Bruce Springsteen has paid tribute to Joe DePugh, the New Jersey pitcher who inspired his hit song “Glory Days,” following news of DePugh’s death this week at the age of 75.

“Just a moment to mark the passing of Freehold native and ballplayer Joe DePugh,” Springsteen wrote in an Instagram post on March 30. “He was a good friend when I needed one. ‘He could throw that speedball by you, make you look like a fool’ …. Glory Days my friend.”

DePugh and Springsteen grew up together in Freehold, N.J., and played baseball in the same youth league. Their now-legendary chance encounter at a bar in 1973 served as the real-life basis for one of the most iconic verses on Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. album.

DePugh later confirmed the moment in interviews, recalling how the two reconnected outside the Headliner in Neptune, then spent hours catching up inside.

“Whenever we’re together, it’s the same dynamic: I’m the star and he’s the guy at the end of the bench,’ said DePugh to the Palm Beach Post in 2011. “That’s who he has always been to me, my right fielder.”

Springsteen never mentioned DePugh by name in the song, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985. But the mystery of the man behind the lyrics was finally solved in 2011, when Freehold historian Kevin Coyne revealed DePugh’s identity in a New York Times article, with confirmation from Springsteen himself.

“He was not a person who was living in those days. He had had those days, he had thrived in them and he had loved them, and then he had a nice life,” Coyne said of DePugh.

A standout pitcher and basketball player, DePugh once tried out for the Los Angeles Dodgers and played college basketball at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He became the legal guardian of his younger brothers after the early death of his parents, later working as a contractor and splitting his time between Florida and Vermont.

DePugh and Springsteen remained friends throughout their lives, occasionally crossing paths in Palm Beach County, where Springsteen owns a home and DePugh lived in Lake Worth.

“He said to me, ‘Always remember I love you,’” DePugh recalled of one of their final meetings. “He kissed me on both cheeks, and then he was out the door.”

DePugh died after a battle with cancer. He is remembered fondly by friends, including longtime Freehold teacher and coach Rich Kane, who said: “All he wanted to do was raise his brothers, play baseball, play basketball and just hang in Freehold Borough. This one hurt. Joe and I were very close.”

Incendiary Swedish rockers The Hives are readying themselves for a big year, with a new album announced alongside a global run of tour dates.

The veteran quintet – who celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2023 – shared the news of their seventh album in a press release on Tuesday (April 1), with the announcement taking the form of an open letter formally addressed to “whom it may concern,” but clarified to mean “everyone.”

“This message is to inform you that International Rock Sensation The Hives, the best live band on the planet and still your new favourite band, lauded on all continents for their masterful skill and reckless abandon in the rock music field, have once again, sooner than you expected, created a new body of work the likes of which have never been heard or indeed probably will again,” the message began.

“A new record so full of energy, joy, anger and life that you will be questioning reality as you have known it,” it continued. “They finally did it. Every single song a single, every single single a hit, every hit a direct hit in the face of the man.”

The record in question is titled The Hives Forever Forever The Hives and will be released via Play It Again Sam on Aug. 29. According to the press release, the 13-track album was “crafted with commitment, abandon and skill in Sweden in cohorts with the esteemed producers Pelle Gunnerfeldt and Mike D of Beastie Boys.”

The group have also unveiled “Enough Is Enough” as the album’s lead single, with a video directed by filmmaker Eik Kockum capturing the group in Bucharest, Romania.

“Who in their right mind would start a song like this? No one but The Hives,” the group explained. “They are here again sooner than you expected and they have had enough of everyone at this point. Hence the title. Dig? Dig.”

The Hives will celebrate the release of their forthcoming album with a world tour which launches in Australia in July, before visiting North America, Europe, and the U.K. throughout the rest of the year.

The Hives Forever Forever The Hives arrives as the band’s seventh album, and follows on from the release of 2023’s The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons – ending an eleven-year gap between releases for the band. 

The group initially formed in 1993, though largely avoided widespread recognition until the release of the 2001 compilation Your New Favourite Band. The compilation resulted in the re-release of their single “Hate to Say I Told You So,” which peaked at No. 86 on the Hot 100, and saw their following album – 2004’s Tyrannosaurus Hives – reach a career high of No. 33 on the Billboard 200.

The Hives – World Tour 2025

July 17  – Metropolis Freo, Perth, AU
July 19  – Forum, Melbourne, AU
July 23  – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, AU
July 24  – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, AU
Sept. 8  – Stubb’s Waller Creek Ampitheater, Austin, TX
Sept. 9  – House of Blues, Houston, TX
Sept. 10  – House of Blues, Dallas, TX
Sept. 12  – Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
Sept. 13  – The Union Event Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Sept. 15  – Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
Sept. 16  – The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
Sept. 17  – Revolution Hall, Portland, OR
Sept. 19  – Ace of Spades, Sacramento, CA
Sept. 20  – The Warfield, San Francisco, CA
Sept. 22  – The Sound, Del Mar, CA
Sept. 25  – Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 17  – Sentrume Scene, Oslo, NO
Oct. 18  – KB Hall, Copenhagen, DK
Oct. 21  – Colombia Halle, Berlin, DE
Oct. 24  – Zenith, Munich, DE
Oct. 25  – Haus Auensee, Leipzig, DE
Oct. 26  – Gasometer, Wien, AT
Oct. 28  – Xtra, Zurich, CH
Oct. 29  – Alcatraz, Milan, IT
Nov. 1  – Sant Jordi Club, Barcelona, ES
Nov. 2  – Wizink, Madrid, ES
Nov. 4  – Sagres Campo Pequeno, Lisbon, PT
Nov. 19  – Forest National, Brussels, BE
Nov. 20  – Le Zenith, Paris, FR
Nov. 22  – AFAS, Amsterdam, NL
Nov. 24  – Utilitia Arena, Cardiff, UK
Nov. 26  – Ovo Hydro, Glasgow, UK
Nov. 28  – Aviva Studios, Manchester, UK
Nov. 29  – Alexandra Palace, London, UK
Dec. 1  – Palladium, Cologne, DE
Dec. 2  – Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt, DE
Dec. 3  – Sporthalle, Hamburg, DE
Dec. 6  – Avicii Arena, Stockholm, SE

Selena Gomez and benny blanco’s first collaborative album, I Said I Love You First, debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated April 5). It’s the fourth leader for Gomez and first for blanco. The set sold 71,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending March 27, according to Luminate. It’s the best sales week for Gomez since 2015 and blanco’s best sales week ever.

Of the 71,000 sold, vinyl purchases comprise 21,000 – the biggest week on vinyl for either artist. The title – the first album pairing from the real-life couple – also enters at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums chart.

In total, I Said I Love You First is Gomez’s eighth top 10 on Top Album Sales, and the first for blanco.

Also debuting in the top 10 on the latest Top Album Sales chart: Japanese Breakfast’s For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) and My Morning Jacket’s is.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units.

Of the 71,000 copies sold of I Said I Love You First, physical sales comprise 38,000 (21,000 on vinyl and 17,000 on CD) and digital download sales comprise 33,000.

The opening-week sales of I Said I Love You First were bolstered by its availability across seven vinyl variants (different color editions, some with alternate covers; including a signed version), three CD versions (a standard CD, a signed edition, and a zine/CD version with expanded packaging), a deluxe box set containing branded merch and a CD, and 10 different digital download iterations.

Of the download editions, firstly, there was a widely available standard set at digital retail. Then, through the album’s opening week, nine additional download variants were issued, all initially exclusively available through Gomez’s webstore, and each sold for $5. All of the variants included the standard album’s 14 songs, plus bonus material. Five of the variants each had one bonus track (“Stained,” “Talk,” “That’s What I’ll Care [Seven Heavens Version],” “Scared of Loving You [Live From Vevo]” and “How Does It Feel To Be Forgotten [Live From Vevo],” respectively) and one contained two bonus cuts (an acoustic version and extended version of the album single “Call Me When You Break Up”). There was also an Explained: Narrated by Selena Gomez edition (with 14 bonus tracks with Gomez providing commentary on each of the set’s 14 songs), a Slowed & Reverbed edition (with 14 bonus slowed and reverbed versions of the album’s songs) and an Instrumentals edition (with 14 bonus instrumental versions of the tracklist).

All nine of the variants became available in the iTunes Store on Wednesday (March 26). The variants were only sold in the iTunes Store through March 27, the final day they were also sold in Gomez’s store.

Lady Gaga’s chart-topping MAYHEM is a non-mover at No. 2 on Top Album Sales with a little over 13,000 sold (down 44%).

Japanese Breakfast lands its best sales week ever and highest charting title on Top Album Sales as For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) debuts at No. 3 with 13,000 sold. (It’s the second top 10 for the act.) The album’s sales were aided by its availability across eight vinyl variants (including a signed version), along with a standard download, CD and cassette edition. Vinyl sales tallied up to just over 10,000 – the act’s best week on vinyl, and it yields at No. 2 debut on the Vinyl Albums chart.

Kendrick Lamar’s former No. 1 GNX is steady at No. 4 on Top Album Sales (a little more than 11,000; down 9%) while The Weeknd’s chart-topping Hurry Up Tomorrow jumps 15-5 (11,000; up 92% following the release of a deluxe CD boxed set edition of the album sold in the artist’s webstore).

My Morning Jacket’s latest studio album, titled is, debuts at No. 6 on Top Album Sales with nearly 10,000 sold – with 7,000 of that sum on vinyl. It’s the fifth top 10-charting effort for the act. It also launches at No. 4 on the Vinyl Albums chart. The set was available across five vinyl variants, along with a standard CD and download edition.

Rounding out the rest of the top 10 on Top Album Sales: Sabrina Carpenter’s former leader Short n’ Sweet slips 6-7 (nearly 10,000; down 5%), LE SSERAFIM’s HOT falls 1-8 in its second week (8,000; down 80%), Playboi Carti’s MUSIC drops 3-9 (just over 7,000; down 51%) and Chappell Roan’s chart-topping The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess dips 9-10 (7,000; down 13%).

Veteran Canadian rocker Neil Young has shared his fears over a potential ban from the U.S. that may await him upon his return from Europe.

The musician – who is a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. – has not been shy in regard to his criticism of President Donald Trump in the past. Previously, Young has gone so far as to call Trump “a disgrace to my country,” and most recently, claim that “the US has lost its standing” on the world stage under the President’s leadership.

However, with an upcoming European tour set to be followed by a run of dates in the U.S., Young has taken to his Archives website to ruminate on the notion that he too may be barred from entering the country for sharing his critical thoughts on Trump.

“When I go to play music in Europe, if I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket,” Young wrote on Tuesday (April 1). “If I come back from Europe and am barred, can’t play my USA tour, all of the folks who bought tickets will not be able to come to a concert by me.

“If the fact that I think Donald Trump is the worst president in the history of our great country could stop me from coming back, what does that say for Freedom? I love America and its people and its music and its culture.”

As Young continued, he reflected on the constitutional right to freedom of speech within the country, likely referring to recent news stories such as the arrest and orders to deport Syrian-born permanent resident and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.

“By these latest actions of our US government, it seems that those who speak out freely with their own opinions are now vulnerable to a non-existent Trump law,” Young wrote. “Then it seems to me that if you voted for Kamala Harris over Trump, that makes it possible for you to go to jail or be detained, punished in some way for not showing allegiance to what? How spineless is that? Trump is not be able to stand up to anyone who does not agree with his ideas?

“Remember, all months have 30 days,” he concluded. “One country, indivisible, with Liberty and Freedom for all. Remember that? I do.”

Young is currently scheduled to launch his forthcoming tour with the Chrome Hearts in Rättvik, Sweden on June 18, with North American dates set to begin in Charlotte, NC on Aug. 8. The rocker’s previously-announced plans for a free concert in Ukraine to launch the tour were recently cancelled, with Young citing safety concerns as the reason for the decision.

Selena Gomez is back in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart (dated April 5) as “Ojos Tristes,” with Benny Blanco and The Marias, debuts at No. 4. Thanks to the reimagination of Jeanette’s 1981 classic ballad “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes,” Blanco and The Marias secure their first top 10 on their second visit to the chart.

“Ojos Tristes” opens at No. 4 on Hot Latin Songs –which blends airplay, digital sales and streaming data into its formula– thanks to gains mainly through streaming activity. The song registered 8.2 million official streams in the U.S. in the tracking week ending March 27, according to Luminate. The sum yields a No. 3 start on Latin Streaming Songs, the fifth top 10 for Gomez and an equal first top 10 for Blanco and The Marias.

Gomez’s “Ojos Tristes” samples “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes” by Spanish-British Jeanette, who rose to the spotlight in the 1970s. While the song, composed by Manuel Alejandro, did not enter the charts, the singer-songwriter’s global hit, “Porque Te Vas,” reached No. 25 high on Latin Pop Airplay in 2008.

The bilingual “Ojos Tristes” intertwines nostalgic melodies with a modern sound, where Gomez sings in English and Maria Zardoya, of The Marias, lends her soft vocals to mirror Jeanette’s style for a modern audience.

The collaboration has propelled Blanco and The Marias to secure their first top 10 on Hot Latin Songs, after each scored an entry. Blanco reached No. 22 high last December as a featured artist on Myke Towers’ “Degenere.” The Marias, meanwhile, scored a No. 17 peak through their Bad Bunny collab “Otro Atardecer” in 2022.

For Gomez, “Ojos Tristes” gives her a fifth top 10 and first since “Selfish Love,” with DJ Snake, debuted and peaked at No. 6 in 2021.

“Ojos Tristes” also makes inroads across other Billboard charts. It debuts at No. 59 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Plus, it starts at No. 63 on the Billboard Global 200 with 19.5 million streams, and at No. 118 on Global Excl. U.S. with 11.3 million clicks outside the U.S.

Sales too assist on the song’s top 10 debut on Hot Latin Songs, as “Ojos Tristes” registers 1,000 downloads in the U.S. which translates into a No. 1 debut on Latin Digital Song Sales.