He was the first Kiwi to record an overseas No 1, gave the world a signature dance move, and mentored a host of successful entertainers. But now pioneering rocker Ray Columbus, best-known for the 60s chart hit She’s a Mod, is terminally ill.
Tag Archives: charts
Motorhead, Black Sabbath crowned kings of metal
Veteran British rock bands Motorhead and Black Sabbath have been crowned the kings of heavy metal, winning the top accolades at the UK’s top metal music awards, the Metal Hammer Golden Gods. Motorhead, best known for its 1980 hit Ace of Spades, received the Golden Gods awards at the 11th annual ceremony for making a significant contribution to the rock and heavy metal industry over nearly four decades.
The king of the keyboards
People have one of two reactions to the music of French pianist Richard Clayderman – they love it or hate it. For every person who finds his instrumentals hard to distinguish from anonymous elevator music and too populist to be considered classical, there’s the legion of fans who have bought 75 million of his albums.
Lorde: A Kiwi music mystery
She seemed to come out of nowhere. In just two months Lorde has become the Kiwi pop star everyone’s talking about.
Talking ’bout home with Rudimental
Vicki Anderson
Bowie video given adult-only rating
David Bowie’s latest music video featuring him as a Christ-like figure surrounded by women in skimpy outfits and priests in a bar has been slapped with an adult-only rating by video sharing website YouTube.
The Witch Is Dead hits UK charts
The death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has sent a 74-year-old song, Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead, flying into the UK charts, figures showed. The song from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz was top of Amazon’s most downloaded chart on Wednesday after a social media campaign to promote the upbeat track as a way for detractors to “celebrate” the death of Britain’s most divisive postwar leader.
Moon task for Pink Floyd fans
Pink Floyd’s seminal stoner album Dark Side of the Moon is turning 40 and the band’s website has developed an interactive feature whereby fans can help turn a specially designed moon on the site dark.
Rihanna announces Auckland show
Rihanna is bringing her Diamonds World Tour to New Zealand this year. The six-time Grammy-winner will be performing in Auckland’s Vector Arena on October 6
92-year-old outsells Beatles to top UK charts
Vera Lynn, who made her name entertaining troops in World War II after recording her first song 70 years ago, has become the oldest living artist to have a number one album. The 92-year-old’s album “We’ll Meet Again — The Very Best of Vera Lynn” took the top spot in the British charts on Sunday, even outselling much-hyped re-mastered versions of the Beatles’ back catalogue, according to the UK’s Official Charts Company