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British fans like 'Imagine' the best

LONDON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Listeners of Britain's Virgin Radio have chosen John Lennon's "Imagine" as their favorite song of all time.

The Beatles' "Hey Jude" was second, followed by "Let It Be," in the poll of 7,000 music fans, the BBC reported Saturday.

No. 4 was "One" by U2 and No. 5 was "Angels" by Robbie Williams.

The Beatles had the most entries in the list of top 500 songs with 33, while the Rolling Stones had 17 and U2 had 15, the BBC said. David Bowie and Queen tied with 14 each while U.S. new wavers Blondie had eight songs on the final tally.

Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" finished No. 6 in the poll. "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin was No. 7 and the No. 8 position was held by The Police and "Every Breath You Take."

The Top 10 was filled out by The Eagles' "Hotel California" and newcomer James Blunt with his hit, "You're Beautiful."

Rapper Obie Trice shot in Detroit

DETROIT, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Eminem protégé Obie Trice was shot on a Detroit freeway early Saturday.

Trice was driving on the Lodge Freeway around 1:10 a.m. EST when shots were fired from a passing vehicle, Michigan State Police Sgt. Mario Gonzales told WJBK-TV, Detroit.

The wounded rap star exited the freeway in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, where his uninjured girlfriend flagged down police.

"He got shot in the head," Trice's manager Terry Wilson told AllHipHop.com. "He was driving his Range Rover on the Lodge Freeway, after leaving a Mike Epps after-party."

He was treated, then released late Saturday from an area hospital.

Police said they had no suspects.

Murder charges against rap star dropped

DECATUR, Ga., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Murder charges were dropped against rapper Gucci Mane because of a lack of evidence, DeKalb County (Ga.) prosecutors have announced.

The rap star, whose real name is Radric Davis, admitted shooting Macon rapper Henry Lee Clark III on May 10, but said the shooting was in self-defense after he was attacked by Clark and four other men, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Davis is currently serving the remainder of a six month jail term handed down in Fulton County, Ga., for attacking a music promoter with a pool cue in June.

He is expected to be released in January and will be on probation for 6 1/2 years, his attorney said.

Lopez's 'Carmen' appears dead

CAPRI, Italy, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Jennifer Lopez's plan to star in a "tough, hard" big screen version of the opera "Carmen" has apparently been quashed by Hollywood.

Director Taylor Hackford is quoted in the New York Daily News saying the project "is on its last legs."

In Capri, Italy, for the Hollywood International Film Festival, Hackford said investors balked at the $50 million price tag on the project and he speculated Lopez's image had something to do with that.

"(Carmen) is not a sweet, nice girl. This is a piece about a criminal," Hackford said.

"We want to do a tough, hard version, but Hollywood thinks the audience (for Jennifer Lopez) is 13-year-old girls."

"Carmen" has a tragic ending that Hackford said Hollywood "does not like to make."

The film would have been different from the famous Georges Bizet opera of the same name, the Daily News said.