Latest articles by Classic Rock
The 11 most WTF collaborations in rock history
Bruce Dickinson and Mr Bean? Ozzy and Miss Piggy? Metallica and Ja Rule? Prepare to cringe at these heroically wrong-headed collaborations
“It was the kind of place where you could start a religion or plan a murder”: the story behind The Doors’ Morrison Hotel album cover
How an LA flophouse and the original Hard Rock Café played a part in creating the iconic artwork of The Doors’ Morrison Hotel album
“I consider myself friends with Paul and Gene – we’re like brothers, brothers have arguments”: Ace Frehley offers an olive branch to his old Kiss bandmates, takes a swipe at backing tapes and avatars
Ace Frehley talks to Classic Rock about his relationship with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons
"They're as good as anything anyone's ever written": My 10 favourite Thin Lizzy songs, by Brian Downey
Drummer Brian Downey, who co-founded Thin Lizzy with Phil Lynott, picks his 10 favourite Lizzy tracks
“If one person deserves a knighthood, it’s Ozzy Osbourne”: Judas Priest’s Rob Halford urges King Charles to knight the Prince Of Darkness
“Arise, Sir Ozzy” – at least that’s what it would be if Rob Halford had his way
10 songs that invented thrash metal, according to Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian
Scott Ian on 10 proto-thrash bangers that changed the face of 80s metal
“The phone rang, it was Steve Harris: ‘Are you interested in joining Maiden?’”: this is what it’s like to audition to replace Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden, by three singers who went for the job
In 1994, Blaze Bayley became Maiden’s new singer – but he wasn’t the only contender for the job
B-movie monsters, IQ tests and The Village People: 50 obscure Kiss facts only hardcore Kiss fans know
Kiss played their very first gig on January 30, 1973, in front of 10 people. Half a century on, here are 50 obscure facts about the Hottest Band In The World
In Memoriam: remembering the rock musicians we lost in 2023
Raising a toast to those musicians, producers, songwriters and artists who passed away in 2023
The best melodic rock albums of 2023
Melodic rock never dies, as these 10 essential albums from the last 12 months prove
The best prog albums of 2023
From Yes and Jethro Tull to Big Big Train and Crown Lands, these are the 10 best prog albums of the last 12 months
The best debut albums of 2023
Stand aside Metallica and the Rolling Stones – these are some of the killer debut albums that dropped in 2023
Watch Ed Sheeran join The Darkness onstage in London to sing Love Is Only A Feeling
Pop megastar Ed Sheeran opened for The Darkness in London last night – and joined the headliners onstage for Love Is Only A Feeling
“I’m going for blood. I want to bring guitar back in a joyful, exciting way”: Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt on the guitar solo that caused the internet to lose its mind in 2023
Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt delivered on the monumental solo from his band’s comeback single Rise
The least popular songs by 10 legendary rock bands
We’ve combed Spotify to find out the least popular songs by Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Beatles, AC/DC and more
“You oughtta see if you could get somebody to send you money”: we wondered how ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons got his nickname ‘The Reverend’, so we asked Billy Gibbons to tell us
Spoiler alert: ‘The Reverend’ Billy F Gibbons is not an actual Reverend – it all comes from a money-making scam
“Here’s my record. And if you ever want to write a song together…”: Bob Dylan said he loved Duff McKagan’s last album. So Duff McKagan asked him to collaborate
Duff McKagan reacted to Bob Dylan’s praise by suggesting they write a song together, plus he reveals he wants to make an album with Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell
“Ronnie Van Zant’s widow wouldn’t allow Lynyrd Skynyrd to use his voice, but she said: ‘I’ll do it for Dolly’”: how Dolly Parton ended up covering Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird on her new album
Country star Dolly Parton cover of Free Bird also features one of the last appearances by late Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington
10 albums that changed the life of Pulitzer prize-winning author and Star Trek showrunner Michael Chabon
Author and showrunner Michael Chabon picks 10 pieces of vinyl that have soundtracked his path through life
Watch Jimmy Page make his first live appearance in 12 years at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony
Jimmy Page surprises the audience at the 2023 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with a performance of Link Wray’s Rumble
“Rock is the cult music of the 21st century, in the same way that jazz became a cult. Maybe that’s not a bad thing”: Steven Wilson says the days of rock bands selling a million records are over
Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson has a controversial view of rock’s place in the scheme of things in 2023
The 40 best power ballads of all time
Break out the inflatable guitars, let those smartphones beam like galaxies of stars: These are the greatest, most heart-stirring, most life-affirming power ballads of them all
“I see young people at Guns N’ Roses shows and think, ‘There should be a band that‘s 21 or 22 that you’re losing your mind to’”: GN’R bassist Duff McKagan on whether rock’n’roll has a future
Duff McKagan says he hopes that a new generation of bands can still have the same impact as Guns N’ Roses did when they emerged
