Daily Music Headlines January 22, 2026

Bret Michaels responded to claims by Rikki Rockett that his pay demands derailed Poison’s planned 40th anniversary tour by congratulating Rockett on his Metal Hall of Fame induction and declining to address the accusation directly.

ultimateclassicrock.com

The 2026 Academy Award nominees for Best Original Score include Jerskin Fendrix for Bugonia, Alexandre Desplat for Frankenstein, Max Richter for Hamnet, Jonny Greenwood for One Battle After Another, and Ludwig Göransson for Sinners.

pitchfork.com

The Best Original Song nominees include tracks from Diane Warren: Relentless, KPop Demon Hunters, Sinners, Viva Verdi!, and Train Dreams, with winners to be announced March 15 at the 98th Academy Awards.

inmusicblog.com

A new Rolling Stone report details how urgent-care executive Mike Smith allegedly used bot accounts to generate fake streams of his own music, earning more than $10 million in royalties in what prosecutors say is the first U.S. criminal case tied to streaming fraud.

rollingstone.com

A study published in Nature Communications suggests genetics may play a major role in musical passion, finding that about 54 percent of variability in how much people enjoy music can be linked to DNA.

americansongwriter.com

Nearly 800 artists including Cyndi Lauper, Bonnie Raitt, LeAnn Rimes, R.E.M., and OneRepublic signed an open letter titled “Stealing Isn’t Innovation,” criticizing AI companies for training on copyrighted work without permission.

musicbusinessworldwide.com

Def Leppard released a new song called “Rejoice” ahead of their upcoming Las Vegas residency, describing it as a hard rock anthem built around a tribal drum loop.

ultimateclassicrock.com

And finally, actor Ashton Kutcher says he’s writing a country music album despite admitting he’s not a great singer, explaining that he’s doing it simply because it’s something he’s always wanted to do.

wideopencountry.com

And taking a look at Billboard’s Official UK Singles Chart today:

So Easy to Fall In Love – Olivia Dean

Where Is My Husband – RAYE

The Fate of Ophelia – Taylor Swift

Raindance – Dave & Tems

End of Beginning – Djo

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