Music makes the people come together

The Barenaked Ladies are touring to support their latest album "Maroon"

September 28, 2000
Web posted at: 6:06 PM EDT (2206 GMT)

By Greg Botelho
CNNfyi Writer

(CNN) -- The season's music lineup features an intriguing, balanced beat of old and new sounds and faces. Forecasting the musical future is never an easy task, with additional concert dates, tracks and shooting stars arising and surprising, it seems, every month. But there's enough proven talent and popularity out there to get a good sense of what the buzz will be this fall.

The best guide we have is history. This fall we should be able to count on several stalwarts, including a sultry 42-year-old mom (Madonna) and four well-practiced boys (Boyz II Men). At the same time, with so many talented hopefuls out there, no one really knows who will break onto the music scene this fall.

It is safe to assume MP3 mania -- and, with it, all the legal fights, sob stories of millionaire musicians and battles between Internet-savvy fans and the music business -- will be the top music news this fall (as it was last summer, spring and winter).

Whether you get your music online, at a record store or in concert, there are plenty of sounds to go round and to suit most every musical taste.

On a 70-date schedule, country darlings the Dixie Chicks continue their tour through autumn

First, take a breath after yet another packed summer concert season. Whether you were into hard rock (Kiss and AC/DC), country (Faith Hill and Tim McGraw) or chart-topping pop ('N Sync, Dave Matthews and Britney Spears), you had good reason to put Ticketmaster on speed-dial to see your favorite musical acts.

While the autumn concert season should be less lively, that doesn't mean you'll stray too far away from your local concert hall. For one, a few of these top tours won't stop even if summer is long gone. The Dixie Chicks, with a 70-date tour, and Spears headline this group of workaholics.

This fall should be especially busy for rock fans. Counting Crows and Live team up for one of the season's hottest shows, while Seattle rockers Pearl Jam bounce back with their own national tour. Santana, meanwhile, tries to continue its magical ride with a jam-packed schedule.

A bounty of blond divas also will take center stage -- one by one, of course. Besides Spears, Christina Aguilera and Mandy Moore have full schedules, and all three have stronger fan support than they've ever had.

Chances are the words "middle-aged mother of two" don't make you think sex symbol or pop sensation. But the one word, Madonna, probably does. For nearly 20 years, Madonna has woven her mystical, musical charms. She's hoping the recently released album "Music," a funky combo of pop, techno and folk, will maintain her multi-platinum status.

Several other established acts release albums this fall, including the always fun Barenaked Ladies (who are also touring). Another group, Boyz II Men, might have been overshadowed by the latest crop of boy bands, but their track record (as in record sales and other assorted prizes) is extremely strong.

The single, "Give Me Just One Night," indicates 98 Degrees is once again counting on good looks, sultry videos and sweet harmonies to make its latest album, "Revelation," a success. On a very different note, Radiohead debuted much of the material from its new album, "Kid A," on its European tour, generating a buzz leading up to the album's scheduled early October release.