41st Post: RollingStone Top100

NEW TRENDS IN MUSIC – WITH HIGHEST RATED SONGS – ROLLINGSTONE’s TOP 100

FINDING HIGH QUALITY SOUND IN OUR RECORDINGS

After researching the existing 43 blog posts, we identified 556 songs with a recording quality (RQ) grade of either a 10 or 10+. If you want to quickly find a song with the highest recording quality, I have listed each of the 556 songs with the names of the artists as well as the blog post number that you will find links to allow for quick selections. There are a total of 27 alphabetized charts that follow:

New “10” Adds (Bacharach-Beatles):

American Folk. North American music. 48. The Darlings.

Bach, JoHann. 44. Mass in B Minor.

Balada. Latin and South American music. 48. Las Mejeres Baladas.

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. 44. Symphony No9.

New “10” Adds (Beatles – Booker):

Beethoven, Ludwig. 44. Erotica Symphony.

Berlinger Philharmoniker. 44. Symphony No9.

Blues. North American music. 48. 30 Greatest

New “10” Adds (Boone – Byrds):

Bonney, Barbara. 44. Ave Maria.

Brahms, Johannes. 44. Symphony No3 in F Major.

Bretan, Laura. 37. “Believe” and “O mio babbino caro.”

Budapest Festival Orchestra. 44. Carmen Fantasy Op. 25.

New “10” Adds (Canned Heat – Chin):

Caccini, Francesca. 44. Il Primo Libro.

Chaminade, Cecile. 44. Arabesque No1 Op.61.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 44. Beethoven’s No9 Symphony.

New “10” Adds (Chin – Cryus):

Clapton, Eric. 46. Old Love.

Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. 44. Adagio from Symphony No9.

Cumbia. Latin and South American music. Mexicana – Alex Rice.

New “10” Adds (Diagle – Dylan):

Desmond, Paul (& The Dave Brubeck Quartet). 36. “Take Five.”

New “10” Adds (Eagles – Exciters):

New “10” Adds (Fabres – Freeman):

Fifth Dimension, The. 36. “Medley: Aquarious/Let the Sunshine In.”

New “10” Adds (Gabor – Houston):

Girol, Vicente. 46. Tres Notas Para Decir To Quiero.

Grimaud, Helene. 45. Brahms Piano Concert No1.

Hamaasyan, Tigran. 45. New Maps.

Hammer, Jan. 45. “Crockett’s Theme.”

Hancock, Herbie. 45. Just Around the Corner.

Handl, George. 44. Hallelujah.

New “10” Adds (Impressions – Jan and Dean):

Iverson, Ethan. 45. Thrift Store.

New “10” Adds (Jefferson – Konstantinov):

New “10” Adds (Lady Gaga – Lynne):

Lang Lang. 45. Fur Elise.

LA Philharmonic. 44. Romeo and Juliet Overture.

Leonaroa, Isabella. 44. Sonata Duodecima.

Lord, Jon. Deep Purple. 45. “Lazy.”

Lucia, Paco de. 46. Entre dos agues.

New “10” Adds (MacKampa-Monroe):

Mambo. Caribbean music. 48. “Latin 10.”

Mariachi. Latin and South American music. 48. Happy Mexican.

Monk, Thelonious. 45. Monk’s Dream.

New “10” Adds (Moody Blues – Neville):

Mozart, Wolfgang. 44. Jupiter Symphony.

New “10” Adds (Oldham – Platters):

Opera. European music. 48. Must Know 10.

Peterson, Oscar. 45. If You Could See Me Now.

New “10” Adds (Playlist – Pucket):

Punjabi. 48. Asian music. “San Fer.”

New “10” Adds (Queen – Robinson):

Ranchera. Latin and South American music. 48. Corrido De Juanto.

New “10” Adds (Robinson – Ryder):

Richards, Keith. 46. Sympathy for the Devil.

Rock and Roll. North American music. 48. 100 Best.

Rubin, Carter. 37. “Before You Go.” “Up from Here.” “Rainbow Connection.” “You Say.” and “Here.”

New “10” Adds (Sam and Dave – Skomorekova):

Schubert, Franz. 44. Ave Maria.

New “10” Adds (Skynyard – Streisand):

Small Faces. 36. Itchycoo Park.

Soca. Caribbean music. 48. Best of Osocity.

Spiral Starecase. 36. More Today than Yesterday.

Staatskapelle Dresden. 44. Symphony No2.

Storzzi, Barbara. 44. Sino Alla Morte.

New “10” Adds (Supremes – Swift):

New “10” Adds (Talbot – Turtles):

Tatum, Art. 45. The Best of Art Tatum.

The American Breed. 36: “Bend Me Shape Me.”

The Left Bank. 36. Timeless Recordings from the 1950s and 1960s. “Walk Away Renee.”

Tjano. North American music. 48. Puro Family.

Townsend, Pete. 46. El Salvador.

New “10” Adds (U2 – Z):

Vallenatto. Latin and South American music. 48. Romantices.

Vivaldi, Antonio. 44. Four Seasons.

von Bingen, Hildegard. 44. Canticles of Ecstasy.

V-Pop. Asian music. 48. Bong Bong Bang Bang.

Whitaker, Matthew. 45. Live Session for Jazz FM.

Worrell, Bernie. 45. “Minimorg synthesizer.”

Zouk. Caribbean music. 48. Ou Le-Kassay.

Of the Top 100 artists, twenty six of them were recording after 1970. On the other hand, seventy-four began actively recording during the 1950s and 1960s! This supports the fact that the 1950s and 1950s were the greatest era for music. Here is a link to the RollingStone report published on December 3, 2010 (for each artist a well known peer from the music industry wrote very detailed background reports giving their insights into the individual artist’s career and why they deserved the ranking): https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-artists-147446/.

Here is the list of the Top100 artists and the years they were active:

No1 – The Beatles (1960-1970)

No2 – Bob Dylan (1961-Present)

No3 – Elvis Presley – (1946-1977)

No4 – The Rolling Stones (1962-Present)

No5 – Chuck Berry (1953-2017)

No6 – Jimi Hendrix (1963-1970)

No7 – James Brown (1953-2006)

No8 – Little Richard (1951-2020)

No9 – Aretha Franklin (1960-2017)

No10 – Ray Charles (1947-2004)

No11 – Bob Marley (1962-1981)

No12 – The Beach Boys (1961-Present)

No13 – Buddy Holly (1952-1959)

No16 – Sam Cooke (1951-1964)

No17 – Muddy Waters (1941-1982)

No18 – Marvin Gaye (1958-1984)

No19 – Velvet Underground (1964-1996)

No20 – Bo Didley (1951-2008)

No21 – Otis Redding (1958-1967)

No22 – U2 (1976-Present)

No23 – Bruce Springsteen (1964-Present)

No24 – Jerry Lee Lewis (1949-Present)

No25 – Fats Domino (1942-2017)

No26 – The Ramones (1974-1996)

No27 – Prince (1975-2016)

No28 – The Clash (1976-1986)

No29 – The Who (1964-1994)

No30 – Nirvanna (1987-1994)

No31 – Johnny Cash (1954-2003)

No32 – Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1955-2011)

No33 – The Everly Brothers (1951-2005)

No34 – Neil Young (1960-Present)

No35 – Michael Jackson (1964-2009)

No36 – Madonna (1979-Present)

No37 – Roy Orbison (1953-1988)

No38 – John Lennon (1956-1980)

No39 – David Bowie (1962-2016)

No40 – Simon and Garfunkel (1956-2010)

No41 – The Doors (1965-1978)

No42 – Van Morrison (1958-Present)

No43 – Sly and the Family Stone (1966-1983)

No44 – Public Enemy (1985-Present)

No45 – The Bryds (1964-2000)

No46 – Janis Joplin (1962-1970)

No47 – Patti Smith (1967-Present)

No48 – Run – DMC. (1983-2002)

No49 – Elton John (1962-Present)

No50 – The Band (1968-1999)

No51 – Pink Floyd (1965-2014)

No52 – Queen (1970-Present)

No53 – The Allman Brothers Band (1969-2014)

No54 – Howlin’ Wolf (1930s-1976)

No55 – Eric Clapton (1962-Present)

No56 – Dr. DRE (1985-Present)

No57 – Grateful Dead (1965-1995)

No58 – Parliament and Funkadelic (1955-Present)

No59 – Aerosmith (1970-Present)

No60 – The Sex Pistols (1975-2008)

No61 – Metellica (1981-Present)

No62 – Joni Mitchell (1964-2013)

No63 – Tina Turner (1957-2020)

No64 – Phil Spector (1958-2009)

No65 – The Kinks (1963-1996)

No66 – Al Green (1955-Present)

No67 – Cream (1966-2005)

No68 – The Temptations (1960-Present)

No69 – Jackie Wilson (1953-1975)

No70 – The Police (1977-2008)

No71 – Frank Zappa (1950s-1993)

No72 – AC/DC (1973-Present)

No73 – Radiohead (1985-Present)

No74 – Hank Williams (1957-Present)

No75 – Eagles (1971-2017)

No76 – The Shirelles (1957-1982)

No77 – Beastie Boys (1978-2012)

No78 – The Stooges (1967-2013)

No79 – The Four Tops (1953-Present)

No80 – Elvis Costello (1970-Present)

No81 – The Drifters (1953-Present)

No82 – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1967-1972)

No83 – Eminum (1988-Present)

No84 – James Taylor (1966-Present)

No85 – Black Sabbath (1968-2017)

No86 – Tupac Shaker (1989-1996)

No87 – Gram Parsons (1963-1973)

No88 – Jay-Z (1988-Present)

No89 – The Yardbirds (1963-Present)

No90 – Carlos Santana (1965-Present)

No91 – Tom Petty (1968-Present)

No92 – Guns ‘N Roses (1985-Present)

No93 – Booker T and the MGs (1962-Present)

No94 – Nine Inch Nails (1988-Present)

No95 – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1864-Present)

No96 – Diana Ross & the Supremes (1959-1977)

No97 – R.E.M. (1980-2011)

No98 – Curtis Mayfield (1956-1999)

No99 – Carl Perkins (1946-1997)

No100 – Talking Heads (1975-2002)

Dating back to December 11, 2003, the RollingStone organization began publishing listings of the Top 500 songs of all time. Their comprehensive data further substantiates the fact that the music from the artists of the 1950s and 1960s is the best ever! I created an Excel spreadsheet from their song data: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-151127/sly-and-the-family-stone-hot-fun-in-the-summertime-56860/.

Once I transferred the RollingStone data into an Excel format, I was able to associate points to each of the 500 recordings. The point subtotals in the chart below are separated out between the 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 and early 2000s. The data supports my belief in that about 60% of the best highly rated songs were generated from the artists within the 1950s and 1960s. The point subtotals are derived by giving each song a specific point total depending upon their overall rating. So, starting with the number one song of the 500, it was given the best possible score of 500. Then, proceeding down to 499, the second highest rated song was given 499 points. This continued correspondingly downward to the lowest rated song which was given a score of one.

In case you are interested, here is a quick summary of the most productive artists beginning with the best overall on top (their point totals are in the middle column and the total number of highly rated songs are in the right hand column):

What Does the Future Hold? Music Trends & Expert Predictions for 2020 (and Beyond)

The development of A.I. (i.e. Artificial or Automated Intelligence) will automate a whole host of expensive, time-consuming, and complicated processes across music creation and advertising, cutting out the middlemen and democratizing the industry.

A.I. tools like A.I-mediated composition (Amper, Popgun, etc.) and voice synthesis will change the way music distribution works and make it easier and more affordable for thousands of musicians all over the globe to create high-quality, professional-sounding music.

Even today, artists have to compete with an enormous amount of other artists. As of 2019, over 40,000 tracks are added to Spotify every single day — and there’s every reason to believe that this figure will continue to grow. The AI-enabled music creation will open up the gates even further — but as the number of songs continues to grow, the audience attention will remain a finite resource. 

That is a massive challenge — especially for record labels that have to make right bets, while the music market grows increasingly saturated.

A.I. will also make it easier to create and deliver the right messages to the right audience at the right time. On the music business side, it will help artists reach their audience more efficiently, and thus, drive more income.

Advertisers can harness the power of A.I. to better tailor ads to the preferences and tastes of listeners. Algorithms will use consumer data to display adaptive ad-content linked to the specific moment, location, and user, making branded content fit seamlessly into our consumption patterns. Better personalized ads will generate more ROI and more revenue for artists that will target the communications to reach the right audiences at the right moment.

Music production, event planning, playlist recommendation: machine learning will make it all simpler (and more effective). Machine learning is the fuel of the future, that will transform everything — from metadata management and music composition to the way people listen to music.

Voice queries will allow listeners to effortlessly listen to music that suits their immediate mood or preference without having to interact with text interfaces and toggle through albums or playlists.

The democratization driving today’s music streaming trends will be linked to the local markets. In these developing territories, music consumption will be different from the one we see today. This new flux of streaming users coming from all around the globe will increasingly place the music industry’s focus on the local repertoire.

Some of the local markets will experience rapid, significant shifts as a result of complexity of their current system. Contextual playlists will transform how listeners discover music, and generative music (music, created by algorithms and computer systems) will increasingly cater to listeners looking for mood-specific playlists.

We’ve already seen apps like Endel going viral in Japan, and we can predict that other solutions will emerge — for example, meditation apps might employ generative algorithms to power their ambient playlists.

Now, that’s not news to anyone — the streaming economy has unbundled music, and the album format has been in decline for years in a row. Now, we are not the ones to proclaim “the death of an album” — that’s an exaggeration to say the least. The album is not going anywhere — even the millennial demographics are still engaging with the format, as the recent Deezer study (research.deezer.com) revealed.

However, music listeners increasingly discover new music through recommendation algorithms and playlists across streaming platforms. In the coming years, traditional albums will play a supporting role — while the song will take center stage, and become the staple of music creation and promotion.

Barriers that once existed between various media and creative industries like music, fashion, and film are now melting down, and this trend will only quicken in the future. Platforms like Amazon and Apple not only stream music, but finance and stream television shows and films (which, along with Netflix, are beginning to displace traditional studios). There are new music brands that are breaking the mold of traditional major labels, melding various different areas of media and creative endeavors into a single brand of artistry.

Now, 10 years ago new media content platforms competed for consumer’s spare time. Spotify, YouTube, Netflix and alike have grown as they took over the consumers available time and unaddressed attention. Those were the moments of people looking out of the window, their daily commute and so on. In 2020, however, the attention economy has peaked — meaning that there’s not much in terms of that down-time left. 

Various content platforms and services have successfully taken over the entirety of the consumer’s available attention — which means that the further growth of any platform is only possible through decline of others, as the consumer shifts their attention from one platform to another.

The post-peak attention economy is a huge challenge for music — and a big reason music industry has to collaborate more — not only internally, but also with other crossing over into other platforms and formats like video and video games. With the advent of video streaming services like YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok, the music and gaming industries are overlapping more than ever.

Apps like TikTok allow listeners to use and repurpose music in unique, collaborative ways will break down barriers between genres (and between creators). That is something that already exists in the underground electronic scene — and it will touch on other genres in the years to come.

Labels and producers traditionally held power to make (or at least influence) the artistic decisions. However, social media has empowered artists to create a personal brand and connect with fans directly — without any label interference. This will lead to labels taking more of a Venture Capital (VC) -like approach, handling the financials — while the artist (and their manager) focuses on artistic direction and brand-building.

Social media and music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora have skewed the balance of power away from labels and back towards artists. In turn, music managers will begin running more and more aspects of an artist’s career. 

In the new music ecosystem, managers will increase their share of the work in artist development, both as promoters and additional D.A.’s (rather than just promoting the interests of the artist).

In just 20 years or so the internet has completely reshaped the music business, and we’re still only in the early stages of this transformation. Democratization and collaboration will become the order of the day: artists will be able to create professional-quality music on the spot. Streaming will conquer new markets, giving millions of people unlimited access to music. The trend of democratization will be powered by emerging markets, rather than the traditional ones, that rule over the industry today.

Artists will connect with new audiences, both far-flung and right at home. Music will be used and repurposed in ever more creative and unique ways. Old barriers between media will break down. All of these processes are already well underway. Getting a peek into the future is just a matter of understanding the shifts that are happening now.

Understanding these trends and how they will change the way music is created, promoted and consumed is extremely important. This is the context in which the music industry will develop in the years to come — and having a good idea of these tectonic shifts is instrumental to success in the industry as fast-paced as the music business.

However, what’s even more important is to make a link between the macro- and micro-level and understand how those structural changes affect your career and the careers of the artists you work with. Here’s where Soundcharts can help. We gather artist’s data across dozens of platforms and mediums, from social media to streaming platforms and radio airplay, to bring you a complete overview of any career.

Music analytics service Chartmetric has released their semi-annual report on music industry trends, and is reflecting on one of the most turbulent periods in the industry’s recent history.

TikTok, of course, looms large in their analysis, and the report points out both the importance of the platform as a discovery mechanism, but also that TikTok is “far from a music consumption platform.”

If TikTok is the point of discovery and virality, then long-form consumption of trending songs takes place elsewhere. Top trending TikTok song, Conkarah’s “Banana” had 25 million posts in the first six months of 2020, which translated into 87 million listens on Spotify and a combined 31 million views on Youtube. But that doesn’t mean TikTok users then flock by default to follow the artist on other platforms. On Spotify, Conkarah had a (very respectable) 57,105 followers by the end of June.

The industry, it notes, is only just starting to figure out how to best use TikTok, and its high impact will surely continue in the short term. For now, it’s the starting point for many artist teams to create excitement around a song. Extending interest around the artist across platforms is a separate challenge, and suggests a compartmentalised approach to artist growth.

But tastes and consumption habits change quickly (insert obligatory MySpace reference here) and that extends to genre too. Rock music is looking a bit green around the gills, with Chartmetric noting that “rock artists are virtually non-existent in terms of top growth percentages,” on the platforms they look at.

Those looking to the long-term future may spot an opportunity here: rock music hasn’t become bad overnight, and streaming catalogues are full of classic songs – so how can it be reinvigorated for today’s audience? Viral TikTok videos featuring rock music may require some creative thinking.

Some of the data points are a fascinating insight into how success in the modern music industry happens: you may have suspected beabadoobee was set for bigger things back in January when she had 1.5 million monthly listeners, but would you have gambled on 1,932% growth to just under 30 million in June? And would you have guessed that the most-synced track on TV would be The Who’s 42-year old Who Are You, getting twice as many syncs as Lizzo’s “Juice”?

The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating effect on the music industry short-term. Live music revenue, which was predicted to generate almost £30bn for the industry in 2020, is set to take a 75 per cent hit globally. Small- and mid-sized venues are having to head back to the drawing board to develop new ways to cover their overheads, and artists and management are feeling the hole in their income widen with each cancelled show.

This month has been monumental for the UK music industry. Thanks to initiatives such as #LetTheMusicPlay, and a nationwide push to raise awareness of our slowly suffocating arts and heritage sectors, the government has stepped in with an injection of capital to the tune of £1.57bn. And with Boris Johnson’s latest announcement, larger venues could begin to see progress towards opening up their doors for audiences again as early as autumn.

But the future of the industry across the globe remains uncertain. As is evident to any fan, so much of our relationship with music and the scenes we love depends on social interaction and sharing a space together, an experience which will be hindered until the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control.

What endures for now, is a shared desire to see the music industry, and live music in particular, repaired and restored.

To speculate on the future of the music industry at large we have pulled together insights from figures across the sector, providing a snapshot of the situation as they see it now. Each of these experts have seen their base of operations impacted by the cataclysmic, but in some ways catalytic, events of 2020 so far.

Their views are at once pragmatic, passionate and reverent for an industry which is more than a product, and an integral part of our society and identity. No keystone of music is left unturned: from revolutions in streaming to the uncertain but exciting future of live music, licensing and fan interaction.

Will Evans, CEO at Spitfire Audio, believes a post-pandemic world will provide new opportunities for talent from outside major metropolitan centres looking to enter the music sector: “I think there’ll be greater opportunities to plug-into talented people who want to work in music, and who will do a great job, but aren’t interested in being in a major city. I’ve seen a lot of migration over the years where the promise of a higher quality of living has won over a number of brilliant music industry employees.”

Carlotta de Ninni, CEO at The Creative Passport, believes this period of upheaval will herald a second digital wave – as was experienced when music streaming was first coming to prominence – causing a sea-change in the way we consume live music:

“We are experiencing a second digital wave. The first happened with the transition from physical records to downloads and streaming. Now it’s the turn of the live and concert sector.

“New technologies, from 5G to VR (i.e., augmented reality and/or virtual reality) and the intersection between gaming and live performances, are really fuelling new opportunities and creating new business models for virtual concerts and experiences.

“What we must ensure is that these new business models and revenue streams will be fair and remunerative not only for industry players, but also and especially for the music makers themselves.”

Pascal de Mul, CEO of Exit Live, shares the view that COVID-19 presents an opportunity to clean house in an industry which, in its current form, does not adequately serve the artists, fans and the relationship between the two parties:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted problems that were already apparent in the music industry and rapidly accelerated changes that were long overdue. 

“An individual may listen to 150 hours of music per month via their subscription, including hours of playlists curated by others. This has totally diluted the connection with individual artists and bands. The subscription fee is also spread so thinly across so many music producers that most artists are underpaid.

“We believe that the fallout of COVID-19 has helped rekindle an appreciation of live music and for reconnecting with artists on a more personal level. We see a bright future where fans are able to access unique live performances which were previously inaccessible to them and where artists receive a fair income stream for their live music recordings.  

“We are very hopeful. The love of music cannot be tamed. Live music will find a way.”

Paul Sampson, CEO at Lickd, takes the view that artists will feel the personal and physical benefit post-pandemic, as fans shift their expectations for the live music experience and the toll it takes on performers:

“Beyond COVID-19 virtual events will remain popular and become more common-place. Not only do they free artists from the constraints of ticket limitations and the physical exhaustion of global touring but, as the tech improves, artists will be able to perform as reality-bending extensions of themselves. I predict we’ll see more and more collaboration between the gaming and music industries over the coming years.”

John Funge, CEO at The Music Fund, takes a more hardline stance on the growth of virtual gigs, putting the nascent format in direct competition with the live experience:

“Many artists don’t enjoy touring, and being on the road is not something they look forward to. They tour because it is a way to grow the fan base and make money outside of streaming. But if technology can make fans spend online, and connect with artists directly, why tour? 

“The cost of running an online concert is much lower, which leads to interesting new possibilities. For example, we’ve seen many artists use online concerts to raise money for a cause. For artists with a large fan base, they can host an Instagram live show from their living room and can easily raise tens of thousands of dollars. This was unthinkable in the physical world.”

Susie Meszaros, violist of the Chiligirian String Quartet, turns her focus to the safety and social element at the heart of live performance, particularly in the classical space:

“Classical chamber music concerts are by definition intimate. We play on acoustic instruments to audiences of a few hundred people at most, in a variety of venues ranging from city concert halls to tiny rural churches. The proximity of performer to audience is a vital part of that special atmosphere and experience. 

“So here we are now, barred from sharing the same space and surroundings with our listeners. Some performances are taking place in empty concert halls and being live-streamed to paying audiences, such as the Wigmore Hall concerts. Some performances to greatly reduced and distanced audiences secure sponsorship for the seats that can’t be used. 

“But for the vast majority of musicians who tour around smaller venues it has put a complete halt to their livelihoods. Musicians valiantly and imaginatively organise online performances, but without the clout of well established concert promoters this is simply not financially viable.”

To close, Christian Henson, Composer and co-founder of Spitfire Audio, encapsulates the emotional argument for live music, a pursuit we must fight to preserve:

“If there’s one thing that COVID-19 has reaffirmed for me is that music isn’t an industry, it isn’t a luxury item, or something you add to your cart before checkout. It isn’t a choice, or lifestyle purchase, a fashion item nor indeed an accessory to life.

“Music is a fundamental human need and no matter what hardship befalls us, what adversity we face, the need to make and listen to music will never ever cease. 

“I hope in these difficult months ahead we can act and behave as a family and support each other whilst our businesses naturally transform. The businesses we create to monetise music will always have to change and mutate, but in direct contradiction of Mr. Don Maclean – the music itself will never die.”

Using Cups to Create Rhythm

Anna Cooke Kendrick (born August 9, 1985) is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a child in theater productions. Her first starring role was in the 1998 Broadway musical High Society, for which she earned a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She made her film debut in the musical comedy Camp (2003), and rose to prominence for her role in The Twilight Saga (2008–2012). Kendrick achieved further recognition for the comedy-drama film Up in the Air (2009), which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and for her starring role in the Pitch Perfect film series (2012–17). Within the movie, she recorded “When I’m Gone” (https://youtu.be/cmSbXsFE3l8) (RQ 10+). It is commonly referred today as the “Cup Song.”Kendrick also had prominent roles in films such as the action comedy Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010), the comedy drama 50/50 (2011), the crime drama End of Watch (2012), the musical fantasy Into the Woods (2014), the drama Cake (2014), the comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), the animated comedy Trolls (2016), the comic thriller A Simple Favor (2018), the fantasy comedy Noelle (2019), and the animated sequel Trolls World Tour (2020). She also sang on various soundtracks for her films and published a memoir, Scrappy Little Nobody, in 2016.

Arina Danilova was born on December 25, 2003 (age 17) in Russia. She is a celebrity youtube star. She is a YouTube content creator and social media influencer who rose to fame by publishing video blogs on her self titled YouTube channel. She has gone on to garner more than 2.2 million subscribers on the platform. An example: “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas” https://youtu.be/W2IARSo9t0Q (RQ 10).

Lots of school children are singing the “cup song.” Which one is your favorite?

After you watch these kids sing and tap the cups etc., don’t you think that their ability to carry a note, stay in rhythm, harmonize, move their bodies (swaying and nodding) to a varying degree? Like I’ve said before, it is amazing to listen to good music and realize that, for some, singing beautifully comes so natural and relatively easy. It is really important that such awards like Grammys recognize artists that write songs as well those that excel at playing instruments (not just singing). But, it is my belief, that whether you excel at singing, playing an instrument and/or writing music, you most probably were born with these talents.