Latest articles by Jon Hotten
Metallica: the epic story behind the Black album
30 million people can’t be wrong: how the Black Album transformed Metallica into metal’s biggest band
The 10 worst albums by 10 brilliant classic rock bands
Even the best can get it wrong sometimes: here's the worst albums by 10 of rock's greatest bands
A beginner's guide to the thrilling, topsy-turvy world of the concept album
Rock is often about more than just the music: it's about The Big Idea, and ambition manifesting itself as The Concept Album
Crazy, overblown and brilliant: How Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman made Bat Out Of Hell
It launched Meat Loaf onto an unsuspecting world. It stayed in the UK charts for eight years and became the biggest selling debut album of all time. It also nearly finished off the singer for good. This is the story of Bat Out Of Hell
Velvet Revolver's Contraband: a triumph of faith over circumstance
The most eagerly awaited album of 2004 - Velvet Revolver's Contraband – came from a grizzled gaggle of rusty Gunners and a frontman with toxicology trouble
10 great bands whose debut albums weren't actually that great
Everybody's got to start somewhere, and some of our very best bands started slowly. Here's 10 great bands whose debut albums weren't actually great
Nirvana's Nevermind and the rock'n'roll revolution that came from nowhere
Nirvana’s Nevermind album introduced 90s grunge to the mainstream and sounded the death knell for the 80s
10 glam metal albums you should definitely own
Equal parts hooks and hairspray, glam metal's brief moment in the Hollywood limelight was both brash and brilliant. These are the best albums
How David Coverdale, Tawny Kitaen and MTV turned Whitesnake into megastars
Whitesnake’s album 1987 sold millions and turned David Coverdale into a rock legend. It also made David’s future wife Tawny Kitaen a star
"We had the desire to create something extraordinary" - how Queen found themselves and made Queen II
In 1974 Queen released the album that would define their sound, capture their grand ambition and vindicate their unshakeable self-belief. This is the story of Queen II and the real birth of the legend
How Guitar Hero III made Slash famous all over again
It's one of the biggest-grossing computer games of all time. Slash talks about how he became famous all over again through Guitar Hero III
Guns N' Roses: The real story behind their reunion
Rehearsal no-shows? Lingering bad blood? Fragile egos? A $3 million-per-night pay day? And where's Izzy?
The 10 best Power Pop albums
Power pop is the cheeky little cousin of pop-rock. It’s one of rock’s most accessible genres, and it’s not so easy to define, but these are its best albums
The triumph of the gentleman rockers: How Led Zeppelin IV was made
In 1971, Led Zeppelin released their untitled fourth album and changed the face of rock forever. This is the story of the album known variously as Led Zeppelin IV, Runes, Four Symbols or simply Untitled
How Led Zeppelin plundered music's past to create a blueprint for its future
From the ashes of 60s blues rock, Led Zeppelin took off and wrote the template for all hard rock that followed. But it was all just an extension of the blues tradition itself
Def Leppard's Hysteria: Every Song Ranked From Worst To Best
We rank every song on Def Leppard's multi-platinum classic Hysteria – in order of greatness
The Bizarre Life & Sad Death Of Nikki Sixx’s Doppelganger
In the late 80s, unknown musician Matthew Trippe claimed to have replaced Nikki Sixx in Motley Crue. Now the true story of Trippe’s strange life can finally be told
Poison - From The Gutter to Glam Rock Superstars
Poison's debut album was recorded on a tight budget and in eight days, it would go triple platinum and turn the band into hair metal heroes
Nikki Sixx interview: The Dirt, the Heroin Diaries, and the wreck of Motley Crue
In 2003 Classic Rock spoke to Nikki Sixx about Motley Crue's upcoming movie The Dirt. It wouldn't see the light of day for another sixteen years
Interview: Duff McKagan on sobriety, Velvet Revolver and Chinese Democracy
In 2009, the sobered-up Guns N' Roses veteran spoke to Classic Rock from a position of domestic bliss and reduced drama, while promoting a new Loaded album
Last of the Giants: The True Story of Guns N' Roses - book review
Legendary rock journalist Mick Wall was famously called out by Axl Rose on Guns N' Roses' furious Get In The Ring. Is his new book about the band the chance to settle old scores?
Sebastian Bach: "It's the music that people remember, not all the other stuff”
Former Skid Row singer, Broadway star and reality TV stalwart Sebastian Bach on the best and worst drugs, Axl Rose, and working until the day you die...
Every Jethro Tull album, ranked from worst to best
Jethro Tull's 21 albums have taken in English folk and baroque instrumentation, plus enough thunderous riffs to keep hard rock fans happy
