Bob Marley has been named the most frequently referenced historical figure in song lyrics, according to a new study examining how musicians draw inspiration from history. The reggae icon sits comfortably at number one with 927 separate lyric mentions, placing him well ahead of philosophers, criminals, political leaders and fellow musicians whose names have also been woven into popular music over decades.

Liam Gallagher has revealed he spent Christmas sober for the first time in decades, marking a personal milestone for the former Oasis frontman. The 53-year-old rocker, who has long been associated with a hard-living lifestyle, shared the news on X, writing, “1st Christmas sober since I was 3 absolutely incredible stats LG x.”

Harry Styles has made an unexpected return to social media, delighting fans with a nine-minute YouTube video titled Forever, Forever. Released on Saturday, December 27, the clip revisits the final night of his Love On Tour series at Italy's RCF Arena Campovolo in Reggio nell'Emilia in July 2023.

Melbourne punk provocateurs Private Function have announced they will be breaking up after nearly a decade of high-energy performances, larrikin humour and unorthodox releases. The news came as a surprise to fans worldwide in a Christmas Day post from the band, who described the last nine years as “the best time of all our lives.”

Vinnie Vincent, the former Kiss guitarist famed for his “Ankh Warrior” persona, has reignited discussion among fans by announcing a limited-edition CD single priced at $225. Titled Ride The Serpent, the track is the lead release from Vincent's upcoming album, Judgement Day: Guitarmageddon Part 1, and will be issued in a strictly limited run of 1,000 CDs globally if he meets his quota. Each copy is individually numbered and personally signed by Vincent, who insists the pricing reflects both the collectible nature of the release and the realities of the modern music industry.

Neil Young has never hidden from uncomfortable truths, especially when they intersect with his music. Few examples illustrate that candour more starkly than Borrowed Tune, a fragile piano lament that openly acknowledges its melodic debt to The Rolling Stones' 1966 recording Lady Jane. Rather than obscuring the connection, Young placed it front and centre, turning a moment of creative exhaustion into one of the most disarming confessions in his catalogue.

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot, the French actress, singer, model and activist whose presence reshaped cinema, popular music and the image of women in post-war culture, has died at her Saint-Tropez home La Madrague on 28 December 2025, aged 91.

Morrissey has shared the tracklisting for a new album on his official website, alongside the Sire Records logo, signalling a fresh chapter for the former Smiths frontman after years of record label limbo.

Jerry Kasenetz, the New York born songwriter and producer who helped invent and commercialise bubblegum pop in the late 1960s, has died aged 82. Kasenetz passed away on December 6, 2025, in Tampa, Florida, following complications from a fall at his home.

Howie Klein, one of the most influential and artist-friendly record executives of the modern era, has died aged 77. Klein passed away on December 24, 2025, following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. His death marks the loss of a rare figure who bridged underground music culture, major label power and uncompromising political activism, leaving a legacy that continues to shape how the music industry understands creative freedom.

Queen have once again opened the vaults, with Brian May confirming that an unreleased track titled Not For Sale (Polar Bear) will finally receive an official release as part of a major 2026 reissue of Queen II. The song, shared publicly for the first time in a rough, work-in-progress form late last year, predates the formation of Queen itself and reaches back to the band's earliest creative roots.

Pink Floyd have unveiled the first official music video for Wish You Were Here, marking 50 years since the song's release on the band's landmark 1975 album of the same name. The video arrives half a century after the track first appeared, a reminder of how different the music landscape was in the mid-1970s, when promotional clips were rare and MTV was still years away.

Perry Archangelo Bamonte, the quietly influential guitarist, keyboardist and long-time creative force within The Cure, has died aged 65. The band confirmed Bamonte's death on their official website on 26 December 2025, revealing he passed away at home over Christmas following a short illness.

It's been another busy year for The Lemon Twigs, and in just the past fortnight alone they've delivered an almost absurd embarrassment of riches.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has launched a fresh legal bid that could dramatically alter the course of his incarceration, with attorneys filing an expedited notice of appeal seeking his immediate release from federal prison. The filing asks the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to either enter a judgment of acquittal or vacate his conviction and return the case to the trial court for resentencing.