1 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Highlights of the three-hour HBO special included a Carole King sing-along, a scorching LL Cool J and Eminem performance of "Rock the Bells," and a joy-filled medley by the Go-Go's. The show ended with Paul McCartney joining newly inducted Foo Fighters for a rousing "Get Back."

2 Gully Boys December residency. Following their boisterous opening set for the Hold Steady's First Avenue show, Gully Boys kick off their four-week Sunday residency at 7th Street Entry on Dec. 5. Each night features different opening acts and is sure to be one of the hottest gigs in town.

3 Ruston Kelly, Amsterdam Bar & Grill. His album, "Search and Destroy," was easily my favorite of 2020 and this show only solidified that opinion. Kelly and his incredible band gave life to the new songs, played older favorites and threw in crowd-pleasing covers including "Teenage Dirtbag," "All Too Well" and "Rainbow Connection."

Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:

1 Silk Sonic, "An Evening With Silk Sonic." The new Bruno Mars/Anderson.Paak super duo offers a valentine to early '70s soul music. This plush record peaks on the insistently orchestral "Skate" with its classic Sounds of Philadelphia vibe. This may be the best album to date by the derivative Mars.

2 Grammy nominations for best children's album. After protests over last year's all-white nominees in this category, the Recording Academy settled on five finalists of color this year — 123 Andres, 1 Tribe Collective, Pierce Freelon, Falu and Lucky Diaz. Way to step up.

3 Kristin Chenoweth and Prince. Talking on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," she shared details about the first of her two dates with Prince. "I'm here to party like it's 1999," she announced. "Wha. Wha," he responded. He invited her to play one of the 200 or so guitars in the lower level of his L.A. house. She tried on a white one and asked why there were so many scratches on its back. Said Prince: "Elvis' belt buckle."

To contribute: popmusic@startribune.com

about the writer

Jon Bream

Critic / Reporter

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.