Nick DeRiso is UCR's assistant managing editor, and author of 'Journey: Worlds Apart.' He has been named columnist of the year five times by the Associated Press, Louisiana Press Association, and Louisiana Sports Writers Association, and previously oversaw a daily newspaper section that was named Top 10 in the nation by the AP.
Nick DeRiso
50 Years Ago: Stevie Wonder Takes Off With ‘Music of My Mind’
Album set new standards for R&B, new standards for tech and new standards for artistic independence.
Five Reasons a Tribe Called Quest Should Be in the Rock Hall
The question was never if hip-hop acts are "rock 'n' roll." Of course, they're not.
David Gilmour and Roger Waters Solo Albums Ranked Worst to Best
LPs provided lasting insights into the parts of the past that they still wanted to carry forward.
Led Zeppelin Solo Albums Ranked Worst to Best
There have been vanity projects, weird detours and huge disappointments – but also some of the best LPs of the succeeding eras.
March 2022 New Music Releases
Guitarists who rose to fame with the Rolling Stones and Tom Petty will make some solo noise this month.
20 Years Ago: U2 Pay Tribute to 9/11’s Fallen at the Super Bowl
Surprise attack had just changed the New York City skyline forever while leaving thousands dead.
‘Jeffersons’ Star Sherman Hemsley Was Prog Rock’s Biggest Fan
In fact, he dropped a major clue in a scene from the hit sitcom.
50 Years Ago: Al Green Finds Himself With ‘Let’s Stay Together’
Album's success helped him popularize a more tenderhearted blend of gospel and R&B.
35 Years Ago: How ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ Split Starship
On paper, the chart-topping single had all the markings of a career-capping triumph.
40 Years Ago: Why a B-52’s Collaboration With David Byrne Fizzled
Troubled 'Mesopotamia' sessions ultimately yielded only six complete songs.
45 Years Ago: Hall and Oates Notch Their First No. 1 With ‘Rich Girl’
Believe it or not, there was a downside.
45 Years Ago: Stevie Wonder’s ‘I Wish’ Rides Funky Nostalgia to No. 1
This first single was actually one of the last things added to 'Songs in the Key of Life.'