Shootings, Scalpers and Savagery: The Most-Read Music Stories in 2020

We're not going to sugarcoat it: There wasn’t a whole lot going on in music news this year that wasn’t actually bad, sad and sadder news. Music coverage in 2020 consisted largely of pandemic trends, venue updates and obituaries. Some prepandemic stories, however, were reader favorites throughout the year — suggesting that we (unsurprisingly) clung to nostalgia for communal experiences like attending concerts, playing exciting games of “the floor is spilled beer” while wading our way through bars and training our eyesight by trying to watch the stage while stuck in long lines at venue restrooms.

Here are the top stories in music this year.

10. Twitter Asks If ‘Karen’ Is the N-Word for White Women, So We Made a Karen-Themed Playlist
This year in particular, the rise of the term “Karen” seemed to cause widespread offense among the very people it describes as easily offended, and Karens united to place a formal complaint: the term "Karen," the Karens tweeted, was as derogatory to white women as the n-word. Naturally, we made a playlist, replacing the n-word in song titles with the (yeah, totally, equally offensive) k-word.

9. Where Do the Cool Older People Hang Out in Dallas?
Until COVID hit, older people were still eager to venture into the Dallas nightlife. Our list described the best spots to keep away from young'uns.

8. The Top 5 Songs by Joe Exotic That Musicians Say He Used Without Crediting or Paying Them
Back when Tiger King reigned over lockdown culture, we talked to Carol Baskin (and survived!) about the “top” songs on the series, for which, the musicians said, Exotic never paid.

7. Rapper Tom MacDonald’s Song ‘Coronavirus’ Might Be Worse Than the Actual Coronavirus
Warning: This song is so bad that the CDC recommends you cover your ears before reading this article.

6. A Dallas Man Bought an Old Toadies Recording; Now the Band Is Threatening Legal Action
A Dallas man tried to sell a long-lost Toadies master on eBay after he purchased it from a storage unit. The band threatened legal action, prompting a debate and a deeper look into the complicated laws regarding recording rights and ownership.

5. 12-Year-Old Fort Worth Rapper Allegedly Shot a 1-Year-Old and Committed Arson
A Fort Worth child rapper, who went by the stage names Lil Rodney, Baby Savage and 30Shotz, shot a baby and allegedly committed arson. Sorry, but there's just no fun way to sum up this story.

4. Boosie Badazz Shot in Dallas After Attending Mo3 Vigil
Dallas rapper Mo3 was shot to death in November. In the same week, Mo’s mentor and collaborator, Louisiana-based Boosie Badazz, was also shot while in Dallas to attend the late rapper’s vigil. Boosie survived with minor injuries, but the spike in violence in the week following Mo’s death resulted in the Dallas police department requesting help from the FBI.

3. Fort Worth Man Threw Warehouse Parties With 500 People This Weekend and Bragged About It
During mandated shutdowns, a Fort Worth man threw a coronavirus-themed party (No, really, COVID piñatas and all), because he was "bored." The bash was attended by hundreds of people and became one of the most talked-about parties of the year after the organizer bragged about it online (with ample photo evidence). And COVID Jay Gatsby's party was, in a sense, exclusive: Guests who attended this year (sadly) may not be on the list next year.

2. Ticket Scalpers Are Pushing for a Bailout. They Should Try Justifying Their Existence First.
Ticket scalpers, or “ticket resale companies,” as they prefer to be called, asked for a bailout for their pandemic losses. We had questions ... and then, answered our own questions with a "nope."

1. Tool Overstayed Their Welcome at American Airlines Center on Wednesday Night
Reviewer Garrett Gravley was positively unimpressed with Tool’s January concert at American Airlines Center. Garrett's inbox is still overflowing with positive messages like "Bless your heart." Aw.