HOT: The Physicist as Rock Star
Besides all that important science-y stuff, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking is a pop culture icon, having been the source of a major motion picture and, more importantly, a voice on The Simpsons. His computerized voice is also a part of the production of U2’s stage show on the band’s current tour, and he’s been referenced in songs by The Bloodhound Gang, Turbonegro, “Weird Al” Yankovic and others. If those aren’t enough Rock Star credentials for you, the physicist has another milestone looming. Hawking will join artists like The Who, Foo Fighters and Kanye West at this summer’s edition of the legendary British music fest, Glastonbury. Hawking is set to appear in the festival’s kids area, but there’s no word yet on what he will be doing.
Maybe he’ll do more Monty Python covers?
WARM: Saving Shavings for Savings?
The highest mark of a truly legendary musical artist comes not with album sales or widespread influence, but when their hair can be sold at auction for a pretty penny. The Killers aren’t quite at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame level yet, but if the group makes it to legendary status, singer Brandon Flowers might someday be able to make some big bucks in his twilight years. The singer told The Independent that after Pet Shop Boys frontman Neil Tennant criticized his beard several years ago (Tennant said it seemed to be an attempt to distance The Killers from Pop music), when Flowers shaved, he decided to save his hair clippings in a plastic bag (a practice he’s continued for the past seven years) as a reminder to embrace his Pop side. Pretty sure that’s what Gold and Platinum albums are for.
That porn ’stache, though:
COLD: Read a Simple Song
Using various writing analysis tools, it has been determined that popular songs are pretty stupid (although kindergarteners would consider them to be genius). A data analyst studied more than 200 songs that have topped various genre charts and discovered that the lyrics of hits from 2014 are written, on average, at a second- or third-grade reading level. Country music lyrics were the most “difficult” to read, ranking at a third-grade level, while most Pop, Rock and Hip Hop chart-toppers were deemed second-grade reading-ready. Nickelback and Red Hot Chili Peppers lyrics were among the highest-scoring Rock songs, putting the validity of the study into serious question.
Nickelback: Smarter than a third-grader?: “Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars/And live in hilltop houses, drivin’ 15 cars/The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap/We’ll all stay skinny ’cause we just won’t eat.”
This article appears in May 20-26, 2015.