Battle of the Bands.
With more instruments, and the ability to form bands, and have music festivals.
Start out as a teenage garage band, go through uni playing in local bars and pubs, either get signed to a label (who dictate a bunch of changes, including changes to your bands lineup), or go DIY, and have to work on the side while you slowly claw your way to fame, but have complete creative control.
The two roads to fame.
Road1: getting signed, it's a faster way to the top, and has more money coming in faster, but it means losing creative options, with the game dictating the direction of the band, it's style, and the music played. It also means a faster route back down to being 'last years news'
Road 2: DIY. Its blood, sweat, and tears. It's a slow climb, and your sims might have to have side jobs to keep it going for a while, but eventually you will start to gain success. The plateau at the top lasts longer, and the decline after is slow, leading to an 'old school influence' status.
Get invited to play at music festivals, your timeslot indicates your level of popularity. If you're in the first slot, you've got a chance at fame, but no one knows your name, if you're the last act, then you've made it to the top.
This could come with its own world, one that has two recording studios, the plush, and shiny, all inclusive (so long as you've signed away your creative rights) Sellout Studio, and the dark and dingy Den of DIY, where you pay by the hour, but the coffee is free. DIY bands who are at, or nearing the top, can hire the fancy studio, but it costs a lot more than the Den.
The world could also contain a music festival park, a pub to book gigs at, and a fancier music hall, for middling+ bands to have concerts at.
There would also need to be the ability to create your own merch: Tshirts, hoodies, underpants, posters, and CDs (or old school vinyl).