Latest articles by Classic Rock Magazine
Gentle Giant's Octopus represents all of progressive rock's virtues
Gentle Giant's Octopus can be something of an acquired taste, with its multi-faceted approach and highbrow subject matter
Stephen Stills finds catharsis and commercial success on the sprawling debut from Manassas
Surrounded by a talented group of musicians, including ex-Byrd Chris Hillman, Stephen Stills explores four musical avenues on four sides of vinyl
The story of Jimi Hendrix's unforgettable Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)
Voodoo Child: not to be confused with Voodoo Chile
The story of Roundabout by Yes and the record company interference that made it successful
Inspired by Scottish scenery and circular intersections, Roundabout helped break Yes in the US after Atlantic Records took a blade to it
One of the great 'what if' moments in rock history: Ace by Dee Snider's Desperado
What happens when you mix Dee Snider, Clive Burr and Bernie Tormé? A lost, long-forgotten surprise
Rush ascend to prog rock nirvana on the superhuman but radio-ready Moving PicturesRusah
Bridging the gap between 70s Rush and 80s Rush, Moving Pictures remains a benchmark release
"The album's brevity is its biggest advantage." J.J. Cale keeps it short on the easygoing Okie
J.J. Cale's most famous songs were made famous by others, but Okie's laid-back charm is enticing in its own right
The story behind Kiss's ultimate party anthem, Rock And Roll All Nite
Kiss desperately needed a hit. So they wrote Rock And Roll All Nite, and it's become part of the cultural furniture
The story of All Right Now, the anthem that broke Free in America – then broke up the band
All Right Now was an instant classic, but it also created instant problems for Free
Fifty years on, Robin Trower's Bridge Of Sighs is still an all-time blues rock classic
Bridge Of Sighs was the second of Robin Tower's power trio’s superb trilogy of back-to-back albums in the mid-70s, and sealed his reputation
How Pete Townshend turned youthful frustration into The Who's biggest hit
Inspired by his wealthy neighbours and reinforced by a run-in with the Queen Mother, My Generation is a mod anthem turned rock legend
How Gregg Allman turned late-night despair into the classic Southern anthem Whipping Post
Written in the dark on an ironing board cover, Gregg Allman's raw heartbreak became an explosive blues-rock masterpiece that defined Southern rock
How Photograph transformed Def Leppard into global pop-metal megastars
Aided by a game-changing video, Photograph annoyed the hell out of the PRMC and helped Def Leppard break America
L7's Bricks Are Heavy was a breath of fresh air in a scene that quickly became stale
Pretend We’re Dead might be Bricks Are Heavy's best-known track, but Shitlist, Everglade and Wargasm proved L7 were canny songwriters.
How a sleazy record company man inspired Heart's classic feminist anthem Barracuda
Prompted by a suggestive advert and a "sleazeball with a satin jacket", the furious Barracuda still resonates
How Eddie Vedder plumbed the murkiest of emotional depths to complete a Pearl Jam classic
Pearl Jam's debut single was an act of catharsis for Eddie Vedder, but the band's audience took it in an unexpected direction
Stuart Adamson's guitar work elevates Skids' Scared to Dance above the ordinary
The sound of a bunch of scrappy youths from Scotland's industrial heartland
How Jethro Tull took a difficult subject and created one of the all-time great prog anthems
"It's about our reaction of guilt, distaste, awkwardness and confusion, all these things that we feel when we’re confronted with the reality of the homeless"
Pete Townshend finds stable ground away from The Who on Empty Glass
Empty Glass was Pete Townshend’s response to the death of Keith Moon and the arrival of punk
The defiant story of Creedence Clearwater Revival's most understood song, Fortunate Son
Fortunate Son was a burning commentary on class and elitism, delivered against the sulphurous backdrop of the Vietnam War
The story of the Marc Bolan classic that inspired Prince twice
T.Rex's Get It On was the band's only US hit, but Prince was certainly listening
Smashing Pumpkins release their grand artistic statement on Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
Billy Corgan’s ambitions reached their zenith on Smashing Pumpkins' swollen 1995 double album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
The story of the song that saw Bob Dylan pivot from folk to rock
Using three chords nicked from La Bamba, Bob Dylan wrote the song that transformed his career – despite his record label's initial reluctance to release it
