Universal Music Group has appointed veteran journalist Hannah Poferl as chief data officer, effective immediately, marking a major hire for the world’s largest music company as it accelerates its data-driven strategy. Based in Santa Monica, Poferl will report to UMG chief operating officer Boyd Muir.

Poferl joins UMG after nearly 12 years at The New York Times, where she most recently served as the newspaper’s first-ever chief data officer, a role she assumed in 2021. During her tenure, she also held senior newsroom leadership positions including head of audience and assistant managing editor, playing a pivotal role in the Times’ digital transformation and subscription growth during a period of industry disruption.

At UMG, Poferl will lead global data and analytics initiatives across audience development, artist and fan engagement, talent discovery and the application of AI technologies to support the company’s “superfan” strategy. Her remit also includes unlocking long-term value from UMG’s extensive catalog and driving operational performance across its businesses.

A thrilled Muir praised Poferl’s “exceptional reputation and track record of strategically utilizing data, analytics and AI technology to grow, connect and engage audiences with creativity and culture,” saying it “mirrors our own vision for transforming the ways artists and labels can connect with fans. Her unique insight and deep understanding of both the creative and commercial aspects of the creative sector, dovetail perfectly with our own ambitions to accelerate the role data and technology play in our driving our superfan initiatives, direct to consumer platforms and UMG’s business globally.”

Poferl described the move as a natural extension of her career. “Storytelling has been central to my work, and music is one of the most powerful storytelling mediums,” she said, citing UMG’s artist-first approach and commitment to using technology in service of creativity.

At the Times, Poferl oversaw teams of more than 200 people and helped shape data practices that balanced analytics with editorial values. She developed systems that informed coverage decisions, drove readership growth and advanced machine learning capabilities to scale audience engagement. Since joining the Times in 2014, Poferl held roles including associate managing editor, director of newsroom strategy and deputy editor.

ABBA’s 1992 collection Gold: Greatest Hits rises a spot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Dance Albums chart (dated Jan. 17), becoming the legendary group’s first career No. 1 on the ranking.

The set, which includes many of the quartet’s most enduring hits — among them “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia” and “Take a Chance on Me” — leads with 15,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the Jan. 2-8 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Before this week, ABBA had topped a Billboard dance chart just once. In 1981, “Lay All Your Love on Me”/“Super Trouper”/”On and On and On” spent a week at No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart, which Billboard published from 1976 to 2020. The three tracks were combined into a single listing — a common chart practice at the time — because all tracks were receiving club play from DJs.

Beyond the dance charts, Gold: Greatest Hits has also been a mainstay on the all-format Billboard 200. The set has spent 411 weeks on the chart and counting — it sits at No. 80 this week — making it by far the longest-charting album of ABBA’s catalog. The group’s next longest-charted release, Greatest Hits, spent 61 weeks on the chart in 1976-79.

ABBA first reached No. 1 on Billboard chart in October 1976 when “Fernando” topped Adult Contemporary. In April 1977, “Dancing Queen” became the group’s first and only Billboard Hot 100 leader. The band’s next No. 1 arrived in 1981 via “The Winner Takes It All” on Adult Contemporary.

On the albums front, ABBA secured its first No. 1 in 2021 with its comeback, and presumed farewell, project, Voyage. The set debuted atop both the Top Album Sales and Vinyl Albums charts and narrowly missed ruling the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 2.

Notably, the film soundtracks for 2008’s Mamma Mia! and 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again are billed as such, and not to ABBA, while the 1999 stage production album of Mamma Mia! is an original Broadway cast recording. The 2008 album spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and 14 weeks atop the Soundtracks chart. The sequel’s soundtrack notched three weeks at No. 1 on Soundtracks and hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The original cast recording spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Cast Albums chart.

Sony Music Publishing Nashville has acquired independent publishing and artist development company Big Yellow Dog Music. Sony now owns and administers Big Yellow Dog’s catalog of songs and will serve as a full-service publisher for its roster of songwriters.

Kerry O’Neil and Carla Wallace founded the Nashville-based Big Yellow Dog Music in 1998. The company’s catalog is home to songs including Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass,” “Dear Future Husband,” “No” and “Like I’m Gonna Lose You,” and Maren Morris’ “The Bones,” “My Church,” “80’s Mercedes” and “I Could Use A Love Song.” The Big Yellow Dog catalog also includes songs from Kacey Musgraves’ Grammy-winning album Golden Hour, and hits from artists including Chris Stapleton, Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Leon Bridges, MUNA, The Black Keys, Aminé and Leon Thomas.

Big Yellow Dog Music co-founder Kerry O’Neil said in a statement, “These last 26 years have been a once in a lifetime journey full of amazing songs, including some worldwide hits. Now it’s time for a new chapter and Carla and I are so pleased to have our friends at Sony carry the torch from here. We know our writers and their great catalog are in sure hands. Thank you to Jon, Rusty, Cam and Brian. Most of all, I want to thank Carla for her unique and bold creative leadership over all these years.”

Big Yellow Dog Music co-founder Carla Wallace added, “There’s no way to capture 26 years of dancing, creating, and pure joy at Big Yellow Dog Music. Sharing each day with an endlessly talented, passionate, and hilarious team has been an unforgettable gift. Championing extraordinary artists, hearing future hits before the world, and watching dreams take flight has been nothing short of magical. It has been a true privilege to partner with one of the most brilliant minds in Nashville, Kerry O’Neil. l know our legacy will continue to thrive in the very best hands with Rusty Gaston and the Sony team.”

Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston said, “Big Yellow Dog has been a Music Row institution for more than a quarter century. Carla and Kerry are two of the most respected publishers in this business, and they have set the bar for independent success in Nashville and beyond. Their catalog contains some of the most performed songs over the past two decades – songs that haven’t just been hits but have defined careers. It’s an honor to represent this amazing collection of songs and to continue Big Yellow Dog’s legacy with future cuts coming from the catalog and new music from their standout roster.”

The Bad Plus, the iconoclastic jazz group known for its genre-eschewing approach, will disband in 2026, closing a 26-year chapter of experimentation. Founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) announced the decision in a joint statement this week, calling it the result of “a great deal of soul searching.”

While acknowledging the decision came with “heavy hearts,” the pair emphasized their pride in the group’s body of work — 16 studio albums — and the impact the band has had on them. “It has been a privilege to share our music with the world,” they added, thanking fans for coming along for the journey.

Formed in Minneapolis in 2000 with pianist Ethan Iverson, The Bad Plus quickly became a singular force in contemporary jazz. Their breakthrough album, These Are the Vistas (2003 via Columbia) blended avant-garde jazz with rock energy, featuring audacious covers of songs by Nirvana, Aphex Twin and Blondie alongside original compositions — helping the trio reach audiences beyond traditional jazz circles.

The band evolved through several phases over the years: Iverson departed in 2017, replaced by Orrin Evans in 2018. In 2021, Anderson and King reimagined the group as a piano-less quartet (!!!) with guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Chris Speed, releasing The Bad Plus (2022) and Complex Emotions (2024).

The Bad Plus have consistently ranked high on Billboard’s jazz charts over the years, with most albums debuting in the Top 10. Highlights include a No. 1 Traditional Jazz Albums peak for Made Possible (2012) and No. 2 spots for Give (2004) and Never Stop (2010). Their breakout These Are the Vistas (2003) hit No. 13 on Jazz Albums and No. 8 on Traditional Jazz, while later releases like It’s Hard (2016), Inevitable Western (2014) and Activate Infinity (2019) maintained strong Top 10 positions.

True to form, The Bad Plus will conclude with two distinct touring projects. The current quartet will perform North American dates, including a residency at Jazz St. Louis (Jan. 14–18), a headline show at The Blue Note in Columbia, MO (Jan. 21), and a set at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (June 26), with more dates to follow.

Separately, Anderson and King will join pianist Craig Taborn and saxophonist Chris Potter for a tribute to Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet. That project launches March 3 in Lexington, KY, before heading to Europe and the UK starting March 21 at Italy’s Bergamo Jazz Festival.