LOS ANGELES — For the first time ever, the superstar recording artists from the past 10 years of television’s #1 show American Idol will have their signature songs featured on one compilation. American Idol 10th Anniversary – The Hits will be released on March 15, 2011 with mega-hit singles from the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Adam Lambert, Fantasia, David Cook and more.

American Idol 10th Anniversary – The Hits spotlights some of Idol’s most successful contestants like Kelly Clarkson’s #1 Billboard Pop 100 hit “Since U Been Gone,” Carrie Underwood’s Grammy award-winning “Before He Cheats” and rock super group Daughtry’s #1 ballad “Home.” Other tracks include season 6 winner Jordin Sparks’ collaboration with R&B’s Chris Brown on “No Air,” heartthrob David Cook’s platinum single “Light On” and Fantasia’s #1 Hot R&B/Hip Hop song “When I See U.” The compilation also highlights Ruben Studdard’s soulful single “Superstar,” Taylor Hicks’ esteemed performance of “Takin’ It To The Streets” and Broadway star Clay Aiken’s 2003 hit “Invisible.” Adam Lambert soars on this years Grammy-nominated “Whataya Want From Me” while current American Idol Lee DeWyze closes out the album with his chart-climbing single “Sweet Serendipity.”

Since its debut in 2002, American Idol, created by Simon Fuller, has become one of the most popular shows in the history of American television. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and global superstar Jennifer Lopez help kick off a second decade of Idol as new judges this season. Together they join twenty-year music industry veteran Randy Jackson and media mastermind Ryan Seacrest for the 10th anniversary season. Throughout the show, contestants will face new and exciting challenges as they compete to become the next American Idol.

American Idol – 10th Anniversary – The Hits – Volume 1:

1. Kelly Clarkson – “Since U Been Gone”
2. Ruben Studdard – “Superstar”
3. Clay Aiken – “Invisible”
4. Fantasia – “When I See U”
5. Carrie Underwood – “Before He Cheats”
6. Taylor Hicks – “Takin’ It To The Streets”
7. Daughtry – “Home”
8. Jordin Sparks (duet with Chris Brown) – “No Air”
9. David Cook – “Light On”
10. Kris Allen – “Live Like We’re Dying”
11. Adam Lambert – “Whataya Want From Me”
12. Lee DeWyze – “Sweet Serendipity”

Cyndi Lauper (above) goes blues?!
Hot off the heals of her stint on Celebrity Apprentice, where Cyndi was undeniably the most colorful character of the bunch, Miss Cyndi Lauper is set to release her much-anticipated 11th studio album entitled “Memphis Blues” on June 22.

After 25 years on the music scene and over 30 million records sold world-wide to date, the new release was recorded with the help of Scott Bomar and William Wittman in Memphis, Tennessee, thus accounting for its bluesy sound.

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Yes it’s shockingly true.  Music legend Willie Nelson has cut off his long and trademark long braided locks.

And in true Nelson’s mellow style, while vacationing in Hawaii this Texas born country singer simply cut off his legendary braids.  According to Willie’s spokesperson Elaine Schock, he didn’t make a fuss and just got tired of it.  As Schock explained,  “there’s a lot of maintenance.”   Enough said! We still love him.

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Grammy award-winning rockers Chicago took time off from touring to appear on the season finale of American Idol this week.

Idol winner Lee DeWyze performed a medley of three of the band’s biggest hits, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”, “If You Leave Me Now” and “25 Or 6 To 4.”

With DeWyze being a Chicago native,  the band may see the American Idol winner again this summer as DeWyze told them that if his schedule allows, he would join them on stage when Chicago plays in Chicago at the Charter One Pavilion on Northerly Island on July 16 and 17.

Chicago is gearing up for a U.S. summer tour with the Doobie Brothers, followed by more solo dates and then international tours in South America and Australia.

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Following their Cinco de Mayo performance in Los Angeles earlier this month, Jane’s Addiction is heading out for two major shows in Europe.  They’ll appear Sunday, June 9 at the Gelredome in The Netherlands (with Rage Against the Machine and Gogol Bordello) and then Friday, June 11 at Rock In Rio in Madrid, Spain (with Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill).

Singer Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and new member, bassist Duff McKagan–are in LA writing new material for their next album, tentatively slated to come out in the winter of 2011, followed by a world tour.

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Bruce Springsteen’s “London Calling: Live in Hyde Park” will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on June 22.

Taped in London at the Hard Rock Calling Festival on June 28, 2009, the 172-minute film documents 27 tracks of live Springsteen, all in HD.

“London Calling: Live In Hyde Park” shows both the experience of being on stage  and in the crowd in a festival environment. he set list spans from “Born To Run” era to “Working On a Dream” and includes rare covers and fan favorites.

Produced by Grammy and Emmy Award winner Thom Zimny and director Chris Hilson, both members of The Boss’ video crew for the last decade, are credited with overseeing the film.  A must-have for any Springsteen fanatic, myself included in that illustrious group!

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Critically acclaimed Canadian musician Meaghan Smith will join Sarah McLachlan, Kelly Clarkson, Mary J. Blige and others on the 2010 Lilith Fair this summer.  Smith will join the traveling celebration of women in music for shows at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis on July 16th and First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Chicago on July 17th in the U.S., as well as the Bell Center in Montreal, QC on July 23rd in Canada.    Smith released her debut full-length album, The Cricket’s Orchestra, in February 2010.

For information on the entire Lilith Fair 2010, go to http://www.lilithfair.com

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Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax are bringing their  European tour to the global stage by beaming the concert via satellite to movie theaters around the world in  HD. These four band have never shared the same stage until the June 22nd concert from the tour’s stop of the Sonisphere Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria. It will air the same day in over 450 theaters in more than 140 markets in the U.S., as well as beamed into theaters in Europe, Canada and Latin America. Delayed screenings are planned in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Tickets for “The Big Four:  Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax” go on sale starting today Friday, May 21st in the U.S. and internationally starting Friday, May 28th at participating theater box offices and at www.thebigfourlive.com, to watch the trailer.

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Speaking of heavy metal, AC/DC’s “Iron Man 2″ soundtrack (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment) is  starting its fifth week at #1 on  Billboard’s European Albums chart.

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The Undertones are reissuing in digital their first four albums plus a “Best Of” compilation.   Reissued in the U.S. are a the band’s self-titled LP,  “Hypnotised,” “Positive Touch,” “The Sin of Pride,”  plus “The Best of the Undertones.” The Undertones, inspired by bands like the Ramones, were signed to Sire Records straight off a BBC RAdio appearance.

On June 28, 2010, Union Square Music will make the Undertones’ four albums available digitally.  For more information, head over to www.unionsquaremusic.co.uk

Compiled By Carol Anne Szel

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by Michael Popke

American Idol, for better or worse, has given us contemporary pop stars (Kelly Clarkson), modern country cuties (Carrie Underwood) and hard-rockin’ dudes (Chris Daughtry). And this week, Carly Smithson – who finished sixth on Season 7 of the insanely popular singing competition – appeared as the lead singer on the debut album by dark rock band We Are the Fallen, featuring former members of Evanescence.

But could Leslie Hunt, a finalist from Season 6, be American Idol’s first true prog star? The Laser’s Edge label, home to such genre heavy hitters as Eloy, Magenta and Riverside, recently signed Chicago’s District 97 – a band that mixes crunchy, adventurous music with Hunt’s catchy vocal melodies. According to a press release, the quartet “honed a no-holds barred style of Liquid Tension Experiment-inspired instrumental rock before deciding to add the right vocalist. They found their vocalist in Hunt. …. With a look, sound and stage presence comparable to a young Ann Wilson from Heart, Hunt’s dynamic performances pushed the band into a new direction.”

That new direction sounds pretty darn proggy, and good. The video for “I Can’t Take You With Me” is full of odd time signatures and unexpected vocal turns, and “Termites” (featured on the band’s MySpace page) suggests a heavier direction. Hunt looks significantly different than she did in 2007, her long red locks now shorter and darker, but her voice seems built for this type of majestic, off-kilter music. (Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist Katinka Kleijn also adds intrigue to the songs.)

District 97’s debut album, Hybrid Child, is expected to be released this fall.