What a year. We lost Heath Ledger and Richard Wright. We got a new AC/DC album. Chinese Democracy was released, Travis Barker was in a plane crash and we revisited an old interview with George Harrison. Here are the Top 20 stories in Undercover for 2008.
1. AC/DCIn July Undercover was the first to announce the title of the new album was going to be Black Ice. The news sent the message boards wild. It wasn’t until 6 weeks later that the title was officially confirmed. Undercover also unveiled the Black Ice tour setlist, reported Rock and Roll Train going online and sales of the albums first weeks in store.
2. George Harrison
In November, Undercover republished the George Harrison interview on the 7th anniversary of his death. George was brutally open during the interview and often funny. He talked about the origins of the song ‘Something’ and no, he did not write it about Patti. He also talked about his part in the Monty Python film ‘Life of Brian’.
3. Heath Ledger
In January, the death of Heath Legder was a major news story around the world. When the news broke, the world mourned. Over the next few months, it continued to be news with a statement from Mary-Kate Olsen, the possibility of police cover-up and the funeral itself
4. Jennifer Lopez
In March, after trying for years, Jennifer Lopez and husband Mark Anthony had twins. People magazine put them on the cover. The circulation that week was massive.
5. Underbelly
In March, Underbelly was all the talk in Australia. The gangland drama was banned in the state of Victoria where the killings took place making the show the most illegally downloaded or pirated show ever. While the show may have been banned, the music wasn’t. The availability of the soundtrack in stores was one of your big reads of 08.
6. Britney Spears
December: Britney Spears outrages parents with the F U C K song. Of course, it wasn’t called that. She disguised the title as ‘If You Seek Amy’ which sounds like F U C K me. Parents protested about the absence of a warning sticker on the cover when their young children discovered the “Britney filth”.
7. Travis Barker and DJAM
September: A plane carrying Blink-182, +44 member Travis Barker and DJ-AM crashed killing 4. Barker and DJ-AM survived.
8. Natalie Gauci
July: As Australian Idol was starting up again for 08, Undercover asked “Whatever Happened To Natalie Gauci”. Idol fans are funny. They will complain about something they don't like but they won’t support what they do. Natalie Gauci was the 07 winner. So whatever happened to Natalie Gauci? We still want to know.
9. U2
August: U2 have a new album on the way called No Line On The Horizon. When the first song ‘Sexy Boots’ leaked in August, it made big news.
10. Richard Wright
September: The world lost one of the greats, Pink Floyd keyboard player Rick Wright died in September. Roger Waters of Pink Floyd paid tribute to one of the world’s great musicians.
11. Iron Maiden
February: Iron Maiden came to Australia for the first time in more than two decades. As the tour began, Tim Cashmere’s review of the Melbourne show became required reading for anyone anywhere who was going to see the show.
12. The Beatles
August: News that The Beatles Let It Be movie was going to be officially released surfaced again. The movie was originally released in cinemas in 1970. It has never been on video or DVD but it has been shown on TV. Will it ever come out? You never know with The Beatles.
13. Bon Scott
December: So Eddie Martin is planning on making a movie about AC/DC singer Bon Scott. He told Undercover of his plans. Don’t expect to see the movie soon. It is early stages. The story was of great interest to many AC/DC fans, one who ever came forward claiming to Bon’s son. Meanwhile, check out Eddie’s documentary after Lionel Rose. It is on DVD now.
14. Chickenfoot
May: A new supergroup is always big news. Chickenfoot features Joe Satriani, Van Halen’s Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar and Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers.
15. Neil Young
September : Neil Young for Big Day Out sure made everyone stand to attention.
16. Leonard Cohen
November : Gudisnki was pumped. He scored Leonard Cohen for an Aussie tour. Tickets were snapped up so fast Gudinski was shouting ‘Hallelejah’
17. Guns n Roses
June : Chinese Democracy was the most illegally downloaded album of all-time. We asked for your reviews in June. You told us you loved it. When it was released in November, hardly anyone bought it. Funny about that!
18. Madonna
August : The Madonna setlist was leaked before the first show. I hope you liked the Hard Candy album because the show was full of it. The fans went in big numbers. It ended up being the highest grossing tour of 2008.
19. Chris Cornell and Timbaland
July: The Chris Cornell and Timbaland duet ‘Scream’ debuted. What a shocker. It was Puke of the Year.
20. The Veronica
When the Veronicas found a bit of publicity they really didn’t want when a semi-nude pic surfaced, the story itself drew in fans like a magnet. Maybe Google just likes ‘Veronicas’ and ‘Porn” in the same headline.
