The secret Jewish history of The Who
In honor of guitarist Pete Townshend's 77th birthday, we return to investigate the band's surprising Jewish resonances.
Culture
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Israeli singer Bat Ella to bring her Hebrew versions of Debbie Friedman’s songs to NYC
To mark the 11th anniversary of the American singer-songwriter’s death, the Israeli musician will perform her versions of Friedman’s music at Park Avenue Synagogue.
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As the new Bob Dylan Center opens in Tulsa, a new pop culture mecca is born
Patti Smith, Mavis Staples and Elvis Costello were in town for the celebration; Dylan himself chose to skip it
The Latest
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Why are Bob Dylan’s archives in Tulsa?
The reasons the Bard chose Oklahoma as the home for his collection may have more to do with politics than money
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How Adam Yauch graduated from bratty Beastie Boy to a man of wisdom and peace
Ten years ago, MCA died, leaving behind an estimable if complicated legacy
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This punk rock legend survived the Holocaust — and she’s still singing and fighting
Genya Ravan, who has been making rock 'n' roll history since the 1960's, has no plans to retire
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The 150 greatest Jewish pop songs of all time
Inspired in part by all the Jewish artists on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs, the Forward decided it was time to rank the best Jewish pop songs of all time. You can find the whole list and accompanying essays here. After Rolling Stone magazine published its list of the 500 Greatest Albums…
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How one cheesy 2009 pop song became the most massive Bar Mitzvah hit of all time
Inspired in part by all the Jewish artists on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs, the Forward decided it was time to rank the best Jewish pop songs of all time. You can find the whole list and accompanying essays here. How did a song written by a West Coast hip-hop group, a…
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A ‘Dachau’ song so shocking and transformative, there’s nothing else like it
Inspired in part by all the Jewish artists on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs, the Forward decided it was time to rank the best Jewish pop songs of all time. You can find the whole list and accompanying essays here. “Some white folks think it’s hip to have Blacks in their band….
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In 1985, they wrote the granddaddy of all Bible story songs
Inspired in part by all the Jewish artists on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs, the Forward decided it was time to rank the best Jewish pop songs of all time. You can find the whole list and accompanying essays here. The staccato opening minor chord progression on keyboards, rhythmic reggae percussion, eerie…
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How a dysfunctional New York punk band personified the postwar Jewish struggle
Inspired in part by all the Jewish artists on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs, the Forward decided it was time to rank the best Jewish pop songs of all time. You can find the whole list and accompanying essays here. Like the Beatles, the Ramones were four distinct personalities. There was the…
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