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Those were the dazed Sean O'Hagan recalls the wayward genius of both Syd Barrett and Arthur Lee. Also gone, but by no means forgotten... |
Mister space man
Mister space man It was the year that MySpace changed the music industry for ever. James Robinson meets the website's founder Chris DeWolfe.
No Strop Idol
Lily Allen tells Rosie Swash of her rapid rise to fame - an occasional notoriety.
Nobody likes us, we care
Vilified in school playgrounds and in the pages of the Daily Mail, 'emo' fans of bands like My Chemical Romance have been hurting this year. Sarah Boden hears why they deserve our care.
OMM's 20 best albums
The most exciting band of the year also made its finest album, beating off competition from all corners of the world...
The best thing I've heard all year
OMM's 20 best singles
Our Men of the Year were responsible for its defining single, while the surprises included prog's finest and some dance boffins
Party Animals
Leading showbiz reporter Joe Mott steps beyond the velvet rope to reveal the most memorable nights out in '06.
Ready for romance?
All in a good Claus...
Don't despair, there are some reasons to be cheerful amid an outpouring of seasonal fluff.
December 1956
It was some supergroup. Fifty years after Elvis joined his buddies for a singalong, Mark Lamarr hails the Million-Dollar Quartet.
Sir George Martin
The producer par excellence was more impressed by Sinatra than the Fab Four. In fact, the fifth Beatle tells Will Hodgkinson , 'Please Please Me' was 'crap' until he got his hands on it.
Sounding off
We're used to rock stars being bad boys, but this year, the naughty girls of pop were much more fun, Miranda Sawyer reports.
The Blog
A sample from our blog.
Heston Blumenthal
The unconventional super-chef has run out of fresh genres to explore, having embraced everything from gloomy rock to house. So what can Paul Mardles serve up for him?
Readers Recommend 10 Christmas party classics
A Christmas party with a decent soundtrack is a rarer beast than a flying reindeer, so this month on the new Guardian Unlimited Music site we asked you for suggestions that would unite young and old in a sticky festive embrace.
Hot tunes
Nick Cave rages against cuddly canines, plus the rest of this month's top tracks.
Sufjan Stevens, Songs For Christmas 
The US songsmith may be a Christian but, judging by this five-disc set devoted to Christmas, he is no Sir Cliff, decides Sarah Boden. (Rough Trade/Asthmatic Kitty) £12.99
Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury Steve Yates gets a vicarious high from the coke-obsessed hip hop pair who have finally emerged from the Neptunes' shadow. (Re-Up/Zomba) £12.99
Gwen Stefani, The Sweet Escape
Why the US pop princess has enlisted Akon and Keane is anybody's guess. (Polydor £12.99)
Andrew WK, Close calls with brick wall
An intriguing fake or the future of hard rock? Either way, argues Chris Campion, the American's third album is chock-full of ideas. (Universal import) £12.99
Take That, Beautiful World The Nineties chart sensations aren't the fun-loving group of old. Ex-acolyte Anita Sethi charts their transition from boys to men. (Polydor) £12.99
Lady Sovreign, Public Warning Thanks to her gift for language, the rude girl's debut album is superb, writes Simon Reynolds. Shame it didn't come out 18 months ago. (Def Jam import) £11.99
The ten...Christmas turkeys
Resident Scrooge Graeme Thomson picks the worst festive songs of all-time...
Critic at large
Covered with glory - or just shrouded in shame? Paul Morley picks the best cover versions for your iPod.
A postcard from...
... Iceland
Barometer
Uppers and downers
Letters & emails
Letter of the month | Different strokes | Absent friends | Fairground distraction
