This was the year that mainstream hip-hop began to take up the fascinations that dogged heavy metal in the '80s: strippers and headbanging. There was Missy Elliott in her Motörhead T-shirt in the video for our pick as single of the year, "Get Ur Freak On," the first word of which was -- yep -- "headbanger." And headbanging and its eventual ill consequences are the subjects of Busta Rhymes' excellent recent single "Break Ya Neck." (We also remember Busta's set at the Fleet Center a few years back, where he popped out of a Castle Greyskull-like cranium that looked as if it had been stolen from the Gwar practice space.) Busta demonstrates his headbanging technique at the metal-friendly Worcester Palladium (800-477-6849) on Friday and at Dartmouth College (603-646-1110) in Hanover on Sunday. More neck breaking and skull busting are guaranteed when Slayer make the rounds in support of their God Hates Us All, the release of which would ordinarily have been the most brutal event of this past September 11. Slayer, with Hatebreed opening, hit Toad's Place (203-624-8623) in New Haven tonight (Thursday, January 24) and Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence on Saturday.

The Mission of Burma reunion complete (for now), Roger Miller lays down the guitar and reaches for his piano, resuming his duties as one-half of the avant-garde duo Binary System at AS220 (401-861-9090) in Providence on Friday. Across town, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones follow up last month's "Hometown Throwdown" with a one-off gig at Lupo's on Friday with Strike Anywhere and the Riddlin' Kids. Following the paths of such unlikely career rebirths as Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Carlos Santana, Willie Nelson takes his shot at mainstream re-entry with a new album, The Great Divide (Lost Highway), that boasts appearances by the likes of Kid Rock and Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas. (See our interview in Arts). Willie makes a rare Boston stop at the Orpheum (617-931-2000) on Friday before heading to the Whittemore Center Arena (603-862-4000) in Durham on Saturday. Grammy-nominated neo-soul wunderkind Alicia Keys plays her only area show, a sold-out affair, at the Orpheum on Saturday. And two of the all-time great rhythm-and-blues guitarists make area appearances this week. Ike Turner and his reconsecrated Kings of Rhythm are at the House of Blues (617-491-BLUE) in Cambridge tonight. And Hubert Sumlin, the long-time foil to Howlin' Wolf, appears at the House of Blues on Friday and at Chan's (401-765-1900) in Woonsocket on Saturday.