Portal:Record production

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The Record Production Portal

Noted audio engineer Roger Nichols at a vintage Neve recording console

P:RECORD

This portal is focused on music production within the era of written records through sound recordings, digital downloads, and beyond. Its scope includes articles that document the considerations and mechanisms used by, and consistent with, the purview of the production element. As an art form, music predates transcription and simultaneously transcends descriptive limitations. As an industry, music has demonstrated consistent viability over time. The record producer conjoins these potential, and serves as a broker to bridge the demand (spawned by their aspirations) with supply and satisfaction. The results are measurable and attributable, derived from effort and skillful application of craft, to a manifestation of the art in its melodic form. (Read more)

The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, represent and supply music creators. Among the many individuals and organizations that operate in the industry are: the songwriters and composers who write songs and musical compositions; the singers, musicians, conductors, and bandleaders who perform the music; the record labels, music publishers, recording studios, music producers, audio engineers, retail and digital music stores, and performance rights organizations who create and sell recorded music and sheet music; and the booking agents, promoters, music venues, road crew, and audio engineers who help organize and sell concerts. (Read more)

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Featured articles are displayed here, which represent some of the best content on English Wikipedia.

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U2 performing in Brussels, Belgium, August 2017. from left to right: Larry Mullen Jr.; The Edge; Bono; Adam Clayton

U2 are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1976. The group consists of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in post-punk, U2's musical style has evolved throughout their career, yet has maintained an anthemic quality built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's chiming, effects-based guitar sounds. Bono's lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, the group have staged several elaborate tours over their career.

The band was formed when the members were teenaged pupils of Mount Temple Comprehensive School and had limited musical proficiency. Within four years, they signed with Island Records and released their debut album, Boy (1980). Works such as their first UK number-one album, War (1983), and singles "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" helped establish U2's reputation as a politically and socially conscious group. Their fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire (1984), was their first collaboration with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, whose influence resulted in a more abstract, ambient sound for the band. By the mid-1980s, U2 had become renowned globally for their live act, highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985. Their fifth album, The Joshua Tree (1987), made them international stars and was their greatest critical and commercial success. One of the world's best-selling albums with 25 million copies sold, it produced the group's only number-one singles in the US to date: "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". (Full article...)
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Jackson in 1988

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres. Through stage and video performances, he popularized dance moves such as the moonwalk, which he named, and the robot.

He was the eighth child of the Jackson family, and made his public debut in 1964 with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). The Jackson 5 signed with Motown in 1968 and achieved worldwide success with Michael as lead singer. Jackson began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown and recorded multiple successful singles. He became a global solo star with his 1979 album Off the Wall. His music videos, including those for "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller" from his 1982 album Thriller, are credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. He helped popularize MTV and continued to innovate with videos for his albums Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995), and Invincible (2001). Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, while Bad was the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles. (Full article...)
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The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 1 March 1973 by Harvest Records in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. Developed during live performances before recording began, it was conceived as a concept album that would focus on the pressures faced by the band during their arduous lifestyle, and also deal with the mental health problems of the former band member Syd Barrett, who departed the group in 1968. New material was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in London.

The record builds on ideas explored in Pink Floyd's earlier recordings and performances, while omitting the extended instrumentals that characterised the band's earlier work. The group employed multitrack recording, tape loops, and analogue synthesisers, including experimentation with the EMS VCS 3 and a Synthi A. The engineer Alan Parsons was responsible for many of the sonic aspects of the recording, and for the recruitment of the session singer Clare Torry, who appears on "The Great Gig in the Sky". (Full article...)
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Audioslave performing at Montreux Jazz Festival in 2005. From left to right: Tim Commerford, Chris Cornell, Brad Wilk and Tom Morello

Audioslave was an American rock supergroup formed in Glendale, California, in 2001. The four-piece band consisted of Soundgarden's lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell with Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello (lead guitar), Tim Commerford (bass/backing vocals), and Brad Wilk (drums). Critics first described Audioslave as a combination of Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine, but by the band's second album, Out of Exile, it was noted that they had established a separate identity. Their unique sound was created by blending 1970s hard rock and 1990s alternative rock, with musical influences that included 1960s funk, soul and R&B. As with Rage Against the Machine, the band prided themselves on the fact that all sounds on their albums were produced using only guitars, bass, drums, and vocals, with emphasis on Cornell's wide vocal range and Morello's unconventional guitar solos.

In their six years together, Audioslave released three albums, received three Grammy nominations, sold more than eight million records worldwide and became the first American rock band to perform an open-air concert in Cuba. They disbanded in February 2007 after Cornell issued a statement announcing that he was leaving the band. Later that year, Cornell and Morello released solo albums, and Morello, Commerford, and Wilk reunited with Zack de la Rocha for the Rage Against the Machine Reunion Tour. (Full article...)
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"Under the Bridge" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and the eleventh track on their fifth studio album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991). Vocalist Anthony Kiedis wrote the lyrics while reflecting on loneliness and the struggles of being clean from drugs, and almost did not share it with the band. Released in March 1992 by Warner Bros. Records, "Under the Bridge" was praised by critics and fans for its emotional weight. The song was a commercial success and the band's highest-charting single, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Cash Box Top 100 and certified platinum. It was also a success in other countries, mostly charting within the top 10. Gus Van Sant directed the song's music video, which was filmed in Los Angeles.

"Under the Bridge" helped the Red Hot Chili Peppers enter the mainstream. David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that the song "unexpectedly drop-kicked the band into the Top 10". The song has become an inspiration to other artists, and remains a seminal component of the alternative rock movement of the early-to-mid 1990s. In April 1998, English girl group All Saints released a cover version that topped the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in May 1998. (Full article...)
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Agharta is a 1975 live double album by American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. By the time he recorded the album, Davis was 48 years old and had alienated many in the jazz community while attracting younger rock audiences with his radical electric fusion music. After experimenting with different line-ups, he established a stable live band in 1973 and toured constantly for the next two years, despite physical pain from worsening health and emotional instability brought on by substance abuse. During a three-week tour of Japan in 1975, the trumpeter performed two concerts at the Festival Hall in Osaka on February 1; the afternoon show produced Agharta, and the evening show was released as Pangaea the following year.

Davis led a septet at the concert; saxophonist Sonny Fortune, and guitarist Pete Cosey were given space to improvise against a dense backdrop of riffs, electronic effects, cross-beats, and funk grooves from the rhythm section – drummer Al Foster, bassist Michael Henderson, guitarist Reggie Lucas, and percussionist James Mtume. Davis controlled their rhythmic and musical direction with hand and head gestures, phrases played on his wah-wah processed trumpet, and drones from an accompanying electronic organ. The evolving nature of the performance led to the widespread misunderstanding that it had no compositional basis, while its dark, angry, and somber musical qualities were seen as a reflection of the bandleader's emotional and spiritual state at the time. (Full article...)
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Smith, 2020

Faryl Smith (born 23 July 1995) is a British soprano who performs opera, classical and classical crossover music. Smith rose to fame after appearing on the second series of the ITV television talent show Britain's Got Talent in 2008 as a child. After the programme, in December 2008, Smith signed a contract with Universal Classics and Jazz for a £2.3 million advance, the largest ever granted to a schoolgirl. Her debut album, Faryl, was recorded from December 2008 to January 2009 and released in March 2009. Faryl became the fastest-selling solo classical album in British chart history, selling 29,200 copies in the first week. It debuted at number six and rose to number four the following week, making Smith the third Britain's Got Talent contestant to have a top ten album. In 2010, on account of Faryl, Smith was nominated for two Classical BRIT Awards and became the youngest artist ever to receive a double nomination.

Smith's second album, Wonderland, was released in November 2009, after which Smith left Universal. In addition to releasing her two albums, she featured on a charity cover of "The Prayer", released in March 2010, provided vocals for the 2012 album The Magic of a Thousand Strings by the International Harp Ensemble, and performed at numerous public events, including the 2009 Royal Variety Performance. In 2015, Smith began studying music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She continued to perform regularly, including at major sporting events, such as a Six Nations match at Twickenham Stadium in February 2019. (Full article...)
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Stanford in 1921

Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Anglo-Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Romantic era. Born to a well-off and highly musical family in Dublin, Stanford was educated at the University of Cambridge before studying music in Leipzig and Berlin. He was instrumental in raising the status of the Cambridge University Musical Society, attracting international stars to perform with it.

While still an undergraduate, Stanford was appointed organist of Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1882, aged 29, he was one of the founding professors of the Royal College of Music, where he taught composition for the rest of his life. From 1887 he was also Professor of Music at Cambridge. As a teacher, Stanford was sceptical about modernism, and based his instruction chiefly on classical principles as exemplified in the music of Brahms. Among his pupils were rising composers whose fame went on to surpass his own, such as Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams. As a conductor, Stanford held posts with the Bach Choir and the Leeds Triennial Music Festival. (Full article...)
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Flea performing with Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2016

Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962), known professionally as Flea, is an American musician and actor. He is a founding member and bassist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and, along with vocalist Anthony Kiedis, one of the only two members to appear on every one of the band's albums.

Flea was born in Melbourne, Australia; his family moved to Rye, New York when he was four. After his parents divorced, Flea spent his childhood in the United States and Australia, before settling in California. In high school, he befriended singer Anthony Kiedis with whom he formed the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1983. Flea is also a member of the supergroups Atoms for Peace, Antemasque, Pigface, and Rocket Juice & the Moon, and has played with acts including The Mars Volta, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Alanis Morissette, Young MC, Nirvana, What Is This?, Fear, and Jane's Addiction. (Full article...)
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Elderly Instruments is a musical instrument retailer in Lansing, Michigan, United States, with a reputation as a "megastore", a repair shop and a locus for folk music including bluegrass and "twang". Specializing in fretted instruments, including acoustic and electric guitars, banjos, mandolins, and ukuleles, Elderly maintains a selection of odd or rare instruments. Elderly is known as a premier repair shop for fretted instruments, as one of the larger vintage instrument dealers in the United States, and as a major dealer of Martin guitars in particular.

Industry publications, music retail trade, and bluegrass music journals have featured articles about the Elderly repair staff. The company also provides consignment services for rare and vintage instruments. Since its founding in 1972, Elderly has undergone two major expansions: into mail order in 1975 and then into Internet sales in the 1990s. In 2005 it was the subject of a lawsuit by Gibson Guitar Corporation concerning trademark infringement. Today it is recognized internationally for its services and products; its mail order and Internet business account for 65–70 percent of its total revenue. Elderly grossed $12 million in 1999, and by 2007 was grossing $17 million annually. (Full article...)
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Mother's Milk is the fourth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on August 16, 1989 by EMI Records. After the death of founding guitarist Hillel Slovak and the subsequent departure of drummer Jack Irons, vocalist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea regrouped with the addition of guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith. Frusciante's influence altered the band's sound by placing more emphasis on melody than rhythm, which had dominated the band's previous material. Returning producer Michael Beinhorn favored heavy metal guitar riffs as well as overdubbing. Frusciante perceived Beinhorn's taste as excessive, and as a result, the two constantly fought over the album's guitar sound.

Mother's Milk was a greater commercial success than the band's first three albums, peaking at number 52 on the US Billboard 200. It received widespread airplay for the three singles which included the cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground", "Knock Me Down" and "Taste the Pain", and it became their first gold record in early 1990. Although it was not met with the same positive critical reception that its predecessor The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987) had garnered, Mother's Milk was the first step for the band in achieving international success and, according to Amy Hanson of AllMusic, "turned the tide and transformed the band from underground funk-rocking rappers to mainstream bad boys with seemingly very little effort." (Full article...)
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Godsmack performing at Rock im Park in 2019. From left to right: Robbie Merrill, Sully Erna, Shannon Larkin, and Tony Rombola.

Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its formation, Godsmack has released eight studio albums, one EP (The Other Side), four DVDs, one compilation album (Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack), and one live album (Live & Inspired).

The band has released three consecutive number-one albums (Faceless, IV and The Oracle) on the Billboard 200. The band also has 25 top ten rock radio hits, including 18 songs in the top five, and 12 at #1. The band's seventh album, When Legends Rise was released on April 27, 2018. Their eight and final album Lighting Up the Sky was released on February 24, 2023. (Full article...)

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... that until the release of the documentary Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop, sexual abuse claims involving record producer Johnny Kitagawa went widely unreported in Japanese media?
... that according to Billboard magazine, Laufey created a blueprint for jazz music in the modern music industry and helped push it back into the mainstream?
... that Castle Recording Laboratory, Nashville's first commercial recording studio, was established in a repurposed hotel banquet room?
... that to promote the Buffalo Club, Rising Tide Records sent packages of plastic buffalo to music industry executives in Nashville?
... that the Guns N' Roses debut studio album Appetite for Destruction was recorded at a recording studio founded by 1970s pop duo Captain & Tennille?
... that when Divine's song "Lately" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998, it became the first number-one single for the performers, the songwriters, the producers, and the record labels?

Born this day

Birthdays in Music: July 9

Haruomi Hosono, Japanese musician with Yellow Magic Orchestra, turns 77.
John Tesh, American composer, turns 72.
Debbie Sledge, American disco music singer of Sister Sledge fame, turns 70.
Jim Kerr, Scottish lyricist for Simple Minds, turns 65.
Marc Almond, Brit synthpop singer with Soft Cell, turns 65.
Courtney Love, American vocalist with Hole, turns 60.
Frank Bello, American bassist with Anthrax, turns 59.
Nikola Šarčević, Swedish bassist and singer with Millencolin, turns 50.
Jack White, American vocalist of The White Stripes, turns 49.
Isaac Brock, American musician, turns 47.
Ella Koon, Hong Kong singer and actress, turns 45.
Lucia Micarelli, American classical music performer, turns 41.
Kiely Williams, American girl group vocalist with 3LW, turns 38.

Mitch Mitchell (Record production, 1947–November 12, 2008), Brit drummer for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, would have turned 77 this year.
Bon Scott (Record production, 1946 –February 19, 1980), Australian singer with AC/DC, would have turned 78 this year.
Root Boy Slim (Record production, 1945 –June 08, 1993), American entertainer, would have turned 79 this year.
Frank Wright (Record production, 1935 –May 17, 1990), American jazz musician, would have turned 89 this year.
Buddy Bregman (Record production, 1930 –January 08, 2017), American arranger and conductor, would have turned 94 this year.
Jesse McReynolds (Record production, 1929–June 23, 2023), American singer and mandolin player, would have turned 95 this year.
Ed Ames (Record production, 1927–May 21, 2023), American singer and actor, would have turned 97 this year.
David Diamond (Record production, 1915 –June 13, 2005), American composer, would have turned 109 this year.
Ottorino Respighi (Record production, 1879 –April 18, 1936), Italian composer, musicologist and violinist, would have turned 145 this year.

List of musical events • Anniversaries • More birthdays...

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These are all Good articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards.

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Industrial Zen is a studio album recorded by English jazz musician John McLaughlin in 2006. It was released on 22 May 2006 by Verve Records as a compact disc. Following the release of Thieves and Poets (2003), he began creating an album that was more ambitious and one that he could consider unique to him. He collaborated with various musicians for the project, such as vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, saxophonist Bill Evans, and tabla player Zakir Hussain. A jazz fusion and electric jazz album, Industrial Zen features the use of several instruments, including drums, keyboards, the electric bass, and the tabla. Additionally, McLaughlin wrote and produced all eight songs that appear on the record.

The album was generally well received by music critics for being musically diverse. One critic also pointed out that it resembled some of McLaughlin's work that he released in the 1970s. Commercially, the album fared well on two jazz music Billboard charts, peaking at numbers 9 and 14 on the Top Jazz Albums and Jazz Albums charts, respectively. (Full article...)
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Lo Mejor de...Selena is a double disc compilation album by American singer Selena. It was released posthumously in the United States on March 31, 2015, by Capitol Latin and Universal Music Latin Entertainment. The album was released after the commercial and chart success of Enamorada de Ti (2012), which featured several Latin music acts lending their voices for the remix album. The recording features six number one United States Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart singles by the singer—"Buenos Amigos", "Donde Quiera Que Estés", "Amor Prohibido", "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", "No Me Queda Más", "Fotos y Recuerdos", and the US Billboard Latin Pop Airplay chart single "I Could Fall in Love".

The album debuted and peaked at number two on the US Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. A year after its release, the recording peaked at number one on the Latin Pop Albums list, giving Selena her first number one album in four years. Lo Mejor de...Selena debuted and peaked at number 102 on the US Billboard 200 chart, her highest-charting album since 1999's All My Hits/Todos Mis Exitos. The recording earned the singer the Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Female at the 2016 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The album has been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) double platinum, denoting 120,000 album-equivalent units. (Full article...)
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Lust for Life is the second solo studio album by the American musician Iggy Pop, released on September 9, 1977, through RCA Records. It was his second collaboration with English musician and friend David Bowie after The Idiot, released in March the same year. Shortly after Bowie released his own album Low in January, Pop went on a tour to support The Idiot with Bowie as his keyboardist. At the tour's conclusion, Pop and Bowie regrouped in Berlin to record the former's next solo album.

Lust for Life was recorded at Hansa Studio by the Wall in West Berlin from May to June 1977, with production being handled by Bowie, Pop, and engineer Colin Thurston. The touring band of Pop, Bowie, guitarist Ricky Gardiner, and brothers Tony Fox and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively, comprised the primary lineup for the album. After The Idiot was mostly composed by Bowie, Pop was adamant about having more control over Lust for Life, often composing his own arrangements, including for "Sixteen". This resulted in a hard rock and proto-punk sound more akin to his older style with the band the Stooges. Pop would use Bowie's arrangements for some songs, including the well-known title track. (Full article...)
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Commontime is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Field Music. It was released by Memphis Industries on 5 February 2016. The album has been described as the band's most accessible to date, and encompasses a wide range of genres and influences, including the funk style that Field Music's David Brewis previously explored on Old Fears, an album by his side project School of Language. Commontime has a stronger pop music sound than Field Music's previous albums, in part inspired by David and Peter Brewis’ children listening to a lot of Hall & Oates and American number-one singles.

As with other Field Music works, Commontime features unique song structures, unconventional instrumentation, and unusual time signatures that occasionally shift mid-song. It also includes interweaving vocals and sophisticated harmonies, with more instances of the Brewis brothers singing together than past Field Music albums, as well as prominent use of strings and brass instruments. The album features a wider array of supporting musicians than on the band's previous works, including the band's original keyboardist Andrew Moore, Peter's wife Jennie Brewis on vocals, and backup singer Liz Corney from the band Cornshed Sisters. (Full article...)
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Nostalgia, Ultra (stylized as nostalgia,ULTRA. and occasionally nostalgia/ultra) is the debut mixtape by American singer-songwriter Frank Ocean. It was released on February 16, 2011. Ocean was inspired to make the mixtape after Hurricane Katrina in his native New Orleans and his subsequent relocation to Los Angeles. After joining alternative hip hop group Odd Future in 2009, he self-released the mixtape, without initial promotion. Nostalgia, Ultra has a unique R&B aesthetic and features surreal themes and nostalgic lyrics. The songs mostly focus on interpersonal relationships, personal reflection, and social commentary. Following its release, the mixtape received rave reviews from music critics. The cover features a picture of a bright orange BMW E30 M3, Ocean's "dream car", in plain sight amidst lush greenery.

In May 2011, Def Jam announced its plans to release the mixtape as an EP on July 26, 2011. However, the release of the EP was indefinitely delayed in July 2011 and has since been cancelled. Two singles were released from the aborted EP version: "Novacane", and "Swim Good". Both songs received music videos directed by Australian director Nabil Elderkin. Ocean embarked on a solo concert tour through North America and Europe to promote the record, playing a total of 7 shows. In addition, his 2012 performance at the Coachella Music Festival included several live renditions from the release including "Strawberry Swing" and "Lovecrimes". (Full article...)
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Blue Murder is the debut album by English hard rock band Blue Murder, released on 24 April 1989 by Geffen Records. It was produced by Bob Rock. The band was formed by guitarist John Sykes after his dismissal from Whitesnake. He was eventually joined by bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice. The band entered Little Mountain Sound Studios in early 1988 to begin recording their debut album. After several unsuccessful attempts at finding a lead singer, John Sykes took up the role, having already sung the band's first demos. Following the record's release, Blue Murder embarked on tours supporting Bon Jovi and Billy Squier.

Despite a positive reception from music critics, who touted the band's musicianship and Rock's production, the album underperformed commercially, only peaking at number 45 in the UK and number 69 in the US. Its failure has since been attributed to a variety of internal problems, including a lack of proper promotion, mismanagement and poor business decisions by the band. However, the record has garnered a small cult following since its release. In 2013, it was reissued and remastered by Rock Candy Records. (Full article...)
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Wildflower is the second studio album by Australian electronic music group the Avalanches. It was first released on 1 July 2016 on Apple Music and widely on 8 July 2016 by Modular Recordings in Australia, by XL Recordings in the United Kingdom, and by Astralwerks in the United States. It was the first album released by the band in 16 years, following their 2000 debut Since I Left You. It features multiple guest collaborators providing vocals and live instrumentation across its twenty-one tracks, including Danny Brown, MF DOOM, David Berman, Toro y Moi, Warren Ellis, Jonathan Donahue, Kevin Parker, Biz Markie, and Father John Misty, amongst others. Much like its predecessor, the album features extensive sampling, especially from 1960s psychedelic music, and relates to the era through themes of counterculture and anti-establishment. Member Robbie Chater described the album's structure as a road trip from a hyperrealistic urban environment to somewhere remote and far away while on LSD.

Wildflower was stuck in development hell for many years. Following the release of Since I Left You, the Avalanches toured and continued to produce music, and worked on a wide variety of projects for over a decade, producing new tracks while also collaborating with multiple artists. The album was described in 2005 as "ambient world music", and by early 2007, the group were considering over forty tracks for an album which had become mostly hip hop-oriented. Production was restarted in 2011, led by Robbie Chater with assistance from Tony Di Blasi, but soon stalled due to the former being ill for three years. The group members had also become more involved in separate projects, which pulled them away from the album. Some of their most time-consuming work included the score to King Kong, and an animated musical film described as a "hip hop version of Yellow Submarine" which lost funding and was never completed. Wildflower features several remnants from these projects, and was compiled in a fashion similar to producing a mixtape. (Full article...)
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Selfish Machines is the second album by American rock band Pierce the Veil, released by Equal Vision Records on June 22, 2010. Produced by Vic Fuentes and Mike Green, it was recorded in late 2009 and early 2010. Fuentes wrote most of the songs, and co-wrote three songs with former A Day to Remember guitarist Tom Denney.

Vocalist Jeremy McKinnon, also of A Day to Remember, was featured on the track "Caraphernelia", which had a music video released on September 28, 2010. "Bulletproof Love" was released as the follow-up music video on July 7, 2011. Though there was a mostly favorable critical reception to the album, with reviewers praising the lyricism, instrumentation and experimental approach to its sound, the use of Auto-Tune on some of the tracks was less favorably received and Fuentes' vocals were met with a divisive response from some listeners. Nonetheless, it garnered decent success and appeared on several US Billboard charts, including its Top Heatseekers and the top 200. It was reissued, with remixed production, on September 24, 2013. (Full article...)
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Nothing Personal is the third studio album by American rock band All Time Low. As early as May 2008, the band began writing for their third album, and by November revealed they would be recording in the winter. The band began pre-production in early January 2009 and started recording later in the month, which lasted until March. Half of the album's songs were produced by Matt Squire with Butch Walker, David Bendeth and S*A*M and Sluggo each producing a few songs. Tom Lord-Alge mixed the majority of the album. "Weightless" was made available for streaming in March, and released as a single in April. A support slot for Fall Out Boy and an appearance at the Bamboozle festival followed.

The band went on an Australian tour in June, which was followed by a music video for "Weightless" in July. Nothing Personal was released through Hopeless Records on July 7. On the same day, the band performed shows in three different cities in a 24-hour span. They then went on a US tour before performing on the main stage at the Warped Tour in July and August, followed by appearances at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. In September, a music video was released for "Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)", and the track was released as a single. Between October and February 2010, the group went on tours of the US, UK and Australia. "Lost in Stereo" was released as a single in April; a music video followed in late August. (Full article...)
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América & en Vivo is a live extended play (EP) by Mexican singer Luis Miguel. It was released on 25 September 1992 by WEA Latina. The EP consists of three live versions of "Inolvidable", No Sé Tú", and "Contigo en la Distancia" from his performance at the National Auditorium in Mexico during his Romance Tour on June 26, 1992, as well as a new track "America, America", originally performed by Nino Bravo. "America, America" was released as a single and peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. The EP was rated three out of five stars by an editor on AllMusic and received a positive review from Mario Taradell of the Miami Herald, who praised his vocals and the production of the EP. América & En Vivo peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart and was certified platinum in Argentina by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers (CAPIF). (Full article...)
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Red Headed Stranger is the eighteenth studio album by American outlaw country singer Willie Nelson, released in 1975. Following the success of his recordings with Atlantic Records, coupled with the negotiating skills of his manager, Neil Reshen, Nelson signed a contract with Columbia Records, the label that gave him total creative control over his works. The concept for the album was inspired by the "Tale of the Red Headed Stranger", a song that Nelson used to play as a disc jockey on his program in Fort Worth, Texas. After signing with Columbia, he decided to record the song, and arranged the details during his return to Austin, Texas, from a trip to Colorado. It was recorded at low cost at Autumn Sound Studios in Garland, Texas. The songs featured sparse arrangements, largely limited to Nelson's guitar, piano, and drums. Nelson presented the finished material to Columbia executives, who were dubious about releasing an album that they at first thought was a demo. However, Nelson had creative control, so no further production was added.

A concept album, Red Headed Stranger is about a fugitive on the run from the law after killing his wife and her lover. The content consists of songs with brief poetic lyrics and arrangements of older material such as Fred Rose's "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain", Wolfe Gilbert's "Down Yonder", and Juventino Rosas' "O'er the Waves". Despite Columbia's doubts and the limited instrumentation, Red Headed Stranger was a blockbuster among country music and mainstream audiences. It was certified multiple-platinum, and made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. The cover of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain", released as a single before the album, became Nelson's first number-one hit. The title of the album became a lasting nickname for Nelson. It was ranked number 183 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and number one on CMT's 40 Greatest Albums in Country Music. In 2010, it was inducted to the National Recording Registry. (Full article...)
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Human After All is the third studio album by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, first released on 14 March 2005 through Virgin Records. Unlike their previous studio album Discovery (2001), whose sound was inspired by disco and garage house and produced over the period of two years, Human After All was more minimalistic and improvisational with a mixture of heavier guitars and electronics, and was produced in six weeks.

Human After All received mixed reviews from critics, who were wary of it's minimalistic, repetitive nature and considered the record to be inferior to their previous works. However, it did receive some favorable notices for the darker, experimental tone, unique from the duo's other records and the more moodier, menacing direction. Some of the singles "Robot Rock" and "Technologic" charted in several countries, while the title track charted in France. Daft Punk incorporated the songs into their Alive 2006/2007 tour, which received critical acclaim. Human After All reached number one on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, and was nominated for the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various record production-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Neve VR60, a multitrack mixing console. Above the console are a range of studio monitor speakers. (from Recording studio)
Image 2An audio production facility at An-Najah National University (from Recording studio)
Image 3Digital audio interface for the Pro Tools computer-based hard disk multitrack recording system. Digital audio quality is measured in data resolution per channel. (from Multitrack recording)
Image 4A selection of instruments at a music studio, including a grand piano (from Recording studio)
Image 5The TASCAM 85 16B analog tape multitrack recorder can record 16 tracks of audio on 1-inch (2.54cm) magnetic tape. Professional analog units of 24 tracks on 2-inch tape were common, with specialty tape heads providing 16 or even 8 tracks on the same tape width, for greater fidelity. (from Multitrack recording)
Image 6Korg D888 eight-track digital recorder (from Multitrack recording)
Image 7A Mexican son jarocho singer recording tracks at the Tec de Monterrey studios (from Recording studio)
Image 8Control room at the Tec de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus (from Recording studio)
Image 9The studio at Ridge Radio in Caterham, England (from Recording studio)
Image 10Danny Knicely records with Furnace Mountain Band in Virginia (2012) (from Recording studio)
Image 11The Siemens Studio for Electronic Music c. 1956. (from Recording studio)
Image 12Engineers and producers watch a trumpet player from a window in the control room during a recording session. (from Recording studio)
Image 13Scully 280 eight-track recorder at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (from Multitrack recording)
Image 14Allen & Heath GS3000 analog mixing console in a home studio (from Recording studio)
Image 15Donna Summer wearing headphones during a recording session in 1977 (from Recording studio)
Image 16Mixing desk with twenty inputs and eight outputs (from Multitrack recording)
Image 17The TEAC 2340, a popular early (1973) home multitrack recorder, four tracks on ¼ inch tape (from Multitrack recording)
Image 18Hip hop producer and rapper RZA in a music studio with two collaborators. Pictured in the foreground is a synthesizer keyboard and a number of vinyl records; both of these items are key tools that producers and DJs use to create hip hop beats. (from Hip hop production)

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Featured lists have been determined by the Wikipedia community to be the best lists on English Wikipedia.

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Buck Owens had four number ones in 1966.

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1966, 13 different singles topped the chart, which was published at the time under the title Hot Country Singles, in 53 issues of the magazine. Chart placings were based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.

At the start of the year the number one single was the instrumental "Buckaroo" by Buck Owens and his Buckaroos, the track's second week in the top spot. It held the number one position for the first week of 1966 before being replaced by "Giddyup Go" by Red Sovine, the first of a number of sentimental songs about the truck-driving industry for which the singer would become known. After Sovine's six-week run at number one, Owens returned to the top with "Waitin' in Your Welfare Line", the first of three chart-toppers from his album "Open Up Your Heart". One of the most successful recording artists of the mid-1960s, Owens spent the highest number of weeks at number one in 1966, occupying the top spot for a total of 18 weeks with his four chart-topping singles. Only two other artists took more than one single to number one in 1966. Eddy Arnold, one of the biggest country music stars of the 1940s and early 1950s, had revitalized his somewhat declining career in the mid-1960s by embracing the "Nashville sound", a newer style of country music which eschewed elements of the earlier honky-tonk style in favor of smooth productions which had a broader appeal. In 1965 Arnold had gained his first number one in ten years, and his success continued into 1966, when he reached the top spot twice and spent a combined total of ten weeks at number one. Jim Reeves also achieved two chart-toppers in 1966, both of which were posthumous; the singer had been killed in a plane crash two years earlier. (Full article...)
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Tennessee Ernie Ford's song "Sixteen Tons" ended the year at number one on two of the three charts.

In 1955, Billboard magazine published three charts covering the best-performing country music songs in the United States: Most Played in Juke Boxes, Best Sellers in Stores, and Most Played By Jockeys. The juke box chart was based on a "survey among operators thruout [sic] the country using a high proportion of country and western records", the best sellers chart on a survey of "dealers...with a high volume of country and western records" and the jockeys chart a survey of "top disk jockeys in all key markets". All three charts are considered part of the lineage of the magazine's current country music songs charts.

As in the previous year, the number one position on all three charts was dominated during 1955 by Webb Pierce, the most successful country singer of the mid-1950s. His rendition of "In the Jailhouse Now", an early 20th-century song most associated in the country music field with 1920s country pioneer Jimmie Rodgers, spent 21 weeks at number one on the juke box chart beginning in March. This run tied the record held by Eddy Arnold's "I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" (1947–48) and Hank Snow's "I'm Moving On" (1950) for the most weeks spent atop one of Billboard's country charts. The three songs would share the record for more than fifty years until Florida Georgia Line spent a 22nd week at number one on the Hot Country Songs listing in 2013 with "Cruise". "In the Jailhouse Now" was also the longest-running chart-topper of 1955 on both the best sellers and jockeys charts, spending 20 weeks and 15 weeks respectively in the top spot. Pierce's grip on the number one position was strongest on the juke box chart, on which he spent 47 weeks at number one, including one week when he tied for the top spot. Carl Smith (four weeks, including one tied with Pierce), Eddy Arnold (two weeks) and Tennessee Ernie Ford (one week) were the only other artists to top that listing in issues of Billboard with a cover date of 1955. (Full article...)
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Music recording certifications are typically awarded by the worldwide music industry based on the total units sold, streamed, or shipped to retailers. These awards and their requirements are defined by the various certifying bodies representing the music industry in various countries and territories worldwide. The standard certification awards given consist of Gold, Platinum, and sometimes Diamond awards, in ascending order; the UK also has a Silver certification, ranking below Gold. In most cases, a "Multi-Platinum" or "Multi-Diamond" award is given for multiples of the Platinum or Diamond requirements.

Many music industries around the world are represented by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The IFPI operates in 66 countries and services affiliated industry associations in 45 countries. In some cases, the IFPI is merely affiliated with the already operational certification bodies of a country, but in many countries with lesser-developed industries, the IFPI acts as the sole certifying body servicing the country or region's music industry. Still other countries not represented by the IFPI have certifying bodies operating independently, such as individual record companies which service the country or region's music industry as a whole. (Full article...)
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The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music and/or electronic music genres. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".

The award for Best Dance Recording was first presented to Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder in 1998 for the song "Carry On". In 2003, the Academy moved the category from the "Pop" field into a new "Dance" field, alongside the category Best Dance/Electronic Album. According to the Academy, the award is designated for solo, duo, group or collaborative performances (vocal or instrumental), and is limited to singles or tracks only. (Full article...)
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The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality jazz vocal performances (songs or albums). Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".

Prior to 1981, the gender-neutral category of Best Jazz Vocal Performance existed. The first award specifically for female performances was presented to Ella Fitzgerald in 1981 for the album A Perfect Match. The category remained unchanged until 1985, when it was combined with the award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male and presented in the genderless category. Gender-specific awards were once again presented from 1986 until 1991. In 1992, the two categories were combined and presented as the category Best Jazz Vocal Performance. This category was later renamed to Best Jazz Vocal Album beginning in 2001. While the gender-specific award has not been presented since the category merge in 1992, an official confirmation of its retirement has not been announced. (Full article...)
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Faron Young topped the chart in the fall with "Country Girl".

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine since 1958, when the magazine amalgamated its separate C&W Best Sellers in Stores and Most Played C&W by Jockeys charts. In 1959, eleven different songs topped the chart, then published under the title Hot C&W Sides, in 52 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.

At the start of the year the song at number one was "City Lights" by Ray Price. The song had been in the top spot since the issue of Billboard dated October 20, 1958, the first in which the magazine combined country sales and airplay into a single chart, and remained at number one until the issue dated January 19, 1959. Four artists achieved a number one country single for the first time in 1959: Johnny Horton with "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)", George Jones with "White Lightning", which replaced Horton's song at number one, Stonewall Jackson with "Waterloo", and the Browns with "The Three Bells". Of these, Jones would prove to have the most prolific career, topping the Hot Country chart in four consecutive decades. At the time of his death in 2013, he had placed more singles on Billboard's charts than any other artist in any genre. (Full article...)
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Thomas Rhett topped both charts throughout the month of January.

Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay are charts that rank the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. Hot Country Songs ranks songs based on digital downloads, streaming, and airplay not only from country stations but from stations of all formats, a methodology introduced in 2012. Country Airplay, which was published for the first time in 2012, is based solely on country radio airplay, a methodology which had previously been used for several decades for Hot Country Songs. In 2016, nine different songs topped the Hot Country Songs chart and 40 different songs topped Country Airplay in 52 issues of the magazine.

In the first issue of Billboard of the new year, Thomas Rhett was at number one on both charts with "Die a Happy Man". On Hot Country Songs, the song would continue to hold the top spot through the issue of Billboard dated March 19, finishing with a total of 17 weeks at number one. The song spent six consecutive weeks atop Country Airplay, twice as long as any other song in 2016. Additionally, it was the longest run at number one on Billboard's airplay-based country chart since 2008. The longest run at number one on the Hot Country Songs during the year was 18 weeks, achieved by the song "H.O.L.Y." by Florida Georgia Line. This figure was also the highest total number of weeks spent in the top spot by any act, as no act achieved more than one chart-topper during the year. On the airplay listing, ten acts reached the top spot with more than one song; Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line each achieved three number ones during the year. Rhett's total of seven weeks at number one was the highest for any act. (Full article...)
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Pianist Ludovico Einaudi spent 54 weeks at number one on the Official Classical Singles Chart, longer than any other artist.

The Official Classical Singles Chart was a record chart based on downloads and streaming of classical music in the United Kingdom. Each week's chart was compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) and was first published on Monday afternoon on their official website. The chart ran for 140 weeks from 2012 to 2015, during which time a total of 23 singles by 22 artists reached number one. The most successful artist was the Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi, who topped the chart with three singles for a total of 54 weeks, while the most successful record label was Decca Records, which spent 89 weeks at number one with six singles. Einaudi's track "I Giorni" from his album of the same name spent 51 weeks at number one, longer than any other single. In January 2013, following the release of Einaudi's album In a Time Lapse, singles by the pianist accounted for 13 of the Top 20 on the Official Classical Singles Chart. Martin Talbot, managing director of the OCC, described him as one of the chart's "biggest and most consistent stars".

Singles would often top the chart as a result of exposure in popular media, including films such as Fifty Shades of Grey, The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel. In July 2012, a rendition of Spem in alium by the Tallis Scholars topped the chart following its usage in Fifty Shades of Grey. E. L. James, author of the original novel on which the film was based, said that she was delighted that her readers had been introduced to the piece of music, and that it was a "deserved number one". Three weeks later, the London Symphony Orchestra reached number one after their version of "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis was used in the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Three of the top five singles on that week's chart were related to the 2012 Summer Olympics. (Full article...)
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In 1944, Billboard magazine published its first chart ranking the top-performing country music songs in the United States, under the title Most Played Juke Box Folk Records. The term "country music" would not come into standard usage until the late 1940s and "folk music" was one of a number of terms used for the genre in earlier years; the subtitle on the first chart indicated that it covered "Hillbillies, Spirituals, Cowboy Songs, etc". The Juke Box Folk listing was compiled based on reports from "Billboard representatives" detailing the most-played songs of the genre in jukeboxes from "all the country's leading operating centers", which were averaged to give an overall chart. The first chart listed six songs, but the number of entries was not consistent from week to week. The juke box chart was published under a number of different titles until 1957 and is considered part of the lineage of the current Hot Country Songs chart, which was first published in 1958.

The first number-one song listed was "Pistol Packin' Mama", which remained in the top spot for the first seven weeks. The song, originally recorded by Al Dexter in 1942, had remained hugely popular ever since, and been recorded by many different singers. Up to four different versions of "Pistol Packin' Mama" were bracketed together as a single entry in the number one position during the seven-week run, although noted chart historian Joel Whitburn regarded only the first-named artist each week as having achieved the number one hit, and did not record some of the credited artists as having charted at all. Subsequently, different recordings of a song were not bracketed together in this way: in issues of Billboard published later in the year, different versions of "Pistol Packin' Mama" appeared listed separately. The chart methodology also allowed for the possibility of records tying for a position, and on several occasions during 1944 two or more different songs tied for the number-one spot. (Full article...)
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Jim Reeves had his first number one in 1953.

In 1953 Billboard magazine published three charts covering the best-performing country music songs in the United States: Most Played in Juke Boxes, National Best Sellers, and Most Played By Jockeys. The three charts had been published since 1944, 1948 and 1949 respectively. All three charts are considered part of the lineage of the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart, which was first published in 1958.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 3, Hank Williams was at number one on both the best sellers and jockeys charts with "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", retaining a position it had held on both listings since the final issue of 1952. Williams thus held the top spot when he died in the early hours of January 1, 1953. Following his death, Williams achieved considerable chart success in the first half of 1953, particularly on the best sellers chart. He returned to number one on that listing later in January with the final single released in his lifetime, "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive", and went on to have two further posthumous number ones with "Take These Chains from My Heart" and "Kaw-Liga", the latter of which spent 13 consecutive weeks at number one, the year's longest unbroken run atop any of the three charts. His total of 19 weeks at number one on the retail listing (including one when he tied for the top spot) was the most achieved by any act, and he achieved the same feat on both the juke box and jockeys charts, with 10 and 15 weeks at number one respectively. "Your Cheatin' Heart", which fell short of the number one position on the best sellers chart, topped both the other listings, meaning that five songs by Williams reached number one on one or more of the charts in 1953. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians in country music history, Williams was among the inaugural class of entrants to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961. (Full article...)