Mick Wall

In late August 1966, The Doors entered the studio to record their debut album. Released five months later, it laid down a singular marker that still resonates today

Iron Fist was the final album the Three Amigos line-up of Motörhead, and even Lemmy said it was "inferior to anything else we’ve ever done"

Pentangle's third album, 1968's Basket Of Light, propelled them towards the big time and even gave them a rare hit single!

The hard-rock classic that became the theme for a TV current affairs show, Nantucket Sleighride (to Owen Coffin) was based on a true story

Their last album had flopped, punk rock was on the rise and the press were calling them "prats". 45 years on: How Queen came out fighting till the end.

Exhausted and near breaking point, Black Sabbath were hardly ready to start a new album. But with Tony Iommi doing the heavy lifting and a mountain of narcotics fuelling the slog, they ended up with the classic Vol 4

Thirty years of hard-rocking, blues’n’funk alchemy has earned golden-throated bassist Glenn Hughes a place at the top table of British rock - and these are his best albums

With stalling sales and an unsupportive label, there was only one thing left for AC/DC to do: rock. Harder than ever before.

35 years ago this week, The Cult left behind the post-punk scene, and reappeared with straight-out rock album Electric. They helped spark a revolution in the process

Led Zeppelin were ready to begin another huge US tour – then disaster struck. But out of the chaos rose Presence, an album Jimmy Page considers one of their best

Thin Lizzy were on the road to nowhere when they recorded a dusty old folk tune titled Whiskey In The Jar, intended as a B-side. Result: a 70s classic

In 2021 Francis Rossi continued his marathon spoken-word tour around the UK, and Classic Rock's Mick Wall was alongside him every step of the way

AC/DC were at the top of their game, but their singer was heading down a dangerous path. His last show was on January 27, 1980, and just three weeks later he was dead

How did AC/DC follow the globe-conquering success of Back In Black? With For Those About To Rock, and great difficulty

Ginger Wildheart's story tells of growing up with violence, escaping into the redemptive arms of rock’n’roll, and going on to become a prolific and acclaimed songwriter

Half-black, half-white, part Catholic, part God-hater – Phil Lynott could write poetry one minute and knock you out cold the next

Mahavishnu Orchestra took ‘out there’ to a new level with music that was as bold, ballsy and exciting as when Hendrix first landed

After spending the last four decades immersed in music, Fish is calling time. But with his farewell album, the prog legend is signing off with the best record of his solo career

We celebrate half a century of Thin Lizzy through the eyes of the men who played with Phil Lynott and knew him best: guitarist Scott Gorham and drummer Brian Downey

Forty years ago, Motorhead released an album that turned them into unlikely stars. Next stop? America. But America wasn’t yet ready for Motorhead

Metallica's 1988 album was their step up to the big leagues. But things would never be the same again

Robby Krieger might have become a trumpet player. Instead he swapped the horn for guitar, joined The Doors and became part of one of rock's most influential and legendary bands

Humble Pie were never able to capture the punch and power of their live shows in the studio, but their best albums still include some real gems

Ozzy, Geezer and Tony reminisce about the early days of Black Sabbath and the creation of a genre