'Glee' takes on Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used to Know' [video]

When they aren’t offering mash-ups of current chart-toppers or throwbacks to '80s rock standards, going Broadway or dedicating full episodes to iconic pop stars such as Madonna, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac, “Glee” has made it a habit to quietly reach for a little bit of indie cred --  just don’t expect them to drop their jazz hands in the process

In the past, the hit show has tackled tracks from artists that are likely little known to the tweens and their parents who love the show, with Young the Giant, Neon Trees, Lykke Li, Black Kids, Halestorm and fun. all getting the “Glee” treatment.

Next up? Gotye’s infectious guitar pop groove "Somebody That I Used to Know."

U2 is tops again in concert and music-sales revenue

The Irish band tops Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga for concert and music-sales revenues.

Demonstrating that there's no substitute for the live concert experience, U2 has once again taken the crown in Calendar's annual Ultimate Top 10, a ranking that combines concert revenue with sales of recorded music.

U2 amassed $160.8 million for 2011, well ahead of runner-up Taylor Swift, whose combined earnings came to $126.8 million. Lady Gaga was the only other act to top $100 million, posting $109.4 million to place third. Country music road warrior Kenny Chesney landed in fourth place with $98.5 million. The year's blockbuster album and singles sales champ, Adele, pulled in at fifth place with $92.8 million, a figure that certainly would have been higher if vocal cord problems hadn't forced her to cancel big chunks of her 2011 tour itinerary.

Figures are drawn from Pollstar's recently published tallies of North American box office revenues and Nielsen SoundScan's tracking of retail music sales in the U.S. The Ultimate Top 10 uses figures from North America because they are tracked more reliably than in many other parts of the world. But most of these musicians pulled in even more than these totals with ever-expanding ancillary income sources such as tour merchandise, product endorsements, video game sales, ring tones and clothing and jewelry lines.

Holiday music: Justin Bieber, Michael Bublé, Tony Bennett and more

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details.

The late, great Hunter S. Thompson once said, “When the going gets weird,the weird turn pro.” Or they make a Christmas album -- or both. Either way, any year that brings holiday releases from human Ken dolls Justin Bieber and David Archuleta, Stone Temple Pilots drama king Scott Weiland and the chipper cast of “Glee” certainly scores high on the “Seriously?!” scale. Here are the high and lowlights from the latest volley of holiday music albums.

*** Paul Anka, “Songs of December” (Decca). Now an elder statesman of old-school pop, Anka sounds fully in control of the myriad resources afforded him for his first holiday recording in half a century. Inventive arrangements contribute strongly to his approach as a genial latter-day compadre of Der Bingle or Tony Bennett. Nothing remotely revolutionary, but plenty of comfort food for the ears.

** David Archuleta and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, “Glad Christmas Tidings” (Mormon Tabernacle Choir). Anyone on your list who thinks Jerry Bruckheimer is too subtle? Here’s the holiday CD for them. The Mormon “American Idol” alum from Utah is surrounded by the choral army on his second Christmas collection, recorded live last year in Salt Lake City. His sweetness and charm come through best on the Spanish-language traditional “Los pastores a belen.” A PBS special of this performance is airing this month.

*** Tony Bennett, “The Classic Christmas Album” (RPM/Columbia/Legacy). These 18 tracks, largely drawn from Bennett's previous holiday releases going back to 1968, are every bit as consistently classy as we'd expect from the pop master. The CD also includes one previously unreleased recording of “What Child Is This.”

Emmy nominations show music programming love, just in case you didn't know

Sure, the news of HBO scoring 104 Emmy nods Thursday morning dominated headlines covering the annual awards show. But music-based programming got a dose of love too.

Lady Gaga helped boost HBO’s staggering tally, when her concert special "The Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden" snagged five nominations, including variety, music or comedy special, which is up against Bette Midler’s HBO music special.

Justin Timberlake proved that not working on music won’t stop him from getting recognition for it. He landed three nominations for his numerous appearances on “Saturday Night Live’s” always hilarious digital shorts.

The singer-turned-mostly-actor was nominated once for guest actor in a comedy series and twice for original music and lyrics for "Justin Timberlake Monologue" and "3-Way (The Golden Rule)," which featured Andy Samberg and Lady Gaga. Gaga wasn’t nominated for the spot because she didn’t co-write the music or lyrics.

It came as no surprise that ratings juggernauts "Glee" and "American Idol" led the pack of nods when it came to music-based programming.
 
“Glee,” which continues to be as big a hit on the Billboard charts as it is on television, scored 12 nominations, including comedy series, supporting actor in a comedy series for Chris Colfer and supporting actress in a comedy series for Jane Lynch. And “American Idol” landed 10 nods, including one in the reality -- competition series category.

RELATED:

2011 Primetime Emmy Awards nominees

Photos: Top Emmy nominees

Emmy nominee reactions

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy
Twitter.com/gerrickkennedy

Photo: Screenshot from "Saturday Night Live's" season finale, which featured Justin Timberlake, left, Lady Gaga and Andy Samberg in the Lonely Island's "3-Way (The Golden Rule)."

An additional 11 Eleven more came for “Too Big to Fail,” HBO’s dramatization of the 2008 financial meltdown on Wall Street.

Matthew Morrison cancels most of solo tour, to join Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block summer outing

Matthew Morrison has changed plans for his summer tour.

Originally, the “Glee” star was slated to hit the road for a 22-date summer solo trek that would have kicked off June 18 in Minneapolis and wrapped up in Los Angeles at the Nokia Theatre on July 23. 

However, on Tuesday, Morrison announced that he was canceling the majority of those shows in order to support New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys on their joint summer tour as NKOTBSB.

Morrison will join the supergroup beginning July 6 in Anaheim and continue through Aug. 7 in London, Canada.

Ticketmaster has listed the majority of  previously announced shows as canceled, except for dates in Detroit, New York City, Atlantic City, N.J.,  and San Diego.

A rep for Morrison said that there would be more details forthcoming about his solo tour plans and that he did not know whether poor ticket sales had played a role in the cancelations. The singer-actor was the first from the cast of "Glee" to announce  a record deal (he is signed to Mercury Records), and he recently released his eponymous debut album.

“This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Morrison said in a statement. “I am so appreciative of my fans and I’m planning to give them a great show.”

Check out Morrison's dates with NKOTBSB:

'Glee’s' Matthew Morrison preps summer tour

“Glee” star Matthew Morrison plans to hit the road this summer – solo.

Morrison, who has inked a deal with Mercury Records, announced Friday he is ditching the cast (they will be on their own tour) and prepping his first outing in support of his upcoming debut album.

Launching June 18 in Minneapolis, the 22-date trek wraps up in Los Angeles at the Nokia Theatre on July 23.  

The actor recently premiered the album's first single, “Summer Rain” – which he co-wrote with Claude Kelly (Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Fantasia) – and is slated to perform the track on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” Wednesday and on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on April 11.

Norwegian duo Espionage, who crafted Train’s Grammy-winning single, “Hey, Soul Sister," produced and co-wrote the track.

Morrison, never one to forget his “Glee” fan base, has teamed with VH1's Save the Music Foundation for a contest that will offer regional glee clubs the chance to compete for an opening act slot. He also will perform songs from the hit show on tour as well.

He’s also partnered up with Funny Or Die to display his comedic chops while on the road. The site will create original content for the concert, with the videos premiering exclusively on its site. Funny Or Die is also producing content that will be incorporated into the live show.

Morrison’s self-titled debut album will hit stores May 10 and will feature duets with Elton John and recurring “Glee” guest star Gwyneth Paltrow. 

Presales for all dates starts Monday on his official site, while official sales begin April 15 through aeglive.com.

Check out the dates after the jump:

'Glee' to debut original music including Max Martin penned track

Despite how divisive critics –- and fans -– are over Fox’s hit musical, “Glee,” the show’s magic remains, for better or worse, in its ability to churn out foot-stomping renditions of songs from yesteryear, and put its mark on current top 40 singles.

But after hundreds of covers and a handful of soundtracks (volume five is out next month), the kids have finally decided to tackle … original music.

After dominating charts with covers of “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Teenage Dream,” it's time to try doing it on their own. 

“Loser Like Me,” an energetic ensemble track co-written by pop hitmaker Max Martin, and “Get It Right,” a sweeping ballad, will appear on “Glee: The Music, Vol. 5,” available March 8, and air on the March 15 episode of the show.

Employing Martin is a given. The man knows how to craft peppy pop magic. If the track isn’t nearly as sticky as other Martin gems (Britney Spears’ “Hold It Against Me,” Pink’s “Raise Your Glass” and Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You” to name a few), it is a noble attempt. But there isn’t an easy hook to catch, and the song less successfully  showcases the range of voices of the show’s stars.

“Get It Right,” featuring Lea Michele, is a piano driven ballad, exactly what you'd imagine as the perfect showcase for Michele’s soaring vocals. 

Last summer during the Television Critics Assn. press tour, show creator Ryan Murphy said he planned for the kids to take on their own lyrics in the second half of the show, though he wasn’t sure how yet.

“I think it has to be organic,” he said. “It wouldn’t work [before] if they just broke out and started singing their own songs. You wouldn’t get it. I think it has to be an assignment.”

“Glee: The Music, Vol. 5” will feature the cast’s take on Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” Katy Perry’s “Firework” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” the mash-up of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Heads Will Roll.”

To date almost 24 million "Glee" songs have been digitally downloaded, with nearly 9 million albums sold worldwide. "Glee" scored three consecutive No. 1 releases with “Glee: The Music, Vol. 3 Showstoppers,” “Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna” and “Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals.”  

-- Gerrick D. Kennedy

Twitter.com/GerrickKennedy

Photo: Fox

Barbra Streisand to be feted as Recording Academy's MusiCares Person of the Year

The Recording Academy has chosen Barbra Streisand as its MusiCares Person of the Year in conjunction with the 2011 Grammy Awards, and will salute her musical and philanthropic achievements Feb. 11 with an all-star fundraising dinner and concert featuring Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Barry Manilow, Diana Krall, Kristin Chenoweth and others.

Along with such pop, jazz and Broadway veterans, the event also will bring in a new generation of singers with an appearance by cast members from Fox TV’s hit series “Glee,” including Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison and Darren Criss. Eight-time Grammy winner Streisand also will perform at the close of the program.

Previous MusiCares honorees include Bennett, Wonder, Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Brian Wilson, Bono, Bonnie Raitt, Luciano Pavarotti and Neil Young.  Proceeds from the annual event benefit various MusiCares programs for musicians in need.

-- Randy Lewis

Photo of Barbra Streisand singing at the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony in 2001. Credit: Los Angeles Times 

Personal Playlist: 'Glee' music producer Adam Anders

Personal Playlist is a new Pop & Hiss series in which personalities in and out of the pop world share their recent music picks.

Adam Anders is cursed with the toughest gig in television: harmoniously weaving pop cuts from the likes of Barbra Streisand, Journey, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé through Broadway gems from “Chicago,” “Les Miserables” and “A Chorus Line.” As “Glee's” music producer, Anders is immersed with the demands of the Fox juggernaut (he recently completed upward of 50 songs in 30 days). One has to wonder if he has any non-“Glee” tracks on his radar. 

“Here's where it gets tricky. If I tell you what I'm listening to then you'll know what's coming on the show,” he said, laughing. The song that's driving me crazy is [Katy Perry's] ‘Teenage Dream.' I think it's amazing. It's pop at its best. I go from that to Sinatra. We're all over the place on the show.”

Anders, who's also digging Florence + the Machine and Muse, said it was trying to impress another band while working with an upcoming guest star that had him the most stressed.

“[Gwyneth Paltrow] is doing a mash-up of ‘Singing in the Rain' and ‘Umbrella.' It's actually my favorite mash-up. I told Gwyneth I was obsessed with it knowing that Chris Martin was going to hear it,” he said. “I love him and Coldplay.”

Though his Personal Playlist is inundated with ‘Glee' workings, there is one nostalgic album that always rates for Anders.

“Oh geez ... it's Kenny Rogers' ‘The Gambler.' It was the first album I saved up to buy as a kid.”

— Gerrick D. Kennedy

RELATED:

Personal Playlist: Zach Galifianakis, what are you listening to?

Photo: Adam Anders. Credit: Ari Michelson

Critic's Notebook: 'Glee' is at a crossroads

With the Fox hit reaching a high-water mark in scope and popularity, the producers face tough choices in moving the show beyond the novelty stage in its second season.

If a musical is ever made about Ryan Murphy and his amazing Technicolor cast creating "Glee," the big climax at the end of the first act should correspond to this particular moment in time.

The show has reached a peak, in terms of popularity and artistic ambition. In the last two weeks it's tackled two of the most controversial subjects of our time: religion and Britney Spears. The ratings are through the roof, the iTunes downloads just keep coming, and celebrities such as Amy Adams, Javier Bardem and future guest star Gwyneth Paltrow have all publicly expressed their enthusiasm for "Glee."

Like Rachel Berry (played by actress Lea Michele), the show's would-be Streisand who, musically at any rate, is the central character in this ensemble show, "Glee" is also wildly ambitious and earnest about what the lively arts can accomplish. If Murphy and his team had done nothing more than create a viable television series employing the structure of musical theater, that would have been enough; it's never really happened before in prime time. ("Cop Rock," no; and "The Singing Detective" hailed from the tony BBC.)

But "Glee" has gone further, using the softening agents of song and schticky humor to take a strongly left-leaning stance on issues including teen pregnancy, abstinence, gay visibility and the rights of the disabled. Grabbing huge audiences with these plotlines — not to mention its fundamental role as a cheerleader (pun intended!) for arts in the schools — it's a potent pop-cultural force in opposition to the rightward push of that other pop phenomenon of the moment, the Tea Party movement.