The debate over streaming fraud and passive listening has intensified as chart milestones continue to be compared with records established during the vinyl, cassette and CD eras. Industry studies, platform disclosures and independent audits now suggest that modern music charts measure a fundamentally different consumer activity than the charts that once tracked physical purchases, raising questions about whether meaningful comparisons can be made across generations.

Taylor Swift has revealed her first new song since 2025's The Life Of A Showgirl, writing and recording an original track for Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 5 inspired by the character Jessie.

CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is facing mounting criticism from some of the network's most prominent journalists as tensions surrounding 60 Minutes, newsroom independence and the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's Late Show continue to escalate.

Jimmy Kimmel turned a prestigious Peabody Awards acceptance speech into a defence of free speech and political satire, using the moment to reflect on recent challenges facing his long-running late-night television show while also delivering a series of mocking nicknames aimed at Trump.

Barry Manilow has revealed that he may never sing again after complications following lung cancer surgery left him struggling with his voice, casting doubt over his planned return to the stage later this month.

Phil Jamieson has unveiled Blue As The Sunlight, the latest preview of his upcoming second solo album 10Charlie, due for release on 14 August. The new track follows the earlier single Weekends and arrives as the former Grinspoon frontman prepares for an Australian tour that will take him to more than 40 venues across the country over the coming months.

British-Irish electronic music act VNV Nation have announced an Australian tour for February, marking the group's long-awaited return to local audiences. The project, led by singer, songwriter and producer Ronan Harris, will perform three headline dates in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne as part of ongoing touring activity following the release of the band's latest albums, Construct and Destruct.

Queen's A Kind Of Magic reaches its 40th anniversary on 2 June, marking four decades since the band's Highlander-inspired album became a global success and unknowingly set the stage for the end of Queen's touring years with Freddie Mercury.

Alex Lahey will take her debut EP B-Grade University back on the road this August, celebrating a decade since the release that launched her national and international career.

Nathan Cavaleri will take audiences through the highs and lows of his remarkable career in Growing Pains - The Nathan Cavaleri Story, a new theatre production blending live music and personal storytelling across a 14-date Australian tour.

Australian deathcore band To The Grave have announced the eight-date Nail Australia To The Walls Tour for September, marking the group's first major Australian headline run since releasing a string of new recordings and continuing their rise as one of the country's most internationally recognised extreme metal acts.

Tom Morello has unveiled the Power To The People: A Day of Peace, Love, Justice, and Music concert, bringing together Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews and a wide coalition of artists in a one-day voting rights benefit event in Maryland, positioned as a cultural counterpoint to the Trump-backed Freedom 250 programming in Washington DC.

The move to place ‘Comics Unleashed’ in CBS's flagship 11:35 p.m. late-night slot following the end of ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ has delivered a sharp ratings decline and sparked wider debate about the future of network talk television in the United States.

The Angels have unveiled a new commemorative video for Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the song that has become one of the most recognisable recordings in Australian rock history. The clip, assembled by founding guitarist Rick Brewster, features all of the vocalists who have fronted the band during its five-decade career and arrives as the group prepares to embark on a national anniversary tour spanning more than 25 dates around Australia.

Hollywood Undead have released their latest single, Feels Like Home, marking the newest chapter in a sustained singles strategy that has become central to the Los Angeles group's current phase. The track arrives through Sumerian Records and is accompanied by a lyric video release, while also coinciding with the announcement that the band will co-headline the returning Taste Of Chaos tour in the United States alongside In This Moment.

English pop trio Saint Etienne have announced a farewell tour of Australia and New Zealand for November and December 2026, marking what is expected to be the band's final visit to the region. The tour follows the release of International, the group's 2025 album that members have described as their last studio record, bringing a close to one of the most distinctive careers in British pop music.

One of the most anticipated unreleased projects in Neil Young's catalogue is finally set for an official release. Young has confirmed that the complete August 26, 1995 concert recorded at Dublin's RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion with members of Pearl Jam will debut as part of Neil Young Archives Volume 4, while a companion vinyl release drawn from the same performance is also being prepared from the original analogue master tapes.

Massive Attack have announced their first Australian headline tour in 16 years, with the influential Bristol collective set to perform arena dates in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne this August. The shows mark the group's first Australian appearances since 2010 and come amid renewed activity from the band, including the recent release of the Tom Waits collaboration Boots On The Ground.

The Rolling Stones have opened up about the making of their forthcoming album Foreign Tongues, revealing that the record bridges multiple eras of the band's recent history. Speaking to Vernon Kay on BBC Radio 2's Tracks Of My Years, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood detailed how the project evolved from years of demos and unfinished ideas into a 14-track album featuring both newly recorded material and performances from late drummer Charlie Watts.

Ronald LaPread, the bassist whose playing underpinned The Commodores' biggest hits during the Lionel Richie era, has died in Auckland, New Zealand at the age of 75 after a reported sudden medical event.

Julien's Auctions has reported strong international bidding results from its annual Music Icons sale in New York, with high-value lots from Ace Frehley, Johnny Cash, Eddie Van Halen, Prince, Madonna, Mick Jagger and more attracting collectors from 30 countries. The two-day event delivered several multi-million dollar category benchmarks across guitars, stage-worn items and rare memorabilia.

Macy Gray will return to Australia in September and October 2026 for her most extensive local tour yet, adding a significant run of regional dates after selling out multiple shows on her 2024 visit.

Sparks proved at Melbourne's Palais Theatre on 28 May 2026 that great live music does not require giant video screens, elaborate stage sets or theatrical props. With five musicians on stage, standard concert lighting and a catalogue stretching back more than 50 years, brothers Ron and Russell Mael delivered a riveting 100-minute performance that demonstrated how enduring songs and committed musicianship remain the most powerful tools in live entertainment.

The Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix has unveiled the first artists for its 2026 entertainment program, confirming performances from Split Enz, Goo Goo Dolls, Mark Ronson, DJ Snake, Major Lazer Soundsystem and Rev Run, but the announcement stops short of including Paul McCartney, whose name surfaced earlier this month following comments made by Neil Finn on Australian television.

Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, The Commodores and Morris Day And The Time have all withdrawn from the Great American State Fair, citing concerns over the event's political associations.

A US federal judge has ordered the removal of Trump's name from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, ruling that the Kennedy Center's board acted outside its legal authority when it renamed the venue. The decision also halts plans to temporarily close the Washington DC institution for a major two-year renovation project, marking a significant setback for Trump's efforts to reshape one of America's most prominent cultural landmarks.

A one-night tribute concert celebrating the catalogue of Australian music icon John Farnham will take place at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on 20 September 2026, bringing together more than 120 performers, a 38 piece orchestra, choir and Farnham's longtime touring band in support of Head and Neck Cancer Australia. The event, titled The Songs Of John Farnham: A Living Legend The Celebration Concert, will feature Australian and international artists performing songs from across Farnham's career, although organisers confirmed Farnham himself will not perform.

Connecticut metalcore band Boundaries have unveiled new single ‘Only Endless', the latest track from their forthcoming fourth studio album Yearning: The Unbeautiful After, due on July 17 through Sumerian Records. The release arrives as the band prepares for a busy international touring cycle that includes major European festival appearances, North American arena dates with Knocked Loose, and performances at Warped Tour and Louder Than Life.

Violet Grohl has officially launched her recording career with the release of her debut album Be Sweet To Me, issued through Auroura Records and Republic Records on Friday. The 11-track record arrives alongside the announcement of Grohl's first headline tour, which begins tonight in Los Angeles, and ahead of her scheduled television debut on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 3.

A growing number of artists have pulled out of Freedom 250 Presents: The Great American State Fair, the 16 day event set for Washington D.C.'s National Mall next month, after concerns emerged over the festival's links to Trump and the broader political positioning of the celebration.