What to Expect From May 2026’s New Music Releases

Paul McCartney and Peter Frampton return with new studio projects in May 2026. The month will also see the Who and Eagles taking important looks back.

McCartney's 27th studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, references a winding road near his childhood home that delivered the youngster to the banks of the Mersey River. This new Andrew Watt-produced LP is the first since 2020's international Top 5 hit McCartney III.

Meanwhile, Carry the Light goes even deeper as Frampton's first all-new album of original material in more than 15 years. It's a guest-packed affair with appearances by Graham Nash, Sheryl Crow, Tom Morello and Benmont Tench, among others.

Who's Issuing New Rock Records in May 2026?

The Black Keys' Peaches! is the first LP mixed solely by the band since 2006's Magic Potion. Frontman Dan Auerbach has called this the "most natural record" since their 2002 debut, The Big Come Up. Geoff Tate has been out of Queensryche since back in 2012 – but the narrative from one of their best-known albums was still on his mind. Now, he's preparing to release the long-awaited sequel Operation: Mindcrime III.

The Who's Live at Eden Project celebrates one of their most intriguing modern-era shows. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey were backed by the Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra for a hits-dotted show that also included rarely performed songs like the 1965 stand-alone single "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" and "The Rock" from 1973's Quadrophenia, among others.

READ MORE: 2025's Best Albums

The Eagles' expanded 50th anniversary celebration of of their pivotal album One of These Nights includes new mixes and an unearthed 1975 concert with 16 previously unreleased songs. This particular night marked Bernie Leadon's final complete concert with the group he co-founded.

More information on these and the rest of May 2026's rock albums can be found below. Remember to bookmark our continuously updated list for details on records to be issued throughout the year.

Select releases are available for purchase and/or pre-order now through UCR's music shop!

May 1
Adrian Belew, The Atlantic Years: 1989-1992 (3CD box)
Bill Withers, Just As I Am (40th anniversary CD reissue)
Black Keys, Peaches!
Bram Tchaikovsky, Strange Men, Changed Men: The Complete Recordings 1978-1981 (3CD box set)
Cutting Crew, All For You: The Virgin Years 1986-1992 (3CD box)
Claypool Lennon Delirium, The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Live Trax Vol. 73: 2/10/1997 Branscomb Memorial Auditorium
Eagles, One of These Nights (expanded anniversary 3CD/1 Blu-ray or 3LP reissues)
Funkadelic, Free Your Mind … and Your Ass Will Follow (remastered 2LP reissue)
Geoff Tate [Queensryche], Operation: Mindcrime III
Haircut 100, Boxing the Compass (vinyl release)
INXS, Kick (high fidelity 180-gram black vinyl reissue)
Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, GarciaLive Volume 22: September 25th, 1971 – Lion's Share, San Anselmo, CA (2CD set)
Martin Barre [Jethro Tull], The Acoustic Trio and the Electric Quartet Live in the USA and Europe (2CD set)
Oteil Burbridge and Lamar Williams Jr. [Allman Brothers Band], The Offering
Paul McCartney, Wild Life; Red Rose Speedway (remastered CD reissues); Flowers in the Dirt; Flaming Pie (remastered CD and LP reissues)
Toadies, The Charmer
UFO, The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent (expanded 2CD deluxe reissue)

READ MORE: Ranking Every Song From 'One of These Nights'

May 8
Iain Matthews [Fairport Convention], Rhythm of the West: The Columbia Years 1975-1977 (6CD box set)
Jack Bruce [Cream], Smiles and Grins: Broadcast Sessions 1970-2001 (remastered 4CD/2Blu-ray box)
The Knack, Knackology: The Zen Recordings
Linda Perry [4 Non Blondes], Let It Die Here
Megadeth, Unplugged in Boston (CD digipak, colored vinyl and cassette reissue)
Midge Ure [Ultravox], A Man of Two Worlds
Mr. Big, Hey Man (multi-channel SACD hybrid reissue)
Neil Diamond, Wild at Heart (with Rick Rubin)
Peter Gabriel, Live At WOMAD 1982 (first-ever CD and vinyl releases)
Small Faces, Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (expanded 3CD reissue)
Social Distortion, Born to Kill (digital, CD, 2LP black vinyl and pink and yellow double vinyl releases)
Various artists, Soul to Soul: Music From the Original Soundtrack (DVD/Blu-ray releases with Santana, Ike and Tina Turner, the Staple Singers, others)
Ween, Brown Box (10CD set); White Pepper (vinyl reissue); Quebec (red and rink 2LP vinyl reissue)

READ MORE: Ranking Every Genesis Album

May 15
Alan Parsons Project, Eye in the Sky (Blu-ray audio reissue with Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mixes by Parsons)
Beach Boys, The Pet Sounds Sessions Highlights (2CD or 2LP sets)
Billy Thorpe, Children of the Sun (expanded and remastered CD and digital release; remastered LP edition)
Emerson Lake and Palmer, Trilogy (remastered 2CD deluxe edition); Love Beach (24-bit/96 kHz remastered reissue); Black Moon (expanded 2CD deluxe edition); In the Hot Seat (expanded 2CD deluxe edition)
Humble Pie, As Safe As Yesterday Is; Town and Country (expanded and remastered CD reissues; black and white vinyl editions)
Jethro Tull, Under Wraps: The Unwrapped Edition (expanded 5CD/Blu-ray reissue)
Peter Frampton, Carry the Light
Kraftwerk, Radio-Activity (50th anniversary Blu-ray audio reissue with new Dolby Atmos mix)
Slayer, Hell Awaits (expanded 40th anniversary 3LP reissue)
Steve Miller Band, Fly Like an Eagle (50th anniversary picture disc reissue)
Style Council, Cafe Bleu (expanded 6CD or 3LP reissues)
Yungblud, Idols: Complete (clear vinyl edition)
Ziggy Marley, Brightside

READ MORE: Revisiting Jethro Tull's Breakthrough Masterpiece

May 22
Dave Matthews Band, Take Me Back / Live From the Gorge (5LP hardwood vinyl box)
Dead Milkmen, Big Lizard in My Backyard (40th anniversary digital, CD, cassette and vinyl reissues)
Ed O'Brien [Radiohead], Blue Morpho
Erik Gronwall [Skid Row], Bad Bones
Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jungle Lion – The Upsetter Singles 1973: Chapter 1 (2CD set)

May 29
The Alarm, Transformation (CD, LP and digital releases)
Brian Robertson [Thin Lizzy], Diamonds and Dirt (expanded 2CD reissue)
Bruce Springsteen, Live From Asbury Park 2024 (3CD set)
Electric Light Orchestra, Out of the Blue; Discovery (vinyl reissues)
Guided By Voices, Crawlspace of the Pantheon
Paul McCartney, The Boys of Dungeon Lane (CD, digital and black, white, gold and pink vinyl releases)
Quicksilver Messenger Service, Who Do You Love: The Recordings 1967-1972 (7CD box)
Shinedown, EI8HT (digital, CD and evergreen or orange 2LP vinyl releases)
Smashing Pumpkins, Gish (black or gray with pink-and-purple splatter anniversary vinyl reissues)
Various artists, Really Into Somethin': Brit Girl Sounds and Styles 1962-1970 (3CD box with Dusty Springfield, Lulu, Cilla Black, Petula Clark, others)
Various artists, Where the Willow and the Dogwood Grow (featuring Tom Waits songs by Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, others)
The Who, Live at Eden Project (2CD and 3LP releases)

READ MORE: The Who's Most Underrated Songs

June and Beyond
Bernie Marsden [Whitesnake], Look at Me Now (CD reissue with Ian Paice, Neil Murray, Jon Lord, others)
Ian Hunter [Mott the Hoople], The Singles Collection 1975-83 (2CD set)
Pink Floyd, 8-Tracks
George Thorogood and the Destroyers, The Baddest Show on Earth (standard and hi-res digital, CD or LP editions)
Hawkwind, Psychedelic Selection (CD, 2LP and digital releases)
Yes, Aurora
Joe Bonamassa, The Spirit of Rory: Live From Cork (CD/Blu-ray release)
Chris Squire, Fish Out of Water: The 50th Anniversary Remix (2CD and half-speed master vinyl releases)
Emerson Lake and Powell, Emerson, Lake and Powell (limited edition black and colored vinyl reissues)
Doobie Brothers, Takin' It to the Streets (50th anniversary vinyl reissue)
Foreigner, The Eye of the Storm