Ben Sisario
The New York Times
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Ben:
Tina Turner’s 11 Essential Songs
Turner, who died Wednesday at 83, went from R&B shouter to rock queen to pop superstar. Here are some of her greatest musical moments. → Read More
Ticketmaster Called a ‘Monopoly’ at Senate Hearing Over Taylor Swift Debacle
The Judiciary Committee, responding to the bungled sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets, heard the company apologize and its critics trace the problem to the industry’s lack of competition. → Read More
Ticketmaster’s Parent Company Said to Face Justice Department Investigation
The inquiry predates the botched presale of Taylor Swift tickets this week and is said to focus on whether Live Nation has abused its power in the live music industry. → Read More
Beyoncé Announces New Album ‘Renaissance,’ Out Next Month
The new project, apparently with the subtitle “Act I,” will be released on July 29, according to the singer’s social media accounts. → Read More
Neil Diamond Sells Entire Catalog to Universal Music
The musician behind ubiquitous hits like “Sweet Caroline” sold his songwriting rights and recordings in another major deal. → Read More
Joe Rogan Apologizes for ‘Shameful’ Past Use of Racial Slur
His apology came as listeners said that as many as 70 episodes of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast had been quietly taken off Spotify; the company has yet to comment on the reported removals. → Read More
Spotify Responds to Complaints About Covid Misinformation
After Neil Young and Joni Mitchell removed their music from the streaming service, its chief executive wrote, “it is important to me that we don’t take on the position of being content censor.” → Read More
Grammy Awards Move to April in Las Vegas
The 64th annual show, originally scheduled for Jan. 31 in Los Angeles, was postponed amid a spike in Covid-19 cases. It will now take place on April 3, and be broadcast live by CBS. → Read More
David Bowie Estate Sells Songwriting Catalog to Warner Music
In the latest blockbuster catalog deal, Warner has agreed to buy David Bowie’s songs for about $250 million, bringing nearly all of the star’s work under one corporate roof. → Read More
Bruce Springsteen Sells Music Catalog in Massive Deal
Sony Music Entertainment buys the Boss’s entire corpus, including classics like “Born to Run,” for an estimated $500 million or more. → Read More
Drake Removes Himself From Competition for 2022 Grammy Awards
The superstar rapper and singer, long a critic of the awards, was nominated in two categories, best rap album and best rap performance. → Read More
Kanye West’s ‘Donda’ Is No. 1, but Drake Waits in the Wings
The total for “Donda” includes 357 million streams in the United States, the most in a week so far this year. → Read More
Billie Eilish Earns a Third Week at No. 1, Narrowly
“Happier Than Ever” beat out Doja Cat’s “Planet Her” on the Billboard album chart by a margin of 1,000 equivalent album sales. → Read More
Garth Brooks Cancels Five Stadium Concerts as Covid-19 Cases Rise
The country star said he hoped to resume his tour by the end of the year, if he could do so safely. → Read More
Aaliyah’s Music Will Finally Be Streaming. What Took So Long?
Twenty years after one of the most celebrated stars of ’90s R&B died in a plane crash, her songs — like “Try Again” and “If Your Girl Only Knew” — will be widely available. → Read More
New Report Paints Bleak Picture of Diversity in the Music Industry
The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative examined 4,060 executives at six types of companies, and found 19.8 percent were from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. → Read More
New York City Plans a Central Park Mega-Concert to Celebrate Reopening
The mayor’s office has asked the producer Clive Davis to sign up musical stars for an event on the Great Lawn in August. → Read More
Jack Terricloth, Punk Rocker With a Cabaret Air, Dies at 50
As the devilishly smarmy vocalist and ringleader of the World/Inferno Friendship Society, he melded punk defiance with decadent theatricality. → Read More
Will Songwriting Survive Streaming? Abba’s Bjorn Ulvaeus Is Worried.
One of pop’s most successful songwriters on fighting for the value of his craft, and on the young talents he admires most. → Read More
Did the Music Industry Change? A Race ‘Report Card’ Is on the Way.
The Black Music Action Coalition, a group of managers, lawyers and others, was created last summer with a mission to hold the business to account. In June, it will report on the progress so far. → Read More