Ultimate Classic Rock

Moody Blues Announce 2013 U.S. Tour

Michael Gallucci — Sat, 25 May 2013 14:11:14 +0000

The Moody Blues have announced the dates for their 2013 U.S. tour, which starts in late September and runs through the beginning of November. The veteran band will play nearly 30 dates during the two-month road trip. The tour coincides with the release of a new career-spanning box set on the band, which will come out [...]

35 Years Ago: AC/DC's 'Powerage' Album Released

Sterling Whitaker — Sat, 25 May 2013 13:18:42 +0000

Australian rockers AC/DC were teetering on the brink of worldwide stardom when they released 'Powerage' on March 25, 1978, and though the album didn't quite get them there, it marked an important period of transition for the band and remains a favorite of many fans who feel it is an underrated classic.

40 Years Ago: Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells' Album Released

Ryan Reed — Sat, 25 May 2013 12:19:13 +0000

"I suppose I was advanced for my age." So said composer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield to The Guardian, reflecting on 'Tubular Bells,' the 1973 masterwork he composed at the age of 19. Some musicians toil for decades as they work toward their definitive album; Oldfield -- then a struggling, baby-faced guitarist with a minor role in a production of 'Hair' -- did the exact inverse, arriving out of nowhere with a groundbreaking musical monolith.

Dio 'HLY DVR' License Plate – Pic of the Week

Matthew Wilkening — Sat, 25 May 2013 11:58:16 +0000

Even though he’s been gone for over three years now, the spirit of Ronnie James Dio is still all around us — even in the parking lot of a hardware store in Akron, Ohio. That’s where we found this awesome license plate, which pays loud, proud and highly efficient, vowel-less tribute to Dio’s 1983 debut [...]

'We're The Millers' Trailer – What's the Song?

Dave Swanson — Sat, 25 May 2013 11:52:01 +0000

In the new (and definitely NSFW) trailer for the upcoming comedy ‘We’re The Millers,’ we get an eyeful of Jennifer Aniston and an earful of Billy Squier‘s ‘The Stroke,’ as re-interpreted by rapper Mickey Avalon. The film stars Jason Sudeikis as a low-level pot dealer stuck in debt to his supplier. In order to erase [...]

30 Years Ago: Dio's 'Holy Diver' Released

Eduardo Rivadavia — Sat, 25 May 2013 11:00:37 +0000

By May of 1983, the man baptized Ronald James Padavona had already accumulated an incomparable musical CV including passages through numerous obscure ‘60s Doo Wop groups, ‘70s blues-rockers Elf, castle-metal kings Rainbow, and heavy metal originators Black Sabbath; but now, finally, at the ripe age of 41, Ronnie James Dio was finally ready for his close-up.

Billy Joel Releases Recent Live Clips

Jeff Giles — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:00:09 +0000

He may or may not be giving up touring, but either way, Billy Joel's Irish fans will get at least one more chance to see him in concert. On November 1, Joel is scheduled to play the O2 Arena in Dublin, an engagement that will see him returning to Ireland for the first time in nearly a decade. Tickets for the show, which comes on the heels of Joel's recent appearances in Australia and New Orleans, are set to go on sale May 30.

35 Years Ago: Cheap Trick's 'Heaven Tonight' Album Released

Dave Swanson — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:30:46 +0000

In a span of less than six months, Cheap Trick released one of the all-time great debut albums and its terrific follow-up. The group then delivered a rock and roll triple play with the release of ‘Heaven Tonight’ in May of 1978. In 1977, Cheap Trick hit the road with everyone from Kiss and the Kinks, [...]

David Lee Roth Flexes Action-Hero Muscles in New Short Film

Jeff Giles — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:40:29 +0000

This is one of the cool things about being David Lee Roth: If you feel like starring in a five-minute movie about an anonymous hitman who drinks milk and kicks butt, you don't need to wait for someone else to offer you the part.

Weekend Songs: David Lindley, 'Tiki Torches at Twilight'

Jeff Giles — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:34:33 +0000

Classic rock is about heavy hooks, power chords, and tight harmonies, but it’s also about letting loose and enjoying the good times — and there’s no better time than Friday evening, when we pick up our paycheck, punch out of work, and enjoy a couple days of much-needed rest and relaxation. This Friday, with a [...]

Billy Joel Clears Up DUI, Bankruptcy Rumors

Michael Gallucci — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:49:17 +0000

Billy Joel opens up about a lot of things in a new interview with The New York Times Magazine, including dating, not writing any new pop songs and Elton John's "mom hair." But he also addresses two subjects the tabloids have mostly focused on since Joel stopped making pop records two decades ago: his drinking and the state of his finances.

15 Songs About Soldiers

Sterling Whitaker — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:39:43 +0000

Rock music has often taken a somewhat dim view of armed conflict by exposing the human cost of war in its lyrics. But that’s not to say that rock and roll doesn’t honor the soldiers themselves — in fact, the following songs alternately celebrate their courage, and mourn their loss. From the horrors of war [...]

Top 10 Bob Dylan Lyrics

Bryan Wawzenek — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:15:32 +0000

Bob Dylan isn’t a fixture on the commencement-address circuit, but if he ever wanted an easy paycheck, he could begin with this list of the Top 10 Bob Dylan Lyrics. Any graduation speaker can quote ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ or ‘Forever Young’ as a space-filler when they talk to the class of 2000-and-whenever. But Dylan [...]

Bruce Springsteen Fan Documentary Opens in July

Jeff Giles — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:25:47 +0000

After all these years, a person could be forgiven for thinking there isn’t a new angle from which to approach a book or film about Bruce Springsteen‘s music and career. But they’d be wrong, as the new documentary ‘Springsteen & I’ proves. Produced by filmmaker Ridley Scott, whose directorial efforts include ‘Alien’ and ‘Blade Runner,’ [...]

Rare Early Led Zeppelin Acetate Sells for $3,600

Nick DeRiso — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:00:44 +0000

A two-sided metal acetate test copy of Led Zeppelin's 'Your Time Is Gonna Come' has fetched $3,600 on eBay after 40 bids.

Paul McCartney Writes Letter of Support for Jailed Russian Punk Rocker

Michael Gallucci — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:28 +0000

Paul McCartney has written an open letter of support for one of the jailed members of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot. The former Beatle sent handwritten letters to officials in charge of the woman’s case. After her request to attend her own parole hearing was turned down by Russian officials, Maria Alyokhina announced she would [...]

25 Years Ago: Van Halen's 'OU812′ Album Released

Jeff Giles — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Changing lead singers midstream tends to have an adverse effect on most rock bands, but after original vocalist David Lee Roth left Van Halen in 1985, the group topped the charts with their next album, 1986's '5150.' Two years later, they released their eighth LP, 'OU812' -- and the hits kept right on coming.

Sting's Daughter Earns Rave Reviews in New Movie

Michael Gallucci — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:05:33 +0000

Mickey Sumner, Sting's daughter, has been racking up some great reviews for her role in the new indie movie 'Frances Ha.' The 29-year-old Sumner -- whose mom is Sting's longtime wife, movie producer and actress Trudie Styler -- gets second billing in the film behind star Greta Gerwig, indie movies' latest It Girl.

45 Years Ago: Small Faces' 'Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake' Album Released

Dave Swanson — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:58:30 +0000

In May of 1968, the Small Faces released their final LP, ‘Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake’ — putting an exclamation point at the end of their short, but stimulating sentence of a career. Though the Small Faces’ legend has grown over the years, the truth is that between 1965 and 1969, the band’s recorded output was [...]

Ann Wilson and Joe Walsh Top Guest List on New Album by Microsoft Co-Founder

Michael Gallucci — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:41:05 +0000

Ann Wilson and Joe Walsh are among the classic rock stars who’ve been tapped to play on the debut album by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and his group the Underthinkers. The album, ‘Everywhere at Once,’ will be released on Aug. 6. The record will also include contributions from Wilson’s Heart bandmate and sister Ann, Chrissie Hynde, Derek Trucks, Roger [...]