​Carole King is a woman who has played a major part in creating numerous classic hit songs. She has helped to shape popular music since she and then-husband Gerry Goffin (they divorced in 1968) wrote "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" in 1961. Her songs have been covered by such diverse artists as Smokey Robinson, Shawn Colvin and even Courtney Love.

King turns 70 today, thus proving that you are never too old to be a legend.

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Daniel Kramer

Photo by Daniel Kramer.

​Madonna is one of those artists that does it all: she sings, dances, acts, and occasionally writes. The main thing that keeps her fans begging for more is that she always seeks to reinvent herself - whether it be her 'Borderline'-era '80s street-style or the sleekness that defined her videos in the late '90s. Her albums have sold millions worldwide. Also, she has influenced many female artists including Britney Spears, Deborah Gibson, Katy Perry, and countless others.

Madge has also been a rather controversial figure too since ever since she performed her wedding night dance routine to "Like A Virgin" in a wedding dress at the 1984 MTV VMA Awards. She's continued this controversy well into her career with such controversial videos as "Justify My Love," "Like A Prayer," and "What It Feels Like For A Girl," among others. Heck she still is a polarizing figure among some conservative circles.

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​Nearly 12 years after the release of Voodoo, Michael Eugene Archer, better known for his stage name, D'Angelo, has emerged out of his self-imposed exile. After doing battle with drugs and alcohol for a decade, last week the singer kicked off a European tour entitled The D-Tour, for his first live performances since 2000. If you haven't seen the videos, the guy seems to have legitimately turned a corner -- he's back to a reasonable weight, for one thing -- and the handful of shows he's done have been full of new songs that are proof the singer hasn't missed a beat.

With ?uestlove reporting to Pitchfork that D'Angelo's new album, over 10 years in the making, is 97 percent done, there seems to be enough cause to feel good about soul music again. That being said, we compiled ten must-haves from the '90s boom to hold you over.

And please, let us know of any oversights in the comment section.

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​Music festivals have played an indefinite part of pop culture history. From the various Woodstock festivals, Us Festivals, and even Lollapalooza - they have played a part in defining their generations.

Unfortunately some of these amazing festivals have only seen the light of day in the form of either being shown in clips on VH1 Classic as part of their VH1 Classic In Concert show, an edited DVD or Blu Ray, or even internet bootlegs. Therefore, the public gets somewhat cheated out of hearing and seeing some of these great performances in their entirety.

Here are the 5 historic music festivals we think should get a full release -- complete with a set of dvd's or blu rays, rare photos, booklets, and documentaries.

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photo by Jay Lee

​Fleetwood Mac is perhaps the most distinct and musically diverse bands around. What started out as a British blues band headed by drummer Mick Fleetwood and lead singer/guitarist Peter Green became a pop/rock powerhouse with the addition of guitar virtuoso Lindsey Buckingham and his then-girlfriend, singer Stevie Nicks.

One of the things that has fueled their popularity in addition to their music is that they're a walking soap opera. Most, if not all the tracks on their multiplatinum 1977 release, the aptly titled Rumours, are about their relationships with each other.

However, Fleetwood Mac is an album-oriented band. Each album is different and on those albums are some equally amazing tracks.

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Photo by groovehouse

​Heart is one of the most enduring, influential, and underrated rock bands of all time. They aren't afraid to tell you how they feel -- even if they are in a pissed-off mood as they seem to be a good portion of the time with classics like "Barracuda," "Heartless," and "Even It Up."

For those of use that don't have fancy satellite radio, we hear the same 3-5 Heart songs ad infinitum. So we decided to go back into their vault and see what other amazing songs we could find.

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Sebastian Bach on Gilmore Girls

​Fictional television shows are full of gimmickry. Some of it is good and some of falls flat. Others are subtle in-jokes. However, it can be interesting when a popular artist appears on a television show because it gives the audience a glimpse into another side of their talent (or lack thereof) that we haven't seen before. Other times, it can inspire an artist to pursue another career. It can even introduce an artist to a new generation and a new audience.

But who did well in their role playing a fictional human being? We shall see.

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Photo via Gizmodo

Dr. Dre - the poster child for eternally delayed hip-hop albums, but he's not alone.

​Hip-hop is a genre full of guys who put out a new album or mixtape seemingly every single month. They just can't stop, even when they're incarcerated in some cases (see: Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, and TI). It's as if rapping really is as much of a competition as they make it out to be and they're in a race to see who can drop the most flows in a single year. This often leads to sub-par releases far below the standards of the artists. These albums can seem sloppy and quickly thrown together. You can tell they aren't bringing their A-game.

Then there's a whole other sub-section of guys who kill it every single time -- when they feel like doing anything that is. My personal hip-hop collection may not be as vast as many people's, but the absolute cream of the crop seem to be, fittingly, the ones who release albums the least frequently. As great as their works are though, it always leaves me wanting; wondering when the next album will drop and having to wait years and years before anything sees the light of day. Here are some of the best rappers who I wish could be just a little bit more active.

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Photo by Marc Brubaker

LCD Soundsystem

​All right, so they haven't been broken up as long as the bands in April's excellent look at '90s underground bands who should get back together. We still miss 'em. You know how it is: you get to remembering that album you loved from a few years back and think to yourself "Huh, I wonder when The So-and-So's are going to put out some new shit" and then you either remember that they broke up and there will be no more new shit, or worse, you discover the bad news after a cursory Wikipedia search. It's sad when good things go away. That'll never stop being true.

Here are some great bands we associate with the '00s -- even if they didn't get together in exactly that time frame -- who we think should put their differences aside and start making beautiful music again.

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​It's hard to find a band that reps Miles Davis in the same breath as much as they do Led Zeppelin, but Lionize are that band. Recording in Jamaica with Steel Pulse's Sidney Mills, supporting beardos like Kylesa, Clutch, and cKy? Yes, that's Lionize for you. Opening for Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster, a band that sounds like Gregg Allman and Black Sabbath's Vol. 4 hooked up, tonight at Fitzgerald's? That is also Lionize.

I asked Lionize about some of the bands that coalesced in their respective heads to make the sound of Lionize, which to us is a highly enjoyable strain of reggae rock. This is isn't girly feet-in-the-sand jazz, these guys have actual chops, the kind you get by touring and jamming for hours on end.

Check out Lionize tonight supporting Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster, with Grace In Folly also on the bill.

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