Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Call him Mr. Indefatigable. The Montreal-born artist just turned 80, but continues to thrill fans with his creative output. On the heels of his Popular Problems album comes this 3CD/DVD set recorded and shot last year at Dublin’s 02 Arena (the DVD includes bonus songs from the Canadian tour). Featuring over three hours of music, this is Cohen at his best. “Don’t know when we’ll meet again,” he says, “but I promise you that tonight we’ll give you everything that we got.” And he’s good to his word. Supported by his stellar band and backup singers, the fedora-sporting songman delivers superb performances from his songbook. Highlights include his earliest hit from the 1960s, “Suzanne,” his ’80s ...

The son of musicians Richard and Linda Thompson, Teddy is the composite of his revered parents—“betwixt and between,” he sings, “Sean Lennon you know what I mean.” With contributions from mum, dad, sister Kami and other relatives, Teddy produces a gorgeous folk-rock album built on the powerful ties that bind.

Queen Bey took the world by surprise just over a year ago, dropping her self-titled album on Dec. 13 at midnight without warning. “I didn’t want to release [it] the way I’ve done it—I’m bored with that,” she explained. “I feel like I’m able to speak directly to my fans.” Its 14 new songs and 17 videos formed what she called her first “visual album.” Now Beyoncé is reissuing that album, packaged with a live DVD and a disc of new tracks titled More . And while it’s not another stealth release, the Platinum Edition is the perfect Christmas gift for fans (those who digitally purchased Beyoncé can buy just the new material). Along with remixes of “Flawless” with Nicki Minaj, “Drunk in Love” with ...

She once called herself a lonely painter who lives in a box of paints. Canada’s legendary singer-songwriter took a visual approach to curating her songs into a romantically-themed collection. The resulting four-CD set includes Joni favorites like “Blue,” “Carey” and “River” and such ambitious, jazz-tinged numbers as “Hejira” and “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter.”

There have been many Beatles tributes. This one stands out for its vast range of major artists covering songs by McCartneyl, who ranks alongside Cole Porter and George Gershwin as the most successful composer of all time. “Yesterday” is the world’s most covered song, with over 2,200 versions. It’s sung here, with accordion backing, by Willie Nelson. Among the other 41 tracks are two contributions each from Heart, Billy Joel, Steve Miller and Alice Cooper. There are also fine renditions of “Helter Skelter” by Roger Daltry, “Let It Be” by Chrissie Hynde and “Things We Said Today” by Bob Dylan. Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love sing early classics, while Wanda Jackson tackles Sir Paul’s Chuck Ber...

Britain’s boy band is releasing its fourth studio album in three years, a cause for excitement among 1D fans everywhere. Along with the hit single “Steal My Girl” and “Fireproof,” the new album from Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis features the edgy “Night Changes” and the ’80s vibe of “Stockholm Syndrome.”

The iconic voice of James Bond themes, Dame Shirley has sold over 135 million records over five decades. Now the 77-year-old legend returns with a new album, revisiting her signature “Goldfinger” and teaming up with Paloma Faith on “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” As she sings on the Stephen Sondheim classic: “I’m still here.”