The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Keith LeBlanc, Drummer And Nine Inch Nails Producer, Dies At 70
Keith LeBlanc, a drummer on several crucial and seminal early hip-hop releases and an influential writer and producer, has passed away at the age of 70.
The news was reported by his record label On-U Sound. The website issued a statement that read, in part, "All of us at On-U Sound are heartbroken to share the news that the great Keith LeBlanc has passed away. An incredible drummer, producer and musical maverick, he will be hugely missed. Rest in power, Keith."
LeBlanc started playing drums as a child after seeing Ringo Starr on television and began his career as a session drummer for Sugarhill Records in the early 80s.
LeBlanc helped pioneer the early hip-hop sound as a drummer in the Sugarhill House Band alongside bassist Doug Wimbish (Living Colour) and guitarist Skip "Little Axe" McDonald. The three musicians went on to form the industrial-leaning hip-hop group Tackhead, who released four albums from 1987 to 2014.
As a producer and mixer, LeBlanc worked with a number of legendary artists and bands, including Nine Inch Nails, Living Colour, Peter Gabriel, The Cure, and Ministry.
In addition to his own solo releases LeBlanc also served as a drummer and programmer for a host of other famous names, including: R.E.M., The Rolling Stones, Robert Palmer, Annie Lennox, Tina Turner, Bryan Ferry, Depeche Mode, and Sinead O'Connor
Additionally, LeBlanc was a major contributor to Nine Inch Nails' debut album, Pretty Hate Machine, co-producing fan-favorite tracks "Head Like a Hole" and "Down In It," and engineering or mixing several other songs on the LP.
In a career-spanning 2023 interview with Burning Ambulance, LeBlanc reflected on working with Annie Lennox. He said, "Annie Lennox, she was really cool, too. She's a real singer. A lot of singers have to punch in things and get Auto-Tuned in, but she would go in the studio, just nail it right there, with the musicians. So there was a lot of collaboration there."
LeBlanc also reflected on the use of technology in his work. He said, "Oh, I keep up to date, as far as gear goes. I use the latest gear. But I still work the way I worked, you know, 50 years ago. I haven't changed anything about the way I work. It's just a lot of things are a lot easier now, and don't take as much time. But I haven't changed the way I work."
Listening To Old George Strait Songs Might Be Good For You, Says Therapist
If old school country music gives you that good buzz, now you know why.
According to a therapist with the Sims Foundation — an organization that provides mental health and substance use recovery services — listening to music from your high school days "binds to brain" more than anything you hear as an adult.
So, that's why your high school playlist still rocks — "neural nostalgia" is the term, and it's a good thing.
The therapist suggests if you need to reconnect with yourself, just blast a song from the past. Some good ole George Strait might be all you need to wake up and get motivated on the day, because it's taking you back to those feelings you had as a teenager.
"Well … I'm CONSTANTLY listening to all the old stuff so you're saying I'm stuck forever in that nostalgia to feel better?!? - it's working. I'm not complaining. I just feel a little attacked," one user says in reply to the Instagram video posted by Sims.
"If you're literally screaming the lyrics to your nostalgia you get bonus points," adds another.
"How I pulled my Grandma out of dementia," states one user, seemingly verifying this therapist's claim.
"And people wonder why Taylor Swift has brought in so much money. Girl PLAYYYYYS to our nostalgia," another chimes in.
If you graduated in the past 10 years, chances are you may be "knocked out of your funk" just by blaring up Kane Brown or Morgan Wallen. If your graduation was back in the '80s or '90s, you may need a quick escape with Clint Black or Shania Twain.
The proof is in the research: Country music is medicine for the heart and soul, especially if you pick an artist from your good ol' days.
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were BornWho had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
See 50 Essential '90s Country SongsIf you call yourself a real fan of '90s country music, you probably need to know the words to all of these hit songs.
Best Aussie Songs Of The 70s: From John Williamson's Old Man Emu To The Two Man Band's Up There Cazaly
Across the nation, pubs, parties and backyard barbecues hum along to that old chestnut: what's the best Australian song of this era or that year?
Put down those tongs and argue no more, our entertainment team has sizzled our homegrown music down to the best song of each year.
Based on chart performance, sales and cultural impact, we have chosen 66 Aussie anthems spanning more than half a century and genres ranging from country to hip-hop, from Slim Dusty to 5 Seconds of Summer.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Choosing between Cold Chisel's pub anthem Khe Sanh and the Bee Gees' monster disco smash Stayin' Alive was the toughest decision of the 70s hit parade.
We'll reveal our top picks from each decade so come back to see which songs dominated in the other decades.
We hope this gets you talking — and listening.
1970
John Williamson: Old Man Emu
Willo released his debut single after winning TV talent quest New Faces with this novelty tune about the "poor old fella" who "ain't got no wings".
1971
This smash hit about a 1920s dance move was the biggest Aussie single of 1971 and inspired Elton John to write Crocodile Rock.
1972
The Aztecs: Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)
Billy Thorpe's signature song raced to the top of the national charts after the blues-rockers performance at the Sunbury Music Festival. Let's not mention Gary Sweet's 1994 cover.
1973
This enduring feminist anthem arrived as the woman's movement gathered steam and became only the second Australian song to top the US Billboard Hot 100. The third was Reddy's Delta Dawn.
1974
Easybeats songwriters Harry Vanda and George Young sent their band mate, who was struggling with drug addiction, back to the top of the charts with this epic three-part, 11-minute rock opera.
1975
AC/DC: It's a Long Way to the Top
While Sherbet and Skyhooks maintained a mock rivalry on Countdown and the charts, the mighty Accadacca rode a flatbed truck through Melbourne to immortality with this rip-snorter about "playin' in a rock 'n' roll band".
Skyhooks: Ego is Not a Dirty Word
1976
While pub rock ruled and punk poked its nose in, Countdown still dictated the charts via acts such as Marcia Hines, John Paul Young and Ted Mulry. However, the cricket-loving Sherbet stumped the lot with this big, cheesy hit.
1977
First appearing on Allen's album Taught By Experts in 1976, I Go to Rio – and its passionate persuasion for dancin' and romancin' – was released as a single the following year and spent five weeks at No. 1.
1978
Choosing between Cold Chisel's pub anthem Khe Sanh and the Bee Gees' monster disco smash Stayin' Alive was the toughest decision of this hit parade. In the end, the team decided that a list of great Aussie songs without the mighty Chisel was not a list we could live with. Sorry, Brothers Gibb – it's a tragedy.
Bee Gees: Stayin' Alive
Bee Gees: How Deep is Your Love
John Paul Young: Love is in the Air
1979
The Two-Man Band: Up There Cazaly
Mike Brady's footy theme tune hip-and-shouldered out AC/DC's Highway to Hell purely because it was massive. At the time, Up There Cazaly became the biggest-selling Aussie single of all time after being issued by independent label Fable Records.
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