Classic Rock Features

How a psychotic reaction triggered the cult 70s album that influenced Queens Of The Stone Age, The Damned and Nirvana’s producer

By Jo Kendall published 1 March 26

Groundhogs’ 1971 album Split is a nailed-on cult classic

How religious conflict and tragedy inspired The Cranberries’ grunge-era anti-war anthem Zombie

By Emma Johnston published 1 March 26

The Cranberries’ Zombie is one of the most furious songs of the 90s

“It was us, tears down our cheeks, trying to be manly”: How Big Big Train survived David Longdon’s death

By Polly Glass published 1 March 26

He was the energetic hub of the band until his sudden passing in 2021. Faced with oblivion, they regrouped behind Alberto Bravin and made The Likes Of Us, a record for anyone who’s ever felt left out

“What Keith Moon did on drums, he did on keyboards”: When Geoff Downes first saw Keith Emerson live

By Malcolm Dome published 1 March 26

The Yes man hails ELP counterpart as a musician and entertainer

Fishbone had the world at their feet. Then their guitarist joined a religious cult

By Simon Young published 1 March 26

This is the most unhinged chapter in Fishbone's decades-long career of funk-metal mayhem

The inside story of the Rolling Stones’ infamous 1969 US tour, by the people who were there

By Paul Rees published 28 February 26

Drugs, darkness, death – the inside story of The Rolling Stones’ infamous 1969 US tour, by the people who were there

How Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild ended up in Easy Rider – and named an entire genre in the process

By Fraser Lewry published 28 February 26

Born To Be Wild songwriter Mars Bonfire looks back on a proto-hard rock classic

The two iconic musicians who left Sammy Hagar starstruck – and the guitarist he calls “an asshole”

By Dave Everley published 27 February 26

Life according to the Red Rocker

Sandy Denny helped invent folk-rock with Fairport Convention and sang with Led Zeppelin – but couldn’t escape her demons

By Paul Rees published 27 February 26

Fairport Convention’s Sandy Denny had fans in Led Zeppelin and The Who – but her life was cut short at just 31

RUSHfest Scotland is the world's best Rush celebration festival, and from its brilliant lineup to its exciting special guests, you can't afford to miss this year's event

By Louder published 27 February 26

Sponsor Content Created With RUSHfest Scotland

Taking place this May, RUSHfest Scotland is the ultimate celebration of Canada's greatest band

“Mike got back with Dream Theater and I started praying”: Neal Morse Band return with L.I.F.T. (and Portnoy)

By James McNair published 27 February 26

Despite concerns their drummer wouldn’t find time to take part, fifth album has been compared to their 2016 virtuosic victory, and they’re planning to tour it with the complete studio line-up

The blues-rock epic that turned Ten Years After into US superstars – with a little help from a legendary Woodstock set

By Rob Hughes published 27 February 26

Ten Years After’s I’m Going Home was 11 minutes of blues-rock euphoria

The electrifying life and dark times of Phil Lynott, by Thin Lizzy‘s Scott Gorham

By Dave Ling published 26 February 26

Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham looks remembers his late bandmate Phil Lynott

Steve Howe on Yes’ new album, his solo career, and his honest take on those massive box sets

By Stephen Lambe published 26 February 26

Guitarist outlines what he and his colleagues want to achieve in the year ahead, and explains why musicians who refuse to listen to their own recordings are cheating themselves

The 50 metal albums you need to hear in 2026

By Metal Hammer published 26 February 26

Digging deep on announcements, rumours and pure speculation to find the 50 metal albums you should be keeping an eye out for in 2026

How a sci-fi icon inspired Pink Floyd’s engineer to make a wild concept album that predicted the AI revolution nearly 50 years ago

By Bill DeMain published 26 February 26

The Alan Parsons Projects’ I Robot is a 70s prog classic

How Billy Idol’s White Wedding turned a Brit ex-punk into a US superstar

By Carol Clerk published 25 February 26

White Wedding was the song that sealed Billy Idol’s fame

“My songs might have been successful if somebody else had done them”: Peter Hammill has calmed down

By Mike Barnes published 25 February 26

Prog visionary and punk inspiration reflects on his overclocked solo shows and admits: “Two to three hours was maybe too much Hammill for anybody!”

The story behind the Dave Grohl song that Ozzy Osbourne rejected

By Paul Brannigan published 25 February 26

My Tortured Soul could have been a very different song