Listen Up: Comebacks, Legal Problems, Music Downloads Mark 2006 in Pop
Lewis O'neal  |  by jameslogancourier.org. All rights reserved. 29.12 | 6:07

The Rolling Stones

2006 provided plenty of headlines: Rock greats fell out of trees while others simply produced some of the best music of their careers. Pop icons fell afoul of the law while audiences stayed away from concerts in droves - they were too busy downloading music at home. VOA's Ray McDonald takes a look at the year's pop music highlights.


The 2006 Record of the Year Grammy winner hinted at some of the surprises to come: Green Day, formerly known for its adolescent approach to punk rock, took home a pair of trophies for its ambitious concept album American Idiot and the single "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."
Away from the podium, live music had a bumpy ride in 2006. U.

S. concert attendance continued to fall, while individual ticket prices rose. Lesser-known acts scaled back arena sizes, while sure-thing attractions such as the Rolling Stones sat back and counted their money.


The veteran rockers set a world record in 2006, grossing an estimated $437 million from their latest tour. The Stones did have an unexpected hiatus when guitarist Keith Richards underwent brain surgery - he fell out of a coconut tree while on holiday in Fiji.
Other veteran acts also did well: The Who issued its first studio album since 1982; The New York Dolls returned with their first studio set since 1974 - and 65-year-old Bob Dylan earned rave reviews for his latest set, Modern Times.

No less an authority than Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed it the year's best album.
The hip-hop world also witnessed two high-profile comebacks: Sean "Diddy" Combs released Press Play, his first solo album in seven years, while rapper-cum-record executive Jay-Z ended a three-year layoff with Kingdom Come.

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