--Metallica Adds Entire Catalog To Spotify

Metallica has entered the world of online music streaming.  The metal icons made their entire catalog available on Spotify Thursday, a move the Swedish streaming service celebrated with a tweet that read, "Spotify just got louder!"  Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich said at a press conference in New York that the service's "global reach" is impressive.  He explained that the band was "ready to jump in" as soon as they took control of their master recordings, which they just did last week.  But Metallica has been slow to "jump in" to other digital music ventures in the past.  They didn't put their catalog on iTunes until 2006, and they were one of the band's leading the original charge against the free music downloading service Napster.

That heated relationship, however, appears to be a thing of the past.  Napster founder and current Spotify boardmember Sean Parker was also at the press conference when Ulrich shared the big news.  The former enemies have been working together more and more over the past few years, and Ulrich explained on Thursday that their battle over Napster was always about control rather than money.


--Sammy Hagar, James Hetfield Honoring 2012's Top Country Stars

Sammy Hagar and Metallica's James Hetfield are crossing genre lines to pay tribute to this year's top country stars.  The rockers are among the participants in the CMT Artists of the Year special, which will air this weekend.  The event recognizes 2012's biggest country artists, who were determined by such factors as music and concert ticket sales, radio airplay, and Internet searches.  Hagar and Hetfield joined a host of country stars for the event, including Sammy's buddy Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, and Eric Church.  Other participants from outside the country music scene include rapper Ludacris, OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, the "Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson, and baseball greats Chipper Jones and Roger Clemens.  Rascal Flatts and "Nashville" star Hayden Panettiere host the 2012 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony, premiering on CMT Saturday night at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.


--Vince Neil's Piloting Adventures Subject Of New Reality Series

Vince Neil is starring in a new reality series.  "Vince Neil Escapes" is a spin-off of the PBS series "The Aviators," and follows the Motley Crue frontman's adventures as a newly licensed pilot.  Producer Anthony Nalli says the series goes beyond "the typical celebrity reality fare" to show "a developing side of Vince."  He describes "Vince Neil Escapes" as "a classic battle of temptation...on a rock star scale," explaining that Neil is "faced with some choices that could have life-and-death consequences, and is called upon to summon a serious side that many 'Vince-haters' doubt even exists."  Neil says he's "thrilled to be part of the series."  He admits that he and his entourage "do a lot of crazy partying" in their travels, but that he's also fulfilled "a huge dream" by becoming a pilot.  Vince adds that "the reality of learning something this disciplined has had a life-altering effect" on him, and he's "definitely gone through some unexpected changes."

Neil was featured in season three of "The Aviators."  The PBS series followed the singer as he went through the flight training process.  Details on "Vince Neil Escapes," including the show's network and launch date, haven't been announced yet.


--Stones Playing First U.S. "50 And Counting" Show This Weekend

The Rolling Stones are finally bringing their "50 and Counting" show to this side of the Atlantic.  The rock legends will kick off their series of U.S. shows this weekend, taking the stage at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday.  The concert will feature guest appearances from R&B superstar Mary J. Blige, who also joined the band for their first London show last month, and rock newcomer Gary Clark, Jr.  The Stones will follow with two performances at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey next week.  They'll launch the two-night stand on December 13th, while their December 15th finale will be broadcast live as a pay-per-view special, which will be available through all cable, satellite, and telco providers and carried online via Yahoo! Music.  Guests for the Newark shows haven't been announced yet.


--Justin Vernon Comforts Grizzly Bear After Grammy Snub

Bon Iver's Justin Vernon is doing his part to comfort the members of Grizzly Bear after the band was snubbed by the Grammys Wednesday night.  The indie rockers' latest album "Shields" failed to earn a single nod, and frontman Ed Droste took to Twitter after the "Grammy Nominations Concert Live" to sarcastically express his grief.  Droste asked Vernon how he "managed to infiltrate" the Grammys last year and win the Best New Artist award.  But rather than share his "secret," Vernon -- who has openly criticized the awards before -- wrote that one of the reasons he hates the Grammys is because the event makes artists question their work.  He argued that Grizzly Bear's music is "pure" and "truly unique," while the Grammys are neither.

However, Droste doesn't appear to be all that hurt by his lack of Grammy recognition.  He explained that his tweets were all "tongue in cheek," and said he wasn't surprised or disappointed when the band didn't pick up any nominations.


--Quick Bites

Linkin Park didn't get any Grammy nominations on Wednesday, but the band could pick up a Video Game Award tonight.  Their song "Castle of Glass," which was used in "Medal of Honor Warfighter," is in the running for the Best Song in a Game honor.  This year's VGA winners will be announced during a ceremony starting at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on Spike.

--Music On TV

Garbage is the musical guest on an all new episode of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on NBC.


--Today's Birthdays

Tom Waits is 63.
Psychedelic Furs bassist Tim Butler is 54.
Beady Eye guitarist Gem Archer is 46.  He used to be a member of Oasis.
Veruca Salt frontwoman Louise Post is 46.
Muse drummer Dom Howard is 35.


--Today In Rock History

In 1962
The Rolling Stones conducted auditions for a bass player.  Bill Wyman was among those who tried out, and got the job in part because he had a lot of good equipment for the band to use.

In 1972
Led Zeppelin performed at the Manchester Hardrock in England.  The show sparked a scathing review from "Melody Maker" magazine, which called the group, quote, "the world's most overrated band."

In 1978
Sid Vicious was arrested for his part in the altercation with Patti Smith's brother Todd the night before.  During a fight, Vicious smashed a glass in the face of Smith.

In 1984
Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil was driving when his car crashed in Redondo Beach, California.  Hanoi Rocks drummer Nick "Razzle" Dingley was killed in the accident.

In 1991
U2's album "Achtung Baby" debuted at number one on Billboard's chart.

Nirvana broke into the Top 40 chart with "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

In 1999
The Eagles announced in a press conference that the group's first "Greatest Hits" album had become the best-selling album in America.  But Glenn Frey didn't seem to be impressed with the distinction, saying, quote, "I hated popularity contests when I was in high school, and I hate them now."

In 2001
Marilyn Manson's court date on charges of criminal sexual conduct and assault and battery was postponed.  The case was in relation to an alleged incident at the Detroit stop of Ozzfest several months earlier, at which Manson was said to have attacked a security guard by rubbing his genitals on the guard's neck and body.

In 2003
Ozzy Osbourne told the "Los Angeles Times" that his stuttering and unsteadiness was caused by a mix of prescription drugs he'd been given for depression following his wife's cancer diagnosis over the summer.

In 2006
Incubus' "Light Grenades" debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, marking the group's first chart-topping entry on the list.

In 2008
Ozzy Osbourne and his family taped the first episode of their new variety show series for an audience of 600 at CBS Television City.  "Osbournes: Reloaded" made its debut on Fox four months later.  However, the network declined to air additional episodes of the controversial show after several affiliates refused to run the pilot.

In 2011
Guns N' Roses, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beastie Boys, the Faces/Small Faces, and Donovan were among the inductees named for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2012.