Usher

Stream: Hamilton Mixtape

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Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton has been a bona fide hit for more than a year now.  From award shows to fights with certain President Elect’s, Hamilton is almost always in the news.

Today, The Hamilton Mixtape dropped. An album featuring 23 tracks from the show that have been reworked by some of today’s hottest artists.  The star-studded album features contributions from Andra Day, Ja Rule, Regina Spektor, John Legend, Sia, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, The Roots, Chance the Rapper, and Ashanti, along with a pair of original demos by Miranda himself.

Stream the full album below via Spotify.

The Hamilton Mixtape Tracklist:
01. No John Trumbull (Intro) – The Roots
02. My Shot (Rise Up Remix) – The Roots feat. Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz & Nate Ruess
03. Wrote My Way Out – Nas, Dave East, Lin-Manuel Miranda & Aloe Blacc
04. Wait For It – Usher
05. An Open Letter (Interlude) – Watsky feat. Shockwave
06. Satisfied – Sia feat. Miguel & Queen Latifah
07. Dear Theodosia – Regina Spektor feat. Ben Folds
08. Valley Forge (Demo) – Lin-Manuel Miranda
09. It’s Quiet Uptown – Kelly Clarkson
10. That Would Be Enough – Alicia Keys
11. Immigrants (We Get The Job Done) – K’naan, Snow Tha Product, Riz MC, Residente
12. You’ll Be Back – Jimmy Fallon & The Roots
13. Helpless – Ashanti feat. Ja Rule
14. Take A Break (Interlude) – !llmind
15. Say Yes To This – Jill Scott
16. Congratulations – Dessa
17. Burn – Andra Day
18. Stay Alive (Interlude) – J.PERIOD & Stro Elliot
19. Slavery Battle (Demo) – Lin-Manuel Miranda
20. Washingtons By Your Side – Wiz Khalifa
21. History Has Its Eyes On You – John Legend
22. Who Tells Your Story – The Roots feat. Common & Ingrid Michaelson
23. Dear Theodosia (Reprise) – Chance the Rapper & Francis and The Lights

Summer Songs 1985-2014: The Top 10 Tunes of Each Summer 

originally posted on Billboard.com

Summer Songs: Carly Rae Jepsen, Beyonce, Madonna, Belly, UsherCheck out 30 years of summer songs, from “Papa Don’t Preach” to “Macarena” to “I Gotta Feeling” to “Fancy.”

Hot weather plus nostalgia makes for a potent mix(tape). In order to aid your festive flashbacks, we analyzed the Billboard Hot 100 chart for each of the past 30 years and came up with this definitive list of the 10 jams that pumped out of your stereo most between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Crank up these hits and feel the heat.

These hot tunes are ranked based on each track’s performance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the summer. For the period of 1985 to 1991, prior to the advent of Nielsen BDS radio monitoring data and Nielsen SoundScan point-of-sales data, the rankings are based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. For the years corresponding with Nielsen Music data, 1992 onward, the rankings are based on accumulated radio and sales points, and points from other data sets that were included in the Hot 100 during those respective years.

1985

1. “Shout” – Tears For Fears
2. “Everytime You Go Away” – Paul Young
3. “The Power Of Love” – Huey Lewis & The News
4. “A View To A Kill” – Duran Duran
5. “Sussudio” – Phil Collins
6. “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” – Sting
7 . “Raspberry Beret” – Prince and the Revolution
8. “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” – John Parr
9. “Heaven” – Bryan Adams
10. “Never Surrender” – Corey Hart
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Jimmy Fallon Sings ‘We Are The Champions’ With Every Music Superstar


In honor of his Patriots winning Super Bowl XLIX, Jimmy Fallon brought together an all-star cast of musicians to help him sing an awesome version of “We Are The Champions.”  Stars include Carrie Underwood, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande, Blake Shelton, Usher, Meghan Trainor, One Direction and even Christina Aguilera.

Watch below.

This Day in Music History — October 14

1977 : Bing Crosby dies of a heart attack after finishing a round of golf in Spain, at age 74.

1978 : R&B performer Usher is born Usher Raymond IV in Dallas, Texas.

1996 : Madonna gives birth to her first child, a daughter named Lourdes. The father is her personal trainer, Carlos Leon.

2006 : Opening for Rascal Flatts at Madison Square Garden, Eric Church goes off-kilter, playing a little “Crazy Train” and staying on stage past his allotted time. He is kicked off the tour and replaced by a talented newcomer named Taylor Swift.

2011 : After 27 years of marriage, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth announce they are breaking up.