Contributor: Adam R. Holz

Van Halen’s last album with David Lee Roth came out just as Ronald Reagan was finishing up his first term as president. Almost 30 years later, Diamond Dave is back. And Van Halen is partying like it’s 1984 all over again. Or maybe 1978.

The Material Girl tries to wind the clock back several decades as she’s joined by Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. … in cheerleader outfits. Where’s Toni Basil when you need her?

Gotye tells us, “You can be addicted to a certain kind of sadness.” And so his new album, Making Mirrors, is.

This compilation soundtrack from the first three seasons of Nick Jr.’s popular show majors in friendship, optimism and the love of the tune.

Fifty-nine might seem a bit on the grey end of things to be a believable action hero. But don’t tell Liam Neeson. In the last few years, the Irish-born actor has become a big-screen protagonist that bad guys have learned—the hard way—not to trifle with …

Glenn Close plays a woman living her life as a man. But gender-bending isn’t really the beginning or the end of this story.

In my formative years, there wasn’t any nuance or mystery when it came to words I wasn’t supposed to say. The f-word and s-word were definitely out of bounds. But so were some other common vulgarities that, while not as harsh as the really nasty stuff, …

Country superstar Tim McGraw has been locked in a protracted legal battle with his label for nearly two years over the release of this album. Was it worth the wait?

British musician Ellie Goulding “Lights” up the surging electronic dance music genre.

Twenty years in, this veteran Virginia metalcore act still pulsates with rage and despair even as it poses some surprisingly weighty philosophical questions.

George Lucas’ latest and, he says, last passion project uses old-school Hollywood “corn” (his word) to tell the deeply inspiring story of the Tuskegee Airmen.

At some point in our lives, most of us have probably found ourselves sitting in a theater watching a film that wasn’t what we expected. (Though, admittedly, this should never happen to Plugged In’s savvy readers, right?) But a story out of England yest …

What on earth do German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and Texan pop singer Kelly Clarkson have to do with each other?

If you’re a real country fan, there may be no sound more appealing than twanging, finger-picked banjo notes inviting you to escape the rat race for an adventure off the beaten path. Or so says Rascal Flatts.

Last year was a pretty good one for singer Cee Lo Green. His profane hit “F— You” (along with its much milder radio counterpart, “Forget You”) was one of the Top 10 singles of the year. And the song’s popularity paved the way for him to join NBC’s si …