Rapper DOOM, Zev Lov X of KMD, performs at the I'll Be Your Mirror festival in London, July 2011. Jim Dyson/Getty Images hide caption
Some things actually are surprising: Taylor Swift, performing on ABC's Good Morning America in New York City on Oct. 30, sold over a million copies of her new album, 1989, in its first week. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images hide caption
Taylor Swift has called her fifth album, 1989, her "very first documented, official pop album." Courtesy of Big Machine Records hide caption
Sam Hunt has written hits for both Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban. His debut album, Montevallo, is out on Oct. 27. Chase Lauer/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Future Hall Of Famers?: Green Day's Tre Cool (left), Billie Joe Armstrong (center) and Mike Dirnt) in New York City in 1994. Ken Schles/Getty Images hide caption
Duncan Sheik's seventh album, Legerdemain, will come out in 2015. Shervin Lainez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Nathan Stephens-Griffin, Naomi Griffin, Daniel Ellis and Jc Cairns of the British punk band Martha. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
The music on U2's new album, Songs of Innocence, reaches back toward the moment when the band was first building an audience. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Two dope boys on a Cadillac: Andre 3000 and Big Boi in the early days. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption
Jonah Tolchin performs at Grimey's in Nashville during the Americana Music Festival on Sept. 20. Erika Goldring/Getty Images hide caption
The new collaboration between PC Music's A.G. Cook and affiliated producer SOPHIE is a combination singer and energy drink (neither of which might actually exist) called QT. Seriously. YouTube hide caption
As a high schooler in Lafayette, Ind., Circuit des Yeux's Haley Fohr was encouraged by Pink Reason's Kevin Failure to pursue music. Adam Kissick for NPR hide caption
The Beatles with George Martin in January 1967 at Abbey Road Studios in London. Apple Corps Lt/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Gustavo Cerati performs in the Dominican Republic in 2007. In 2010, Cerati suffered a stroke while on tour. He was in a coma until his death on Thursday. Ricardo Hernandez/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
DJ Shadow spinning in Seattle during the Hard Sell tour. Arian Stevens/Courtesy of Magnum PR hide caption
Babymetal perform during the first day of the 2014 Heavy Montreal festival. Tim Snow hide caption
No Age performing at FYF Fest at the Los Angeles State Historic Park in August 2013. Mike Windle/Getty Images for FYF hide caption
Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna in 1993. Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images hide caption
Chronixx onstage on Saturday at LargeUp's SummerStage event in New York City's Central Park. Sherwin Dyer/Courtesy of LargeUp hide caption
Andrija Tokic in his East Nashville studio, The Bomb Shelter. Joshua Shoemaker/Courtesy of the artist hide caption