Biff Byford: the soundtrack of my life
Saxon frontman Biff Byford on the special records, artists and gigs of lasting significance
Classic Rock Features
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Layla and The Man Who Sold The World: the classic albums no one saw coming
It was the dawn of the 70s, a period that delivered some now iconic albums – although some could easily have gone straight to the bargain bins. So why were they dismissed at the time?
Drums, death and destruction: the story of Mountain's Corky Laing
Like most young budding rock musicians, Corky Laing had a dream. Unlike most, his came true, as he steadily scaled the rock’n’roll mountain and made it to the very top
How David Bowie returned to orbit and made Scary Monsters
After the minimalism of his ‘Berlin trilogy’, David Bowie went all out for a kitchen-sink art-rock album on Scary Monsters
Clown suits and chaos: What happened when Jello Biafra ran for Mayor of San Francisco
From forcing businessmen to wear clown suits, to introducing a Board Of Bribery, Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra's vision for San Francisco was both “a great prank” and barbed social commentary
Thundermother: "I’m gonna be that crazy guitar player!"
A new approach (and a new line-up) has taken Swedish rockers Thundermother to the next level
A rare glimpse into the mundane world of Axl Rose
It's 2001, Guns N' Roses are gearing up for their first shows in eight years, and Axl Rose wants a cup of tea
Tracks of the Week: new music from Electric Hydra, Little Triggers and more
The eight new rock songs you need to hear right now. But which one's the best? You decide
The story behind Status Quo's Forty-Five Hundred Times
Forty-Five Hundred Times was the song that threw a spanner in the songwriting partnership of Status Quo's Parfitt and Rossi, but it took on a life of its own, and they even extended it for royalty
Elvis Costello: a guide to his best albums
Over the course of 30 studio albums, Elvis Costello has journeyed from the most unsettling of angry young men through terrains that include country music, jazz, soundtrack work and even opera
The 20 best rock albums of 1977
Famous for being punk’s finest hour, 1977 also produced one of the best-selling rock albums in Rumours, and classics from Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Rush and Thin Lizzy
Every Metallica album opening song ranked from worst to best
The opening song from every Metallica album in order of greatness
This 10-year-old has crushed Enter Sandman – and Kirk Hammett approves
Kirk Hammett loves 10-year-old Nandi Bushell’s solo version of Enter Sandman. We're with him on that.
Watch Bruce Dickinson being ‘killed’ onstage at his last gig before leaving Iron Maiden
On August 28, 1993, Iron Maiden and singer Bruce Dickinson parted company in spectacular style
The best 104 releases you can buy on Record Store Day (Drop Day 1)
This year's Record Store Day is spread across three different dates, and the first is almost upon us
The 10 best glam rock albums
As the 60s dream turned to dust and po-faced singer-songwriters kept it real, a new generation of kids just wanted to rock: cue the rise of glitter and glam
The epic story of The Outlaws, and why southern rock still matters
While the Allman Brothers Band are retired and Lynyrd Skynyrd are preparing to follow suit, one of their contemporaries continue to stick to their path: The Outlaws
We went to our first live gig since lockdown and this is what it was like
Social distancing, track and trace and a whole new listening experience: this is what live gigs look like in the age of Covid-19
Walter Trout: the 10 records that changed my life
As blues legend Walter Trout gears up for the release of his Ordinary Madness album, he reveals he albums that got him started
