
Paul Elliott
Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2005, Paul Elliott has worked for leading music titles since 1985, including Sounds, Kerrang!, MOJO and Q. He is the author of several books including the first biography of Guns N’ Roses and the autobiography of bodyguard-to-the-stars Danny Francis. He has written liner notes for classic album reissues by artists such as Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and Kiss, and currently works as content editor for Total Guitar. He lives in Bath - of which David Coverdale recently said: “How very Roman of you!”
Latest articles by Paul Elliott

The Saxon albums you should definitely listen to
By Paul Elliott published
Almost 50 years on from their formation, NWOBHM spearheads Saxon and much-loved frontman Biff Byford are verging on national treasure status – and these are their best albums

The Ritchie Blackmore albums you should definitely listen to - but none of them are by Deep Purple
By Paul Elliott published
A guitarist who helped define the sound of a genre, both pre- and post- Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore has a formidable back catalogue of classics

The Foreigner albums you definitely need to listen to
By Paul Elliott last updated
Foreigner blended hard rock and atmospheric ballads to the tune of more than 80 million sales - and now they're on their way to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

A metal fan’s guide to Alice Cooper
By Paul Elliott published
Alice Cooper was the original shock rocker who paved the way for Kiss, Slipknot and every parent-baiting rock and metal act that followed

Rory Gallagher's BBC Collection showcases the very best of the real deal
By Paul Elliott published
The blues boy from Ballyshannon at his peak

The outrageous life of King Diamond, the occult metal icon Metallica love and Gene Simmons wanted to sue
By Paul Elliott published
Hauntings, heart attacks, exorcisms and lawsuits – King Diamond looks back on 40 years as Satan’s Little Helper

A metal fan’s guide to hard rock legends Def Leppard
By Paul Elliott published
From the NWOBHM to the world – how Def Leppard became one of the biggest British rock bands of all time

Think Neal Schon's year has been interesting? A decade ago it was even more so
By Paul Elliott published
Journey guitarist Neal Schon on his $50 million lawsuit, alleged photos of his penis, Michael Bolton's eccentricity and Steve Perry

Michael Schenker' My Years With UFO finds the mad axeman in phenomenal form
By Paul Elliott published
Michael Schenker celebrates his years with UFO with a stellar cast of guest musicians

Every Journey album ranked, from worst to best
By Paul Elliott published
From stadium-filling rock to the ultimate lighter-waving ballads, AOR titans Journey and their various frontmen have done it all

Stryper's songwriting fails to ascend on When We Were Kings
By Paul Elliott published
Stryper are still fighting the good fight on 15th studio album When We Were Kings

The Hanoi Rocks albums you should definitely listen to
By Paul Elliott published
Hanoi Rocks' early records and electrifying live shows saw them tipped for superstardom, but fate dealt them a catastrophic blow

Why I love AC/DC's Back In Black, by Def Leppard's Joe Elliott
By Paul Elliott published
Def Leppard man Joe Elliott on Mutt Lange, Hells Bells and replacing Bon Scott

What AC/DC mean to me, by Kiss's Gene Simmons
By Paul Elliott published
Gene Simmons pays tribute to the longevity of AC/DC, a band he first saw at the Whiskey a Go Go in West Hollywood in 1976

“In the 80s, you ordered a gram of cocaine like you ordered beer”: The high times and crazy life of the Scorpions
By Paul Elliott published
Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine and Matthias Jabs look back on the career of Germany’s biggest rock band

Gene Simmons: The soundtrack of my life
By Paul Elliott published
Kiss bassist, Demon and fire-breather Gene Simmons picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance, and names the "most dishonest" album Kiss ever made

What AC/DC means to me, by Aerosmith's Joe Perry
By Paul Elliott published
Joe Perry pays tribute to the longevity of AC/DC, who first toured with Aerosmith in 1978

Album Of The Week Club review: The Grand Illusion by Styx
By Classic Rock Magazine published
The Grand Illusion was the first of four consecutive triple-platinum albums for Styx, establishing them as one of America’s biggest rock acts

WASP frontman Blackie Lawless’s strange journey from shock rock to God
By Paul Elliott published
An epic interview with WASP singer Blackie Lawless about controversy, codpieces and Christianity

The Lynyrd Skynyrd albums you should definitely listen to
By Paul Elliott published
Lynyrd Skynyrd blended southern soul and hard rock to define southern rock better than anyone - and these are their best albums

The world according to Squackett, prog’s great forgotten supergroup
By Paul Elliott published
Late Yes bassist Chris Squire, ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, some old Led Zeppelin and pints of vodka – this was one-off prog supergroup Squackett

Every Electric Light Orchestra album ranked, from worst to best
By Paul Elliott published
Jeff Lynne's vision for ELO was more ambitious than most of his peers – but which of his grand ideas hit home the hardest?

The Def Leppard albums you should definitely listen to
By Paul Elliott published
Def Leppard took Sheffield to the world's stadiums and arenas, staring down tragedy and selling millions in the process. These are their best albums
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