "UR So Gay," generated a small buzz with its mischievous lyrics and clever music video, but it was "I Kissed a Girl" that proved to be her breakthrough hit, topping the charts in 20 countries and pushing its accompanying album, 2008's One of the Boys, into the Top Ten in America. Perry supported her debut by joining the Warped Tour that summer, where she toured alongside her boyfriend at the time, Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes. Meanwhile, "Hot N Cold" became her second multi-platinum hit, "Thinking of You" (one of the album's three songs written solely by Perry) cracked the Top 40, and "Waking Up in Vegas" cracked the Top Ten.


Such success meant that Katy Perry had officially become one of the industry's biggest pop stars, celebrated as much for her outsized behavior and outrageous fashion choices as the music itself. She continued touring through the summer of 2009 (albeit without McCoy, whose boyfriend status had been revoked earlier that year) and found time to tape an installment of MTV Unplugged, which was released in November. Meanwhile, she worked on a new album and started up a whirlwind romance with comedian Russell Brand, eventually becoming his fiancé. Recording sessions for her album wrapped up in early 2010, and Perry scored her second number one single with “California Gurls,” which was released that May. The accompanying album, Teenage Dream, followed in August.


 WESTLIFE

Genre: ROCK

Formed in Dublin in 1998, Westlife followed in the tradition of European boy bands like Take That and Boyzone. The group performed ballads and club-worthy pop songs for a devoted European audience, becoming one of the continent's most successful bands in the process. Although they never managed to find American success, Westlife released six platinum-selling records in the U.K. and eventually sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, a feat that helped them eclipse the popularity of pop titans like Boyzone, whose lead singer had managed the band during its infancy.


Vocalists Shane Filan, Kian Egan, and Mark Feehily first performed together in another pop group, IOYOU, and experienced their first brush with success when Simon Cowell considered signing them to BMG. The group's other singers didn't make the cut, however, and a new round of auditions was launched to find more capable members. Nicky Byrne and Bryan McFadden were eventually added, the group was signed, and Westlife began prepping its debut album with the help of Louis Walsh, Boyzone's manager, and Boyzone member Ronan Keating. Their debut single, "Flying Without Wings," entered the U.K. charts at number one in 1999, a feat that Westlife replicated one year later with "Seasons in the Sun" and "Swear It Again." All three songs were also released on the group's self-titled debut, which was met with similar success and went platinum in the U.K. An American release followed in early 2000 courtesy of Arista Records.


Westlife never managed to make a dent in America’s pop scene, where national acts like the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and Britney Spears reigned supreme. It was a different story in the U.K., though, where the group charted 14 number one singles and continued releasing hit albums. Both Coast to Coast and A World of Our Own went multi-platinum, and the group celebrated its success by releasing a hits compilation, Unbreakable, Vol. 1: The Greatest Hits, in 2002. Turnaround followed in 2003 and fared similarly well, but Bryan McFadden nevertheless left the lineup one later year in the hopes of launching his own career. “Real to Me,” his first single as a solo artist, topped the charts in 2004.


Westlife continued touring after McFadden’s exit and released Allow Us to Be Frank, a tribute to the Rat Pack, in late 2004. They returned to their contemporary pop formula with 2005’s Face to Face -- their biggest-selling album in three years -- and continued releasing material throughout the rest of the decade, including The Love Album, Back Home, and Where We Are.


ORIANTHI

Born: 1985 in Adelaide, South Australia, Austra
Years Active: 00's
Genre: ROCK

Deemed "seriously ass-whoopin'" by Carlos Santana, female guitarist Orianthi burst on the scene in 2009 thanks to the killer trifecta of Carrie Underwood, the Grammys, and the King of Pop. Born in Adelaide, Australia, Orianthi Panagaris was only six when she fell in love with the guitar thanks to her dad's record collection. Legendary names like Clapton, Hendrix, and Santana influenced her to take lessons, and she spent five years on the acoustic guitar before switching to the electric at the age of eleven. The guitar-heavy music of Def Leppard, Van Halen, and Whitesnake dominated her teenage years, and at the age of 18, she met her hero when she was invited to jam with Santana during a soundcheck. That soundcheck evolved into a half-hour guest shot during that night's concert, and with Carlos' enthusiastic endorsement, she went on to share stages with acts like Prince and ZZ Top, as well as earning a support slot on Steve Vai's 2007 world tour.


Also in 2007, Orianthi signed with the Geffen label and released her debut album, Violet Journey, which featured her vocals and fretwork. Having moved to Los Angeles, Orianthi's musicianship was later exposed to millions of television viewers when she joined Carrie Underwood's band for a 2009 Grammy Awards performance. That same year, an email invitation arrived asking her to audition for Michael Jackson, who was assembling a band for a 50-date residency at London's O2 Arena. One blistering rendition of the "Beat It" solo was enough to land the gig, but the King of Pop unexpectedly passed in June of that same year. Orianthi sang at the memorial service, and rehearsal footage of the guitarist backing the Jackson was featured in the popular film Michael Jackson's This Is It. Her second album, Believe, arrived several days before the movie's release, featuring the Top 20 single "According to You." Believe was re-released in 2010 as Believe (II) with four different songs including a cover of John Waite's "Missing You".


BLUE

Blue have proven to be the success story of 2001.

Their debut single "All Rise" entered the UK chart at No. 4, becoming a major radio hit and staying in the top ten for five weeks. Their second single "Too Close" went on to be an even bigger hit, crashing into the chart at No. 1 at the beginning of September. Both singles have gone silver, selling in excess of 200,000 copies. This November they release a third single, a beautiful pop/r'n'b classic entitled "If You Come Back", followed by their long awaited debut album "All Rise".

Blue comprises of London based lads Duncan James (22), Antony Costa (20), Lee Ryan (18) and Simon Webbe (22). The boys got together early last year when Duncan and Antony decided to form a vocal group, enlisting Lee (whom they had seen on the audition circuit and regarded as the best singer around) and his flatmate Simon to make up the numbers. Vocally, the four soon realised they had something special going on, and both management and a deal with Virgin's Innocent Records quickly followed.

Their debut album "All Rise" is a confident collection of classic r'n'b tunes that is sure to cement their position as the hottest new act to emerge from the UK in 2001.

The album was recorded in the UK and Norway with a variety of top producers including the inimitable Stargate and Ray Ruffin (son of Motown legend Jimmy Ruffin). The album showcases the boy's amazingly mature vocal delivery. Tracks range from the infectious and hook laden swing of "All Rise", "Fly By" and "This Temptation", to the heartfelt smooth grooves of "Long Time" and "Best In Me".

Duncan says: "This has been a crazy and exciting year for Blue and we're totally blown away by the success we've had so far. We've worked really hard to produce an album that we are all proud of. All we want to do is perform decent songs with tough grooves and soulful vocals."

Individual Biographies
Duncan 'Dunk' James
Duncan was born on 7th April 1979 and lived in Dorset with his mother until he was thirteen, when they relocated to Sidmouth in South Devon. After studying drama for 'A' Level, Duncan realised he 'had a voice' and took his newly discovered singing talents to holiday resorts where he performed with a spate of embryonic bands, which he says were 'perfect for cutting your teeth on but no more than that!' Thankfully, Duncan left the world of 'average' bands when he met fellow Blue member Antony.

Antony Costa
Born on 23rd June 1981 and brought up in Middlesex and North London respectively, Antony had a very impressive CV (for a nineteen year old) before he joined Blue. He previously had roles in Grange Hill and The Bill ('for some reason I always seem to play the parts of cheeky little thugs!') and played the lead in the hit BBC sitcom Chalk. Although Antony had a natural singing voice, he had never deemed it a serious career option until he met Duncan.

Lee Ryan
Lee, the youngster of the band was born on 17th June 1983 and is a South East London boy. Brought up in Blackheath, he studied at drama school, but hated his teachers, 'They're always trying to steer you towards West End musicals - and the last thing I wanna do is some cheesy big band number!' Having decided this, Lee began to attend auditions and after bit parts in Holby City, met Duncan and the others.

Simon Solo Webbe
Simon, the oldest of the band, was born on 30th March 1979 in Manchester. For years, Simon had his heart set on being a professional footballer and was signed to Port Vale, before being poached by Stoke City. This was after he'd been approached by Derby County, Birmingham City, Liverpool and Shrewsbury Town. Musically, Simon had occasionally rapped with Birmingham-based hip hop group 'Criminal Damage', before he eventually decided to quit the football industry and move down to London to join Blue.



OWL CITY

Genre: ROCK

Owl City is the musical brainchild of Adam Young, who launched the project in 2007 while living at his parents' home in Owatonna, Minnesota. Troubled by insomnia, Young began spending his evenings in the household basement, where a computer and several instruments provided a diversion from his sleeping patterns. He eventually combined those diversions into a blend of electronica and emo-pop, using little more than his computer and various keyboards to record the material. Songs were uploaded to MySpace upon completion, and Young began attracting a surprising amount of attention on the networking site. Of particular note was "Hello Seattle," a fabricated ode to the Emerald City whose viral popularity earned Young a record contract with Universal Republic.


Ocean Eyes, his first album for the label, was released in 2009, coinciding with the launch of Owl City's first national tour. While on the road, Young watched as "Fireflies" became one of the year's most popular singles, eventually topping the charts in several countries (including the U.S.) and selling more than three million copies. A deluxe edition of the album appeared in 2010, featuring seven bonus tracks as well as the original track list, and Universal Records capitalized on the buzz by also reissuing Maybe I'm Dreaming and Of June, both of which had been self-released several years earlier. An Airplane Carried Me to Bed, an album of acoustic pop songs that predated the Owl City project, followed in 2010. Technically a side project, the album was released under a different moniker, Sky Sailing. Young returned to Owl City in 2011 with All Things Bright and Beautiful, his first collection of new material in years.


MELEE

Formed: 1999 in Orange County, CA
Years Active: 90 's, 00's
Genre: ROCK

Pianos and a melodic sense greater than the usual punk-pop thrill set Orange County's Mêlée apart from their peers. Chris Cron (vocals/guitar), Rick Sanberg (guitar), Ryan Malloy (bass), and Mike Nader (drums) formed the band in 1999 while still in their teens, and eventually signed with the Hopeless Records affiliate Sub City. While elements of punk revivalism and emo tinged the ends of Against the Tide, the quartet's debut for the label, Mêlée is much closer to the songwriting-driven modern rock sounds of a band like Rooney. The debut's crisp promise was muddled a bit on the 2004 full-length Everyday Behavior. However, even there Mêlée offered a little Coldplay and Death Cab for Cutie to go with the usually youthful sound of the Sub City/Hopeless roster. That summer was spent on Warped Tour, and while their sound was still developing as of 2005, it was pretty clear that Mêlée had future O.C. soundtrack appearances in mind. There were even rumors of a new record deal with Warner Bros., which were then confirmed in the fall of 2005, and in between bouts of touring with acts like Copeland and the Early November, Mêlée readied their Warner debut. That album, Devils & Angels, surfaced in April 2007 and the guys supported it on spring dates alongside Amber Pacific.



CARTEL

Genre: ROCK

Cartel's earnest brand of emo-pop emerged out of Atlanta in 2004, when vocalist Will Pugh, bassist Ryan Roberts, drummer Kevin Sanders, and guitarists Joseph Pepper and Nic Hudson released an initial EP that caught the ear of the California-based Militia Group label. Militia signed Cartel, and the Ransom EP reappeared under Militia's guidance in 2004. The label then released Chroma, Cartel's full-length debut, in September 2005. The album cracked into the Billboard Top 200, as bloggers championed the band and the video for "Honestly" found moderate airtime on MTV. The majors noticed all of this activity, and in early 2006, Cartel inked a deal with Epic. Touring continued through the rest of the year, as the band opened for acts like New Found Glory and the Starting Line. That same year, however, Roberts decided to leave the lineup. He was replaced by Jeff Lett, who joined just in time for the band's 2006 Warped Tour dates.


Cartel's biggest marketing break came in May of 2007, when the musicians were invited to do a four-part MTV mini-series called Band in a Bubble. The show followed Cartel as they lived in a giant bubble-shaped structure on Pier 54 in Manhattan, and filming commenced for 22 days as the guys wrote and recorded their self-titled sophomore album, Cartel. Although the album was planned for release in July (to coincide with the band's exit from the bubble), it was postponed while they filmed a video to promote the single "Lose It," and the record didn't officially hit shelves until August 21, 2007. Cartel debuted at number 20 on the Billboard charts, selling nearly 30,000 copies during its first week. Critics remained wary of the album, however, and it fell from the charts soon after. During the year that followed, Cartel left the roster of Epic Records, partnered instead with the venerable post-grunge label Wind-Up Records, and launched work on a third album. Cycles was finished in 2009 and readied for release later that year.



LUKE BRYAN

Born: June 17, 1976 in Leesburg, GA
Years Active: 00's
Genre: CTRY

Singer and songwriter Luke Bryan comes by his country influences naturally: he grew up in Leesburg, Georgia, a small town 100 miles from the Alabama border where his father grew peanuts and sold fertilizer for a living. Bryan helped his family work the farm when he was young, but in his early teens he developed a passion for country music, picking up his influences from his parents' record collection, listening to the likes of George Strait, Conway Twitty, Ronnie Milsap, Alan Jackson, and Merle Haggard. When he was 14, his folks bought him his first guitar, and a year later his playing and singing were strong enough that he started sitting in with local bands at a club featuring live country music. At 16, Bryan starting writing songs with the help of a pair of local tunesmiths who had enjoyed some success in Nashville, and he planned to head to Music City to try his luck after graduating from high school until his brother died in an auto accident. Wanting to offer emotional support to his family, Bryan opted to attend Georgia Southern University instead, though he didn't give up music; he continued writing songs, formed a band, and was playing gigs on campus or at nearby watering holes most weekends while pursuing his studies. He recorded a self-released album, which he sold at shows during this period, but was reluctant to take the plunge and devote himself to music full-time until he returned home to work in the family business after receiving his degree. Bryan's dad, confident of his son's talent, made him an offer: he could either move to Nashville or be fired. In the early fall of 2001, Bryan pulled up stakes and relocated to Nashville, where his heartfelt songs of country life earned him a contract with one of the city's many publishing houses. In his free time, Bryan continued to perform at local clubs, and after an A&R man from Capitol Records saw him perform a set of his original material, he was given a record deal. Capitol released Bryan's first widely distributed album, I'll Stay Me, in the summer of 2007, following it with Doin' My Thing in 2009. Doin' My Thing peaked at number two on the country charts -- and at number six on the Top 200 -- and spawned two number one singles in "Rain Is a Good Thing" and "Someone Else Calling You Baby," with "Do I" hitting number two. Bryan returned with his third album, Tailgates & Tanlines, in the summer of 2011, its release being preceded by the single "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)."



FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS

Genre: ROCK

Forever the Sickest Kids received their first break mere days after forming, when lead singer Jonathan Cook inadvertently spent several hundred dollars for front-page song placement on PureVolume.com. With no songs to their name, the Dallas-based musicians were forced to hurriedly pound out a track so as not to waste their money. Formed from the ashes of Ben Bradley and the Flipside, two local bands that had called it quits in late 2006, the group quickly got to work creating its first emo-pop song. "Hey Brittney" was finished after two days and uploaded to PureVolume, gaining the young lineup -- which also included bassist Austin Bello, guitarist Caleb Turman, keyboardist Kent Garrison, drummer Kyle Burns, and Burns' guitar-playing stepbrother Marc Stewart -- its first amount of buzz.


The good luck continued when several major labels came knocking, and Forever the Sickest Kids ultimately scored a record deal with Universal Motown. An EP titled Television Off, Party On appeared in 2007 -- recorded within four months of the group's formation -- and nationwide touring followed its release, including a three-week stint on the Warped Tour's side stage. As their fan base and song arsenal slowly expanded, Forever the Sickest Kids began putting together a full-length album, Underdog Alma Mater, which was released in late April 2008. Another round of touring followed, this time as part of an Alternative Press-sponsored tour that featured bands like All Time Low, the Rocket Summer, and the Matches. After extensive touring, the band decided to release a string of EPs in lieu of creating a full album. The first in the series, The Weekend: Friday, was released in November 2009, with the remaining two (The Weekend: Saturday and The Weekend: Sunday) slated to appear in 2010. While Forever the Sickest Kids were in the studio recording songs for the Saturday EP, things went so smoothly that they decided to ditch the concept and record enough songs for a full-length album. After playing on the album, keyboardist Garrison left the band. Now down to a quintet, the group released its self-titled second album in March of 2011.



COBRA STARSHIP

Formed: 2005 in New York, NY
Years Active: 00's
Genre: ROCK

As the legend of Cobra Starship would have it, frontman Gabe Saporta fled into the deserts of Arizona one day to find the true meaning of his existence away from his emo-rock band, Midtown. Saporta spent days and nights pondering life, mysterious lights constantly plaguing the nighttime sky above him. One distinct night, the lights became so mesmerizing that Gabe became catatonic and started levitating into the air. A snake suddenly came out of nowhere, bit his neck, and he awoke to find a talking cobra from the future nursing his wounds. This enigmatic cobra went on to explain the end of the world (no salvation for anyone) and disclosed Gabe's purpose in life -- to ensure that mankind went out in style. As the cobra revealed, Gabe must complete this "by teaching hipsters to not take themselves so seriously and by telling emo kids to stop being pussies." Hence, Cobra Starship were born...uh, back in New York.


After taking their name from words written on the back of Saporta's favorite vintage jacket, the band burst onto the scene with an über-catchy dance-pop-rock single named "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)." The song -- which featured Saporta performing alongside fellow vocalists Maja Ivarsson (the Sounds), Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes), and William Beckett (the Academy Is...) -- was the lead track off the 2006 soundtrack to Snakes on a Plane, a horror comedy starring Samuel L. Jackson. Its video hit the MTV airwaves that July and featured cameos from Jackson and Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz. Meanwhile, Cobra Starship continued work on a full-length album of their own.


The band signed to Decaydance that same year and spent part of the fall touring with Gym Class Heroes. While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets hit stores that October, marking the band's official debut, and Saporta continued to tour alongside his newly expanded band. After several changes, the lineup returned in 2007 with ¡Viva la Cobra!, followed two years later by Hot Mess. The latter album was preceded by "Good Girls Gone Bad," a Top 40 hit co-penned by Kara DioGuardi and sung by Saporta and Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester. The band kept the party going in 2011 with the release of their fourth album, Night Shades.



SIMPLE PLAN

Formed: 1999 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Years Active: 00's
Genre: ROCK

Simple Plan is one of Canada's most successful punk-pop acts, featuring a lineup comprised of former high school pals Pierre Bouvier (vocals), Jeff Stinco (guitar), David Desrosiers (bass), Sebastien Lefebvre (guitar), and Chuck Comeau (drums). The quintet initially came together when Comeau and Bouvier founded Reset at age 13. Reset proved to be a modestly successful band in Canada, touring the country with other punk groups like MxPx, Ten Foot Pole, and Face to Face. A debut album followed in 1997; however, Comeau bowed out quietly to attend college. Two years later, Comeau pushed his studies to the back burner and returned to music, this time working with Stinco and Lefebvre to put a new group together. Meanwhile, Bouvier was still in charge of Reset, but he'd grown tired of being both a frontman and a guitarist. After he and Comeau reconnected at a Sugar Ray show in late 1999, Bouvier agreed to join Comeau's new project. Desrosiers, who briefly replaced Bouvier in Reset, was also asked to join the group, and Simple Plan was born.


The band quickly hit the road and joined the annual Vans Warped Tour in 2001. By this point, Simple Plan had carved out a spunky, energetic punk sound, textured like Cheap Trick but raw like Pennywise. The following year, Simple Plan headed into the studio to capture the sound on tape. Good Charlotte's Joel Madden and Mark Hoppus of blink-182 joined Simple Plan during those sessions, and the end result was the fiery, fun No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls, which was released in early 2003 on Lava Records. The group took home a 2003 MuchMusic Video Award for People's Choice Favorite Canadian Group in June, and the album became a genuine success, selling over four million copies worldwide while going double-platinum in Canada and America. The Bob Rock-produced second album, Still Not Getting Any..., appeared the next year and also did quite well, scoring hits like "Crazy" and "Welcome to My Life." Simple Plan continued touring in support of both releases, and released the concert album Live from the Hard Rock in 2005.


The band scaled back their touring schedule in 2006, looking to concentrate on writing new material instead. Simple Plan entered the studio in June 2007 to begin work on their third studio album, the self-titled Simple Plan, which appeared in February 2008. Although not an international best-seller like its two predecessors, the album still went platinum in Canada, where demand for the band's spunky pop songs remained strong. The band returned three years later with another album, Get Your Heart On!, which featured cameos from Rivers Cuomo, Natasha Bedingfield, and All Time Low's Alex Gaskarth.



ANDREW ALLEN

  Born: December 31, 1969 in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada 

Years Active: present 

Genre: Rock & Alternative 

 Andrew Allen scored his first hit in 2009, when “I Wanna Be Your Christmas” cracked the Top Ten in his native Canada. Although raised in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, his music evoked memories of a warmer place, with artists like Jason Marz and Jack Johnson serving as touchstones for his acoustic pop/rock. Allen continued building an international profile in 2010, eventually signing a contract with Epic after spending much of the year on the road.

SLIPKNOT

Formed: 1995 in Des Moines, IA
Years Active: 90 's, 00's
Genre: ROCK

Slipknot's mix of grinding, post-Korn alternative metal, Marilyn Manson-esque neo-shock rock, and rap-metal helped make them one of the most popular bands in the so-called nu-metal explosion of the late '90s. But even more helpful was their theatrical, attention-grabbing image: the band always performed in identical industrial jump suits and homemade Halloween masks, and added to its mysterious anonymity by adopting the numbers zero through eight as stage aliases. Add to that a lyrical preoccupation with darkness and nihilism, and an affectionately insulting name for their fans ("Maggots"), and Slipknot's blueprint for nu-metal success was set.


Slipknot were formed in late 1995 in the unlikely locale of Des Moines, IA; after some early personnel shifts, the nine-piece lineup settled around (in order from number zero to number eight): DJ Sid Wilson, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Gray, percussionist Chris Fehn, guitarist James Root, sampler/programmer Craig Jones, percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan, guitarist Mick Thompson, and lead vocalist Corey Taylor. The music scene in Des Moines wasn't much to speak of, and the band's big-time ambition was usually met with disbelief and ridicule, which provided the initial spark for its mostly anonymous stage visuals. On Halloween 1996, Slipknot self-released an album called Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat., which began to build a buzz around the group once it found its way to several labels. It was picked up for distribution by the Nebraska-based -ismist label, and also caught the attention of Roadrunner Records, which signed Slipknot in 1997. Working with producer Ross Robinson, Slipknot recorded their official, self-titled debut album, which was released in 1999. They gradually built an audience through near-constant touring, working their way up to the summer Ozzfest package tour, which really expanded their audience. Their live shows were a much-discussed hit with metal fans, and the band performed with such energy that Crahan gashed his head open on his own drum kit twice that summer, requiring stitches both times. The tracks "Wait and Bleed" and "Spit It Out" got the band some airplay, but most of the buzz came from touring and word of mouth. Finally, in the spring of 2000, Slipknot was certified platinum; the first such album in Roadrunner's history.


The anticipation for Slipknot's follow-up was intense, and many industry observers predicted that it would debut at number one; however, faced with some stiff competition that week, the band's sophomore effort, Iowa, bowed at number three upon its release in 2001. More heavy touring followed, including another, more prominent slot on that summer's Ozzfest. After a long spell on the road, Slipknot took a break while the members worked on side projects. The band set up its own label, Maggot Recordings, and signed a band called Downthesun, whose lead singer had served as Crahan's drum technician. Wilson, meanwhile, began DJing solo under the name DJ Starscream, and Root and Thompson both worked on solo material. Drummer Jordison worked with a side group called the Rejects, where he'd actually served for quite some time as guitarist. Taylor, meanwhile, started a side band called Superego, and also contributed a solo song, "Bother," to the soundtrack of the 2002 blockbuster Spider-Man. That May, the band got some amusing press when some of its fans discovered the website of a British crocheting group also called "Slipknot," and flooded the members' in-boxes with excessively rude e-mails.


Guitarist Joey Jordison and Static-X guitarist Tripp Eisen teamed that summer for the Murderdolls project, while Taylor re-formed his old band Stone Sour and released an album. By the winter, Slipknot had still not reunited and Taylor wrote a commentary on the band's website stating that they had not spoken in months, and that they'd rather break up than become "the next Gwar." The statement sparked a quickly resolved mini-feud between Taylor and Gwar frontman Oderus Urungus. but it also sent many of the Maggots into a tailspin. By early 2003, Taylor had retracted his comments, and announced plans for a new Slipknot album. That August the entire squad decamped Iowa for L.A., where they began work on the new record with producer Rick Rubin. "Pulse of the Maggots" appeared in early 2004 as an exclusive download; it was followed by a full track listing for Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses. Slipknot then embarked on a brief tour as a warm-up for their dates headlining Ozzfest that summer. (The group also debuted a fully redesigned third generation of their famous masks.) Subliminal Verses was released in May 2004. It peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, and the band toured steadily for the next year and a half in support. They released a two-disc live album in November 2005, followed by a slew of side projects (Taylor and Root formed Stone Sour, while Jordison sat in with Ministry and Korn) before releasing their fourth full-length album, All Hope Is Gone, in 2008. Slipknot made a number of festival appearances during summer of the following year, and also embarked on their All Hope Is Gone world tour. On May 24, 2010, the body of bassist Paul Gray was discovered by a maintenance worker in an Urbandale, IA, hotel room; Gray was 38 years old at the time of his death.



PINK

Born: September 08, 1979 in Doylestown, PA
Years Active: 90 's, 00's
Genre: ROCK

Although initially viewed as another face in the late-'90s crowd of teen pop acts, Pink (professionally known as P!nk!) quickly transcended and outgrew that label with her combination of pop songcraft and powerhouse, rock-influenced vocals. Born Alecia Moore on September 8, 1979, in Doylestown, PA, Pink received her nickname as a child, years before she dyed her hair accordingly. She grew up in a musical family and was a regular on the Philadelphia club scene by the age of 13, first as a dancer and then as a backing vocalist for the local hip-hop group Schoolz of Thought. At 14, she began writing her own songs; the same year, a local DJ at Club Fever began inviting her on-stage to sing a song every Friday.


Pink was spotted one night by an executive for MCA Records, who asked her to audition for an R&B group called Basic Instinct. Although Pink's strong vocals landed her the gig, the group imploded not long after. She was quickly recruited for a female R&B trio called Choice, which signed to L.A. Reid and Babyface's LaFace label on the strength of their demo; however, they too disbanded due to differences over musical direction. During Choice's brief studio time, producer Daryl Simmons asked Pink to write a bridge section for the song "Just to Be Loving You." Impressed with the results, Pink rediscovered her songwriting muse, and an equally impressed L.A. Reid soon gave her a solo deal with LaFace.


Pink recorded her solo debut, Can't Take Me Home, with a variety of songwriting partners and dance-pop and R&B producers. Released in 2000, the album was a double-platinum hit; it spun off three Top Ten singles in "There U Go," "Most Girls," and "You Make Me Sick." She toured that summer as the opening act for *N Sync, but soon found herself tired of being pigeonholed as strictly a teen act despite her sassy, forthright persona. As she set about working on her follow-up album, Pink took part in the remake of Patti LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" featured on the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, which also featured powerhouse divas Christina Aguilera, Mya, and Lil' Kim. The song was a massive hit, topping the charts in both the U.S. and U.K. while expanding Pink's own audience.


Toward the end of the year, Pink released her next single, "Get the Party Started," which climbed into the Top Five and became the singer's most inescapable hit to date. Her accompanying sophomore album, M!ssundaztood, quickly went double platinum; it boasted a more personal voice and an eclectic sound, plus heavy contributions from ex-4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry, who helped bring some more rock muscle to Pink's sound (as did guest appearances by Steven Tyler and Richie Sambora). M!ssundaztood attracted positive critical notices as well, and its second single, "Don't Let Me Get Me," became another fast-rising Top Ten hit.


Pink next issued Try This in November 2003. The album continued her progression toward more rock-oriented material, due in part to the songwriting collaboration of Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong on eight of the album's tracks. Try This' lead single, "Trouble," cracked the upper regions of -Billboard's Top 40 and earned Pink a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. On the home front, Pink wed motocross racer Carey Hart -- whom she had initially met at 2001's X-Games -- on January 7, 2006, in Costa Rica. Her next album, I'm Not Dead, appeared that April; its first single, "Stupid Girls," quickly became a hit, while "Who Knew" and "U + Ur Hand" both cracked the Top Ten. I'm Not Dead reached platinum status in several countries and helped ramp up anticipation for Pink's follow-up, Funhouse, which arrived in October 2008. "So What," the album's leadoff single, became her first number one hit since "Lady Marmalade." Another hit, "Please Don't Leave Me," followed in 2009 and all her hits were collected on the 2010 release Greatest Hits...So Far!!!, which was preceded by the single "Raise Your Glass." Around the time of the release of Greatest Hits...So Far!!! Pink announced that she and her husband were expecting their first child.



DAVID ARCHULETA

Born: December 28, 1990 in Miami, FL
Years Active: 00's
Genre: ROCK

David Archuleta became one of the most recognizable figures on television in 2008, when his tenor vocals and boyish charm helped earn him a second-place finish on American Idol. Although born in Miami, FL, he'd spent most of his childhood in Utah, where he lived with his parents (Jeff, a jazz trumpeter, and Lupe Maire, a Honduran salsa singer) and four siblings. Inspired by a videotaped performance of Les Miserables, Archuleta began singing at age six, and his talent helped him secure performances at the Utah Talent Competition, The Jenny Jones Show, and Star Search, where he was crowned Junior Vocal Champion in 2003.


David Archuleta auditioned for American Idol's seventh season in 2007, earning his first praise from the judging panel with a rendition of John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change." He advanced to the semifinals and remained with the show throughout its entire season, delivering strong, passionate performances of pop ballads like "Another Day in Paradise" and John Lennon's "Imagine." At 17 years old, Archuleta was the season's youngest contestant, and he ultimately finished as the runner-up to David Cook. "Crush," the first single from his self-titled debut album, debuted at number two later that summer, while the full-length album David Archuleta followed in November.


Archuleta's album went gold within several months, and the singer spent the first half of 2009 touring with McFly in the U.K. and Demi Lovato in America. He also found time to work on a holiday album, Christmas from the Heart, which was released later that year. When it came time to record a proper follow-up to his 2008 debut, Archuleta widened his sound by calling upon producers like S*A*M & Sluggo, who helped helm the peppy lead single "Something 'Bout Love." The accompanying album, The Other Side of Down, was released several months later in October 2010.



JESSIE J

Born: March 27, 1998

Combining the vocal prowess of Beyoncé, the genre-hopping sounds of Gwen Stefani, and the feisty attitude of P!nk, songwriter Jessie J eventually overcame various career setbacks and health problems to become a star in her own right. Born Jessica Cornish in Chadwell Heath, London in 1988, she started her career in showbiz at the age of 11, performing in the West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind. After studying musical theater at the prestigious BRITS School, she signed a deal with indie label Gut Records, which went bankrupt before releasing any of her music. Following a minor stroke at age 18, she gained a Sony publishing contract and penned hits for the likes of Chris Brown, Dutch X Factor winner Lisa Lois, and Miley Cyrus (the American number two hit "Party in the USA"). After building up an established online presence, she signed to Universal Records and began working with the likes of hitmaker Dr. Luke (Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson), Atlanta rapper B.o.B, and R&B producer Labrinth on her debut album, Who You Are. In 2010, her first single, "Do It Like a Dude," originally written for Rihanna, reached number 25 in the U.K. charts and, following in the footsteps of Adele, Florence and the Machine, and Ellie Goulding, she was announced as the winner of the Critics Choice Award at the 2011 Brits. That same year, an appearance on Saturday Night Live coincided with her album being reissued in the U.S.



 NICKELBACK

Formed: January 1, 1995

Few bands did more than Nickelback to establish the force of slick, commercially minded post-grunge in the 2000s. Led by vocalist Chad Kroeger, the band initially emerged in the late '90s as Canada's answer to Creed, prizing a blend of gruff vocals and distorted (yet radio-friendly) guitars. After a handful of singles failed to gain much traction in Canada, "How You Remind Me" caught hold in 2001, eventually topping the charts in several countries while gathering four Grammy nominations and four Juno Awards. Creed imploded several years later, but Nickelback's popularity only grew as the decade progressed, effectively eclipsing those acts that had once informed the band's sound.


Chad Kroeger honed his frontman skills by performing with cover bands in Hanna, a small Canadian town 215 kilometers northeast of Calgary. After growing tired of playing other people's songs, he borrowed money from his stepfather and relocated to Vancouver, where he recorded his first batch of original material. Mike Kroeger, Chad's bass-playing sibling, decided to join his brother's band, as did fellow Vancouver transplants Ryan Peake (a guitarist who had befriended the Kroeger in middle school) and Ryan Vikedal (a drummer from Peake's hometown of Brooks, Alberta). Nickelback officially took shape in 1996 and quickly set to work, releasing two albums -- the Hesher EP and full-length album, Curb -- before the year was up. By 1998, the bandmates were managing themselves; Chad courted radio stations, brother Mike Kroeger handled distribution, Ryan Vikedal booked shows, and Peake maintained the band's website.


January 2000 saw the arrival of The State, Nickelback's second independent release. Issued at a time in which Canadian content requirements were increased (and, accordingly, local radio stations had begun to desperately seek out homegrown product), the album fared very well on indie charts. Nickelback toured ceaselessly in support of The State, logging approximately 200 shows while playing alongside other groups of the burgeoning post-grunge genre. Nickelback's commercial appeal wasn't lost on the record industry, either, and The State's distribution rights were quickly snapped up by Roadrunner Records in the U.S. and EMI in Canada. As the band continued to tour, Chad Kroeger kept writing new songs, many of which were honed in front of live audiences. Much of that material found its way onto Silver Side Up, which was produced by Rick Parashar (who came to prominence in the early '90s by helming Pearl Jam's Ten, Alice in Chains' Sap, and Blind Melon's self-titled debut) and recorded at Green House, the same Vancouver studio used during The State's creation. The combination of Nickelback's growing popularity and Kroeger's focused songwriting propelled Silver Side Up onto album charts across the world, spearheaded by the hit single "How You Remind Me." Kroeger capitalized on that exposure by producing another Vancouver-based band, Default, and collaborating with Saliva's Josey Scott for the Spiderman soundtrack. The Long Road then arrived in 2003, featuring an increasingly polished sound and another high-charting single, "Someday." While some listeners criticized the apparent similarities between "Someday" and "How You Remind Me," The Long Road had little trouble maintaining Nickelback's wide audience, eventually selling over five million copies worldwide.


In February 2005, Nickelback announced the departure of Ryan Vikedal. He was soon replaced by 3 Doors Down's former drummer, Daniel Adair, and Nickelback returned to Kroeger's studio in Vancouver to begin work on another album. ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell (who unfortunately died before the album's release) were guests on the chart-topping All the Right Reasons, which arrived in October 2005. The album proved to be Nickelback's most popular effort to date, remaining in the Billboard Top 30 for over two years and selling over seven million copies in the U.S. alone. It also spawned five Top 20 singles, a feat that attracted the attention of veteran producer (and demonstrated hit-maker) Mutt Lange. Nickelback traveled to Lange's home in Switzerland to share songwriting ideas; impressed with the results, they also enlisted him to helm their next album. Recorded in a converted Vancouver barn, Dark Horse marked the band's sixth studio album upon its release in November 2008. Nickelback's seventh studio album arrived nearly three years after the multi-platinum selling Dark Horse. The 11-track Here and Now, which was preceded by the singles "Bottoms Up" and "When We Stand Together," hit the streets on November 21, 2011.




UNCLE KRACKER 

 Born: June 06, 1974 in Mount Clemens, MI
Years Active: 90 's, 00's
Genre: ROCK

After serving as DJ for his hometown chum Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker (born Matthew Shafer) stepped out from behind the turntables to release his debut solo album, Double Wide, in 2001. Uncle Kracker had performed alongside Rock since 1994, and both favored a combination of funky, post-grunge rock with a hip-hop aesthetic. Double Wide also sported a polished pop single entitled "Follow Me," and the album went double platinum on the strength of that Top 10 hit.


Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker were practically family. The two met in 1987 in Clawson, MI, where Rock was spinning in an all-ages DJ contest at a popular nightspot called Daytona's. After discovering a mutual fondness for the Commodores, Run-D.M.C., Lynyrd Skynyrd, and George Jones, the pair became fast friends. Kracker's first musical contribution was on Rock's 1991 debut, Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast, and he also co-wrote and performed on Rock's multi-platinum breakthrough, Devil Without a Cause. Striking while the iron was hot, he chose to launch his own career in the wake of Devil's success.


Produced by Kid Rock and Mike Bradford, Double Wide was a radio-friendly effort that blended elements of country, mainstream modern rock, and rap. One year after its release, Uncle Kracker returned with a sophomore album named No Stranger to Shame, scoring another Top Ten hit with a faithful rendition of Mentor Williams' "Drift Away." Taking much from the inspiration of early-'70s rock, he issued Seventy Two & Sunny in late June 2004, but the album failed to live up to its predecessors' success. Kracker renewed his hit-making credentials by co-writing Kid Rock's popular single "All Summer Long," however, and he returned to the solo game in 2009 with Happy Hour. The next year, Uncle Kracker followed up with the EP Happy Hour (South River Road Sessions), which featured country remakes of songs from Happy Hour.


ADELE

Born: 1988 in Tottenham, London, England
Years Active: 00's
Genre: ROCK

When the U.K. press began dubbing Adele "the next Amy Winehouse" in late 2007, the hype didn't touch upon the heavy singer/songwriter influence found in the Londoner's music. Influenced by Suzanne Vega as much as Jill Scott, Adele first made an impression in 2006 when she toured as an opening act for Jack Penate. She had graduated to headlining status by the end of 2007, thanks to BBC Radio 1 playing her single "Daydreamer"; another song, "Hometown Glory," was also released as a single on Jamie T.'s label, Pacemaker. An appearance alongside Paul McCartney and Björk on the BBC 2 television show Later with Jools Holland came next, and a recording contract with XL Recordings was finalized soon after. Early 2008 brought similar luck as Adele found herself atop the BBC's new music talent list, which was compiled from the votes of 150 music critics. That same January, XL issued a new single, "Chasing Pavements," along with her debut album, 19. The title reflected Adele's age at the time of the album's release, and its popularity resulted in the release of several bonus editions throughout the year. Also in 2009, Adele won Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Her sophomore album, 21, featuring the gospel and disco-infused single "Rolling in the Deep," was released in February of 2011. The album proved to be both a critical and commercial success, becoming one of the longest-running number one albums in history and spending over 18 weeks at the top spot. The glow of 21's success was dimmed somewhat when Adele was forced to cancel her tour after suffering a hemorrhage on her vocal chords. She underwent surgery for the hemorrhage in November of 2011. That same month, she released the concert CD/DVD Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Both Adele and 21 received many end-of-year honors, and in February 2012, as album sales began to creep closer to ten million copies, she won six major Grammy awards, one of the few artists in history to accomplish the feat in one night.


DEMI LOVATO

Born in Dallas, TX, in 1992, vocalist-cum-actress Demi Lovato launched her career well before the age of ten, as a participant in various beauty pageants and at assorted casting calls -- guided by her mother, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. She landed her first major on-camera assignment as one of the participants on the famous children's series Barney & Friends, then moved to the hallowed halls of preteen stardom -- The Disney Channel -- as a participant in the "micro-series" sitcom As the Bell Rings, designed to run in between longer programs. Lovato then jump-started her music career as a teen pop vocalist, with extensive cross-country tours and record deals (record executives slated her first album for release in fall 2008), but achieved broadest stardom for her lead role opposite the Jonas Brothers in the Disney Channel telemovie Camp Rock (2008); she played a young aspiring musician who attends a rock & roll-themed summer camp, then gets into hot water for telling a lie about her mother in a misguided attempt to gain popularity.



COLDPLAY

Formed: January 1, 1996

After surfacing in 2000 with the breakthrough single "Yellow," Coldplay quickly became one of the biggest bands of the new millennium, honing a mix of introspective Brit-pop and anthemic rock that landed the British quartet a near-permanent residence on record charts worldwide. The group's emergence was perfectly timed; Radiohead had just released the overly cerebral Kid A, while Oasis had ditched two founding members and embraced psychedelic experimentation on Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. U.K. audiences were hungry for a fresh-faced rock band with big aspirations and an even bigger sound, and Coldplay were more than happy to take the reins. Parachutes went multi-platinum in several countries and earned the band its first Grammy, but Coldplay continued to grow into the 2000s, topping their debut album's success with higher record sales and an increased public profile.


Chris Martin (vocals/piano), Jon Buckland (guitar), Will Champion (drums), and Guy Berryman (bass) were all born into musical households. Martin, the eldest of five, began playing the piano as a young child and later took solace in the work of Tom Waits. Buckland, on the other hand, grew up with the heavy guitar sounds of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Scotland native Berryman preferred funk to indie rock, thereby leaving him to play bass, while multi-instrumentalist Champion didn't plan to be a drummer until he joined Coldplay's lineup. The bandmates came together in 1996 while attending the University College of London, and the Safety EP was issued shortly after their first gig at a Manchester festival for unsigned bands. The release only saw 500 pressings, as did the subsequent Brothers & Sisters EP. Nevertheless, it was enough to win the band a U.K. deal with Parlophone Records in April 1999, and the five-track Blue Room EP arrived that fall. With nods from the media, Coldplay were hailed as the next Travis, thanks to their simple acoustics and charming personas.


Parlophone ushered Coldplay into Parr St. Studios in Liverpool, where they recorded the bulk of their debut album. Parachutes was released in July 2000 and became a swift hit on the strength of four U.K. singles, several of which enjoyed popularity in America as well. With "Yellow" climbing the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, Parachutes was released in the U.S. in November, where its sales soon rivaled -- and eventually surpassed -- those in the U.K.


Riding on the strength of their universally popular debut, Coldplay headed back into the studio in fall 2001 to work on a sophomore album. They emerged with A Rush of Blood to the Head, releasing the album worldwide in August 2002 and embarking on a global concert tour soon after. "The Scientist" enjoyed regular radio rotation, while both "Clocks" and "In My Place" won Grammy awards. The CD/DVD package Live 2003 was issued to highlight the group's popular tour, and Martin specifically earned a higher notch on the celebrity scale by marrying actress Gwyneth Paltrow in December 2003. Paltrow gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, the following April.


Fatherhood didn't stop Martin from working, as Coldplay began recording material for a third album within weeks. Previously recorded material with longtime producer Ken Nelson was scrapped early on, while Danton Supple (Morrissey, the Cure) joined Coldplay to complete the recording of X&Y. "Speed of Sound" marked Coldplay's first single from their long-awaited third effort in spring 2005; the album followed in June, topping charts around the world and selling more than eight million copies during its first year.


Such success put Coldplay on the same commercial level as U2, and Coldplay retreated to the studio in late 2006 to work with famed producer Brian Eno (who had teamed up with U2 two decades prior for The Joshua Tree). Recording sessions with Eno were completed within one year, followed by several months of mixing and growing anticipation from the band's audience. Viva la Vida -- also known by its extended name, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends -- ultimately arrived in June 2008. Worldwide sales for the album had approached six million by November, when Coldplay released several new recordings (including a collaboration with hip-hop mogul Jay-Z) as part of the Prospekt's March EP. Preceded by first single “Every Teardrop Is Waterfall,” Coldplay's fifth studio album, 2011's Mylo Xyloto, was produced by Markus Dravs, Daniel Green, and Rik Simpson (the official press release adds “with enoxification and additional composition by Brian Eno”).



SCOUTING FOR GIRLS

Genre: ROCK

The whimsical indie pop group Scouting for Girls formed in 2005 in London, playfully modeling their name after a scouting handbook (-Scouting for Boys) published in the early years of the 20th century. Members Greg Churchouse, Peter Ellard, and Roy Stride signed with Epic Records in early 2007 and released their first EP single, "It's Not About You," that June. Soon after, the band's self-titled debut reached the top slot on the U.K. album charts, thanks to the popularity of such singles as "She's So Lovely," "Elvis Ain't Dead," and "Heartbeat." The band returned to the studio in 2009, and the following year released its second album, Everybody Wants to Be on TV, on Epic.



GREEN DAY

Formed: 1988 in Berkeley, CA
Years Active: 80 's, 90 's, 00's
Genre: ROCK

Out of all the post-Nirvana alternative bands to break into the pop mainstream, Green Day were second only to Pearl Jam in terms of influence. At their core, Green Day were simply punk revivalists who recharged the energy of speedy, catchy three-chord punk-pop songs. Though their music wasn't particularly innovative, they brought the sound of late-'70s punk to a new, younger generation with Dookie, their 1994 major-label debut. Dookie sold over ten million copies, paving the way for a string of multi-platinum releases that opened the doors for a flood of American neo-punk, punk metal, and third wave ska revivalists. More than a decade later, as many of their former contemporaries settled into retirement, Green Day remained at the forefront of popular music with albums like the Grammy-winning American Idiot.


Green Day arose from the Northern California underground punk scene. Childhood friends Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, vocals) and Mike Dirnt (bass; born Mike Pritchard) formed their first band, Sweet Children, in Rodeo, California when they were 14 years old. By 1989, the group had added drummer Al Sobrante and changed its name to Green Day. That same year, the band independently released its first EP, 1000 Hours, which was well received in the California hardcore punk scene. Soon, the group had signed a contract with the local independent label Lookout. Green Day's first full album, 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour, was released later that year. Shortly after its release, the band replaced Sobrante with Tre Cool (born Frank Edwin Wright III), who became the band's permanent drummer.


Throughout the early '90s, Green Day continued to cultivate a cult following, which only gained strength with the release of their second album, 1992's Kerplunk. The underground success of Kerplunk led to a wave of interest from major record labels, and the band eventually decided to sign with Reprise. Dookie, Green Day's major-label debut, was released in the spring of 1994. Thanks to MTV support for the initial single, "Longview," Dookie became a major hit. The album continued to gain momentum throughout the summer, with the second single, "Basket Case," spending five weeks on the top of the American modern rock charts. At the end of the summer, the band stole the show at Woodstock '94, which helped the sales of Dookie increase. By the time the fourth single, "When I Come Around," began its seven-week stay at number one on the modern rock charts in early 1995, Dookie had sold over five million copies in the U.S. alone; it would eventually top ten million in America, selling over 15 million copies internationally. Dookie also won the 1994 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance.


Green Day quickly followed Dookie with Insomniac in the fall of 1995; during the summer, they hit number one again on the modern rock charts with "J.A.R.," their contribution to the Angus soundtrack. Insomniac performed well initially, entering the U.S. charts at number two and selling over two million copies by the spring of 1996, yet none of its singles -- including the radio favorite "Brain Stew/Jaded" -- was as popular as those from Dookie. In the spring of 1996, Green Day abruptly canceled a European tour, claiming exhaustion. Following the cancellation, the band spent the rest of the year resting and writing new material before issuing Nimrod in late 1997. Three years later, their long-awaited follow-up, a refreshingly poppy record titled Warning, was released. Another long wait preceded 2004's American Idiot, an aggressive rock opera that became a surprise success -- a chart-topper around the world, a multi-platinum Grammy winner, and easily the best reviewed album of their career. Green Day reveled in the album's success, hitting numerous award shows and performing as part of Live 8 in July 2005. That fall brought the release of Bullet in a Bible, a concert album that documented the trio's expansive Idiot live show.


With their popularity and commercial viability restored, Green Day took on several small projects before returning to the studio. They contributed a cover of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" to the charity album Instant Karma, appeared in The Simpsons Movie, and recorded an entire album of '60s-styled rock & roll under the alias of Foxboro Hot Tubs. While presenting an award at the Grammys in early 2009, the band announced the impending release of Green Day's eighth album, 21st Century Breakdown, which had been recorded with veteran producer Butch Vig. In May of 2009, 21st Century Breakdown was released, picking up where American Idiot left off, as another ambitious punk rock opera. The album was a commercial success, selling over 215,000 copies in its first three days of sales. In 2009, American Idiot was adapted for the stage, and the following year Green Day lent their talents to the original cast recording, combining a driving score with Broadway vocal arrangements. The band released the live Awesome as F**k in 2011.



MICHAEL BUBLE

Born: September 09, 1975 in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Years Active: 00's
Genre: VOCAL

Michael Bublé's introduction to the music of the swing era came to him through his grandfather, who filled his grandson's ears with the sounds of the Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and others. As Bublé eagerly absorbed the recordings, he began to realize that he wanted to be a singer and that this style of music, virtually foreign to his own generation, was what he wanted to perform. With his grandfather's assistance, Bublé soon learned a whole catalog of tunes and gained experience and exposure by singing as a guest with several local bands. While still in his teen years, he won the Canadian Youth Talent Search, released several independent albums, and performed in a musical revue titled Swing that traveled across the U.S. It wasn't long before Bublé was introduced to Grammy-winning producer David Foster and signed his first major recording contract with Reprise Records.


The two Canadians began work on a major debut album that would incorporate Bublé's aptitude for pop standards into songs that spanned several decades. His self-titled debut disc was released in early 2003 and featured jazzy takes on old standards like "Fever" and "The Way You Look Tonight," as well as newer classics like Van Morrison's "Moondance" and the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." Further exposure ensued with a world tour and appearances on several television programs like NBC's Today Show, in which he sang a duet with host Katie Couric. He finished off 2003 with an EP of holiday material, Let It Snow, and began 2004 with the live CD/DVD set Come Fly with Me. In 2005, It's Time was a number one hit in Canada, Japan, Italy, and Australia, and made the Top Ten of both the U.K. and U.S. charts. Later that year he released the live album Caught in the Act.


The holiday-themed album Christmas followed in 2006, with the studio effort Call Me Irresponsible dropping in 2007. Bublé returned in 2009 with the live concert album/DVD Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden, which documented the singer's first-ever performance at the storied New York City venue. The studio effort Crazy Love, featuring duets with Sharon Jones and Ron Sexsmith, followed in October 2009. In 2010, Bublé returned with the six-song EP Special Delivery, as well as the expanded Crazy Love: Hollywood Edition. The holiday album Christmas appeared in late 2011, featuring duets with Shania Twain, the Puppini Sisters, and Thalía. Within a few weeks of release, the album topped Billboard's Top 200.


JUSTIN BIEBER

Born: March 1, 1994

Pop singer Justin Bieber was barely into his teens when he released his platinum-selling debut, My World, and became one of 2009's youngest success stories. An Ontario native, Bieber had placed second in a local singing competition two years prior and began posting his performances on YouTube. The videos caught the attention of Scooter Braun, a talent agent and former So So Def marketing executive, who helped Bieber land an impromptu audition with the R&B star Usher. Impressed by what he saw, Usher -- along with Island/Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid -- quickly signed the 15-year-old Bieber to a recording contract.


Bieber released his first single, "One Time," in May 2009. Supported by a popular video that featured an appearance by Usher, "One Time" went platinum in both Canada and America, a feat that was replicated later that year with the release of My World. The disc was technically an EP, featuring only seven songs, but it reached number six on the Billboard 200 album chart and sold over a million copies. Less than a year after his debut, Bieber returned with the "second half" of My World, a ten-song release titled My World 2.0. Further demonstrating his and his management's marketing power, over 8,000 fans who pre-ordered My World 2.0 had their head shots used in a photo mosaic (formed to look like a portrait of Bieber) that was displayed on the back side of the disc's booklet. The release topped the Billboard 200. A few weeks later, a combination of My World and My World 2.0, titled My Worlds, appeared in some territories.


By the end of 2010, Bieber issued My Worlds Acoustic, a set featuring acoustic versions of nine songs off the My World discs, as well as one new song. The following February, the 3-D documentary Never Say Never was released to theaters. The seven-track Never Say Never: The Remixes, released just days after the film, maintained the flow of Bieber product, and featured appearances from the likes of Kanye West, Usher, and Miley Cyrus. Just in time for Christmas 2011 came the holiday-themed Under the Mistletoe, complete with several celebrity guest duets and an original song, "Mistletoe," for the first single, which entered the Holiday Songs chart at number two.


TRAIN

Formed: January 1, 1994

Train was inescapable during the turn of the 21st century, when songs like "Calling All Angels" and "Drops of Jupiter" made the San Francisco residents some of America's most popular balladeers. Although formed during the glory days of post-grunge, the group found more success in the pop/rock world, where Train straddled the line between adult contemporary and family-friendly alternative rock. The hits began drying up after 2003, but Train continued releasing material throughout the rest of the decade and even returned to the charts in 2010, when the single "Hey, Soul Sister" became a surprise Top 10 hit.


Following the dissolution of his Led Zeppelin cover band, singer Pat Monahan left his hometown of Erie, PA, in late 1993. He resettled in California and crossed paths with Rob Hotchkiss, the former frontman of a Los Angeles group named the Apostles. The two formed their own duo and began playing local coffeehouse shows, eventually expanding the group to a trio with the addition of former Apostles guitarist Jim Stafford. Bassist Charlie Colin and drummer Scott Underwood also climbed aboard, thus solidifying Train's lineup in 1994.


Over the course of several years, Train developed a sizable audience in the San Francisco area. The band also toured the country, opening shows for the likes of Barenaked Ladies and Counting Crows while drumming up enough money to record an album. Although few labels showed interest at first, Train eventually attracted the interest of Columbia Records, who signed the band to one of its smaller labels -- Aware Records -- and issued the self-financed debut record Train in 1998. "Meet Virginia" became a Top 40 hit one year later, but the band truly hit its stride in 2001, when Drops of Jupiter became a multi-platinum success thanks to its titular single. The song remained in the Top 40 for nearly 40 weeks, while the album itself sold more than three million copies.


My Private Nation followed in 2003 and went platinum, largely due to the successful single "Calling All Angels." Although the album didn't yield any more Top 40 hits, three of its songs fared well on the adult contemporary charts, a sign that Train had traded its alternative rock roots for an older fan base. For Me, It's You followed in 2006, but sales proved to be the lowest of Train's career. Accordingly, Monahan briefly turned his focus inward, releasing a solo album in 2007 and briefly touring behind it. He returned to the fold shortly thereafter, though, and Train issued its fifth album, Save Me, San Francisco, in 2009. The album helped rejuvenate Train's career, with "Hey, Soul Sister" peaking at number three on the Billboard 100. In 2012 the band released its sixth studio album, California 37.


CHRIS BROWN

Born: May 05, 1989 in Tappahannock, VA
Years Active: 00's
Genre: R&B

In November 2005, Chris Brown’s Scott Storch-produced “Run It!” -- a rewrite of Usher’s “Yeah!” -- topped the Billboard Hot 100, making the 16-year-old singer the first male artist in over a decade to top the chart with a debut single. While there was nowhere to go but down, at least in terms of chart positions, the pop-oriented R&B vocalist was only getting started. By the end of the decade, he was one of the biggest active pop stars, with a clutch of Top Ten singles and platinum albums to his credit, along with constant comparisons to Michael Jackson and several acting roles on the side. His momentum slowed little when, in 2009, he pleaded guilty to assaulting girlfriend Rihanna -- one of the year’s biggest celebrity news stories.


Brown came from a small Virginia town called Tappahannock. Like a lot of kids born since the early '80s, he was initially into his parents' favorite music but eventually fell under the spell of hip-hop. Around the time he reached puberty, he discovered his singing ability and switched his focus away from MC'ing. A move to New York led to being discovered by Tina Davis, a Def Jam A&R executive who became the singer’s manager shortly after losing her position to the Sony-BMG merger. The Jive label, due in part to its track record with younger artists who had established longevity (like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake), won the bidding war for Brown and lined up several production and songwriting heavyweights, including Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, Dre & Vidal, Sean Garrett, and Storch, for his self-titled first album. An immediate Top Ten hit when it was released in 2005, Chris Brown not only featured the number one “Run It!” but two other Top Ten singles in “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” and “Say Goodbye.” Exclusive, released in 2007 and a bit of a departure from the squeaky-clean image displayed throughout the debut, was even more successful, featuring the number one single "Kiss Kiss" and two other Top Five hits. Yet another Top Five hit came with “No Air,” a duet with Jordin Sparks that appeared on Sparks' own self-titled album.


In March 2009, Brown was charged with felonious assault of Rihanna -- an altercation that had prevented his then-girlfriend from taking the stage at the Grammy Awards. Brown was scheduled to perform as well, but he did not appear and maintained a low profile for several months. A fairly substantial backlash resulted in Brown’s songs being pulled from rotation on several radio stations. Ultimately, however, it had little bearing on the progress of his music and acting careers; the week prior to the December release of his third album, Graffiti, the single “I Can Transform Ya” was well on its way to reaching the Top 20 of the Hot 100, and his acting roles -- which had already included spots in Stomp the Yard and a recurring role on The O.C. -- hadn’t shown any sign of drying up. Graffiti fell considerably short of gold-selling status, but it was nominated for a Grammy award in the category of Best Contemporary R&B Album, and the Tank collaboration "Take My Time" was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Weeks after the 2011 Grammy Awards ceremony, Brown released his fourth album, F.A.M.E., which already had four singles on the charts. That album topped the Billboard 200 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts, and it also took the 2012 Grammy for Best R&B Album. During the ceremony, he performed a medley of "Beautiful People" (off F.A.M.E.) and "Turn Up the Music," the latter of which previewed Fortune, his fifth album, released in May 2012.




EMINEM

Born: October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, MO
Years Active: 90 's, 00's;0 's
Genre: RAP

To call Eminem hip-hop’s Elvis is correct to a degree, but it’s largely inaccurate. Certainly, Eminem was the first white rapper since the Beastie Boys to garner both sales and critical respect, but his impact exceeded this confining distinction. On sheer verbal skills, Eminem was one of the greatest MCs of his generation -- rapid, fluid, dexterous, and unpredictable, as capable of pulling off long-form narrative as he was delivering a withering aside -- and thanks to his mentor Dr. Dre, he had music to match: thick, muscular loops that evoked the terror and paranoia Em’s music conjured. And, to be certain, a great deal of the controversy Eminem courted -- and during the turn of the millennium, there was no greater pop cultural bogeyman than Marshall Mathers -- came through in how his violent fantasias, often directed at his mother or his wife, intertwined with flights of absurdity that appealed to listeners too young to absorb the psychodramas Eminem explored on his hit albums, The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP. With hits “My Name Is” and “The Real Slim Shady,” he ruled the airwaves, but it wasn’t long before some detractors acknowledged his depth, helped in part by singles like the mournful “Stan,” written from the perspective of an obsessed fan. Eminem capitalized on this forward momentum by crossing over onto the big screen with 8 Mile, earning acclaim for his performance and an Oscar for the film’s anthem “Lose Yourself,” but a number of demons led him to shut down for the second half of the decade, an absence that proved life is indeed empty without Em, before he returned in 2009 with Relapse.


Born Marshall Mathers in the Kansas City suburb St. Joseph, Eminem spent his childhood between Missouri and Michigan, settling in Detroit by his teens. At the age of 14, he began rapping with a high-school friend, the two adopting the names "Manix" and "M&M," which soon morphed into Eminem. Under this name, Mathers entered battle rapping, a struggle dramatized in the fictionalized 8 Mile. Initially, the predominantly African-American audience didn’t embrace Eminem, but soon his skills gained him a reputation, and he was recruited to join several rap groups. The first of these was the New Jacks, and after they disbanded, he joined Soul Intent, who released a single in 1995. This single also featured Proof and the two rappers broke off on their own to form D-12, a six-member crew that functioned more as a Wu-Tang-styled collective than a regularly performing group.


As he was struggling to establish his career, he and his girlfriend Kim had a daughter, Hailey, forcing him to spend less time rapping and more time providing for his family. During this time, he assembled his first album, Infinite, which received some underground attention in 1996, not all of it positive. After its release, Eminem developed his Slim Shady alter ego, a persona that freed him to dig deep into his dark id, something he needed as he faced a number of personal upheavals, beginning with a bad split with Kim, which led him to move in with his mother and increase his use of drugs and alcohol, capped off with an unsuccessful suicide attempt. All this Sturm und Drang was channeled into The Slim Shady EP, which is where he first demonstrated many of the quirks that became his trademark, including his twitchy, nasal rhyming and disturbingly violent imagery.


The Slim Shady EP opened many doors, the most notable of them being a contract with Interscope Records. After Eminem came in second at the 1997 Rap Olympics MC Battle in Los Angeles, Interscope head Jimmy Iovine sought out the rapper, giving the EP to Dr. Dre, who proved eager to work with Eminem. They quickly cut Em’s Interscope debut in the fall of 1998 -- during which time Marshall reconciled with Kim and married her -- and The Slim Shady LP appeared early in 1999, preceded by the single “My Name Is.” Both were instant blockbusters and Eminem turned into a lightning rod for attention, earning praise and disdain for his violent, satirical fantasias.


Eminem quickly followed The Slim Shady LP with The Marshall Mathers LP in the summer of 2000. By this point, there was little doubt that Eminem was one of the biggest stars in pop music: the album sold by the truckload, selling almost two million copies within the first two weeks of release, but Mathers felt compelled to tweak other celebrities, provoking pop stars in his lyrics, and Insane Clown Posse’s entourage in person, providing endless fodder for tabloids. This gossip blended with growing criticism about his violent and homophobic lyrics, and under this fire, he reunited his old crew, D-12, releasing an album in 2001, then touring with the group.


During this furor, he had his biggest hit in the form of the moody ballad “Stan.” Performed at the Grammys as a duet with Elton John, thereby undercutting some accusations of homophobia, the song helped Eminem to cross over to a middlebrow audience, setting the stage for the ultimate crossover of 2001’s 8 Mile. Directed by Curtis Hanson, best-known as the Oscar-nominated director of L.A. Confidential, the gritty drama fictionalized Eminem's pre-fame Detroit days and earned considerable praise, culminating in one of his biggest hits with the theme “Lose Yourself,” which won Mathers an Oscar.


After all this, he retreated from the spotlight to record his third album, The Eminem Show. Preceded by the single “Without Me,” the album turned into another huge hit, albeit not quite as strong as its predecessor, and there were some criticisms suggesting that Eminem wasn’t expanding his horizons much. Encore, released late in 2004, did reach into more mature territory, notably on the anti-George W. Bush “Mosh,” but most of the controversy generated by the album was for behind-the-scenes events: a bus crash followed by canceled dates and a stint in rehab. Rumors of retirement flew, and the 2005 appearance of Curtain Call: The Hits did nothing to dampen them, nor did the turmoil of 2006, a year that saw Mathers re-marrying and divorcing Kim within a matter of four months, as well as the shooting death of Proof at a Detroit club.


During all this, Em did some minor studio work, but soon he dropped off the radar completely, retreating to his Detroit home. He popped up here and there, most notably debuting the hip-hop channel Shade 45 for Sirius Satellite Radio in September 2008, but it wasn’t until early 2009 that he mounted a comeback with Relapse, an album whose very title alluded to some of Mathers’ struggles with prescription drugs, but also announced that after an extended absence, Slim Shady was back. While not quite a blockbuster, the album went platinum, and Eminem followed it at the end of the year with an expanded version of Relapse (dubbed Relapse: Refill) that added outtakes and new recordings. Recovery, initially titled Relapse 2, was issued in June 2010. The album debuted on top of the Billboard 200 chart, where it remained for five consecutive weeks, while its leadoff single, “Not Afraid,” debuted on top of the magazine’s Hot 100 singles chart.



PARAMORE

Formed: 2004 in Franklin, TN
Years Active: 00's
Genre: ROCK

Although their blend of emo-pop and slick, anthemic rock & roll eventually made them stars on both sides of the Atlantic, Paramore began humbly enough in Franklin, TN, where Hayley Williams met brothers Josh and Zac Farro after moving to town from Mississippi. Already a powerhouse vocalist at the age of 13, Williams joined a band that the Farro siblings had formed with local guitarist Taylor York. She left the group soon after, signing with Atlantic Records as a solo artist instead, but clashed with the label over the direction of her music. Seeking to front her own band, Williams convinced Atlantic to let her piece together a full lineup. Josh and Zac Farro were recruited for the job, as were guitarist Jason Bynum and bassist Jeremy Davis.


From the start, Paramore's poppy melodies and zippy songwriting seemed to contradict the fact that none of the bandmates (with the exception of Davis) were older than 18. To help attract a younger audience, Atlantic decided to share the band with Fueled by Ramen, a Florida-based label with a strong roster of emo-pop acts. Fueled by Ramen officially co-signed the group in April 2005, and Paramore's full-length debut, All We Know Is Falling, was released later that summer. In addition to a performance at New Jersey's Bamboozle Festival and multiple dates on the Warped Tour circuit, Paramore played shows with such simpatico bands as Simple Plan and Straylight Run. Hunter Lamb replaced Bynum on guitar in December 2005, and the band spent the following summer on the Warped Tour once again, cementing its relationship with the fans who had caught the previous summer's shows. Lamb parted ways with the group in early 2007 to get married, and Paramore continued onward as a quartet.


The following summer saw the release of the band's sophomore album, Riot!, which was recorded alongside producer David Bendeth. Buoyed by the popular singles "Misery Business," "crushcrushcrush," and "That's What You Get," Riot! turned Paramore into industry heavyweights, going platinum within its first 13 months of release and earning the band a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. With original guitarist Taylor York now back on board, Paramore toured exhaustively in support of the record, even landing a two-month jaunt across the continental U.S. with their idols, Jimmy Eat World. Meanwhile, the band found time to contribute two songs to the best-selling Twilight soundtrack, including the Top 40 single "Decode." A live album entitled The Final Riot! was released several weeks after the Twilight soundtrack, capturing the group's strength as a live act and concluding the long touring cycle in support of Riot!


Paramore publicly struggled with fame throughout 2008. Of particular note was the attention lavished upon Williams, whom many media outlets deemed to be the leader of the group. Rumors of a breakup began to circulate, yet Paramore's lineup remained intact, and the band retreated to a California studio in 2009 to work on a third album. Following a popular summer tour with No Doubt, the group issued Brand New Eyes, a pensive record that featured some of Paramore's strongest songwriting to date. The album debuted at number two with sales of 175,000 copies, besting Mariah Carey's Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.


Brand New Eyes went gold by the end of the year, and "The Only Exception" became the band's highest-charting single to date in America. Meanwhile, Williams scored her own chart-topper with "Airplanes," a multi-platinum collaboration with hip-hop artist B.o.B. Long-simmering tensions between Williams and the Farro brothers had reached a boiling point by late 2010, though, resulting in a messy split between Josh and Zac Farro -- considered by many to be the band's co-founders -- and the three remaining members. Days after his exit, Josh Farro wrote a blog post detailing the band's history, including previously unknown details regarding Atlantic's early involvement and Williams' solo contract.

Carly Rae Jepsen

 

Genre: POP / ROCK

Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen spent her formative years absorbing pop culture in her hometown of Mission, British Columbia. Her third place finish in the 2007 season of Canadian Idol resulted in a recording contract with Fontana and Maple music, as well as a spot on the requisite Top 3 concert tour, and by 2008, the young singer/songwriter had released her debut LP, Tug of War, which featured the single "Sunshine on My Shoulders," a cover of John Denver's 1974 hit ballad. Three years later, Jepsen released the single "Call Me Maybe," which drew from dance-pop and disco, and attained world-wide commercial success. The Curiosity EP, her second major release, followed in early 2012.