Classic Rock

Classic Rock

Classic Rock is the online home of the world's best rock'n'roll magazine. We bring you breaking news, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes features, as well as unrivalled access to the biggest names in rock music; from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses to the Rolling Stones, AC/DC to the Sex Pistols, and everything in between. Our expert writers bring you the very best on established and emerging bands plus everything you need to know about the mightiest new music releases.

Articles by: Classic Rock

Rod Stewart and Long John Baldry

“If I rattle it around, I can hear him”: Rod Stewart keeps his late mentor’s ashes in a guitar he owns, and it’s not as weird as it sounds

By Classic Rock published

Rod Stewart is still close to late British bluesman Long John Baldry, even though he died almost 20 years ago

Segments of the sleeves of five underrated prog album

The most underrated albums by 10 major prog bands

By Classic Rock published

Showing a little love for the overlooked classics by prog giants Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Rush and more

Queen’s Freddie Mercury, Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, AC/DC’s Bon Scott and Little Richard onstage

“He got onstage and preached rock’n’roll, which was very much the inspiration for what I did”: 30 musicians on the singers who changed their life

By Classic Rock published

Paul Stanley, Joe Elliott, Lars Ulrich, Geddy Lee and more on their personal kings and queens of the microphone

Lemmy and a pig’s head

“Lemmy put a pig’s head in my case”: the time Motörhead pranked their support band with a decapitated animal head just to get a reaction

By Classic Rock published

Girlschool’s Kim McAuliffe looks back on touring with Motörhead for the first time – and the unexpected ‘gift’ that came with it

Guitarists Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour and Eddie Van Halen

30 guitarists on the guitar heroes who changed their life

By Classic Rock published

Slash, Angus Young, Paul Stanley, Billy Gibbons reveal the guitarists who made them want to play in the first place

Graham Nash and David Crosby onstage in 2014

“I waited for the call from David but it never came. Two days later he was dead”: Graham Nash and David Crosby were on the verge of reconciling earlier this year

By Classic Rock published

Graham Nash reveals he came close to patching up his friendship with former Crosby, Stills & Nash bandmate David Crosby days before before Crosby’s death

A montage of album covers picked by famous musicians

30 musicians on the album that changed their life as a kid

By Classic Rock published

Members of Kiss, Black Sabbath, Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard, Rage Against The Machine and more reveal the albums that set them on the path to rock stardom

AC/DC’s Bon Scott holding a drink and Cheap Trick’s RIck Nielsen holding two guitars

Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen on the genius of AC/DC’s Bon Scott: “My house burnt down the same day as Bon died. I cared more about Bon than the building”

By Classic Rock published

Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen on jamming with AC/DC, the majesty of Highway To Hell and the ‘pirate’ genius of Bon Scott

Gene Simmons, Dee Snider and Ozzy Osbourne

Dee Snider takes aim at Kiss, Ozzy and Scorpions over retirement plans: “I see people singing Crazy Nights and they’re not so crazy any more”

By Classic Rock published

Former Twisted Sister singer Dee Singer has something to say about Kiss, Ozzy and Scorpions and their respective retirements

Wolfgang and Eddie Van Halen

"With Van Halen, I learned a lot of how I didn’t want things to be with Mammoth": Wolfgang Van Halen on the lessons he took away from playing in his dad's band

By Classic Rock published

Wolfgang Van Halen's apprenticeship in the music business with his father and uncle's band taught him valuable lessons

Robbie Roberston of the band

The Band’s Robbie Robertson dies at 80

By Classic Rock published

Robbie Robertson, founding guitarist with The Band and the songwriter behind The Weight and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, has died

The Kinks in 1971

Ex-Kinks keyboard player John Gosling dies at 75

By Classic Rock published

The Kinks pay tribute to late keyboard player John Gosling: “He has been a friend and important contributor during his time with us”

Wolfgang Van Halen and Justin Hawkins onstage

"I know Dad would have been really proud": Wolfgang Van Halen explains why he played two Van Halen songs to honour Taylor Hawkins

By Classic Rock published

Wolfgang Van Halen shares his memories of last year's Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in London

Van Halen in 2007

“Dave said, ‘No, not doing it’”: Eddie, Alex and Wolfgang Van Halen once wrote a brand new Van Halen song, only for David Lee Roth to refuse to sing it

By Classic Rock published

Van Halen’s swansong album A Different Kind Of Truth could have featured a song with the working title Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Panama if it wasn‘t for David Lee Roth having a hissy fit

Randy Meisner of the Eagles smiling

Former Eagles bassist Randy Meisner dead at 77

By Classic Rock published

Original Eagles bassist and co-vocalist Randy Meisner has died in Los Angeles

One album wonders

Rock’s 20 greatest one album wonders: the bands that made one album then vanished

By Classic Rock published

They came, they saw, they vanished – these are the bands who made one perfect album then split up

reaches down, grabs it and starts chewing

Corey Taylor has the most disgusting story you’ll ever hear about Dimebag Darrell, Clown from Slipknot and a urinal cake

By Classic Rock published

“He reaches down, grabs it and starts chewing”: how a member of Slipknot grossed out Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell

Nuno Bettencourt and Richard Fortus

Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt and Richard Fortus from Guns N’ Roses are having an online bust-up over Slash and Rihanna

By Classic Rock published

“As if I’d ever think Slash isn’t capable of playing any Rihanna song in his sleep,” seethes Nuno Bettencourt in one-sided online spat with Richard Fortus

Hanoi Rocks frontman Mike Monroe and Axl Rose of Guns N Roses

“We made a protective circle of candles around us”: how Michael Monroe ended up duetting with Axl Rose on a Guns N’ Roses cover of punk rock classic

By Classic Rock published

Ex-Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe is the only guest to have appeared on two Guns N’ Roses songs

Roger Waters and Eddie Van Halen

Roger Waters said he “couldn’t care less” about Van Halen, forgetting that he once appeared on a song with Eddie Van Halen

By Classic Rock published

Eddie Van Halen played guitar on a Roger Waters song back in 1990

The cover of Guns N’ Roses’ Appeitite For Destruction album

The man who designed the cross on the cover of Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction has died

By Classic Rock published

Billy White Jr, who drew the iconic cross that ended up on the cover of Appetite For Destruction, has passed away

Ozzy Osbourne onstage and flashing his backside

“Ozzy did a great big turd on his car”: how Ozzy Osbourne got his revenge on a promoter who refused to pay him after a disastrous gig

By Classic Rock published

Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler looks back on his disastrous first gig with Ozzy Osbourne – and the ‘dirty protest’ that followed

Queen in the early 1970s and X-Ray Spex’s Poly Styrene onstage in 1978

“Sir, are you married?”: the unlikely connection between Queen’s Brian May and punk band X-Ray Spex

By Classic Rock published

Queen guitarist Brian May crossed paths with a punk icon years before either was famous

Yes guitarist Steve Howe and former Yes singer Jon Anderson

Yes guitarist Steve Howe on a potential reunion with Jon Anderson: “I love Jon – but the only terms I work on is that I’m happy”

By Classic Rock published

Yes’ Steve Howe addresses ex-bandmates, potential reunions and that turbulent Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame appearance in the brand new issue of Classic Rock

Axl Rose and Slash of Guns N’ Roses onstage at Glastonbury

Guns N’ Roses bring out Dave Grohl for their Glastonbury headlining set – but the air-guitaring sign language interpreters win the night

By Classic Rock published

Here’s the full setlist and reactions to Guns N’ Roses’ Glastonbury set – including Dave Grohl and some epic air drumming from the BBC’s British Sign Language interpreters

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