Classic Rock Features

Halestorm's Lzzy Hale on Back To The Beginning and the loss of Ozzy Osbourne

By Henry Yates published 5 February 26

When Halestorm's Lzzy Hale was asked to appear at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show in Birmingham, ‘thrilled’ doesn’t even come close to how she felt

How Queens of the Stone Age got a metal legend to sing on a single US radio would not touch

By Simon Young published 4 February 26

Feel Good Hit of the Summer was a commercial flop but became an instant, messy classic

“The email said, ‘John is looking for you.’ I thought I was in trouble!” How John Cale voiced a song for Cate Le Bon

By Julian Marszalek published 4 February 26

Michelangelo Dying, which she says is more of an exorcism than an album, was nearly released without Cale performing on the track Ride, because she was too afraid to ask him

Meet Solomon Hicks, the New York guitarist bringing the blues to a new audience

By David Sinclair published 4 February 26

Solomon Hicks just wants to make you feel good

“The lyrics were for people on the fringes”: A song that inspired the man who killed John Lennon

By Paul Lester published 4 February 26

1974 album was a deliberate change of approach from a pop-tinged artist known for taking left turns. No one could have predicted how one listener would take it

How Bonnie Dobson's post-apocalyptic first song finally found its way home

By Max Bell published 4 February 26

For over three decades, Morning Dew's authorship was in dispute, but its author wasn't afraid to call out the injustice

Nine Joe Bonamassa albums you should listen to, and one to avoid

By Henry Yates published 4 February 26

Updated Since lighting the fuse of the blues boom, reluctant superstar Joe Bonamassa has barely stopped. Here’s a guide to his best albums

"I'm not doing it out of guilt." The story of Queen's historic Live Aid show

By Classic Rock published 3 February 26

Queen's Live Aid performance has become the stuff of legend – we look back at how the iconic set really happened

Nirvana's most controversial song and why it made a US President smash up his own kid's CD

By Stephen Hill published 3 February 26

Kurt Cobain was convinced no one could misunderstand the intent of the lyrics to this track. Sadly, many still did

Atomic Rooster interview: Reviving the band and John Entwistle's phallic number plate

By Dave Ling published 3 February 26

On the back of their first album in 42 years, Atomic Rooster are about to hit the road

Steve Morse endured school woes, dodgy gear and jazz snobbery, but knew he could make it as a guitarist

By Nick Shilton published 3 February 26

The ex Deep Purple member recalls how he got started in music, and beginning to write Kansas-style songs – long before he accidentally joined them

The story of the David Bowie song that captured his revulsion of American corporate dominance

By Niall Doherty published 3 February 26

With input from Trent Reznor and Ice Cube, I'm Afraid Of Americans was rescued from Showgirls ignominy and given a prescient, unnerving video

Classic Rock's Tracks Of The Week: February 2, 2026

By Polly Glass published 2 February 26

Eight songs you need to hear right now, from Skindred, Suzi Quatro, Karnivool and more

What the 2026 Grammys got right about rock and metal this year - and what they got very wrong

By Merlin Alderslade published 2 February 26

As is so often the case, the rock and metal representation at this year's Grammys was a mix of deserved recognition and total clangers

Think Men Without Hats were all new wave and no prog? Think again

By Jerry Ewing published 2 February 26

The classically-trained Canadians were wearing their influences with pride by fifth album Sideways. And they were making a concept album about UFOs when their label dropped them

The story of the Orange Crush, R.E.M.'s anti-war commentary disguised as a four-minute pop song

By Rob Hughes published 2 February 26

R.E.M. countered accusations of selling out to a major by using their commercial clout to promote their political activism

Peter Gabriel’s exit could have finished Genesis. Instead Phil Collins stepped up

By Mark Blake published 2 February 26

The quartet attempted to continue as an instrumental group, then sorted through hundreds of audition tapes, before realising they already had their new vocalist

“I wrote it on a piece of paper and thought, ‘That’s an album!’” How Ian Anderson creates Jethro Tull lyrics

By Johnny Sharp published 1 February 26

He recalled the spark that ignited Thick As A Brick when he decided to publish a lyric book – which he admitted nobody needed, and feared would be a cringe experience

The huge 80s hard rock hit that drove a wedge between the band that made it

By Dave Ling published 1 February 26

The Final Countdown pushed Europe into the pop charts – and not everyone was happy about it