Classic Rock

Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen posing for a photograph — Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen are waging a two-man war on the modern world with Smith/Kotzen Transatlantic supergroup Smith/Kotzen is the sound of two worlds colliding

Cactus in 1970 — Drugs, death and rock'n'roll - the debauched story of Cactus When Vanilla Fudge split in 1969, Cactus emerged from the meltdown. When they weren’t in jail they were partying. When they weren’t naked they were taking drugs

Jerry Cantrell in 2024, next to the poster for Sinners featuring Michael B. Jordan — Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell explains how he ended up on the soundtrack to horror blockbuster Sinners Alice In Chains’ guitarist/vocalist explains how a phone call from Metallica’s drummer got him involved with one of the most successful films of the year

The Wilson sisters in 2010 — Grunge may have burst the big-hair bubble, but it saved Heart The Wilson sisters look back on hit records, death threats and a career like no other

QOTSA Alive In The Catacombs — Watch the trailer for Queens of the Stone Age's Alive in the Catacombs film, documenting a Paris performance surrounded by several million dead people See Josh Homme's Queens of the Stone Age as you've never seen them before, performing in the world-famous Catacombs of Paris

Michael Des Barres circa 1980 (studio portrait) — The wild times and true confessions of Michael Des Barres Former Silverhead, Detective, Chequered Past and Power Station man Michael Des Barres tells all

Latest Classic Rock News

The cover of Classic Rock 340, featuring Fleetwood Mac

"It could have been the end, but it became a new beginning": Fleetwood Mac and the game-changing arrival of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks - only in the new issue of Classic Rock

By Siân Llewellyn

King Diamond offers update on first album since 2007

By Matt Mills published 13 May 25

The Danish heavy metal overlord says he’s hard at work on his first album since 2007, and that it will be the first entry in a trilogy

Metal Hammer

King Crimson's Robert Fripp dressed in a white shirt, colourful tie, dark waistcoat and trousers, with one arm outstretched mid-dance. He's photographed backstage in a small white dressing room with his guitar on a table to the left of the photo and a carrier bag of food to the right of the image

"Rumours of my impending uselessness are much exaggerated." Robert Fripp responds to well-wishers after heart attack news

By Jerry Ewing published 13 May 25

Robert Fripp recently suffered a trifurcated artery and was admitted to intensive care in Italy before undergoing two bouts of emergency surgery

Prog

Gene Simmons of Gene Simmons Band performs at Alcatraz Metal Fest on August 11, 2024 in Kortrijk, Belgium.

"I'm going to die happy." Man who spent $12,495 to be Kiss icon Gene Simmons' roadie for a day has zero regrets

By Stef Lach published 13 May 25

Dwayne Rosado and his son spent a day with Kiss star Gene Simmons and talked about sex, (a lack of) drugs and rock'n'roll

Classic Rock

Punk legends the Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter add dates to North American tour

By Fraser Lewry published 12 May 25

"Fingers crossed, no bottles or pigs' hooves"

Louder

"I needed to be back on a stage. I made a few calls..." Roy Harper announces Final Tour Part Two

By Jerry Ewing published 12 May 25

Prog folk veteran Roy Harper will perform three concerts in Manchester, London and Birmingham later this year

Prog

Iggy Pop, Sex Pistols, The Damned confirmed for new punk rock festival

By Paul Brannigan published 12 May 25

Some of punk and hardcore's most iconic bands will play CBGB festival in Brooklyn, New York on September 27

Louder

Motörhead's Lemmy honoured with statue in the town where he was born

By Paul Brannigan published 12 May 25

Lemmy immortalised with 2.25m bronze-cast statue in Burslem, Stoke on Trent, England

Classic Rock

Pearl Jam release new limited edition 12" EP featuring songs from The Last Of Us,

By Paul Brannigan published 12 May 25

Pearl Jam's four-track The Last Of Us EP is streaming now

Louder

Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox reveal Fripp is recovering from a recent heart attack

By Fraser Lewry published 11 May 25

King Crimson leader Robert Fripp recently underwent two heart surgeries in Italy

Classic Rock

Metallica fans cause small earthquake at Virginia show

By Stef Lach published 11 May 25

The 'Metallica Quake' was measured by the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory during Enter Sandman

Metal Hammer

Watch Pearl Jam perform a classic song from Ten with one of their heroes, one of the biggest British rock stars of the '70s

By Paul Brannigan published 9 May 25

Pearl Jam invite one of their favourite British rock stars to share their stage in Nashville

Louder

Billy Corgan's epic interview with Al Jourgensen

By Rich Hobson published 9 May 25

From trading Ministry songs for drugs to accidentally spiking Tool and inspiring Nine Inch Nails, Billy Corgan has conducted possibly the greatest Al Jourgensen interview ever

Metal Hammer

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Latest Classic Rock Features

Johnny Winter posing for a photograph in 1984

“Everybody wanted to fight him, give him a tape or get him high. Anything except leave him alone”: How blues icon Johnny Winter survived addiction, shady business deals and himself

By Sean McDevitt

How Godley and Creme quit 10cc and went to play with their Gizmo instead

By Phillip Wilding published 13 May 25

Kevin Godley on the machine they invented at the wrong time, an overheard conversation, the decision that ended the band, missing the punk explosion, discovering video – and being mistaken for the drummer in Paper Lace

Prog

Roy Harper tried to retire in 2013, but returned with Man & Myth instead

By Paul Sexton published 13 May 25

When a new generation of acclaimed musicians discovered the folk-rock veteran’s music he gave up his attempt to bow out, but made sure his most recent album to date remained typically non-commercial and challenging to understand

Prog

A montage of new wave and post-punk album covers

10 new wave and post-punk albums you should definitely listen to

By Scott Rowley last updated 12 May 25

After punk came a new wave of bands determined to do things differently, frequently sounding nothing like each other

Louder

The best new rock songs you need to hear right now

By Fraser Lewry published 12 May 25

Featuring Marcus King, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Bernie Marsden and five other sailors on the seven seas of rock

Classic Rock

Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia on tech, Depeche Mode and new album Sleepless Empire

By Merlin Alderslade published 12 May 25

Italian gothic metallers Lacuna Coil are showing no signs of slowing down

Classic Rock

Paul Hardcastle admits he once used Hawkwind titles for his own songs

By Jo Kendall published 12 May 25

The multi-instrumentalist synth pop icon recalls trying and failing to play Silver Machine on a music store synth, years before he impressed Lemmy by asking about Orgone Accumulator

Prog

Scorpions posing for a photograph in 1984

The epic story of the Scorpions, the German band who smashed through the barriers to conquer America

By Dave Ling published 10 May 25

The Scorpions proved that Britain and the US didn’t have the monopoly on hard rock and heavy metal

Classic Rock

Armored Saint posing for a photograph in the mid-80s

The rise, fall and resurrection of Armored Saint, the cult band who should have been as big as Metallica

By Dom Lawson published 10 May 25

Armored Saint were one of the greatest 80s metal bands never to hit the big time

Metal Hammer

Metallica posing for a photograph in 1984

10 epic ballads that show there was more to thrash metal than speed

By Dave Everley published 10 May 25

There was more to thrash metal than speed

Metal Hammer

In 1984, Paul McCartney shed revealing new light on his relationship with John Lennon

By Paul Brannigan published 10 May 25

"If you ever got a speck of praise from John, a crumb of it, you were quite grateful." Paul McCartney on John Lennon

Classic Rock

When true rebels came out as prog fans: Five essential neo-prog albums of the 80s

By Johnny Sharp published 10 May 25

The second-wave movement didn’t last long – but its bands revitalised the genre with an attitude and energy that’s still being felt today

Prog

The Pretty Things’ Phil May posing for a photograph in 1974

The Pretty Things singer Phil May’s wild tales of Hendrix, Zeppelin, Iggy Pop and Judy Garland

By Peter Makowski published 10 May 25

Late Pretty Things singer Phil May was mates with Hendrix and Page, a rival of the Stones and an accidental drinking buddy of Judy Garland

Classic Rock

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Latest Classic Rock Reviews

"For all the madcap genius of Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan sounds like the star of the show": The Move's Looking On signposts better things further down the road

By Classic Rock Magazine

"His Midas touch is confirmed": Bernie Marsden covers the greats on posthumously released album

By Neil Jeffries published 9 May 25

Classy covers from late guitarist Bernie Marsden on Icons, the fourth album in a series of five

Classic Rock

Steven Wilson performing onstage in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2025

Steven Wilson delivers a masterclass in interstellar prog at his first solo show in six years

By Dave Everley published 2 May 25

Steven Wilson kicked off his first solo tour in six years in Stockholm last night. We were there

Classic Rock

Pink Floyd At Pompeii – MCMLXXII shines new light on a counterculture classic

By Julian Marszalek published 2 May 25

Once the preserve of late-night viewings, Pink Floyd's Live at Pompeii now comes striding into the daylight

Classic Rock

Propagandhi are as confused about the state of things as everyone else on vital new album At Peace

By Matt Mills published 1 May 25

Canada’s punk/metal iconoclasts aren’t sure what to do about the chaos across the globe, but their eighth album is poignant and poetic all the same

Metal Hammer

Stereophonics fail to strike a chord quite like the early days on thirteenth studio album

By Damian Jones published 25 April 25

Some notable numbers on a record that leaves you feeling short-changed

Classic Rock

H.E.A.T tighten their grip on the modern melodic rock crown on Welcome To The Future

By Dave Everley published 25 April 25

Swedish kings H.E.A.T brilliantly buck fashions on seventh studio album Welcome To The Future

Classic Rock

Billy Idol reflects on the good, the bad and the ugly sides of his life on Dream Into It

By Emma Johnston published 25 April 25

The UK punk who conquered the US looks back on his life and the scene that made him on ninth solo album

Classic Rock

After six albums of Beelzebub-bothering, Ghost's melodic metal is more tempting than ever

By Johnny Sharp published 21 April 25

Swedish purveyors of satanic arena rock Ghost camp it up on sixth album Skeletá

Classic Rock

Ghost performing live on the Skeleta tour in April 2025

Stand aside Jesus - Ghost’s devilish Skeletour show is the perfect Easter resurrection

By Liz Scarlett published 20 April 25

Ghost return to London after three years in Satanic style, with new songs, a new look and a ban on phones

Metal Hammer

In the age of dystopian catastrophe Hawkwind are still looking to space

By David Stubbs published 18 April 25

Hawkwind's 37th album There’s No Space For Us finds the space travellin' veterans in cosmic shipshape form

Classic Rock

The big hits are nowhere to be heard as Neil Young digs deep on the unusually atmospheric Coastal

By Fraser Lewry published 18 April 25

Neil Young's millionth live album just happens to be a good one

Classic Rock

How Lollapalooza helped lay the foundations for a cultural revolution, via alternative rock, heroin, pierced penises, stomach bile cocktails and a shotgun

By Paul Brannigan published 16 April 25

Eye-popping and wildly entertaining oral history of Perry Farrell's groundbreaking travelling circus (and freak show)

Louder

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