The undisputed king of the parody song, accordionist/singer/comedian "Weird Al" Yankovic has recorded send-ups of songs by popular artists as wide-ranging as the Knack, the Kinks, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Nirvana, and Eminem. His seemingly simple jo…

Fergie fits in between a diminishing trance scene and the radical advent of UK garage with an uncomplicated take on hard house ethics Beginning his DJ career at the age of 14 and taken through the clubland ranks with the help of Tony De Vit Fergie ma…

Out of the backwaters of Oklahoma rose the power-pop clatter of the All-American Rejects, whose 2002 self-titled debut album, released on the indie Doghouse Records, yielded a huge fan base and the attention of several major labels. In a field crowde…

Originally known as the Annoying Thing the helium-voiced bluish-gray anatomically correct CGI lump Crazy Frog became a pop culture epidemic in Europe and especially the UK with ringtones TV commercials pop songs and other forms of overexposure Though…

Vancouver pop-rocker Daniel Powter's song "Bad Day" achieved notable longevity, first becoming a European hit in 2005 after being featured in a Coca-Cola campaign, and then topping the American charts a year later after its inclusion as a valedictory…

Sister actingsinging duo Aly AJ -- whose full names are Alyson and Amanda Joy Michalka -- showed a passion for both kinds of performing at a very young age they started playing piano at age six and began acting classes soon after Born in LA the Mich…

Cousins Jay DeMarcus and Gary LeVox grew up playing together in Columbus, OH. After DeMarcus moved to Nashville, LeVox eventually followed, and with Joe Don Rooney they formed Rascal Flatts, the singing, songwriting, and instrumental abilities of all…

The Los Angeles-based hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas has made a name for itself by taking an eclectic and organic approach to rap, R&B, and funk. Led by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Will.I.Am., the band also includes two other MCs, Apl.de.Ap. and Ta…

Going from a series of books about a girl pop band to a series of Disney TV movies about a girl pop band to an actual touring girl pop band the Cheetah Girls began as 16 young-adult books by Deborah Gregory The series began in 1999 and quickly became…

Britney Spears proved that the same goldmine that Madonna and Cyndi Lauper mined in the 1980s was again ripe for the picking, and she was immediately followed up the charts by another female teenybop sensation, Christina Aguilera. Closely aligned wit…

Equally popular and controversial Razor Ties iKidz Bopi series of singalong collections debuted in 2001 Known for their kid-friendly versions of hit singles that are re-recorded by session musicians and singers and the Kidz Bop Kids a chorus of chil…

Denver-based band the Fray was formed in 2002 by Isaac Slade vocals piano and Joe King guitar vocals when the two former school friends met up again in a local music store They soon began regular two-man jam sessions that led to writing songs and dev…

A discovery of pop-punk superstars Fall Out Boy, the Las Vegas emo band Panic! At the Disco (named for a Smiths song), stormed the charts in 2005 while its members were barely old enough to vote. Offering a highly danceable take on the emo formula of…