Music

Massive Attack discography Overview of Massive Attack's recorded output: key studio albums, notable singles, collaborations and the group's place in trip-hop and electronic music.

Master of Puppets (Metallica album) Master of Puppets Master of Puppets is Metallica's influential third studio album, released in 1986. A landmark of thrash metal, it was the band's last record with bassist Cliff Burton and remains w…

Master of the Queen's Music Royal appointment given to a distinguished composer who supplies music for state occasions, advises on court music, and promotes musical life; historically rooted and analogous to…

Audio Mastering: Definition, Process, Formats and Industry Context Mastering (audio) Overview of audio mastering: final processing of recordings, master types and formats, common technical steps, remastering and archival, and industry ownership and distribution iss…

Mastodon (American heavy metal band) Mastodon (band) American heavy metal band formed in Atlanta in 2000, noted for progressive and sludge-influenced music, ambitious concept albums, technical musicianship, and a strong live reputati…

Matchbook Romance American post-hardcore band formed in 1997, noted for melodic emo-influenced rock, the albums Stories and Alibis and Voices, and its role in the early-2000s alternative scene.

Matchbox Twenty: American alternative rock band Matchbox Twenty Matchbox Twenty is an American alternative rock band formed in Orlando. Known for hit singles and Rob Thomas's vocals, the group rose to fame in the late 1990s and has released mul…

Math rock (music genre) Math rock A guitar-centered indie rock subgenre from the late 1980s, math rock emphasizes complex, often irregular rhythms, tight instrumental interplay, and unusual song structures.

Maths (2012 instrumental by deadmau5 from Album Title Goes Here) Maths (song) Learn about Maths, a 2012 instrumental by deadmau5 from Album Title Goes Here: its creation, delayed release, live performances on the Meowingtons Hax Tour and the helmet-camera vi…

Matinée (album) Debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Jack Peñate, released 8 October 2007 on XL Recordings. An upbeat indie-pop record noted for jangly guitars, punchy rhythms and energ…

Mats Bergmans (Swedish dansband) Mats Bergmans Mats Bergmans is a long-running Swedish dansband from Nyköping, established in 1973, known for live dance performances, recordings and a steady presence in Sweden's social-dancing…

Matz Bladhs — Swedish dansband from Falkenberg Matz Bladhs Matz Bladhs is a Swedish dansband formed in Falkenberg in 1968. Recognized for dance-friendly pop and schlager arrangements, the group has been active for decades in folkpark and d…

Max Bruch — German Romantic Composer and Conductor Max Bruch Max Bruch (1838–1920), German Romantic composer and conductor; wrote over 200 works including the famous Violin Concerto No.1, plus Scottish Fantasy and Kol Nidrei; teacher and cho…

Maxi single A maxi single is a music single release that contains more than two tracks or multiple versions of a song, commonly issued on 12-inch vinyl, CD, cassette, or as a digital bundle si…

Maxïmo Park — English indie rock band Maxïmo Park English indie rock band from Newcastle formed in 2001, known for energetic post‑punk revival sound, literate lyrics and acclaimed early albums including A Certain Trigger and Our E…

Maxwell's Silver Hammer A concise encyclopedia entry about the Beatles' song 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer': origins, style, recording, reception, and notable features of this Abbey Road track.

Mayday (Taiwanese rock band) Mayday Mayday (五月天, Wǔ Yuè Tiān) is a five-member Taiwanese rock band known for Mandarin-language anthems, large stadium concerts, and major influence on Mandarin popular music across gre…

Mayday Parade American emo and pop-punk band from Tallahassee noted for emotive songwriting and energetic live shows. Core members include Derek Sanders, Jeremy Lenzo, Alex Garcia, Brooks Betts…

Mayhem (Norwegian black metal band) Mayhem (band) Mayhem is a pioneering Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984. Noted for a raw sound, controversial history and influential releases, they helped define the second wave of black…

Maylene and the Sons of Disaster American rock band from Birmingham, Alabama, known for blending Southern rock and metalcore; formed in 2004 and led by vocalist Dallas Taylor.

Mazurek Dąbrowskiego — Poland's national anthem Mazurek Dąbrowskiego Mazurek Dąbrowskiego, commonly known as Poland Is Not Yet Lost, is the Polish national anthem, written in 1797 by Józef Wybicki and rooted in the mazurka folk tradition.

Mazurka: Polish Folk Dance and Musical Form Mazurka The mazurka is a traditional Polish dance and musical genre from Mazovia. It features triple metre, characteristic accents and rhythms, and inspired numerous classical composers, m…

Mazzy Star Mazzy Star is an American alternative/dream pop duo best known for the songs “Fade Into You” and “Into Dust”. Formed by Hope Sandoval and David Roback, they are noted for languid m…

Mbira (thumb piano): African lamellophone, history, construction and use Mbira The mbira is an African lamellophone known as a thumb piano. Originating in southern and central Africa, it has diverse regional forms, spiritual roles, distinctive buzzing timbre,…

MBLAQ (South Korean boy band) MBLAQ MBLAQ is a South Korean male pop group formed under Rain's management company, known for dance-oriented K-pop, varied releases, and members who pursued music, acting and variety wo…

MDC (band): American anarcho-punk and hardcore punk group MDC (band) MDC is an American punk band formed in Austin in 1979, known for fast hardcore sound, outspoken political lyrics, frequent name re-definitions, and influence on the DIY and anarcho…

MDNA — mitochondrial DNA and the Madonna album MDNA MDNA can mean mitochondrial DNA (commonly mtDNA), the small genome in mitochondria, or MDNA, the title of Madonna's 2012 studio album; this article explains both senses and how the…

MDNA (album) — Madonna's 2012 dance-pop record MDNA (album) MDNA is a 2012 studio album by Madonna, produced with several electronic producers. It marked her first release under a Live Nation/Interscope partnership and was supported by a gl…

Me and My Gang (album) Me and My Gang Me and My Gang is Rascal Flatts' 2006 country‑pop album, noted for its chart-topping debut, crossover singles, mainstream production and multi‑platinum sales success.

Me, Myself and I (Beyoncé song) Me, Myself and I A 2003 R&B/neo-soul single from Beyoncé's debut solo album Dangerously in Love. An intimate, self-assertive song about betrayal and self-reliance that became a top-five U.S. hit.

Me! (song) — Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie Me! Upbeat 2019 pop single by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie, released as the lead single from Lover. Noted for its colorful promotion, affirmative lyrics and a record-setting Bil…

Meat Puppets (American alternative rock band) Meat Puppets American alternative rock band formed in 1980 in Scottsdale, Arizona, noted for mixing punk, country and psychedelic influences and for the 1994 hit single "Backwater."

Mechanical Animals (Marilyn Manson album) Mechanical Animals Third studio album by Marilyn Manson, released in 1998; notable for a glam-influenced sound, the androgynous Omēga persona, striking cover art and related retail controversy.

Médée — Cherubini’s French opera based on the Medea legend Médée Médée is Luigi Cherubini’s three-act French opera (1797), with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffmann. Based on Euripides and Corneille, it is noted for its dramatic intensity and…

Medieval music: forms, notation, instruments and legacy Medieval music Survey of music in the Middle Ages (c. 400–1400): liturgical chant, rise of polyphony, secular songs, notation, instruments, and the period's role in Western musical development.

Medúlla (Björk album) Medúlla Medúlla is Björk's 2004 vocal-centered studio album built from human voices, vocal percussion and electronic processing, noted for its experimental a cappella approach and critical…

Meet Me Halfway — song by The Black Eyed Peas Meet Me Halfway A mid-tempo electro-pop/R&B single by The Black Eyed Peas from their 2009 album The E.N.D., noted for its melodic synths, Fergie's lead chorus and widespread international chart su…

Megadeth (American thrash metal band) Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed by Dave Mustaine in 1983. Known for technical guitar work, rapid tempos and frequent lineup changes, the band is a key figure in th…

Melisma: the musical technique of singing many notes on one syllable Melisma Melisma is a vocal technique where a single syllable is sung across multiple pitches; used in sacred, classical and popular music for expression, ornamentation and virtuoso display…

Mellophone A mid-range brass instrument commonly used in marching bands as a forward-projecting substitute for the French horn; described here by design, history, uses, and variants.

Mellotron — tape-based keyboard and musical legacy Mellotron Electro-mechanical keyboard from the 1960s that used prerecorded magnetic tape to reproduce instrument sounds; prized for its distinctive mechanical timbre and influential in rock,…

Melodic death metal A subgenre of death metal that blends aggressive riffs and harsh vocals with melodic guitar harmonies and occasional clean singing. Originated in Scandinavia, often associated with…

Melodic hardcore Melodic hardcore is a high-energy branch of hardcore punk that combines fast tempos and aggressive delivery with pronounced melodic guitar work and tuneful vocals; it emerged in th…

Melodica: portable free‑reed keyboard instrument Melodica A compact wind instrument with a built‑board and mouthpiece. The melodica combines keyboard fingering with breath control, used in education, popular music, and folk traditions wor…

Mélodie (French art song) Mélodie Mélodie: the French classical art song—definition, musical traits, history from the 19th century to modern repertoire, notable composers and poets, and differences from Lied and ch…

Melodifestivalen: Sweden's Eurovision Song Selection Melodifestivalen Melodifestivalen is an annual televised Swedish music competition run by SVT and SR to choose Sweden's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. It is a major pop-cultural event and c…

Melody (music) Melody Melody is a sequence of musical tones forming a single coherent line. This article explains its defining features, construction, relation to harmony and texture, perception, notati…

Memphis blues Memphis blues: a regional style of blues music centered on Memphis, Tennessee, shaped in the early 20th century and influential on later American popular music.