"Hallelujah" tops Christmas chart

The top two spots in the Christmas singles chart were taken by covers of Leonard Cohen's 1984 song "Hallelujah," with "X Factor" talent show winner Alexandra Burke's new version beating Jeff Buckley's 1994 cover on Sunday.

U.S. singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen performs at the Glastonbury Festival 2008 in Somerset

Burke won this year's series of the pop talent show that is one of ITV's biggest ratings successes, and she is the fourth successive "X Factor" winner to take the Christmas singles title.

Leona Lewis, who won "The X Factor" and the Christmas number one slot in 2006, dropped down to third from number one last week with "Run," the Official Charts Company said.

Cohen's original version of "Hallelujah" entered the chart at number 36, while the success of Buckley's version was partly due to a campaign on social networking website Facebook among music fans upset at what they saw as the manufactured nature of Burke's career.

Buckley drowned in 1997, and achieved only modest sales though significant critical acclaim during his lifetime.

Reformed 1990s boy band Take That remained at the top of the artist album chart with "The Circus," and Leona Lewis's album "Spirit" stayed at second place.

Jeff Buckley would have loved chart revival

The mother of cult singer Jeff Buckley is convinced her son would have been amused that music mogul Simon Cowell has given him a boost up the pop charts - years after his death.

Fans of the late rocker, who died in a swimming accident in 1997, are campaigning to take his recording of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah to the top of the charts this Christmas in a bid to beat another cover version of the song by singer Alexandra Burke.

Burke was awarded a £1 million record deal with Syco Records, Cowell's division of Sony BMG, when she took home the crown on Cowell's TV competition The X Factor last week.

But Buckley's mother Mary Guibert insists the tragic star would have loved the music rivalry.

She says, "I think Jeff would have found this number one thing very amusing. It's ironic in so many ways. I mean, here is The X Factor, run by Simon Cowell, who is supposed to be the ultimate taste arbiter, and they've been run to the wire by my son.

"It's come about so organically, with no record label pushing it, and I think Jeff would have loved that, and loved his fans for doing it."

The Killers third studio album "Day & Age."

The Killers are back with their third studio album "Day & Age." Lead singer Brandon Flowers and guitarist Dave Keuning spoke to AP about touring, the record, and the band's evolution.





The Killers

Nobel honours Bono

Bono has been honoured as a 'Man of Peace' at a ceremony in France.

The U2 singer received the commendation from Paris Mayor Bertrand Delance on Friday.

The award was made in the presence of five Nobel Peace Prize winners, in recognition of his efforts to support causes in Africa.

The singer said: "This is a very big award for me, because let's be honest this is as close as I am going to get, as close as a rock star is ever going to get to the Nobel Peace Prize.

"I am an over-awarded, over-rewarded rock star. You are the people who do the real work", he told the laureates at the event.

U2 are expected to release a new album, "No Line On The Horizon", in 2009.




U2 - I Believe In Father Christmas




U2 Great Albums


















U2 - Electrical Storm

Hallelujah JEFF BUCKLEY

Buckley's 'Hallelujah' for Christmas Top 40

Absolute Radio are getting behind The Sun's campaign to get Jeff Buckley's version of 'Hallelujah' in the UK singles chart this Christmas. It's been announced that Simon Cowell's X Factor finalist will hit the Crimbo charts with a cover of Leonard Cohen's classic, but it's Buckley's beautiful cover that needs to be heard by a new generation of real music fans.

X Factor is great but it's not about music - it's about entertainment. Hallujah is a brilliant, all time classic song but I know the X Factor version will pail into insignificance compared to the incredibly moving Jeff Buckley version - you need to have had a life to sing this song.

We need to get it the Top 40 so people know there is another 'real' version out there.

Hallelujah" Jeff Buckley MP3


I urge all Sun readers and my breakfast show listeners to download it and get it into the charts to rival the X Factor winners version - Christian O'Connell

Download for Christmas

Show your support by downloading the song on Monday 15 December (and not before!).
Download from iTunes

You can also join the facebook group, which already has tens of thousands of supporters

AC/DC play Wembley

AC/DC will play a show at Wembley Stadium next summer, in support of new album "Black Ice", they have confirmed.

The rock veterans embark on a UK tour next April, appearing for two gigs at the O2 Arena in London, before the dates continue into Europe.

They have now revealed plans for two further concerts in June, with the second taking place at Hamden Park in Scotland.

The tour follows the release of the band's Grammy-nominated new album, their first in eight years.

AC/DC will play:

April 2009

14+16 London 02 Arena
21Manchester MEN
23 Birmingham NEC

June

26 London Wembley Stadium
28 Dublin IR Punchestown Racetrack
30 Glasgow Hampden Park

Search for the latest concerts tickets on Ticketmaster

The Latest MP3 Downloads

Coldplay dismisses plagiarism allegations what do you think?

Rockers Coldplay have hit back at claims their single Viva La Vida ripped-off a track by guitarist Joe Satriani - insisting any similarity is a coincidence.

Satriani filed a lawsuit at Los Angeles federal court last week, claiming the Yellow hitmakers copied segments from his 2004 instrumental If I Could Fly to use in their 2008 hit track.

Joe Satriani Vs. Coldplay

He is seeking damages and profits from Viva La Vida, claiming he was devastated when he first heard the song, saying, "I felt like a dagger went right through my heart. It hurt so much. The second I heard it, I knew it was If I Could Fly."

But the band has responded dismissing the allegations in a statement issued to TMZ.com.

It reads, "With the greatest possible respect to Joe Satriani, we have now unfortunately found it necessary to respond publicly to his allegations. If there are any similarities between our two pieces of music, they are entirely coincidental, and just as surprising to us as to him. Joe Satriani is a great musician, but he did not write the song Viva La Vida. We respectfully ask him to accept our assurances of this, and wish him well with all future endeavours. Coldplay."

How To Play Guitar Riffs Well

How To Play Guitar Riffs Well

Posted using ShareThis

How To Play An Awesome Guitar Solo - What’s The Secret?

How To Play An Awesome Guitar Solo - What’s The Secret?

Posted using ShareThis