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Trying to resolve Eminem’s contradictions is a loser’s game. How do you reconcile the artist who asked the men in the audience at Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans Friday night to yell, “Fuck you, bitches” (and the women to answer, “Fuck you, assholes”) with the guy who encored with the encouraging “Lose Yourself”? The scabrous pop culture critic with the MC who penned murder fantasy “3 a.m.,” which opened the set with a bloody, Saw-like trailer? The audience at Voodoo didn’t try; they were just thrilled he was there.

This year’s Halloween weekend festival includes Kiss, Jane’s Addiction, the Flaming Lips, Lenny Kravitz and Justice, who chain-smoked their way through a DJ set on a damp, biting Friday night. A downpour soaked the grounds of City Park and dropped the temperature 20 degrees, which cut down any walk-up traffic for one of Eminem’s only 2009 shows, but it didn’t hurt the gig. For the occasion, Eminem had a live band dressed in skeleton costumes that added muscle, particularly in the closing “Without Me.” To further beef up the sound, he was joined onstage by a hype-man throughout, and D12 for part of the show. He took time out to salute the late Proof, “the real leader of the group” in one of the set’s few tender moments.

The D12 segment also featured one of the more awkward moments as Em — who addresses his struggles with prescription pills openly on this year’s Relapse — recalled “when we was fucked up”. “When you was fucked up,” his bandmates corrected, then Eminem started talking about a time in Amsterdam when he was so loaded he was under the table and speaking a new language. The skit seemed designed to put Eminem’s drug problems in a “one of the boys” context, but the high-school-drama-class delivery undermined it.

That aside, Em onstage was, as usual, an electrifying presence, and he was in good voice and energy. The set’s breakdown slowed its momentum, though. There were Relapse songs, D12 songs, a hits medley — all separated by musical interludes while he changed T-shirts or took a quick break. But the audience was into the individual parts, rapping along and lost in the moment by the time he broke out “Lose Yourself.”

Related Stories:

• Eminem Honors Proof at Free “Relapse” Show in Detroit

Watching Mick Jagger face off with Bono and Bruce Springsteen backing up Billy Joel may have given fans at the two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concerts a thrill, but the musicians onstage got a jolt from their all-star team-ups, too. Case in point: Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, who gushed to Rolling Stone backstage in the On 3 gifting suite that his band’s performance with Ozzy Osbourne, Ray Davies and Lou Reed was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“We really like how things are sounding,” he said just hours before the big show. “You’re going to see me with the biggest shit-eating grin from here to here tonight when I’m onstage. One of my favorite moments was when Lou Reed turned around to the monitor guy and said, ‘Hey, I need more Kirk Hammett in my monitor!’ …. Lou Reed wants to hear more of me! That’s right on.”

More Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

• Mick Jagger Joins U2, Metallica, Aretha Franklin at the Rock Hall’s Epic 25th Anniversary Bash
• Night One in Photos: Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel, CSN and More
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Turns 25 With All-Star Sets From Springsteen, Wonder and More
• Photos: Backstage at the Rock Hall 25th Anniversary Concerts
• Morello, Raitt, Crosby Pay Tribute to Fellow Legends Backstage at First Rock Hall Concert

For complete Rock Hall coverage, visit our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page.

Photo: Kambouris/WireImage

If the first night of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concerts were about looking back and celebrating legacies, night number two was about looking forward. From the performances — which focused heavily on punk, post-punk and metal — to the conversations that took place backstage, Friday night at Madison Square Garden was a testament to rock’s continued relevance, and the struggles it faces weathering a decade in which tastes have gone niche, genre-hopping is de rigueur and grand, unifying bands are few and far between.

See the Rock Hall bash’s second epic night of big-name collaborations in photos.

Artist after artist spoke about their fondness for the era in which they were nurtured, and how that era seems to have given way to a newer, stranger time. “Its fun to do a revue, like an old school rock & roll show,” said Steven Van Zandt, describing his set with the E Street Band the night before. “We’re just a good band, a working class band. We’re a dance band.” When asked who he thought had been overlooked for inclusion in the Hall of Fame, he quipped, “How much time you got?” before making impassioned pitches for both Darlene Love and the Hollies. He came across not only as a rock and roll performer, but as one of its most ardent, enthusiastic fans.

But his tone noticeably shifted when talking about the future of rock music. In discussing his own Little Steven’s Underground Garage radio show he said, “We’ve been trying to rebuild the whole infrastructure of rock and roll… We [the rock legends] need to be replaced, and it’s not happening. There’s no infrastructure to support these [young] bands. When our generation goes, there’s nothing there to support them. So we’re doing everything we can to support new bands.”

Ozzy Osbourne said he was supporting new bands by doing what he’s always done: rocking as hard as possible. “I’m a small cog in a big wheel. If they say my music has helped them get on with theirs, that’s great, that’s all we can do to keep the torch going.”

Backstage at the Rock Hall celebration: behind-the-scenes photos.

Aretha Franklin, when discussing the future of music, didn’t see roadblocks, but opportunities. “I don’t think it’s a demise,” she said of the industry, “it’s just a different business now. It’s not what it used to be. You’ve got iTunes and Starbucks and Walmart and QVC and everybody’s in the game now. It’s still the music industry, but it’s a different industry.” She recalled fondly when Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun took her to London on tour in her youth. “I think my most favorite memory is when we we went to London and Ahmet drove us around in the big Rolls Royce — he took us down to Carnaby street and we shopped, we had lunch. I loved it.”

Franklin’s stage partner Annie Lennox, who had moments earlier joined her for a thrilling take on “Chain of Fools,” also spoke of pop’s changing climate. “In life, you know, there’s nothing new under the sun,” she said, “but at the same time, fresh things come in. Innovation is interesting. To young artists I would say: ‘Don’t sell out. Stay true and do this for the right reasons.’ ”

Full report from the Rock Hall’s all-star second night.

It was a sentiment echoed by Jeff Beck. Fresh from a moving rendition of the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life,” the guitar legend offered advice to young artists with dreams of their own Hall of Fame induction: “I would encourage them all to go with good intentions,” he said, after a moment’s consideration. “Do it for the music, not just to be famous and rich.” If there was one thing that connected all of the evening’s disparate performers, it was exactly that: purity of intention, and the notion that a Hall of Fame induction was a reward — not an end goal.

Watch our backstage interviews with Aretha Franklin, Jeff Beck, Annie Lennox and Ozzy Osbourne here:

More Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

• Mick Jagger Joins U2, Metallica, Aretha Franklin at the Rock Hall’s Epic 25th Anniversary Bash
• Night One in Photos: Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel, CSN and More
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Turns 25 With All-Star Sets From Springsteen, Wonder and More
• Photos: Backstage at the Rock Hall 25th Anniversary Concerts
• Morello, Raitt, Crosby Pay Tribute to Fellow Legends Backstage at First Rock Hall Concert

For complete Rock Hall coverage, visit our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page.

Photo: Kane/WireImage

As the second night of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary came to its climax, after nearly four hours of jaw-dropping musical collaborations, almost anything seemed possible. By this point Metallica had played with Ozzy Osbourne, Ray Davies and Lou Reed; Jeff Beck had jammed with Sting and Billy Gibbons; and U2 brought out Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen and the Black Eyed Peas for their closing set. Yet, few people were prepared for what happened when U2 began playing the intro to “Gimme Shelter” with Will.i.am at the keyboard and Fergie recreating Merry Clayton’s apocalyptic vocal intro. Without a word of introduction by Bono, surprise guest Mick Jagger sprinted onstage as the capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden let out one of the loudest cheers I’ve ever heard.

Relive the Rock Hall’s second giant night in live photos.

The show began, as it did on night one, with Jerry Lee Lewis alone at the piano. This time he did “Great Balls of Fire” — concluding with the 74-year-old legend violently kicking over his piano stool. A short film about gospel and soul music preceded Aretha Franklin’s entrance, who looked radiant in a bright red dress. Backed by a huge band that featured her son Teddy on guitar and a horn section, Franklin’s set featured a cover of “New York, New York” and her 1970 hit “Don’t Play That Song (You Lied),” which she dedicated to the song’s co-writer, Ahmet Ertegun. Annie Lennox, who bowed down to Franklin as she took the stage, dueted on “Chain of Fools” and Lenny Kravitz joined the Queen of Soul for “Think.” An encore of “Respect” had the entire crowd singing “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”

Eric Clapton was supposed to play next, but he pulled out last week after undergoing gallstone surgery. Like he did in 1965 when Clapton quit the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck took his place. Playing with his tight four-piece touring band (featuring the amazing 23-year-old bass prodigy Tal Wilkenfeld), Beck opened with an instrumental version of the Ray Charles classic “Drown In My Own Tears.” Sting came out for a powerful “People Get Ready,” and Buddy Guy joined Beck for the blues standard “Rock Me Baby.” “This guy inspired me so much in 1962,” a gushing Beck said of Guy. “He inspired Jimi Hendrix too.” ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons stepped in for a raw and bluesy cover of “Foxy Lady” and Beck ended his set with a stunning instrumental rendition of the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” that brought most of the crowd to their feet.

Go backstage at the Rock Hall bash in behind-the-scenes photos.

A montage of guitar rock from Chuck Berry through Deep Purple to the White Stripes introduced Metallica’s set. “We are Metallica and this is what we do,” James Hetfield said before tearing into “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “One.” “We wish we had written this next song,” Hetfield said before playing Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page.” “It fit us well since we are road dogs.” The metal giants have covered many songs in their quarter-century career, but they have rarely performed with other artists. “We’re a tight unit that doesn’t let many people in,” Hetfiefld admitted. Tonight they made an exception.

First out was Lou Reed, who took the lead on what may be the loudest and fastest versions of “Sweet Jane” and “White Light/White Heat” the former Velvet Underground singer has ever done. “The next singer doesn’t need an introduction,” a clearly excited Hetfield told the crowd. “He epitomizes the lead singer of a heavy metal band.” It could only have been Ozzy Osbourne, who got the posh MSG crowd to bang their heads along to “Iron Man” and “Paranoid.” “This next one threw us through a loop at first,” Hetfield said before bringing out Ray Davies. “Then we got schooled in early riff rock.” With that, Kirk Hammett played the infamous opening chords to “You Really Got Me.” Davies took it from there, and judging by the screams and the amount of people dancing in the aisles, this was one of the most electrifying moments of the night. Their set wrapped up with a scorching “Enter Sandman.” “Thank you for inviting us to this awesome fucking party,” Lars Ulrich said as the group walked offstage.

As the stagehands began setting up for U2, the anticipation was palpable. This was the only indoor date of their 360° Tour and nobody knew what surprises they had in store. A frenzied “Vertigo” opened their set, which lead into the No Line On The Horizon track “Magnificent.” “This is a very special venue for this band,” Bono said. “So we have to make something very special happen tonight, and this is the song we wish we’d written. It’s a Bruce Springsteen song, so we’d like to ask him to come out here; it’s also a Patti Smith song, we’d like to ask her to come out here.” The two — who have rarely (if ever) sang their co-written classic “Because the Night” together — walked out with E Street Band keyboardist Roy Bittan to thunderous applause. The first take on the song almost collapsed when Smith missed her cue at the beginning and neither Bruce nor Bono seemed to know when to sing their parts. “Take two!” Patti said as they took it again from the top. This time they nailed it. Springsteen stayed onstage to duet with Bono on “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” which they previously played together when Springsteen inducted U2 into the Hall of Fame in 2005. Midway through “Mysterious Ways,” the Black Eyed Peas emerged and the song immediately morphed into their 2003 hit “Where Is the Love,” during which Bono traded lines with Will.i.am, Taboo and Apl.de.ap.

Until tonight Mick Jagger hadn’t performed live since the Stones’ last tour ended over two years ago, but from the first notes of “Gimme Shelter” it was clear his voice is in excellent shape. Dressed in a navy blazer and tight black pants, the Rolling Stones frontman busted out all of his signature dance moves as he slithered around the stage singing the 1969 classic with Bono and Fergie, who impressively belted out the high notes. “What a great house band U2 have been,” Jagger said, prompting Bono to crack “We do weddings, funerals and Bar Mitzvah’s too.”

Fergie and Will.i.am left the stage, but Jagger hung around to sing “Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of.” Watching the two most famous frontmen in rock history sing literally face to face was an absolutely incredible, and their voices blended perfectly together on the song. There was no all-star jam encore (what could possibly have topped what just went down?), but U2 came back out for a stirring “Beautiful Day” that seemed to perfectly sum up the magic of the past two days.

More Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

• Night One in Photos: Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel, CSN and More
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Turns 25 With All-Star Sets From Springsteen, Wonder and More
• Photos: Backstage at the Rock Hall 25th Anniversary Concerts
• Morello, Raitt, Crosby Pay Tribute to Fellow Legends Backstage at First Rock Hall Concert

For complete Rock Hall coverage, visit our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page.

Photo: Mazur/WireImage

Last night, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band whipped out a version of “New York State of Mind” with Billy Joel at the first of two giant concerts marking the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Tonight, it was Aretha Franklin who showed some love for the city hosting the gigs, with a stellar “New York, New York.” For more of the night’s awe-inspiring moments as they happen, keep reading.

Check out the Rock Hall shows in killer live photos.

• Annie Lennox joins Aretha Franklin for “Chain of Fools” wearing a maroon felt hat and a T-shirt with a prominent message: “HIV Positive” reads the front; “Fighting HIV/AIDS” is emblazoned on the back. The song is so successful, Franklin gushes, “That was so good” and does little dance.

• Lenny Kravitz blows the crowd away with an amazingly soulful take on his verses of “Think.” Aretha starts to dance off on Lenny’s arm, but it’s just a psych-out. She’s back for a sizzling “Respect.”

Go backstage with the Rock Hall’s big stars in behind-the-scenes photos.

• Jeff Beck opens with an homage to Ray Charles: “Drown In My Own Tears.” He wraps with a tribute to the Beatles, laying down a gorgeous, drawn-out “A Day in the Life” that stuns the crowd.

• Beck also brings out the two most spectacularly bearded men in the building: Sting sings “People Get Ready,” Billy Gibbons lends his gravely pipes to “Foxy Lady.” The non-bearded Buddy Guy joins for “Let Me Love You Baby,” and the crowd is mesmerized by Tal Wilkenfeld, Beck’s killer bassist.

• Metallica’s James Hetfield gets the crowd head-banging and laughing when he introduces Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page” as “one of the songs I wish we would have wroted — and thank my English teacher right now — I wish we had written.”

• The room fills with boisterous “Lllllllouuuus” as Lou Reed joins the band for searing versions of “Sweet Jane” and “White Light/White Heat.”

• Hetfield introduces “the crazy guy who epitomizes the rock & roll singer.” Ozzy Osbourne’s first words: “I can’t fucking hear! Louder!” Metallica bring the noise for “Iron Man” and Paranoid,” injecting the Black Sabbath songs with serious adrenaline.

• “We got completely schooled on early, early riff rock by this man and his band, the Kinks,” Hetfield says, introducing “one of the original punks,” Ray Davies. Enter powerful renditions of “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of the Night.” Metallica cap the set with “Enter Sandman.”

• Weeks on the road with the 360° Tour have given U2’s “Magnificent” an airy charm that stands up to some of their biggest hits. The song is resplendent and resonate in MSG.

• The crowd explodes when Bono utters the following: “This is the song we wish we’d written. It’s a Bruce Springteen song so we’d like to ask him to come out here. It’s also a Patti Smith song, we’d like to ask her to come out here.” After flubbing the beginning of “Because the Night,” the crew run through it again, tripling up on vocals on the chorus.

• Bono intros “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” with a long speech: “Here in rock & roll’s great cathedral, Madison Square Garden, think about all the pilgrims and pioneers that got us all here, the saints and the heretics, the poets and the punks that now make up the Hall of Fame. It’s a dangerous thing, this business of building idols, but at least rock & roll is not at its best about worshiping sacred cows. It’s about thousands of voices gathered at once in a great unwashed congregation, like tonight. For a lot of us here, rock & roll means just one word: liberation. Political, sexual, spiritual liberation.”

Bruce Springsteen responds: “Let’s have some fun with that.”

• The night’s second-biggest surprise arrives when “Mysterious Ways” suddenly takes a left turn into the Black Eyed Peas’ “Where Is the Love.” It’s wacky to see Bono trading verses with Will.i.am, but as he recently told RS, he’s open to all kinds of musical experiences.

• The night’s biggest surprise arrives when Mick Jagger strolls onstage to the haunting beginning of “Gimme Shelter.” Fergie nails the high parts at the end, and she and the Rolling Stones’ leader sing face to face, hopping up and down with pure energy. At the track’s end, all Bono can say is, “Oh my God.”

• Jagger stays for “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of,” trading verses with Bono in a moment of mutual respect. U2 bring it home with “Beautiful Day”: awesome, inspiring and tight.

Visit our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page for more reports from the anniversary shows and much more.

• Bruce Springsteen rocked out with Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Jeff Beck killed a “Superstition” and Simon & Garfunkel performed for possibly the last time… and that was just Night One of the incredible Rock Hall 25th anniversary concerts at MSG. For the complete scoop — onstage and backstage photos, video interviews and our live reports — keep it glued to our Rock Hall coverage.

• Shakira’s plan for world domination began this week with the new issue of Rolling Stone. We went behind the She Wolf’s steamy cover shoot and looked back at Shakira’s sexiest moments.
• Adam Lambert redefined “glam” by revealing his campy, “Glittery Alien from Planet Fierce”-like cover for For Your Entertainment — an album cover so polarizing we had to make our own.
• We saw Neil Young, Chris Martin and No Doubt headline this year’s Bridge School Benefit, watched Weezer rock Raditude and rap with Chamillionaire in Hollywood and witnessed the controversial Sublime “reunion” at the SmokeOut Festival.

Rolling Stone caught up with Graham Nash, Max Weinberg and Jackson Browne at last night’s first of two epic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary celebrations, and grilled the trio of legends on their favorite Rock Hall memories. Watch them recall their emotional induction moments, jamming with George Harrison and being honored by Bruce Springsteen in our exclusive video:

Relive the Rock Hall’s first big night in photos.

Rolling Stone will be back on the scene at MSG tonight for the second Rock Hall show: get our latest updates live on Twitter (keep an eye out for #rockhall25):

Plus, go behind the scenes in backstage photos from the Rock Hall gigs.

Photo: Lovekin/FilmMagic

Halloween Weekend ‘09 is promising a trio of rock & roll treats: the second Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anniversary concert, Phish’s Halloween cover set and Eminem’s return to the stage at the Voodoo fest in New Orleans. Rolling Stone will have full coverage from all three big events, and we’ve even got a little something to get you in the mood: a gallery of musicians from Britney Spears to Slash dressed up for trick or treating and our scariest covers ever:

• Photos: Rockers on Halloween

• Rolling Stone’s Spookiest Covers: From the Dead and Marilyn Manson to Darth Vader and X-Files

In what we hope will by law become a Halloween tradition, Jimmy Kimmel Live somehow managed to convince Ghostface Killah to tell a ghost story on television last night. The story itself wasn’t that horrifying, but as a tribute to Tony Starks and all those kids trick or treating on October 31st wearing a white linen bed sheet with the eyeholes cut out as a costume, this spooky weekend’s Rock List is dedicated to Ghost Songs. Tell us which tracks make you say “Boo!” the loudest, and on Monday we’ll count up the favorites. Until then, here’s just a handful of ghoulish songs we found on our iPod to get you in the Halloween mood:

• Bruce Springsteen – “Ghost of Tom Joad”
• Tegan and Sara – “Walking With a Ghost”
• Suicide – “Ghost Rider”
• Ghostface Killah – “Ghost Deini”
• Neutral Milk Hotel – “Ghost”

Plus, see spooky shots of rockers in their best Halloween costumes.

"He's kinda more concerned about getting as much music as he possibly can, so that when he's in there, people are still satisfied musically with Lil Wayne product. That's just the mind of a true businessman. I'll just do what I can to keep the whole Young Money/ Cash Money team going. I just want to play my part as a team member and keep the brand strong until the boss gets home."

-Rapper Drake, speaking to RapUp.com about Lil Wayne's impending stay in jail. Drake, who signed to Weezy's Young Money label over the summer, talked to the hip-hop Web site about what will become of the Young Money crew while Wayne is incarcerated. Wayne's commitment to churning out product has already begun, as he unveils the new No Ceilings mixtape this weekend. The tape will contain even more tracks than the version that leaked earlier this week, and it seems like Wayne will be banking as much music as possible between now and when he gets locked up. In the meantime, he still has his rock-oriented Rebirth album on the release docket, as well as a Young Money crew album.

Photo: Kravitz/FilmMagic

On Halloween night tomorrow in Indio, California, Phish will once again put on a “musical costume” at Festival 8 and revive their Halloween tradition of performing another artist’s album. We’ve kept on an eye on the Vermont jam band’s art gallery of album covers on the Festival 8 site, where Phish have been systematically killing off potential albums as candidates for the Halloween set.

Get into the Halloween spirit by checking out photos of rockers in costumes.

Favorites like Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, Nirvana’s Nevermind and, most recently, Michael Jackson’s Thriller have all been eliminated, leaving just eight classic albums unharmed, one of which will be performed by Phish tomorrow night:

• David Bowie – Hunky Dory
• Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
• Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
• King Crimson – Larks’ Tongues In Aspic
• MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
• Prince – Purple Rain
• Radiohead – Kid A
• Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street

From the outset, Rolling Stone predicted that Purple Rain will be picked, while our readers — who had hoped for OK Computer — might instead get Kid A. However, the dark horse all along has been MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular, an album one person in our comment section swore would be the band’s choice on October 31st even before it appeared on the Festival 8 site. According to JamBands.com, Trey Anastasio teased MGMT’s “Kids” during a soundcheck yesterday, October 29th. A sign of things to come? We’ll find out tomorrow night.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, past Halloween sets from Phish have featured the Beatles’ White Album, Talking Heads’ Remain in Light, the Who’s Quadrophenia and Velvet Underground’s Loaded. In addition to the musical costume set, Phish will play two sets tonight, three sets tomorrow and a trio of sets on Sunday to wrap up Festival 8, including an early bird acoustic set complete with donuts and coffee. Rolling Stone will be in Indio this weekend for all the phestivities, so keep it here all weekend.

Related Stories:

• Phish Announce Fall Tour, Hint at “Born to Run” For Halloween Set
• Phish Tease Fans With Halloween Cover Options: Nirvana, MGMT
• Phish Announce Festival 8 In California, Bring Back Halloween Cover Band Tradition

While we’re likely to encounter dozens of faux Gagas and Glamberts this weekend, Halloween has always reminded us of the one band for whom every day is October 31st — except during the Lick It Up era — Kiss. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees have long been synonymous with tricking and treating, as evidenced by their appearance on 1976’s Paul Lynde Halloween Special. Yes, the dude from Hollywood Squares. Watch Kiss perform three Destroyer songs on the special, “Detroit Rock City,” “King of the Nighttime World” and “Beth,” in the video above.

Bonus Flashback: No Halloween is complete without this Kiss Your Face Make-Up Kit commercial from 1978 (after the jump).

But first, check out Rockers in Hallween costumes.

Celebrity couples are nothing new, but some are more intriguing than others. And the romances associated with the "Twilight" movies are even more fascinating, as they draw us ever closer to that fantasy world of morphing werewolves and shimmering vampires. While the world still debates whether or not Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are actually a couple, another "Twilight"-centric romance may be bubbling up. Taylor Lautner, the muscle-bound, oft-shirtless actor who plays Jacob in "Twilight," has been repeatedly spotted spending quality time with Kanye West's favorite interruption target Taylor Swift. The 20-year-old country superstar has denied that the two are dating (she says they're just "really close"), but rumors continue to build a case for their actual courtship.

But whether or not they're dating is hardly the issue. What's really at stake here is who the superior Taylor is. When was the last time we had two ultra-famous people named Taylor walking the Earth at the same time? Like "The Highlander," there can be only one, so we grabbed a video camera and our trusty MTV News microphone and found some people to weigh in on who their favorite Taylor is.

The spectacularly unscientific results are in, and in what might be considered an upset, Swift walked away the winner with 71 percent of the vote. In fact, it's pretty clear that even though Lautner is a heartthrob, his fame is nowhere near that of Swift's (one of the respondents who didn't know who Lautner was thought he was a woman).

What do you think? Is Swift the superior Taylor, or are you on Team Lautner? Leave your thoughts in the comments or head over to Your.MTV.com to make your voice heard!

Photo: Webber/WireImage

Slipknot singer Corey Taylor has finally confirmed rumors that he tried out for Velvet Revolver’s vacant lead singer slot, telling Altitude TV, “I had a meeting with those guys, we did some demos together, and it just didn’t work — for whatever reason.” Since Scott Weiland’s departure from Velvet Revolver in April 2008, everyone from Lenny Kravitz to Sebastian Bach to Chris Cornell to obscure Canadian singers have been rumored to be the permanent fill-in for VR, but Taylor is among the first to reveal that he actually tried out for the job.

“It was just really cool. It was one of those things where it’s like I could have got to jam with legends, man, in my opinion,” Taylor said, adding that he’s still on good terms with the band. Slash had previously said in passing that Taylor had worked with VR, and while it seemed like Taylor might take over as lead vocalist, the band decided against it, Blabbermouth writes.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, even though Slash is currently hard at work at his own solo album, he’s still devoted to the singer search. “We (VR) know the right guy is out there somewhere,” Slash wrote in a MySpace post in August 2009. “It’s possible somebody could turn up before I do my tour and we could start working on new material sooner than later, in a perfect world.”

Related Stories:

• Slash Says Velvet Revolver Singer Search Will Continue
• Velvet Revolver Deny Canadian Singer Is Group’s New Frontman
• Duff McKagan: Velvet Revolver’s Singer Search Is Not Over

Photo: Wargo/WireImage

Several bands featured on the New Moon soundtrack will perform at Hot Topic stores around the country in support of the release of the Twilight sequel, which arrives in theaters November 20th. Death Cab For Cutie, whose “Meet Me on the Equinox” was New Moon’s lead single, will perform alongside RS Breaking act Band of Skulls, Sea Wolf and Anya Marina at a kickoff event at the Hot Topic in Hollywood, California, Hot Topic’s sister site ShockHound announced.

In addition to the bands, each mall stop will also feature a Q&A with some of the actors and actresses involved in New Moon. In case you were planning on camping out starting today, we should tell you that no one with the last name of Pattinson, Lautner or Stewart is involved in this tour, nor does it feature some guy named Yorke. Instead, Anya Marina and the Hurricane Bells will travel cross-country with the cast.

A similar event is reportedly in the works for New York’s Times Square Hot Topic on November 19th, the day before New Moon opens, but so far there’s no additional details on that show. Dates, mall locations and appearance details for all confirmed events are below:

New Moon Hot Topic tour:

Nov. 6 – Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood & Highland Hot Topic (Musical performances by Death Cab For Cutie, Band of Skulls, Sea Wolf, Anya Marina. Q&A session with cast members Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Jamie Campbell Bower, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Chaske Spencer, and Bronson Pelletier)

Nov. 10 – Chicago, IL @ Fox Valley Mall (Musical performance by Anya Marina; Q&A session with cast members Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz)

Nov. 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Cherry Hill Mall (Musical performance by Hurricane Bells; Q&A session with cast members Charlie Bewley and Daniel Cudmore)

Nov. 11 – Minneapolis, MN @ Mall of America (Musical performance by Anya Marina; Q&A session with cast members Edi Gathegi and Jamie Campbell Bower)

Nov. 12 – Boston, MA @ Natick Collection (Musical performance by Hurricane Bells; Q&A session with cast members Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz)

Nov. 12 – Seattle, WA @ Westfield Southcenter (Musical performance by Anya Marina; Q&A session with cast members Charlie Bewley and Daniel Cudore)

Nov. 14 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Fashion Place (Musical performance by Anya Marina; Q&A session with cast members Edi Gathegi and Jamie Campbell Bower)

Sometimes working on side projects can pull a band apart and lead to their break-up. But there are other instances where key members taking time off from a giant act can help everybody recharge their batteries. Though Foo Fighters is Dave Grohl's main squeeze, he hasn't been hurt by dalliances with Queens of the Stone Age, Probot or Them Crooked Vultures. The members of Linkin Park also haven't had any trouble keeping their core strong while branching out into other areas of the music world. Mike Shinoda has had a successful run as part of Fort Minor, and Chester Bennington is currently enjoying success as the frontman of Dead by Sunrise.

Dead by Sunrise combines Bennington with members of arena-goth act Orgy. Interestingly, the Orgy members also have an electronic side project called Julien-K. The family tree runs so deep, in fact, that Bennington joked that they could plan an entire festival featuring only his bands and the connected side projects. "We're going to call it the Narcissism Tour," he joked to MTV News at the Ulalume Festival. "It'll be Linkin Park, Orgy, Fort Minor, Dead by Sunrise, Circuit Freaks, Julien-K and JK DJs."

"That's like a seven hour work day," added guitarist Ryan Shuck.

Be sure to check out the Ulalume Music Festival playlist, which features live performances from Dead by Sunrise, A.F.I. and Paramore. You can check out the whole show tonight (October 30) at 9 p.m. on MTV or at 11 p.m. on mtvU.

After teasing fans with 15-second clips on her Twitter yesterday, Britney Spears finally revealed the video for her Hot 100-topping single “3,” the new track that will feature on her upcoming The Singles Collection. You’d expect the video for a song about threesomes to be Rated-X, but Spears keeps things borderline tasteful with the “3″ vid, busting out some suggestive dance moves that are nowhere near as racy as the lyrics to “If U Seek Amy.” Instead, Spears and her cadre of dancers go the “Single Ladies” route by scaling back on sets and simply dancing in front of white and gray backgrounds. It’s not Britney’s best (it’s nowhere near her “Slave 4 U” clip), but we haven’t seen her dancing with this much conviction since the In the Zone era.

Watch all of Britney’s videos in our guide to her memorable clips.

Considering that today marks the two-year anniversary of Blackout, as Spears’ official Website points out, it’s clear Britney’s dance skills are getting back on track. (We’d love to forget her stripper pole-hugging performance in the “Gimme More” video — as well as her half-hearted moves on her recent Circus tour.) And this makes it a perfect time to look back at the Blackout album covers we’d like to see.

Britney’s sexy Circus: check out photos of her tour.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, Spears’ The Singles Collection will be released on November 24th, joining a release week that also features Adam Lambert’s For Your Entertainment, Rihanna’s Rated R, Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster and 50 Cent’s Before I Self Destruct.

Britney Spears’ wild ride: track her ups and downs in photos.

Related Stories:

• Britney Spears Courts Controversy as Sexy New Single “3″ Hits Radio
• Britney Spears’ Risque “3″ to Debut Atop Hot 100
• Britney Spears Announces New Track “3,” Plus Best-Of Set “The Singles Collection”

Photo: Mazur/WireImage

If there was a single word that summed up the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concert Thursday night, it was “legacy.” Backstage, artist after artist spoke of the importance of musical heritage, emphasizing the icons who influenced them as they delivered awe-struck commentary on the show’s spectacular moments.

The parade of praise wouldn’t have been so remarkable if the artists in question were up and comers, but the backstage guests included David Crosby, Smokey Robinson and James Taylor. The accolades started early, when Tom Hanks, whose company is producing the HBO version of the shows, dropped a coy reference to the contraband Rolling Stones film Cocksucker Blues and added, “We grew up listening to these songs in the front room with the Hi-Fi on. This is the music of our generation. This is the soundtrack of our lives.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary: relive the night in photos.

He wasn’t kidding. Over the course of the night, the backstage area played out like a rock history book come to life, with every generation of pop music well represented. “The hallways are happening, I tell ya,” gushed Bonnie Raitt. “Darlene Love and I are sharing a bathroom — it doesn’t get any better than this!”

Read our full report from the first Rock Hall concert.

“There’s too much to actually remember what’s going on,” agreed Jackson Browne. “I was watching a guy backstage sitting next to Stevie Wonder when I realized, ‘Oh my God, it’s Smokey Robinson.’ ” Browne and Raitt had just shared the stage with Crosby Stills and Nash, as had James Taylor, who said, “I remember I was in a band downtown in the West Village in 1966 when their album came out. When we heard that band we said, ‘Man that’s it. Those guys have got it.’ ”

Other performers were more reserved. “I truthfully don’t take awards very seriously,” said David Crosby. “My dad won an Oscar — he was a cinematographer — and he used to use it for a doorstop. It gave me a healthy sort of cynicism about all of this. But there is something else involved here: when people whose music I’ve played 1,000 times are up there singing or playing, I can’t help but be moved by being in their company — these are my heroes.”

See how the all-stars spent their time backstage between sets and after the big show.

John Legend was equally humbled by his company. He shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, first covering Marvin Gaye’s timeless “Mercy, Mercy Me,” then joining Wonder in a tribute to Michael Jackson on “The Way You Make Me Feel.” “It was very powerful to see someone who came up the same time as Michael, experienced the same ups and downs as Michael, to see him mourn his passing onstage in front of thousands of people,” said Legend, recalling the first time the two had paid tribute to Jackson at a concert in Milwaukee at the beginning of the summer. “His emotion for Michael was very heartfelt, and I was just happy to be there with him and celebrate Michael’s legacy.” Legend was in the middle of a full night — just a few hours earlier, he’d performed the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium before the second game of the World Series. “I feel like the luckiest kid in the world to be able to do both the Yankee game and to be here with these amazing artists,” he said.

Check out a rundown of the first concert’s biggest moments.

Thursday also saw another noteworthy collaboration — the reunion of Simon and Garfunkel. The two had recently performed a string of international shows together, but have yet to schedule any additional dates stateside. When asked about the prospects for a continuation of the reunion, Garfunkel was cautions. “[The idea is] always sort of floating around — and these days it’s floating around — but we have no such plans yet. Actually, forget I said the word ‘yet.’ ”

And while musical concerns reigned supreme, many artists spoke of a higher political purpose for their work. “Rebellion is lifelong, man,” said Jackson Browne. “Defiance is a lifelong thing.” Tom Morello added, ‘”When music pushes the boundaries and gets under people’s skin is when it’s important. … I’ve been a fan of Bruce Springsteen’s music for decades, but the social commentary and the commitment to the working man and to the average person that is both in his work and in his life, is something that I admire very much as an artist, so it’s an honor to be able to play with him.” For more on the ties between rock and rebellion, watch Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and James Taylor in our backstage video:

Despite the roster of all-star Hall of Fame talent, the night wasn’t all about looking back. When, at the start of the night, Hanks was asked for his favorite song of the year, he thought for a moment and then giddily started singing: “Da-da-da-da ring on it, da-da-da-da ring on it” — offering perhaps a preview of a collaboration that might occur should Beyoncé be inducted in 2024.

Rolling Stone will be back on the scene tonight for the second epic Rock Hall concert. Get our latest updates direct from Madison Square Garden on Twitter (keep an eye out for #rockhall25):

Photo: Cohen/WireImage

Adam Lambert premiered “For Your Entertainment,” the first single from his debut album of the same name, on On Air with Ryan Seacrest this morning. A press release promises that “For Your Entertainment” will be available as a stream on the AdamOfficial Website and a download on digital music services later in the day. “Hope you’re gonna wanna blast it while you’re gettin ready for Halloween!! Then at the club!!!,” Lambert tweeted minutes before the song’s first radio spin.

Lambert live: shots from the American Idol tour.

“It’s dance music with a glam-rock shuffle beat, in the style of T. Rex and ‘Rock & Roll, Part 2,’ ” Lambert told Seacrest’s listeners. The Dr. Luke-produced, Claude Kelly-penned song does boast a chugging backbeat straight off of T. Rex’s The Slider Side A, with Lambert belting out a chorus of “Can you handle what I’m about to do, it’s about to get rough for you, because I’m here for your entertainment” like the love child of Lady Gaga and Bowie’s “Lady Stardust.”

“For Your Entertainment” comes just days after Lambert’s first post-Idol single “Time for Miracles,” off the soundtrack for the disaster flick 2012, was revealed. While “Miracles” fit more into the style of arena-rocking power ballad, “For Your Entertainment” is in line with the glam revival Lambert has promised on his debut LP, and the title song is definitely deserving stylistically of that extraterrestrial For Your Entertainment album cover. The “For Your Entertainment” single cover art was revealed on Just Jared, and Glambert is seemingly paying homage to Beyoncé and Rihanna with the “face enshrouded by metallic glove” aesthetic.

Think Lambert’s album cover is out of this world? Check out these alternate takes dreamed up by Rolling Stone.

Idol site MJ’s Big Blog also reports that the entire For Your Entertainment track list was revealed early onBarnes & Noble’s Website. Its revelations: “Whataya Want from Me” was co-written by Pink and “Time for Miracles” resurfaces as a bonus track. Wondering which song Lady Gaga penned specially for the Idol runner-up? Rolling Stone has learned that song title is “Fever.” Check out FYE’s 13-song track list, song lengths and writing credits from B&N below:

1 “Music Again” 3:16 – Rob Cavallo, Justin Hawkins of the Darkness
2 “For Your Entertainment” 3:35 – Claude Kelly/Dr. Luke
3 “Whataya Want from Me” 3:47 – Pink, Max Martin
4 “Strut” 3:29 – Adam Lambert, Kara DioGuardi
5 “Soaked” 4:33 – Muse
6 “Sure Fire Winners” 3:32 – Rob Cavallo
7 “A Loaded Smile” 4:04 – Adam Lambert, Linda Perry
8 “If I Had You” 3:48
9 “Fever” 3:26
10 “Sleepwalker” 4:25 – Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsay, Ryan Tedder
11 “Aftermath” 4:26
12 “Broken Open” 5:03
13 “Time for Miracles” Bonus Track 4:43 – Rob Cavallo

Related Stories:

• Adam Lambert Defends Album Cover as “Deliberately Campy”
• Adam Lambert’s RS Cover Shoot
• Adam Lambert Unveils Apocalyptic “Time for Miracles” Video

Last night's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden (the first of a two-night celebration; tonight's lineup includes U2 and Metallica) featured a series of amazing performances: Stevie Wonder jammed with John Legend on songs by Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen jammed with Tom Morello on a scorching electric version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad," and Smokey Robinson delivered a sweet, soulful "Tracks of my Tears." But the evening's most surprising musical moment came a few minutes before the show got started.

Before he delivered the formal introduction to the sold-out MSG crowd, Tom Hanks (who was producing the event for broadcast on HBO on November 29) stopped by the press room to answer a few questions about meeting his musical heroes and what rock and roll means to him. When asked what his favorite song of 2009 was, Hanks hesitated a bit before launching into a spastic performance of Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" that drew laughs and cheers from the normally jaded media crowd.

Clearly, Tom Hanks watched this year's Video Music Awards!

When a journalist asked him what it was that he liked about it, Hanks replied, "It's infectious! What are you, an idiot?" That drew another huge laugh. (He quickly apologized for calling the writer an idiot.) Apparently, he had a personal connection to the lyrics, too. "That's what I said when I met my wife. 'I like that — I'm gonna put a ring on it!'" Minutes later, Hanks was whisked away to open the show and introduce Jerry Lee Lewis, and the night was on. But despite the murderer's row of rockers that followed, nobody managed to match the majesty of Hanks' "Single Ladies" moment.

Photo: Mazur/WireImage

It was well past 1:00 a.m. when the first night of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary celebration began winding down. For six hours, a capacity crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden had been dancing in the aisles to a superstar lineup only the Hall of Fame could produce: Bruce Springsteen, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Dion, Sting, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, John Fogerty, Jackson Browne and many others. It seemed like Springsteen and surprise guest Billy Joel swapping verses on “Born to Run” was the finale, but then many of the night’s acts took the stage with the E Street Band and kicked into Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher.” Nobody seemed to want the party to end, curfews be damned.

See the Rock Hall concerts’ most epic moments and special guests.

The evening began with a speech by Tom Hanks, whose production company is turning the two concerts into a four-hour HBO special that airs November 29th. “When we were confused, rock & roll gave us purpose,” he said. “Hail, hail rock & roll.” Jerry Lee Lewis then kicked into his 1957 hit “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On” — a track he played at the first Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1986. After a five-minute film highlighting American bands of the 1960s, Crosby, Stills and Nash began their set with “Woodstock,” which featured incredible guitar work by Stephen Stills. Other highlights of their 10-song set were “Almost Cut My Hair,” and the Buffalo Springfield classic “Rock and Roll Woman.”

CSN’s first guest was their longtime friend Bonnie Raitt, who Crosby called “my favorite singer in the whole world.” She did an acoustic version of “Love Has No Pride” and joined with CSN on an excellent cover of the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider,” hugging the trio between songs and looking magnanimous. Next up was Jackson Browne on “The Pretender,” and then James Taylor for “Mexico.” The entire California crew joined together at the end of CSN’s set for a sing-along “Teach Your Children.”

Check out a rundown of the night’s big moments as they happened.

A revolving stage kept the show flowing remarkably smoothly, and minutes after CSN ended Paul Simon and and his amazing touring band kicked into a one-two-three punch of “Diamonds on the Soles Of Her Shoes,” “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard” and “You Can Call Me Al.” Paul selected two of his New York musical heroes to come out for one song each: Dion DiMucci did his signature tune “The Wanderer” and “Little Anthony & The Imperials” delivered a stunning a cappella rendition of “Two People In The World,” with a beaming Simon on background vocals.

Find out who said what behind the scenes in our backstage report.

After a short break, Simon and Garfunkel walked onstage together to a rapturous standing ovation, which only got louder when Simon began playing the opening notes to “The Sounds Of Silence.” The duo added a big chunk of “Not Fade Away” to the middle of “Mrs. Robinson” and swapped verses on a powerful “Bridge Over Troubled Water” — which got one of the loudest rounds of applause of the night. The set ended with a jubilant “Cecelia” that had everybody in the Garden singing along. Simon and Garfunkel just finished up a tour of Asia and Australia that Paul strongly implied would be their last, so it may well be the last time they ever perform together.

A video montage of Motown greats was supposed to kick right into Stevie Wonder’s set, but technical problems delayed the start while a crew frantically tried to sort things out. Wonder improvised by rejiggering his set list, opening with a soulful cover of “Blowin’ In The Wind,” which was a hit for him in 1966. With his daughter Aisha on background vocals and a huge band, Wonder delivered stunning renditions of his biggest hits: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” “Living For The City” and “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” which climaxed with Wonder dropping to his knees as he played a sick harmonica solo.

See how the all-stars spent their time backstage between sets and after the big show

John Legend, who rushed over to MSG after singing at the World Series at Yankee Stadium, joined Stevie for a tender take on Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy, Mercy Me,” and then sat with Wonder at the piano for a cover Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” that had the whole arena chanting “long live Michael Jackson.” The set continued with blues legend B.B. King guesting on “The Thrill Is Gone” and Smokey Robinson reviving his 1965 classic “Tracks Of My Tears.” A bearded Sting came out for an awesome mash-up of “Higher Ground” and “Roxanne,” but it was Jeff Beck who delivered the knock-out punch. The Yardbirds guitarist walked on for the finale of “Superstition” (he played on the original) and effortlessly delivered the first jaw-dropping guitar solo of the night.

By the time the stage was set for Springsteen and the E Street Band it was 11:45, well over two hours behind schedule. The usually tight MSG curfew was clearly the furthest thing from Bruce’s mind as he brought the exhausted audience to their feet with “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and the Sam & Dave party classics “Hold On I’m Comin’ ” and “Soul Man,” with guest Sam Moore. Longtime Springsteen friend John Fogerty (”The Hank Williams of his generation,” said Bruce) sprinted out for a rollicking renditions of “Fortunate Son” and “Proud Mary.” Darlene Love — who is on this year’s ballot for the Hall of Fame — joined the group for the Phil Spector classics “A Fine, Fine Boy” and “Da Doo Ron Ron.” It was Tom Morello, though, who really set the place on fire, delivering one of his finest guitar solos on “The Ghost Of Tom Joad” and dueting with Springsteen on the Clash’s “London Calling.”

After “Badlands” much of the drained audience began leaving and then rushed back to their seats when Billy Joel sat down at the piano and launched into “You May Be Right,” “Only The Good Die Young” and “New York State Of Mind.” (The pair were uniting the kindred spirits of New Jersey and Long Island, Springsteen explained.) “Higher and Higher” wrapped up the night. The official set list had the show ending at 11:36:55 (yes, they thought they had it down to the exact second), but the final notes rang out at 1:31 a.m. Six straight hours of music, and that was just the first of two nights.

Madison Square Garden has seen its fair share of historic gigs (the Concert for Bangladesh, the Bob Dylan tribute in 1992, the Concert For New York City, No Nukes), but there’s little doubt that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concerts is joining that list of legendary events.

Relive the Rock Hall’s first big night in photos.

Rolling Stone will be back on the scene at MSG tonight for the second Rock Hall show: get our latest updates live on Twitter (keep an eye out for #rockhall25):

Brand-New 'Twilight: New Moon' Clips

Watch the brand-new, exclusive movie clip from "Ulalume: Howling at New Moon."

Michael Jackson’s This Is It grossed $20.1 million worldwide in its first official day in theaters, raking in $7.4 million in domestic box office and a remarkable $12.7 million overseas. This Is It’s haul comes up short when compared Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, which grossed $8.6 million its first day in theaters on its way to the current highest-grossing debut week for a concert film, Variety reports. However, Hannah debuted on a Friday, while This Is It’s official premiere came on an October Wednesday during the World Series, so by early estimates Jackson should be King of the box office this weekend.

Look back at Jackson’s life and career, in photos.

It was previously reported that a This Is It DVD would be released prior to Christmas, but due to a regulation that usually forces studios to wait a minimum 90 days before releasing a new film to DVD, This Is It has been pushed to a late January or early February DVD release, the Los Angeles Times reports. Because the film will only have a two-week theatrical run, Sony executives argued that a This Is It DVD should circumvent the agreement between theater owners and movie studios, but the theater chains relented. According to the LAT, This Is It will be shown on 6,000 screens in 3,481 theaters these next two weeks, so Sony opted to push the DVD release date to 2010, but will miss out on the Christmas profits.

In one last piece of This Is It news, the AP reports that Sony will submit the documentary for Academy Award consideration in categories ranging from film editing and sound to Best Picture and Best Director. Unfortunately, the most noteworthy category in which This Is It had the best chances of competing, the Best Documentary Oscar, already passed its deadline, making Jackson’s rehearsal footage film ineligible. The Elizabeth Taylor-approved film will also be ineligible for the Golden Globes, which doesn’t recognize documentaries. Because this year’s Oscars will feature an expanded Best Picture field of 10 nominees, based on its rave reviews it’s plausible that This Is It might score a nod for the King of Pop.

Related Stories:

• Michael Jackson’s Final Dreams Come to Life as “This Is It” Film Premieres
• At the Movies With Peter Travers: “This Is It”
• Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” On Pace to Break Movie Records

OK, so it's a day early, but we would be remiss if we didn't celebrate Halloween. Originally a Celtic celebration that marked the end of the summer, Halloween means different things for different people. For some — mostly children — it's an excuse to gorge yourself on candy. For others — mostly young, drunk women — it's a reason to wear as little clothing as possible in public under the guise that they're dressing as a "sexy kitty." Still others use it as a justification for mischief, or simply the appropriate time of year to watch all of the films in the "Friday the 13th" series ("Jason Takes Manhattan" is my favorite).

Some people love Halloween so much that they live it year-round. Take Marilyn Manson, who has spent a career bringing together industrial-infused metal, Satan, scary make-up, David Bowie-esque posing and a cheeky sense of humor for a unique stew that frightens parents and keeps kids thinking spooky thoughts. Though Manson's effect has dulled over the years, he's no less a provocateur, and his career collection of music videos is impressive and often genuinely terrifying. "Long Hard Road Out of Hell" casts him as some sort of mythological creature, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" saw him make tutus unnerving and "The Dope Show" put him in the role of a druggy, androgynous alien. But the greatest fear factor in a Manson video comes from "The Man That You Fear," the last song from Antichrist Superstar. There's something about it that just seems wrong — even the hats seem otherworldly. Have a good scare, and if you're still looking to be spooked, check out the list of videos much, much scarier than "Saw VI."