Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby is about to receive a tribute of the documentary variety with PBS’ upcoming series Bing Crosby: Rediscovered. The doc aims to introduce a new generation to the many sides of the pop and jazz icon. In a heartbeat, Crosby went from a meticulous musician to a  media master, to a generous philanthropist. But he had his less than admirable moments too – according to those who knew him, he was notoriously difficult with his family. Even so, after his death, his family wanted to pay their respects – in as public a way as possible, apparently.

Throwing it back for a lesson with Bing -- https://t.co/MdDJ5sc7od http://t.co/M7F0SDjWvL

— Bing Crosby Inc. (@Bing_Crosby) November 20, 2014

Continue reading: PBS Documentary To Reveal Unseen Side Of Jazz Legend Bing Crosby

Mariah Carey ruddy loves reminding us that she sang one of the best known Christmas pop songs of all time. Just in case her original version of 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' wasn’t played enough around this time of year as it was, she also decided to pop up wearing a really quite short Santa’s outfit alongside then 17 year-old Justin Bieber in re-do of the song last year.

So we were pretty firmly on Carey watch this year, just waiting to see when she’d pop up to offer yet another ‘fresh’ update on her ubiquitous track. And it happened with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots in tow. In fairness, the chat show host sort of asked for it; he was going to perform a version of the song anyway with rappers The Roots in tow on toy instruments. Trust Carey to want to get in on the act though; sure enough, after the slow intro, there she was in a red dress, admittedly still hitting the notes and taking center stage as the rest of them played amiably behind her. Reports that she’d rushed off soon after the show because her senses had picked up a family in the Tulsa region about to get going on their own karaoke version of the song in their living room remain unsubstantiated.

Check out Carey join Fallon and The Roots below; then scroll down to see our own festive top 5.

Continue reading: Mariah Carey Sings 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' On Jimmy Fallon; Plus, Our Top 5 Christmas Songs

Happy 60^th birthday, the UK Singles Chart! Yes, today (November 14, 2012) marks six decades since music publication the NME published the first ever chart of the biggest selling tracks in the country. In 2012 the relevancy of such a chart is becoming increasingly moot, with the advent of iTunes and subsequent integration of digital track sales with physical meaning that any track off an album can feasibly rise to the top of the pile, whilst music piracy and streaming has severely impacted the standalone commercial quality of just one single. Many singles are now used mere promotional tools for the subsequent album, or given a video to boost an act’s profile. Yet with Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love’ currently the biggest selling single in the UK this year, with over 1.14 million downloads alone, it’s clear that the chart isn’t done as a force just yet.

As the Official Charts site itself writes, one of the founders of the New Musical Express, Percy Dickins, constructed the first chart by phoning 20 record shops up and down the country and tallying up their best-selling singles, the first ever chart seeing American crooner Al Martino going to the head of the pile with his hit ‘Here In My Heart’. The debut single for Martino, it was also to prove as good as it got for him on UK shores, and after 1955’s ‘The Man From Laramie’ he had to wait another five years for another top 50 hit there.

The Official UK Single Chart, Noveber 14, 1952

Continue reading: Official UK Singles Charts Celebrates 60 Years: Who Was No.1 In 1952?