Classic Rock

Classic Rock

Classic Rock is the online home of the world's best rock'n'roll magazine. We bring you breaking news, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes features, as well as unrivalled access to the biggest names in rock music; from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses to the Rolling Stones, AC/DC to the Sex Pistols, and everything in between. Our expert writers bring you the very best on established and emerging bands plus everything you need to know about the mightiest new music releases.

Articles by: Classic Rock

Photos of Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and Motorhead’s Lemmy

“I have fond memories of sitting on Lemmy‘s lap after he’d come offstage, with his hair in a white towel turban”: Rob Halford says Judas Priest‘s new album has a tribute to Lemmy and Ronnie James Dio

By Classic Rock published

New Judas Priest song Giants In The Sky from upcoming album Invincible Shield pays tribute to Lemmy, Ronnie James Dio and other great rock icons

Covers from eight classic Scandinavian AOR albums

10 essential Scandinavian AOR albums

By Mik Gaffney, Classic Rock published

Set the dials to ‘good times’ – here are 10 perfect Scandinavian hard rock albums that party like it’s 1989

A studio portrait of Mick Mars with insets of King Crimson and Gentle Giant

“Stumbling on King Crimson and Gentle Giant was eye-opening for me. I went, ‘How can you do that so fast?’”: ex-Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars reveals his secret love of 70s prog

By Classic Rock published

Forget Shout At The Devil – Mick Mars is all about 21st Century Schizoid Man

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, Mr Bean, James Hetfield of Metallica and Ja Rule

The 11 most WTF collaborations in rock history

By Classic Rock published

Bruce Dickinson and Mr Bean? Ozzy and Miss Piggy? Metallica and Ja Rule? Prepare to cringe at these heroically wrong-headed collaborations

The cover of the Doors’ Morrison Hotel album

“It was the kind of place where you could start a religion or plan a murder”: the story behind The Doors’ Morrison Hotel album cover

By Classic Rock published

How an LA flophouse and the original Hard Rock Café played a part in creating the iconic artwork of The Doors’ Morrison Hotel album

Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley with an inset of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley

“I consider myself friends with Paul and Gene – we’re like brothers, brothers have arguments”: Ace Frehley offers an olive branch to his old Kiss bandmates, takes a swipe at backing tapes and avatars

By Classic Rock published

Ace Frehley talks to Classic Rock about his relationship with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons

Thin Lizzy in 1973

"They're as good as anything anyone's ever written": My 10 favourite Thin Lizzy songs, by Brian Downey

By Classic Rock published

Drummer Brian Downey, who co-founded Thin Lizzy with Phil Lynott, picks his 10 favourite Lizzy tracks

https://secure.rsc.org.uk/overview/a-midsummer-nights-dream

“If one person deserves a knighthood, it’s Ozzy Osbourne”: Judas Priest’s Rob Halford urges King Charles to knight the Prince Of Darkness

By Classic Rock published

“Arise, Sir Ozzy” – at least that’s what it would be if Rob Halford had his way

Photos of Cronos of Venom, King Diamond of Mercyful Fate and Udo Dirkschenider of Accept

10 songs that invented thrash metal, according to Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian

By Classic Rock published

Scott Ian on 10 proto-thrash bangers that changed the face of 80s metal

Iron Maiden line up in 1992

“The phone rang, it was Steve Harris: ‘Are you interested in joining Maiden?’”: this is what it’s like to audition to replace Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden, by three singers who went for the job

By Classic Rock published

In 1994, Blaze Bayley became Maiden’s new singer – but he wasn’t the only contender for the job

Kiss’s classic 1970s line up

B-movie monsters, IQ tests and The Village People: 50 obscure Kiss facts only hardcore Kiss fans know

By Classic Rock published

Kiss played their very first gig on January 30, 1973, in front of 10 people. Half a century on, here are 50 obscure facts about the Hottest Band In The World

Late musicians David Crosby, Jeff Beck, Tina Turner and Gary Rossington

In Memoriam: remembering the rock musicians we lost in 2023

By Classic Rock published

Raising a toast to those musicians, producers, songwriters and artists who passed away in 2023

Segments of melodic rock album cover by Steve Overland, Tempt, Winger and Angel

The best melodic rock albums of 2023

By Classic Rock published

Melodic rock never dies, as these 10 essential albums from the last 12 months prove

Sections of the sleeves of albums by Peter Gabriel, Yes, Haken and Steven Wilson

The best prog albums of 2023

By Classic Rock published

From Yes and Jethro Tull to Big Big Train and Crown Lands, these are the 10 best prog albums of the last 12 months

Photos of Sweat, The Bites, Sophie Lloyd and Elegant Weapons

The best debut albums of 2023

By Classic Rock published

Stand aside Metallica and the Rolling Stones – these are some of the killer debut albums that dropped in 2023

Justin Hawkins of the Darkess onstage in London with an inset of Ed Sheeran

Watch Ed Sheeran join The Darkness onstage in London to sing Love Is Only A Feeling

By Classic Rock published

Pop megastar Ed Sheeran opened for The Darkness in London last night – and joined the headliners onstage for Love Is Only A Feeling

Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme onstage in 2023

“I’m going for blood. I want to bring guitar back in a joyful, exciting way”: Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt on the guitar solo that caused the internet to lose its mind in 2023

By Classic Rock published

Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt delivered on the monumental solo from his band’s comeback single Rise

Album covers by Piink Floyd, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, The Beatles and Black Sabbath

The least popular songs by 10 legendary rock bands

By Classic Rock published

We’ve combed Spotify to find out the least popular songs by Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Beatles, AC/DC and more

Billy Gibbons

“You oughtta see if you could get somebody to send you money”: we wondered how ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons got his nickname ‘The Reverend’, so we asked Billy Gibbons to tell us

By Classic Rock published

Spoiler alert: ‘The Reverend’ Billy F Gibbons is not an actual Reverend – it all comes from a money-making scam

Duff McKagan in the studio with an inset of Bob Dylan

“Here’s my record. And if you ever want to write a song together…”: Bob Dylan said he loved Duff McKagan’s last album. So Duff McKagan asked him to collaborate

By Classic Rock published

Duff McKagan reacted to Bob Dylan’s praise by suggesting they write a song together, plus he reveals he wants to make an album with Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell

Live photos of Dolly Parton in 2022 and Ronnie Van Zant in 1976

“Ronnie Van Zant’s widow wouldn’t allow Lynyrd Skynyrd to use his voice, but she said: ‘I’ll do it for Dolly’”: how Dolly Parton ended up covering Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird on her new album

By Classic Rock published

Country star Dolly Parton cover of Free Bird also features one of the last appearances by late Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington

Michael Chabon headshot

10 albums that changed the life of Pulitzer prize-winning author and Star Trek showrunner Michael Chabon

By Classic Rock published

Author and showrunner Michael Chabon picks 10 pieces of vinyl that have soundtracked his path through life

Jimmy Page playing a double necked guitar onstage at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2023

Watch Jimmy Page make his first live appearance in 12 years at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony

By Classic Rock published

Jimmy Page surprises the audience at the 2023 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with a performance of Link Wray’s Rumble

Steven Wilson

“Rock is the cult music of the 21st century, in the same way that jazz became a cult. Maybe that’s not a bad thing”: Steven Wilson says the days of rock bands selling a million records are over

By Classic Rock published

Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson has a controversial view of rock’s place in the scheme of things in 2023

Deep Purple classic line up and an inset of George Harrison

“I’d heard this one thing, Smoke On The Water or something. But I’d never actually seen them”: the night an ex-Beatle gatecrashed a Deep Purple show for an impromptu jam

By Classic Rock published

At a gig in Sydney in 1984, Deep Purple were joined by surprise guest Arnold Grove – aka former Beatles guitarist George Harrison