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The Year in Music 2025: Sabrina Carpenter is the charts’ best friend

December 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

2024 was the year that Sabrina Carpenter became a global pop superstar. In 2025 she became an even bigger star, topping the album and singles charts, racking up some career milestones and causing a bit of controversy.

–In February, Sabrina won two awards at the Grammys and opened the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special, singing “Homeward Bound” with rock legend Paul Simon. She attended the Met Gala, covered Vogue, performed on the BRIT Awards and released the deluxe version of her 2024 album, Short n’ Sweet, featuring a duet with none other than Dolly Parton.

–In June, Sabrina surprised fans by releasing a new single and video, “Manchild,” and announcing a new album, Man’s Best Friend. “Manchild” blasted into the charts at #1, and the album — released in August, just over a year after Short n’ Sweet — debuted on top of the Billboard 200.

However, the cover of Man’s Best Friend ruffled some feathers, since it showed her on all fours, with a man’s hand grabbing a fistful of her hair. Many felt the image was degrading toward women; Sabrina found herself explaining the image several times, most recently to Variety in December: “It was about how people try to control women, and how I felt emotionally yanked around by these relationships that I had, and how much power you’re allowing yourself to give them,” she said.

–In July, Sabrina headlined London’s BST Hyde Park festival, bringing out Duran Duran to sing their classic “Hungry Like the Wolf” with her. She headlined Lollapalooza in August and brought out Earth, Wind & Fire to sing two of their hits, “Let’s Groove” and “September.”

–In September, Sabrina was announced as one of the headliners for Coachella 2026. She performed her song “Tears” on the MTV Video Music Awards and took home two awards. Plus, it was announced that she’d guest on an upcoming 2026 The Muppet Show special on Disney+.

–In October, Sabrina was the only guest artist featured on her pal Taylor Swift‘s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, duetting with Taylor on the title track. Sabrina also hosted and performed on Saturday Night Live and played the Austin City Limits festival, welcoming guests Shania Twain and The Chicks to the stage to sing with her. That same month, she was named Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year.

–In November, Sabrina’s Short n’ Sweet tour wrapped up after two years and 72 shows. Also in November, Sabrina received six Grammy nominations, and it was announced that she’d star in a major motion picture based on Alice in Wonderland.

–In December, Sabrina fired back when her song “Juno” was used in a video depicting ICE raids that was posted by the White House. “[T]his video is evil and disgusting,” she wrote. “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda.”

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

DJ Cassidy says ‘it’s an honor’ to perform with Busta Rhymes, Wyclef Jean + T.I. on ‘New Year’s Rockin Eve’

December 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

DJ Cassidy is ringing in the new year on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, bringing his Pass the Mic set to the celebration. The performance will feature Busta Rhymes, Wyclef Jean and T.I., who said joining the festivities was an easy decision.

“Man, it’s a phenomenal opportunity to just join my brothers and collaborate with the greats in the industry and the genre that we all love to save lives, hip-hop,” T.I. told ABC’s On the Red Carpet during rehearsals for the show. “It’s just a no-brainer. You know what I mean? I love to be here and just love the opportunity.”

Wyclef likened the invitation to assembling a dream team, joking it felt less like Ocean’s Eleven and more like Professor X calling the X-Men together. “It was like [Cassidy] was calling,” he said, “and I had to unite with my superhero friends.”

Busta credited Cassidy for creating spaces rooted in positivity and respect, and praised him for “being a giver of love” and for consistently “representing feel-good energy.”

“Whenever he puts something together, it just feels right,” Busta said. “So this moment is an incredible moment.”

He added the performance is about more than welcoming a new year; it’s about honoring the years of their friendship.

“The love has evolved to the point where we can celebrate each other,” he said. “It ain’t got nothing to do with no business. … We celebrating everything that we’ve evolved into as friends, fathers.”

Cassidy said sharing the stage with Busta, Wyclef and T.I. is meaningful, calling them “hip-hop heroes” and “musical idols.”

“It’s truly an honor and there’s no place on earth I’d rather ring in the New Year and no one else I’d round the ring in New Year with,” he said.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest airs Dec. 31 starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

The Killers’ Brandon Flowers teases two new solo albums

December 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers has a whole bunch of solo material in the works.

The “Mr. Brightside” singer revealed during a Q&A session on The Killers’ Instagram Stories that he’s completed two solo records.

“One is almost mixed. The other will follow shortly,” Flowers said. “Trying to decide how this is going to work logistically.”

“I had a ball making them in Nashville,” he added. “It’s a departure for sure. Gotta keep you all on your toes.”

Flowers has previously released two solo albums, 2010’s Flamingo and 2015’s The Desired Effect.

The Killers, meanwhile, haven’t put out a new record since 2021’s Pressure Machine. As for when they’ll be releasing another album, Flowers says a 2027 release is his “best guess.”

Flowers also says The Killers likely won’t be touring the U.S. again until 2027, and that they won’t be doing shows to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 2006 sophomore album, Sam’s Town.

On This Day, Dec. 31, 1984: Def Leppard’s Rick Allen loses arm in car crash

December 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

On This Day, Dec. 31, 1984 …

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a car crash in Sheffield, England.

After trying to pass a driver who had been taunting him on the road, Allen lost control of his vehicle and hit a wall. His arm got caught in the seat belt and was severed.

While doctors initially reattached the arm, it was later amputated due to infection.

Allen’s career as a drummer looked in doubt, but he eventually learned to play again on a specially designed electronic drum kit.

Allen and Def Leppard returned to the stage for his first concert following the accident on Aug. 16, 1986, at the Monsters of Rock Festival in Castle Donington, England.

He continues to perform with Def Leppard to this day. The band is set to launch a new Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, starting on Feb. 3.

Chris Robinson teases new Black Crowes music in 2026

December 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

The Black Crowes released their latest album, Happiness Bastards, in 2024, marking their first album of new material in 15 years. Fortunately for fans, it sounds like they won’t have to wait nearly as long for the band to release some more new music.

In a holiday message posted to social media and YouTube, The Crowes’ frontman Chris Robinson gave fans an update on what to expect in 2026, and that includes music.

“Big news in the new year from The Black Crowes,” Chris says in the clip. “We have some new music to share with you in January, coming pretty soon really, and we have big big big tour news for you as well. So happy holidays hope you had a great one.”

He ended the clip with the message, “A pound of feathers or a pound of lead. Look out below and mind your head. We’ll see ya soon.”

When it comes to touring, The Black Crowes have already announced several dates for 2026. They’ll kick off a tour in Australia on April 2 in Melbourne, followed by two nights in Japan on April 14 and 15. The band also has dates booked across the U.K. and Europe in June and July, and will open four shows on Guns N’ Roses’ North American tour, starting Aug. 22 in Las Vegas.

A complete list of dates can be found at TheBlackCrowes.com.

Highlights from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony to air New Year’s Day

December 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

ABC will air The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring performance highlights and standout moments of November’s ceremony, on New Year’s Day at 8 p.m. ET.

Bad Company was one of this year’s inductees, and drummer Simon Kirke says one of the secrets to their success was that they went out of their way to be different.

On the red carpet for this year’s induction, Kirke told ABC Audio that when the band was formed in late 1973 glam rock was huge, thanks to artists like David Bowie, T-Rex and others. He noted, “We wanted to be like the antithesis of that, and I think we just, we succeeded.”

Also inducted this year was Joe Cocker, whose music was celebrated during the ceremony by several artists, including Tedeschi Trucks‘ Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks.

Tedeschi told ABC Audio she was a big fan of how Cocker interpreted songs, sharing, “Honestly that guy, he has so much soul and everything he’s saying, you might not understand all the words, but you felt the words.”

Trucks felt bad Cocker, who passed away in 2014, couldn’t be there to enjoy the induction.

“I mean, it’s a shame he’s not here for it,” he said. “I know it meant a lot to him. He really wanted this to happen.”

This year’s other inductees included Soundgarden, Salt-N-Pepa, The White Stripes, Outkast and Cyndi Lauper.

Lauper believed November’s ceremony was “a great opportunity to bring people together.”

She told KABC-TV, “I grew up believing that rock and roll can save the world and to be part of the community, which I always was, but to remind people who we are and what we have done and what we can do together is kind of why I came.”

Jordan Davis’ plan to have ‘the most fun onstage’ for ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’

December 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Jordan Davis will welcome 2026 by accomplishing a goal he’s had practically his whole life: playing New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

“This is the thing that you grow up [and] you know that everybody in the country is watching this, including me last year wanting to be a part of this. So here we are now, you know, getting to sing at it, getting to be part of it, so it’s a special night,” he told ABC’s On the Red Carpet during rehearsals for the show.

Appropriately, Jordan is set to perform his two number ones from 2025.

“We’re playing two songs, ‘Bar None’ and ‘I Ain’t Sayin’,’ and they are my two favorite songs to play live,” he says. “So when they asked us what we were playing, I was like, ‘Well, we’re just gonna play the two songs that we have the most fun onstage with.'”

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026 kicks off on ABC Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET, with the show featuring countdowns from New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Puerto Rico and more.

‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ performers Goo Goo Dolls are manifesting ‘less chaos, more peace’ for 2026

December 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Goo Goo Dolls are one of more than two dozen artists who’ll be performing on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, airing on ABC Dec. 31. During rehearsals, lead singer John Rzeznik recalled the first time the band performed on the iconic show.

“I think it’s amazing to be part of this because it’s been going on for so long,” he told ABC’s On the Red Carpet. “We actually played it 30 years ago when we had our first hit, and Dick Clark was still hosting it. And it was amazing. We got to meet Dick Clark! We grew up — every Saturday morning you saw him on TV. And it was amazing to actually be there with him.”

Among other songs, Goo Goo Dolls will perform their classic ballad “Iris,” which keeps being discovered by new generations of fans. It was featured in a Saturday Night Live skit in November, and in May John performed it at Demi Lovato‘s wedding.

“Songs are finding their way into people’s lives for the first time,” said the band’s Robby Takac. “They’re not hearing it as an old song, they’re just hearing it as a song. And I think, you know, some of the older music is really resonating with the young kids right now.”

John added that he thinks it’s “interesting” that the theme of “Iris” is still so relatable. “It’s really nice because so many of the younger artists covered it,” he noted. “I think it hit a nerve culturally.”

Goo Goo Dolls have a short Las Vegas residency coming up in the new year, as well as a summer tour. Asked what he’s manifesting for 20206, John said, “A little more positivity, maybe, a little less chaos. A little more peace.”

The Year in Music 2025: ‘Happen to Me’ aligns Russell Dickerson’s dreams with reality

December 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

At the beginning of 2025, Russell Dickerson thought his emotional song “Bones” would be his next big hit. But in February, the release of “Happen to Me” would change all that.

Thanks to a self-described “stupid dance on TikTok” inspired by Usher and Michael Jackson, the song went viral with its interpolation of Cyndi Lauper‘s ’80s anthem “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”

Now it finishes the year at #15 on Country Aircheck‘s Top 25 Songs of 2025 after spending two weeks at #1 on the country chart. Heading into 2026, it continues its climb as Russell’s biggest mainstream hit so far, making it into the top 25 on Billboard‘s Pop Airplay tally.

As Russell continued adding rounds to his Russellmania Tour, the trek expanded to amphitheaters and arenas, finally putting Russell in the place he’s long envisioned.

“I’m a big, crazy dreamer and I feel like for the first time in my career, what I’m seeing is matching up to my dreams,” he told Billboard.

It’s worth noting Russell’s already had plenty of success, taking “Yours,” “Blue Tacoma,” “Every Little Thing” and “Love You Like I Used To” to #1, alongside other hits like “God Gave Me a Girl,” “She Likes It” with Jake Scott and “Home Sweet.”

As we head into the new year, Russell’s new radio single, “Worth Your Wild,” is gaining momentum on the country chart, as he prepares to once again crank up Russellmania on April 23, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Year in Music 2025: In other news …

December 31, 2025 by WDNY Radio

There were certainly a lot of big things happening in music in 2025. Here’s a roundup of some of the other music stories that made headlines this year:

–Rush members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson surprised fans by announcing they were heading back on tour. Fifty Something, the band’s first tour in 10 years and the first since the death of drummer Neil Peart, will launch in June 2026. Playing drums on the tour will be Anika Nilles, who previously worked with the late Jeff Beck.

-Also announcing a return to the road was Bon Jovi. The Forever Tour, the band’s first trek since Jon Bon Jovi underwent vocal cord surgery in 2022, consists of shows in four cities — New York, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin — kicking off in July 2026 with nine shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

–Grateful Dead celebrated their 60th anniversary and were honored by the Recording Academy as the MusiCares Person of the Year. Anniversary celebrations included the release of the first official Grateful Dead greatest hits compilation, Enjoying The Ride. They ended the year by landing their 66th top-40 album on the Billboard 200 album chart, which earned them a Guinness World Record.

–Dead & Company, which features The Dead members Bobby Weir and Mickey Hart, also helped mark the Grateful Dead anniversary by headlining three shows at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

–Neil Young released the new album Talkin to the Trees, his first with his new band The Chrome Hearts, and hit the road on a world tour that came to the U.S. in August. The tour featured a headlining spot at the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival, although Young initially announced he wouldn’t be playing the festival due to corporate sponsorship.

-Former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth hit the stage for the first time since 2020, headlining the annual M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland. He would go on to perform several dates throughout the U.S.

-Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason, best known for his work with Traffic, announced his retirement from touring after 60 years in the business due to ongoing health issues.

–KISS reunited for their first performances since wrapping their End of the Road World tour in New York in December 2023. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer performed two unmasked shows at the KISS Kruise: Landlocked convention in Las Vegas. KISS, including original member Peter Criss, were also celebrated with the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C.

–U2 was honored with the Woody Guthrie Prize, and were also the first Irish artists to be honored as Academy Fellow of The Ivors Academy, the U.K. organization that presents The Ivor Novello Awards to celebrate excellence in British and Irish songwriting. Bono was also the subject of the Apple TV documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, a “reimagining” of his one-man stage show, Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief.

–Rod Stewart played the Glastonbury Festival in the Legends spot, where he was joined by The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood — his former Faces bandmate — as well as Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall and Scottish singer Lulu.

–Billy Idol released the new album Dream Into It, his first full-length release since 2014’s Kings & Queens of the Underground. He was also the subject of a documentary, Billy Idol Should Be Dead, which had its premiere at New York’s Tribeca Festival.

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