The world lost influential people in 2025, and some of their deaths had significant impacts. Pope Francis died in April, leading to the election of the first American pope. The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September sparked discussions about political violence. Virginia Giuffre's suicide in April brought renewed attention to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and other notable politicians also died. The entertainment industry mourned the loss of Gene Hackman, David Lynch, Roberta Flack, Hulk Hogan and other stars.

Steve Cropper, who co-wrote classic songs, including “(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour,” during his years playing guitar at the legendary Stax Records in Memphis, has died. He was 84. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 as a member of Booker T. and the M.G.'s, the house band for the Stax/Volt labels. In 2007, Cropper won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the group. He also became known to younger fans as member of the group backing Blues Brothers John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.

The end of 2025 is almost upon us. And it’s time to unpack Spotify Wrapped. On Wednesday, the music streaming giant delivered its annual recap — giving its hundreds of millions of users worldwide a look at the top songs, artists, podcasts and other audio they listened to over the past year. Spotify isn’t the only platform to roll out a yearly glimpse of data collected from consumers’ online lives. But since its launch about a decade ago, Wrapped has become one of the most anticipated. And Spotify is billing the 2025 edition to be the biggest yet, with a host of new features it hopes may also address some disappointments users had last year.

Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter and the publisher of Franklin the Turtle are disavowing the Trump administration's use of their work. Carpenter's song "Juno" was used in a video montage depicting ICE raids. On Tuesday, she tweeted that the video is "evil and disgusting" and asked not to involve her music in such agendas. On Monday, Kids Can Press condemned a post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth showing Franklin the Turtle holding a bazooka. The publisher tweeted that this use contradicts its values. Many artists have objected to Trump using their songs, including ABBA and Bruce Springsteen.

Eric Idle, a founding member of the comedy group “Monty Python’s Flying Circus, has long had a mission to make us laugh. He continues that crusade with a national touring version of his hit musical “Spamalot,” which begins in Ohio this week. The tour will travel to more than 30 cities in its first year including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, Houston and Milwaukee. The stage tale is loosely based on the 1975 movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” concerns King Arthur and his quest to corral some knights who’ll go off with him to find the grail.

An AI-generated country song, “Walk My Walk,” recently topped Billboard's country digital song sales chart. It's credited to a fictional artist named Breaking Rust, but the vocal style is based on Grammy-nominated country artist Blanco Brown. Brown was unaware of the song until friends alerted him. The track's success highlights how generative AI is disrupting the music industry, allowing anyone to create songs using models trained on real artists' voices. Brown has since released his own version of the song. He sees this as a legal and cultural issue, emphasizing the unique value real artists bring to music.

Giant balloons are getting into shape for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Crews inflated the giant characters Wednesday on the streets of New York City. The parade kicks off Thursday morning. Dozens of huge balloons are set to take to the skies, and floats, entertainers, marching bands and more will grace the streets. More than 100 balloon technicians and volunteers worked Wednesday to puff up dozens of characters. Officials are watching the weather, since the forecast as of Wednesday evening calls for a somewhat gusty day. Under New York City law, the balloons are grounded if sustained winds exceed 23 mph (37 kph) or wind gusts are over 35 mph (56 kph).

Jimmy Cliff, the charismatic reggae pioneer and actor who preached defiance, joy and endurance in such classics as “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get it If You Really Want” and “Vietnam” and starred in the landmark movie “The Harder They Come,” has died at 81. Cliff was a native Jamaican with a spirited tenor and a gift for topical lyrics who joined Kingston’s emerging music scene in his teens and helped lead a movement in the 1960s that included such future stars as Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert and Peter Tosh.

With “Bel-Air” entering its fourth and final season on Monday, the cast reflects on how the ambitious Peacock drama expanded the possibilities for Black-led prestige television. The series, inspired by a viral reimagining of the ’90s sitcom, built its own identity through deeper emotional storytelling and high-end production values rarely afforded to a young Black ensemble. While reports cited its high production costs as a factor in its ending, the actors say the show is concluding exactly how the creative team intended. The new season pushes the Banks family into pivotal crossroads as the series reaches its planned finale.