'American Idol' Ratings Dip, Big Brands Still Line Up

In the heyday of "American Idol," the notion that it could fall ratings victim to a zombie slugfest or standard crime drama would have been laughable. That was then. With Fox's singing contest shedding about 20% of its audience so far this season to hit new lows, it's been leapfrogged repeatedly in total viewers by series including the CBS procedurals "Person of Interest" and "NCIS." In a harsher blow to a blockbuster that once ruled the advertiser-adored young adult segment, "American Idol" has been overtaken this season by...

John Mayer Announces First Tour in 3 Years

John Mayer is mounting his first major concert tour in three years following an extended vocal hiatus brought on by throat issues. The artist's tour in support of 2012's "Born and Raised," which topped the Billboard 200, kicks off July 6 at ...

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Score First No1 with "Thrift Shop"

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis continue their out-of-the-box success story, as "Thrift Shop," featuring Wanz, tops the Billboard Hot 100 with a 2-1 rise in its 16th week. Justin Timberlake, meanwhile, vaults 84-4 following the first full week of airplay and sales for his comeback track "Suit & Tie."

 After the pair's independently-released album "The Heist" blasted onto the Billboard 200 at No. 2 the week of Oct. 27, "Thrift" thrives with ...

'American Idol' Premieres in New York to Clashes Between Nicki and Mariah

It was a tale of furry clothing accessories, "Mean Girls" quotes and British accents on the season 12 premiere of "American Idol," its first with Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban as judges, joining the stalwart Randy Jackson. After months of questions -- could so many big names mesh well together? Would Minaj and Carey play nice? -- "Idol" came to New York with a skip in its step, following the major success of defending winner Phillip Phillips, whose smash hit, "Home," opened the show.

But rather than focus on the talent that came to the audition room over two days, much was said and shown of the rivalry between ...

Bruno Mars Makes move To No. 1 On Hot 100

Bruno Mars bounds to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, as "Locked Out of Heaven" rises 2-1 in its 10th week on the chart. The song displaces Rihanna's "Diamonds" after three weeks on top.
"Heaven" marks Mars' fourth Hot 100 topper since his arrival in 2010. His first entry, B.o.B's "Nothin' on You," on which Mars guested, began a two-week reign the week of May 1, 2010. His debut album, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans," which reached No. 3 in a 112-week (and counting) run on the Billboard 200, yielded Mars two Hot 100 No. 1s as a lead artist: "Just the Way You Are" (four weeks, beginning Oct. 2, 2010) and follow-up "Grenade" (four weeks, starting Jan. 8, 2011).
How historic is Mars' accumulation of four Hot 100 No. 1s in a span of just two years, 10 months and one week, dating to the ...

Phillip Phillips Had Eight Operations During American Idol Run, His Father Says

Imagine what Phillip Phillips could do if he were 100 percent healthy. The American Idol winner dazzled viewers all season long, despite battling chronic kidney problems and having eight separate surgeries – since the competition began, his father told People Magazine Wednesday after an eventful finale.
"He's been doing well, but ...

‘American Idol’ Finale: And The Season 11 Winner Is…

After nearly a dozen performances, Rihanna’s hit single and a live proposal, the ‘American Idol’ winner was finally named! Are YOU happy with who won? And then there were two… Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips were the final American Idol contestants of the season — and after a two hour finale filled with non-stop talent, a season 11 was FINALLY named.
Ryan Seacrest broke the news that ...