Jackson Browne performs at a rally for Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards in November 2007
Photo: David Lienemann/ Getty Images

Jackson Browne is suing John McCain and the Republican Party for using the song "Running on Empty" in a campaign ad, according to the Los Angeles Times. The singer/songwriter is charging copyright infringement and false endorsement, UPI reports.

Browne is "incensed" that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has been using the song in campaign commercials, the singer/songwriter's attorney said.

A McCain spokesperson told the Times that the ad was actually put together by the Ohio Republican Party. But Browne's attorney, Lawrence Y. Iser, told the Times they have the right defendants. "We have sued the Ohio Republican Party as well, and we have been informed and believe that McCain and his campaign were well aware of the ad. We are also informed and believe that the ad was broadcast on television in Ohio and Pennsylvania. ... The fact that it appears on the Internet means it also reaches an audience well beyond those states."

Iser told the Times the lawsuit "is not politically motivated. It's a copyright infringement lawsuit, pure and simple, but the fact that Senator McCain has used this song in a hit piece on Barack Obama is anathema to Jackson."

He also accused the McCain campaign of consistently using music without permission.

"They used a John Mellencamp song until he made them stop, and he used an ABBA song and a Frankie Valli song — it's ridiculous and it's setting a terrible example," Iser said. "It's shocking that they don't even attempt to get permission. There's no copyright difference between using a song to sell cars or by people running for president. The music industry continues to suffer due to lack of respect for intellectual property rights, and a candidate for president has a duty to lead by example and ensuring their campaign does as well. The copyright protections are derived from the Constitution itself."

Get informed! Head to Choose or Lose for nonstop coverage of the 2008 presidential election, including everything from the latest news on the candidates to on-the-ground multimedia reports from our 51 citizen journalists, MTV and MySpace's Presidential Dialogues, and much more.

• Jackson Browne

Alicia Keys performs at "Unplugged"
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

More Keys Please: Devout Alicia Keys fans will want to nab the CD+DVD version of Unplugged, which boasts two additional audio performances, "Goodbye" and "Butterflyz," on the CD, and behind-the-scenes action and a video for "Unbreakable" on the DVD. That's not to mention a booklet that has poems, a letter from Keys, liner notes, photos and info on Keep a Child Alive, a nonprofit she aligned herself with for a World AIDS Day benefit last year.

Leading a Double Life: DualDiscs are all the rage, and record companies usually send them to stores at the same time as the standard album in order to maximize sales potential. Not so with Ricky Martin's Life, which will come out in regular form Tuesday but won't see a DualDisc release until November 22. Tracks on both editions include: "I Don't Care" (featuring Fat Joe and Amerie), a Luny Tunes reggaeton remix of "Que Mas Da" and the Spanish track "Déjate Llevar (It's Alright)."

A New G Thang: G-Funk guru Warren G resurfaces after his longest solo hiatus yet — nearly four years — with the indie release In the Mid-Nite Hour. After spending time with 213 for last year's The Hard Way, Warren gets some help from his comrades on a few tracks: Snoop crops up on "Chronic Break" and "Garilla Pimpin," while Nate Dogg chimes in on "We Need Each Other." Raphael Saadiq, Bishop Lamont and Chuck Taylor also lend their skills.

Dive Right In: Originally called [Adult Swim] Presents DangerDoom, The Mouse and the Mask still realizes what Danger Mouse and MF Doom set out to do: high-five the animated-TV block with a set of inspired songs, plus character voices and skits from shows like "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" and "Sealab 2021." Cee-Lo and Ghostface Killah dip their toes into "Benzie Box" and "The Mask," respectively.

United They Stand: In addition to this week's two metal-champ collections — Numbers From the Beast: An All-Star Tribute to Iron Maiden and the Roadrunner Records 25th anniversary throwdown The All-Star Sessions — there's a spate of other kinetic alliances happening. Illinois punks Resident Genius jam along to a recorded phone conversation they shared with legendary Boston University prof/activist Howard Zinn for You Can't Blow Up a Special Relationship; elusive indie darling Chan Marshall (a.k.a. Cat Power) hops onto grimy Aussie instrumental trio Dirty Three's Cinder; and ex-Swans singer Jarboe duets with members of Low, Ministry and Bauhaus on her new one, The Men Album. (For three points: Blixa Bargeld of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds also sings with Jarboe; her fellow Seed, Warren Ellis, is Dirty Three's violinist.)

SteEPed in EPs: Neo-goth dance punks American Eyes find an unlikely producer in Michael Patterson (Diddy, Notorious B.I.G.) for their first release, Never Trust Anything That Bleeds; likewise, chaotic London punks the Rakes make their debut with Retreat. Also, Lambchop pay Nashville neighbors Hands Off Cuba a visit with Colab; the country-rockin' Magnolia Electric Co. taped two of their Hard to Love a Man tracks at Steve Albini's, uh, Electrical Audio Studios; San Francisco solo artist Kelley Stoltz breaks bread with Sub Pop on The Sun Comes Through; and another solo artist, Amanda Rogers, goes even further out on a limb by covering At the Drive-In, among others, on Something Borrowed Something Blue.

Song Title of the Week: "Major Disappointment Reporting for Duty" (Drowningman's Don't Push Us When We're Hot)

Other Notables:

Sevendust's Next: After eight years and a bitter breakup with career-long label TVT Records, the metal squad is resurrecting itself with a fresh new label (the Universal-affiliated WineDark), single ("Ugly") and guitarist, Snot's Sonny Mayo. Keep an eye out for limited-edition copies of 'Dust's fifth studio record, which come with a bonus DVD.

Gang of Four's Return the Gift: The truly seminal U.K. dance-rock group initially decided to put out a batch of re-recordings of its classic songs as a stand-alone disc and hold off until 2006 for an equally tempting set of remixes by Hot Hot Heat, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, No Doubt's Tony Kanal and others. Now they've decided to simplify by melding the two into a 26-track, double-CD set.

Modest Mouse's Good News for People Who Love Bad News DualDisc: Humble-rodent connoisseurs probably have the bonus track "I've Got It All (Most)" — which previously appeared as a B-side but is tacked onto the Good News DualDisc for good measure — but they should take note of the many visual nuggets: two videos, behind-the-scenes stuff and an interview with main man Isaac Brock directed by — you guessed it — Isaac Brock.

New Releases:

• 31Knots - Talk Like Blood (Polyvinyl)
• Abel - Alegria Musica (Tommy Boy)
• Adult. - Gimme Trouble (Thrill Jockey)
• Agents of the Sun - Monarchs of a Fallen Society (DCide)
• Gary Allan - Tough All Over (MCA Nashville)
• Allister - Before the Blockout (Drive Thru)
• American Eyes - Never Trust Anything That Bleeds (EP; Side One Dummy)
• American Werewolves - 1968 (Fractured Transmitter)
• Apache Indian - Time for Change (Explorer)
• Barr - Beyond Reinforced Jewelcase (5 Rue Christine)
• Hudson Bell - When the Sun Is the Moon (Monitor)
• Boris with Merzbow - Sun Baked Snow Cave (Hydra Head)
• Peter Brötzmann & Han Bennink - Schwarzwaldfahrt (Atavistic)
• Jackson Browne - Solo Acoustic Vol. 1 (Inside)
• Castanets - First Light's Freeze (Asthmatic Kitty)
• Celebration - Celebration (4AD)
• Cheetah Girls - Cheetah-Licious Christmas (Disney)
• The Clientele - Strange Geometry (Merge)
• Company - Parallel Time (Jagjaguwar)
• Constantines - Tournament of Hearts (Sub Pop)
• Susan Cowsill - Just Believe It (Blue Corn)
• Jamie Cullum - Catching Tales (deluxe edition due same day; Verve)
• Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask (Epitaph)
• Deerhoof - The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars)
• Default - One Thing Remains (TVT)
• Dios Malos - Dios Malos (Star Time)
• Dirty Three - Cinder (Touch and Go)
• Drowningman - Don't Push Us When We're Hot (Thorp)
• Early Man - Closing In (Matador)
• Explosions in the Sky - How Strange, Innocence (Temporary Residence)
• Gamma Ray - Majestic (Sanctuary)
• Gang of Four - Return the Gift (two CDs; V2)
  Read: "No Doubt, Beck, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Plan Gang Of Four Remixes"
• Mark Gardener with Goldrush - These Beautiful Ghosts (United for Opportunity)
• Great Lake Swimmers - Bodies and Minds (Misra)
• Hanson - The Best of Hanson: Live and Electric (limited edition; two CDs with DVD; Three Car Garage)
• George Huff - Miracles (Word)
• Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey - The Sameness of Difference (Hyena)
• Jarboe - The Men Album (Atavistic)
• Jonathan Kane - February (Table of the Elements)
• Alicia Keys - Unplugged (special edition due same day; J)
  Read: "Alicia Keys Taps Mos Def, Common For 'Inspired' 'Unplugged' "
• Lambchop/ Hands Off Cuba - CoLAB (EP; Merge)
• The Living Blue - Fire, Blood, Water (Minty Fresh)
• The Long Winters - Ultimatum (Barsuk)
• The Magnolia Electric Co. - Hard to Love a Man (EP; Secretly Canadian)
• Ricky Martin - Life (Columbia)
• The Mass - Perfect Picture of Wisdom and Boldness (Crucial Blast)
• Joe McPhee and John Snyder - Pieces of Light (Atavistic)
• Minus Story - No Rest for Ghosts (Jagjaguwar)
• Mouse on Mars - Live04 (Sonig)
• New London Fire - I Sing the Body Holographic (Eyeball)
• Dolly Parton - Those Were the Days (Sugar Hill)
• Matt Pond PA - Several Arrows Later (Altitude)
• Daniel Powter - Daniel Powter (Warner Bros.)
• The Rakes - Retreat (EP; Dim Mak)
• Resident Genius/ Howard Zinn - You Can't Blow Up a Special Relationship (Thick)
• Roadrunner United - The All-Star Sessions (Roadrunner)
• Amanda Rogers - Something Borrowed Something Blue (EP; Immigrant Sun)
• Kate Rusby - The Girl Who Couldn't Fly (Compass)
• Saving Jane - Girl Next Door (Madacy)
• Sevendust - Next (WineDark/Universal)
  Read: "Sevendust Turn Up The Heaviness, Leave Beef Behind On Next"
• Kelley Stoltz - The Sun Comes Through (EP; Sub Pop)
• Story of the Year - In the Wake of Determination (Maverick)
• T.A.T.U. - Dangerous and Moving (Interscope)
• Susan Tedeschi - Hope and Desire (Verve)
• Warren G - In the Mid-Nite Hour (Lightyear)
• Paul Weller - As Is Now (Yep Roc)
• Nancy Wilson - "Elizabethtown" score (RCA)
• Woolly Bandits - Say Hello to My Little Friend (Dionysus)
• Young Playthings - Pick Up With the Young Playthings (Dionysus)
• Various artists - Numbers From the Beast: An All-Star Tribute to Iron Maiden (Restless)
• Various artists - One Million Strong Vol. 2: Love Peace & War (Bungalo)
• Various artists - "Dora the Explorer: Dance Fiesta!" (Nick/Jive)
• Various artists - "North Country" soundtrack (Columbia)
• Various artists - "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" soundtrack (Varèse)

Notable Reissues:

• Johnny Adams - The Great Johnny Adams Blues Album (Rounder)
• Allman Brothers Band - Gold (Mercury/Universal)
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Gold (Mercury/Universal)
• Colosseum II - Strange New Flesh: Upgraded (Castle/Ryko)
• John Coltrane - One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note (two CDs; Impulse)
• The Diplomats of Solid Sound - Instrumental Action Soul (Hammondbeat)
• Dru Hill - Hits (Def Soul Classics)
• Billie Holiday - Gold (Hip-O/Universal)
• Buddy Holly - Gold (Geffen/Universal)
• Holy Terrors - This Is What It Sounds Like When You're Dead (Eulogy)
• Shirley Horn - But Beautiful: The Best of Shirley Horn on Verve (Verve)
• John Legend - Get Lifted (Columbia)
• Don McLean - Rearview Mirror: An American Musical Journey (Hyena)
• Men's Recovery Project - The Very Best of Men's Recovery Project (5 Rue Christine)
• Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News (DualDisc; Epic)
• Nekromantix - Brought Back to Life Again (Hellcat)
• New Edition - Gold (Hip-O/Universal)
• Linda Perry - In Flight (enhanced; Kill Rock Stars)
• Nina Simone - The Soul of Nina Simone (DualDisc; RCA)
• Lyn Taitt & the Jets - Hold Me Tight: Anthology 65-73 (Trojan)
• Tigertailz - Banzai and Berzerk (Ryko)
• Tom Verlaine - Warm and Cool (with bonus tracks; Thrill Jockey)
• Johnny Guitar Watson - A Real Mother for Ya (with unreleased bonus tracks; Shout! Factory)
• Johnny Guitar Watson - Ain't That a Bitch (with unreleased bonus tracks; Shout! Factory)
• Johnny Guitar Watson - Funk Beyond the Call of Duty (with unreleased bonus tracks; Shout! Factory)
• Hank Williams - Turn Back the Years: The Essential Hank Williams Collection (Mercury Nashville)
• Bill Withers - Just as I Am (DualDisc; Columbia/Legacy)
• Yanni - Live at the Acropolis (with DVD; RCA Victor)
• Various artists - Sand & Steel: The Classic Sound of Jamaican Steel Drums (Trojan)
• Various artists - Southern Rock: Gold (Hip-O/Universal)

DVD:

• Terry Callier - "Live in Berlin" (Verve)
• Charlie Daniels - "The Kings and Friends: Live at the Gothic With Special Guest Hazel Miller" (Burnside)
• K-Ci & JoJo - "All My Life: Their Greatest Video Hits" (Universal)
• Alicia Keys - "Unplugged" (J)
• Machine Head - "Elegies" (Universal)
• Bobby McFerrin - "Live in Montreal" (Universal)
• Carmen McRae - "Live in Montreal" (Universal)

Coming Attractions:

October 18:

• Depeche Mode - Playing the Angel (Reprise)
• Ashlee Simpson - In Another Life
  Read: "Ashlee Remembers 'SNL' Incident But Forgets Boys On New LP"
• Thrice - Vheissu (Island)
  Read: "Thrice Going Underground — In A Sense — For Enigmatic Vheissu"

October 25:

• Chamillionaire - The Sound of Revenge (Universal)
• Destiny's Child - #1's (DualDisc; Columbia)
  Read: "Destiny's Child Look Back With #1's Before Going Their Separate Ways"
• Fefe Dobson - Sunday Love (enhanced; Island)

November 1:

• Nirvana - Sliver: The Best of the Box (Geffen)
• Ozzy Osbourne - Under Covers (DualDisc due same day; Epic)
• Santana - All That I Am (Arista)
  Read: "Guest List For New Santana LP: Big Boi, Mary J., Will.I.Am, Bo Bice And More"

• Alicia Keys
• Ricky Martin
• Warren G
• DangerDoom
• Gang of Four

Kid Rock at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel Monday night
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

NEW YORK — Outkast, Alicia Keys, Kid Rock and Dave Matthews were just a few of the artists who introduced their favorite new inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday night.

At the celebration, held as usual at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, Outkast and Keys ushered in Prince, Kid Rock introduced Bob Seger, Matthews honored Traffic, Bruce Springsteen greeted Jackson Browne, and the late George Harrison was inducted by his former Traveling Wilburys cohorts Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne. Also inducted: the Dells, ZZ Top and Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner.

The four-hour event featured film montages of the inductees, lengthy speeches and performances from everyone who was inducted. The show, capped by an all-star jam, will air Sunday on VH1.

Before the event began, many of the inductees and artists introducing them walked the red carpet to pose for pictures and sing each other's praises. "Prince's performances are always such an inspiration," Keys said. "I love his songwriting, his music, just him as an individual. So I'm looking forward to helping to put him where he belongs."

	Click here for photos from the ceremony

"God, I've been a nervous wreck about the whole thing," Kid Rock said about inducting childhood hero Seger. "Being from Michigan and Detroit, it's like Bob Seger is shot into your veins as a kid. We were just raised on it. I just wanna make everyone from the hometown proud and really give him his dues. I think he's really one of the most underrated singer/songwriter heroes of our generation."

The ceremony began with a film collage of artists who died in 2003, accompanied by Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" and the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody."

Then the hall paid tribute to Prince. "Back in the day, entertainers were singers, they were dancers, they had great style, they had great personality," Outkast's Andre 3000 said in his introduction. "We've lost a lot of that today, and so when it comes for me to do music, Prince is most definitely one of my greatest inspirations."

Prince's acceptance speech was brief and sentimental. He even thanked Warner Bros., with which he battled for years and once protested by writing "Slave" across his face to illustrate the label's ownership over him. "When I first started out in this music industry I was most concerned with freedom," he began. "Freedom to produce, freedom to play all the instruments on my records, freedom to say anything I wanted to. And after much negotiation, Warner Bros. Records granted me that freedom, and I thank them."

Instead of thanking his mentors and peers, Prince talked about how he discovered the importance of spirituality and friendship. "All praise and thanks to Jehovah," he said. "Without any real spiritual mentors other than artists whose records I admired, I embarked on a journey more fascinating than I could have ever imagined. But a word to the wise: Without real spiritual mentoring, too much freedom can lead to the soul's decay."

During his performance, Prince played an energized medley of "Let's Go Crazy" "Sign 'O' the Times" and "Kiss."

Traffic played a lengthy version of "Dear Mr. Fantasy," replete with expressive guitar and keyboard solos; Seger played the dusky, reflective "Turn the Page"; and Browne performed emotive versions of "The Pretender" and "Running on Empty."

When Springsteen introduced Browne, he praised the singer's politics and songwriting but was even more effusive about his power over the ladies. "Jackson Browne was a rock and roll sex star. ... At a time when we were drawing rooms full of men, Jackson was drawing more women than an Indigo Girls concert."

About 30 minutes later, a slightly flustered Kid Rock began his introduction of Seger by saying, "I'm freaked out because Bruce Springsteen is talking about all the women that went to Jackson Browne's shows and how good lookin' they were. My mom used to go to those shows."

Sixties doo-wop and R&B group the Dells were introduced by filmmaker Robert Townsend, who based the singing group in his 1991 movie, "The Five Heartbeats," on the Dells.

Mick Jagger introduced Wenner, and Keith Richards introduced ZZ Top. During their set, the Texas boogie band played "La Grange" and "Tush."

After Harrison was inducted, Tom Petty, ELO's Jeff Lynne and Harrison's son performed the Traveling Wilburys' "Handle With Care" and the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

The show ended with a mega-jam of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Rock & Roller" and Traffic's "Feelin' Alright," in which most of the new inductees performed, along with Richards.

Musicians qualify for induction once they've been in the business for 25 years; they are then voted on by a committee of peers and industry professionals.

The 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony airs Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT and 7 p.m. CT. For more information, visit VH1.com.

• Prince
• George Harrison
• Traffic
• Jackson Browne
• ZZ Top

Godsmack (file)
Photo: Greg Delman

Their new album may be unplugged, but Godsmack rock hard enough to break on through to The Other Side. Sully Erna and the boys go acoustic for the first time this week on a seven-song EP that features new tracks such as "Running Blind" and "Voices," as well as "Touche," which gets a little help from Sully's friends and new protégés Dropbox.

Big Tymers' Big Money Heavyweight: The Screwed and Chopped Album features guest appearances by Ludacris and Petey Pablo, while newcomer Cassidy is joined by Jadakiss on his album Split Personality.

The "Mayor of the Sunset Strip" soundtrack features contributions from some of the movie's stars, including David Bowie, Courtney Love, the Ramones, Alice Cooper, Chris Martin and even the subject of the film himself: Rodney Bingenheimer. And in other movie news, the soundtrack to Jim Carrey's new flick, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," features tracks by Beck, the Polyphonic Spree and the Willows.

David Byrne's quirky Grown Backwards ranges from opera — a duet with Rufus Wainwright — to a cover of Lambchop's "The Man Who Loved Beer." Meanwhile, Joe Jackson's Live: Afterlife cozies up next to Jackson Browne's The Very Best Of and Finley Quaye's Much More Than Love, with songs written by William Orbit and featuring Beth Orton.

And Jimmy Eat World frontman Jim Adkins represents for the Grand Canyon State, releasing fellow Arizona emo rockers Rubens Accomplice's latest, The Bull, the Balloon, and the Family, on his Western Tread label.

Out Tuesday, March 16:

• 36 Crazyfists - A Snow-Capped Romance (Roadrunner)
• Claudia Acuna - Luna (Max Jazz)
• Jason Anderson - New England (K)
• Ativin - Night Mute (Secretly Canadian)
• Beauty Pill - The Unsustainable Lifestyle (Dischord)
• Before the Dawn - My Darkness (Locomotive Music)
• Big Tymers - Big Money Heavyweight: The Screwed and Chopped Album (Universal)
  Buy Now: Big Money Heavyweight: The Screwed and Chopped Album (Universal)
• Blithe Sons - Arm of the Starfish (Family Vineyard)
• Jackson Browne - The Very Best Of (Elektra)
• Burd Early - Mind and Mother (Western Vinyl)
• David Byrne - Grown Backwards (Nonesuch)
• Calliope - Sounds Like Circles Feel (Thick)
• Cassidy - Split Personality (Full Surface/J)
• Coffin Lids - Rock 'n' Roll (Bomp!)
• Coma Star - Headroom of Conscience (Locomotive Music)
• Cropknox - Rock and Rot (Punkcore)
• Catie Curtis - Dreaming in Romance Languages (Vanguard)
• Grey DeLisle - The Graceful Ghost (Sugar Hill)
• Denial tha Danksta - Six Figure Dropout (Elephant Size)
• Gibson Brothers - Long Way Back Home (Sugar Hill)
• Gipsy Kings - Roots (Nonesuch)
• Godsmack - The Other Side (Republic)
  Read: "Godsmack Travel To The Other Side For New EP"
  Buy Now: The Other Side (Republic)
• Fred Hersch Trio - Fred Hersch Trio + 2 (Palmetto)
• Hunns - Long Legs Die Hunns (Disaster)
• Irish Tenors - Heritage (Razor & Tie)
• Joe Jackson - Live: Afterlife (Rykodisc)
• Simon Joyner - Lost With the Lights on (Jagjaguwar)
• Rebecca Luker - Leaving Home (PS Classics)
• New Black - New Black (Thick)
• Ozric Tentacles - Spirals in Hyperspace (Magna Carta)
• Finley Quaye - Much More Than Much Love (Sony)
• Rasputina - Frustration Plantation (Instinct)
• Enrico Rava - Easy Living (ECM)
• Dan Reeder - Dan Reeder (Oh Boy)
• Reubens Accomplice - The Bull, the Balloon, and the Family (Western Tread)
• Tad Robinson - Did You Ever Wonder? (Severn)
• Seventh Key - The Raging Fire (Inside Out)
• Shearwater - Winged Life (Misra)
• Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: September 5, 2003 Morrison, CO (SCI Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: September 6, 2003 Morrison, CO (SCI Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: October 4, 2003 Philadelphia, PA (SCI Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: December 8, 2003 Redwood City, CA (SCI Fidelity)
• The String Cheese Incident - On the Road: December 14, 2003 Vancouver, BC (SCI Fidelity)
• Threshold - Extinct Instinct (Inside Out)
• Gibb Todd - Goin' Home (Compass)
• Ute - Ute (Ark 21)
• Vivisick/Mukeka Di Rato - Vivisick/Mukeka Di Rato (split LP, Sound Pollution)
• Richard Youngs - River Through Howling Sky (Jagjaguwar)
• Various artists - Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - Beethoven's Wig 2: More Sing Along Symphonies (Rounder)
• Various artists - "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" soundtrack (Hollywood)
• Various artists - "Mayor of the Sunset Strip" soundtrack (Shout! Factory)
• Various artists - Six Degrees 100 (Six Degrees)
• DVD: Marc Anthony - The Concert From Madison Square Garden (Columbia)
• DVD: R.E.M. - Perfect Square (Warner Bros.)

March 23:

• N.E.R.D. - Fly or Die (Virgin)
  Read: "N.E.R.D. Step Up Their Game On Fly Or Die, Reminisce About Teen Years"
  Buy Now: Fly or Die (Virgin)
• Usher - Confessions (LaFace)
  Read: "Usher Lets Skeletons Out Of The Closet On Confessions"
  Buy Now: Confessions (LaFace)
• Vines - Winning Days (Capitol)
  Read: "Vines Saddle Up And 'Ride' To End Of The World"
• Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 15 (Capitol)

March 30:

• Aerosmith - Honkin' on Bobo (Sony)
  Read: "Aerosmith Blues Album Inspired By Bike Crashes And Funny Phrases"
• Bob Dylan - Bootleg Series 6: Concert at Philharmonic Hall (Sony)
• Janet Jackson - Damita Jo (Virgin)
  Read: "Janet Jackson Making Sexiest Album Yet, Producer Says"
  Buy Now: Damita Jo (Virgin)
• Various artists - Music From "The O.C." Mix 1 (Warner Bros.)

April 6:

• Barry Manilow - 2 Nights Live (BMG)
• Paul Oakenfold - Greatest Remixes (Topaz)
• Tamia - Still (Elektra)

April 13:

• Various artists - "Kill Bill 2" soundtrack (Maverick)

April 20:

• Hanson - Underneath (3CG)

May 4:

• Kimberley Locke - One Love (Curb)
  Read: " 'American Idol' Finalist Kimberley Locke Is Radio's '8th Wonder'"

• The Big Tymers
• Godsmack
• Cassidy
• David Byrne
• Jackson Browne

George Harrison
Photo: Radical Media, Inc.

Beatles guitarist George Harrison, Prince and ZZ Top will be among next year's seven new arrivals to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The 2004 class also includes Jackson Browne, the Dells, Bob Seger and Traffic, the hall announced Thursday (November 20). The artists will be formally inducted at a March 15 ceremony at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Harrison was the first Beatle to go solo, releasing Wonderwall Music in 1968, the score to a film by the same name, but on All Things Must Pass, originally released as a triple album in 1970, "the quiet Beatle" made his true voice heard. The album, featuring the classics "My Sweet Lord" and the title track, is considered among the greatest ever recorded.

The all-star two-day concert he organized the following year, the Concert for Bangladesh, raised money to help the famished Third World country. In the eight albums that followed, Harrison proved himself an accomplished musician, with guitar technique far more advanced than his work with the Beatles, and impassioned songwriter.

Harrison died of cancer in November 2001 (see "Former Beatle George Harrison Dead At 58"). His last album, Brainwashed, was released posthumously the following year. The guitarist becomes the third Beatle to enter into the hall, following John Lennon in 1992 and Paul McCartney in 1999. The group was inducted in 1988.

Prince was one of the more eccentric performers of the 1980s and '90s, having changed his name to a symbol translated verbally as "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince." Quirks aside, his body of work is among the most revered in music, blurring the genres of funk, R&B, rock and soul. Two years after his 1978 debut, For You, the Minneapolis resident's Dirty Mind was a harbinger of the overtly sexy sounds to come, including the 1983 classic 1999 and his masterpiece soundtrack to the 1984 film "Purple Rain," loosely based on his life, and in which he also starred.

Through the 1990s, his popularity diminished but his prolificacy did not. Prince released 10 LPs during that decade, including the triple-album Crystal Ball. Prince's influence, both musically and stylistically, can most recently be seen in the Andre 3000 half of Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

No band says big Texas guitar rock like ZZ Top. Guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard — the lone member without the chin hair that became the group's trademark — have released 15 albums in their 33-year career, including this year's Mescalero. Their '70s material, such as 1973's "La Grange," 1975's "Tush" and 1979's "Cheap Sunglasses" are staples of classic-rock radio.

ZZ Top peaked in popularity in the 1980s, with music videos that exemplified their love of hot rods and hot bods. Clips for "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs," all from 1983's Eliminator, featured a dejected main character whose social life was greatly enhanced with the help of three fairy hotties that magically appeared in a souped-up roadster.

Jackson Browne is the epitome of the sensitive California bohemian singer/songwriter. His deeply personal songs, especially from 1974's Late for a Sky, put him in the same class as Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. He co-wrote the Eagles' "Take It Easy" and made his mainstream breakthrough with 1972's "Doctor My Eyes." He got his rock on with later hits "Running on Empty" (1977) and "Somebody's Baby" (1982), which was ingrained in the pop culture canon thanks to "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

Bob Seger's 1978 hit "Old Time Rock and Roll" best sums up the style of his Silver Bullet Band. Seger's piano-based boogie is exemplified on songs like "Night Moves," "Katmandu," "Rock & Roll Never Forgets" and "Hollywood Nights."

Before Steve Winwood's solo career in the 1980s and after his 1960s stint with the Spencer Davis Group, he formed Traffic with guitarist Dave Mason, horn player Chris Wood and drummer Jim Capaldi. The group's biggest hits include "Dear Mr. Fantasy," from their 1967 debut, Mr. Fantasy.

The Dells have been recording and performing in every decade since the vocal quintet formed in 1953. Even more remarkable, they haven't changed their lineup since 1960.

Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after releasing their first record, and they are selected by criteria such as their influence and their contributions to rock and roll's continued development.

John Mellencamp, Black Sabbath, the Sex Pistols, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gram Parsons, the Stooges and Patti Smith were also eligible this year but did not receive enough votes (see "George Harrison, Prince, John Mellencamp Among 2004 Rock Hall Nominees").

• George Harrison
• Prince
• ZZ Top
• Traffic
• The Dells

Prince
Photo: MTV

George Harrison, Prince, John Mellencamp and Jackson Browne are among those who've made the list of nominees for the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot, a hall of fame spokesperson confirmed Monday.

Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria for consideration include "the influence and significance of the artist's contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll," according to the organization.

Several names that have not made the hall before are back for another try, including the Sex Pistols, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, country rock legend Gram Parsons, Bob Seger, the Stooges, Traffic, Patti Smith and early R&B groups the Dells and the "5" Royales. Despite Ozzy Osbourne's attempts to take them off the ballot in 1999, Black Sabbath are back for another attempt, too, though Osbourne has said he thinks the honor is "meaningless."

Already a member as part of the Beatles, if chosen, George Harrison would be inducted on the merits of his solo work. Harrison, who died of cancer in November 2001 (see "Former Beatle George Harrison Dead At 58"), would be the third Beatle to make the grade, as John Lennon and Paul McCartney have already been inducted into the hall. The Beatles' lead guitarist was the first in the group to go solo, releasing his triple-album debut, All Things Must Pass, in 1970, which featured the hit "My Sweet Lord."

Throughout his 25-year career, Prince has confounded as much as he has entertained, but the divinely nasty legend from Minneapolis has created some of the most enduring funk-soul jams in music history along the way. Beginning with 1978's For You and peaking in the '80s with such landmark albums as 1999, Purple Rain and Around the World in a Day, Prince melded the worlds of screaming rock guitar solos with dance music, pop and R&B, with lyrics that unabashedly exposed his carnal desires.

Indiana's John Mellencamp began his career as generic pop singer Johnny Cougar in 1976, but over the course of nearly 30 years in music has become one of the more respected singer/songwriters of his generation. Initially dismissed as a Bruce Springsteen wannabe, Mellencamp hit his stride in the early '80s with such rock-radio staples as "Jack and Diane" and "Hurts So Good." He soon became known as a chronicler of the plight of the downtrodden American farmer and worker, with such folk-inspired albums as Scarecrow and The Lonesome Jubilee. Along with Neil Young and Willie Nelson, Mellencamp helped found the annual Farm Aid concert benefiting small American farms.

Quintessential 1970s California singer/songwriter Jackson Browne began his career in the late '60s, but didn't come to widespread prominence until 1976's The Pretender, which set the stage for his most popular release, 1977's Running on Empty. That album featured the hit title track as well as "Stay/The Load-Out," a ballad that became the template for nearly every "life on the road" tune that followed.

Ballots for this year's nominations were mailed out last week to the voting members of the rock hall, with inductees slated to be announced before the end of the year. The process begins in the spring, when a group of 75 industry professionals made up of record executives, lawyers, managers, journalists and musicians meet to brainstorm potential nominees. Their list is pared down to fewer than 20, with five to eight inductees chosen by a committee made up of 1,500 voters from throughout the music industry. The performers who receive the highest number of votes, and more than 50 percent of the vote, are inducted.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Cleveland. A date and location for the 2004 ceremony has not yet been announced.

• George Harrison
• The Beatles
• Prince
• John Mellencamp
• Jackson Browne

Joey Ramone
Photo: MTV

With punk rock progenitors the Sex Pistols and the Ramones sharing the 2002 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination ballot with more populist acts such as Jackson Browne and Tom Petty, this year's end-of-ceremony jam session could be an anarchic sight to behold.

The committee might not be brave enough to elect both punk acts; and though seminal, the Pistols, who recorded only one album proper in their short career, might be too anti-establishment for the typically conservative Rock Hall. By contrast, the Ramones recorded tirelessly for two decades — exerting considerable influence on everyone from U2 to Green Day — and have the sympathy of the industry following the death of singer Joey Ramone, who succumbed to lymphoma on April 15 (see "Punk Pioneer Joey Ramone Dead At 49").

Last week, around 1,000 members of the nominating committee received the 2002 Hall of Fame ballot, which also includes first-time nominees Talking Heads, funk-soul icon Isaac Hayes, alt-country maverick Gram Parsons, '60s teen-pop singer Gene Pitney, R&B girl group the Chantels and doo-wop acts the Dells and the "5" Royales.

The 2002 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot will also include repeat nominees AC/DC, Patti Smith, Brenda Lee, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Black Sabbath, the latter of whom may decline their nomination, as they have in years past (see "Ozzy Tells Rock Hall To Forget About Black Sabbath").

Artists become eligible for the Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria includes "the influence and significance of the artist's contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll," according to the organization.

This year's selection process began last spring when a group of around 60 industry professionals made up of record executives, lawyers, managers, journalists and musicians convened to brainstorm potential nominees, said the Hall of Fame publicist. A laundry list of names was pared down to the 16 nominees.

Between five and eight final inductees are typically chosen by the committee, which is made up of a pool of 1,000 voters from throughout the music industry.

Inductees for the class of 2001 were Aerosmith, Steely Dan, Queen, Michael Jackson (solo), Paul Simon (solo), Solomon Burke, Ritchie Valens, the Flamingos, James Burton and Johnnie Johnson (see "Aerosmith Thrilled, Steely Dan Unimpressed At Rock Hall Ceremony").

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Cleveland, Ohio.

• The Ramones
• The Sex Pistols
• Talking Heads
• Gram Parsons
• Tom Petty

Alanis Morissette
Photo: Warner Bros.

The Beastie Boys, Alanis Morissette, the Dave Matthews Band and Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio are among the artists banding together in the "New Power Project," an effort to fight President George W. Bush's energy plan.

The members of the coalition — which also includes Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and Blues Traveler — hope to use their Web sites, online fan mailing lists and tours to get their fans to petition Congress and the Bush administration to alter federal energy policy.

"President Bush's energy plan recommends drilling for oil in the biological heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, bringing back nuclear power, cutting research spending on alternative energy, and basically causing irreversible damage to the planet, heading us back to a time when humanoids dragged their knuckles on the ground," Beastie Boy Mike D said in a statement released by his publicity firm, Nasty Little Man.

Morissette hopes to bring attention to the New Power Project's cause with her July 31 show in Anchorage, Alaska, not far from the wildlife refuge, according to Nasty Little Man and the singer/songwriter's publicists.

In response to the coalition's efforts, White House spokesperson Mercy Viana said Thursday (July 26) that Bush's energy policy is environmentally friendly, and includes a focus on increasing conservation.

Bush said earlier this year that his energy policy had four parts, according to a transcript offered by his press department: "First, to make energy security a priority of our foreign policy, by restoring American credibility with overseas suppliers. ... Second, to encourage environmentally friendly exploration and production of domestic energy sources, like oil, natural gas and coal. Third, to promote the production of electricity, to keep pace with America's growing demands. Fourth, to support the development of cost-effective alternative energy sources."

• Beastie Boys
• Alanis Morissette
• Dave Matthews Band
• Dave Matthews
• Tom Petty

Jackson Browne
Photo: Nels Israelson

Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne has been tapped to follow Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers into the great wide open on the second leg of their summer tour.

Browne will join the outing as opening act on June 27 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and will play through July 21 in Noblesville, Indiana. The Wallflowers opened the first run of dates through May 21 in Dallas, and Steve Earle and the Dukes are handling the duties until June 2 in Las Vegas.

Petty and the Heartbreakers' set lists, which are posted the following day on TomPetty.com, have varied each night, mixing the rock group's hits with covers such as Howlin' Wolf's "Little Red Rooster." Tom Petty tour dates, according to his publicist:

• 6/1 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
• 6/2 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
• 6/27 - Scranton, PA @ Coors Light Amphitheater
• 6/28 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
• 6/30 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion at Stoneridge
• 7/1 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
• 7/4 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest at Marcus Amphitheatre
• 7/5 - Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach Amphitheater
• 7/7 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
• 7/8 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
• 7/10 - Burgettstown, PA @ Post-Gazette Pavilion @ Star Lake
• 7/12 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
• 7/14 - Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheater
• 7/15 - Nashville, TN @ Starwood Amphitheater
• 7/17 - Columbus, OH @ Polaris Amphitheater
• 7/18 - Bonner Springs, KS @ Sandstone Amphitheatre
• 7/20 - Tinley Park, IL @ Tweeter Center
• 7/21 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center

• Jackson Browne
• Tom Petty