Articles by Paul Elliott

Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2005, Paul Elliott has worked for leading music titles since 1985, including Sounds, Kerrang!, MOJO and Q. He is the author of several books including the first biography of Guns N’ Roses and the autobiography of bodyguard-to-the-stars Danny Francis. He has written liner notes for classic album reissues by artists such as Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and Kiss, and currently works as content editor for Total Guitar. He lives in Bath - of which David Coverdale recently said: “How very Roman of you!”

Articles by: Paul Elliott

Jake E Lee onstage with Ozzy Osbourne in 1984

“I'm old. I'm glad that what could possibly be my last hurrah is something that people – some people, at least – have noticed”: The rise and fall of the forgotten guitar hero, Jake E Lee

By Paul Elliott published 23 February 24

After his glory days as Ozzy Osbourne's right-hand man in the 80s and personal tragedy in the 90s, Jake E Lee vanished for 15 years: In 2013, he stepped back into the spotlight

"When you can simplify what it is you want to say it's easier for more people to connect to": How Metallica stripped away the complexity to take their music to the masses

By Paul Elliott published 15 February 24

With a little help from astrophysics, Ice-T and Heart, Metallica came up with Enter Sandman, their best-known song and a heavy metal classic

Michael Schenker Group: L-R Chris Glen, Graham Bonnet, Michael Schenker, Ted McKenna

"We'd all been drinking that afternoon. By show time I was obliterated": Graham Bonnet on the infamous night he showed the audience much more than he should have

By Paul Elliott published 13 February 24

Graham Bonnet recalls his controversial departure from the Michael Schenker Group

The Night Ranger albums you should definitely own

By Paul Elliott published 6 February 24

Still going strong after more than 40 years, AOR cult crew Night Ranger have sold millions of albums on the back of some all-time classic songs

The Heart albums you should definitely own

By Paul Elliott published 31 January 24

As Heart reconvene for an extensive world tour, we look at the band's journey from bluesy hard rock in the 1970s to chart-busting AOR anthems in the decade that followed

"I'm the flash in the middle": All 57 Bon Scott AC/DC songs ranked in order of greatness

By Paul Elliott published 27 January 24

Scott’s AC/DC legacy amounts to six years, six studio albums and 57 tracks. Here we rank every one that the great man recorded with the band, from high-voltage classics to obscure B-sides and everlasting anthems

Mama’s Boys - Runaway Dreams 1980-1992 cover art

"What these boys never had was that one great album or hit single that could lift them into rock's premier league": Mama's Boys' Runaway Dreams is a reminder of early potential

By Paul Elliott published 26 January 24

Runaway Dreams 1980-1992 is a five-CD collection from Northern Ireland’s much-missed band of brothers, Mama's Boys

People lifting their hands up hold cell phone flashlights

The 50 best AOR albums of all time

By Dave Ling, Jon Hotten, Sian Llewellyn, Paul Elliott published 17 January 24

From big hitters like Journey, Boston and Foreigner to the lesser known lights of AOR, these are the 50 albums that truly sparkle

"All those times we shared when it was the three of us, you can't get that back": Rush's Geddy Lee looks back on his effin' life

By Paul Elliott published 16 January 24

To mark the publication of his autobiography My Effin' Life, Geddy Lee talks about the events and people who've shaped his life as a person and musician

"What most people only think of or whisper in private, Kevin would scream at the top of his lungs. That kind of honesty is rare, and it comes with a price": the chaotic story of Kevin DuBrow and Quiet Riot

By Paul Elliott published 12 January 24

Six years after their debut album, Quiet Riot became an overnight success with Metal Health, the first 'heavy metal' album to top the US charts

"Bands like Yes would spend six months doing an album, but in that time we'd do two albums and three tours": How Nazareth recorded Miss Misery

By Paul Elliott published 28 December 23

Inspired by another band’s classic track, Nazareth nailed the vibe they were striving for and ended up with a fan favourite – although their manager wasn’t too impressed with the vocals

Paul Stanley with a bottle of hairspray, 1977

"Even now it can still get the tears running down my face": Paul Stanley - the soundtrack of my life

By Paul Elliott published 27 December 23

Paul Stanley picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance, and reveals which Kiss album has "no balls"

“When the Boogie Nights scene came on, I said, ‘Man, I think I’ve been in that guy’s house in the early 80s!’”: the rise, fall and porn-assisted resurrection of AOR heroes Night Ranger

By Paul Elliott published 16 December 23

Power ballads, bust-ups and Boogie Nights – this is the epic story of Night Ranger

Starbenders, Wolfgang Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, Grace Potter and Skindred

The 50 best rock albums of 2023

By Fraser Lewry published 15 December 23

The past 12 months may go down in history as a period of tumult and turmoil, but on the positive side, rock'n'roll is very much alive and well – as the best 50 albums of 2023 reflect

“We begged Stallone to send us the whole movie. When he did, we were blown away”: Survivor were just another struggling AOR band. And then Rocky III and Eye Of The Tiger changed everything

By Paul Elliott published 8 December 23

Their killer theme for Rocky III made stars of soft rockers Survivor – but their tale of heroism and heartbreak had no Hollywood ending

Gene Simmons and Geezer Butler circa 1974

"Our intention was to go out on stage and destroy all living things": How Gene Simmons intimidated Geezer Butler when Kiss supported Black Sabbath

By Paul Elliott published 7 December 23

Kiss supported Black Sabbath for three dates on the Sabotage tour, and Gene Simmons remembers it well

“We could never be Nirvana, but we could make an album that would fit in with the times without us looking like stupid old farts”: how Def Leppard survived tragedy, grunge and the turbulent 1990s to make two of their most underrated albums

By Paul Elliott published 17 November 23

Def Leppard were one of the most successful rock bands of the 1980s. The 1990s was a different matter

”Jethro Tull influenced me a lot in the later years of Rush - that attitude of taking your music seriously but not taking yourself seriously”: Geddy Lee’s prog stars

By Paul Elliott published 14 November 23

He believes Clockwork Angels is the best record he’s made… but can’t decide which of two is the worst

Bryan Adams standing against a white wall

“We need to pump up the volume on this”: how Tina Turner and a roasting from his manager helped Bryan Adams turn Reckless from a flop-in-waiting into one of the biggest albums of the 80s

By Paul Elliott last updated 5 November 23

Bryan Adams looks back on the making of Reckless – the album that turned him into a superstar

"It's a huge gift that I’m still here and I’m still doing what I did:" How Rick Allen fought trauma and found happiness

By Paul Elliott published 1 November 23

Def Leppard's Rick Allen on returning to Download, the enduring appeal of Mutt Lange and almost losing his life in a car accident

“That level of success was like nothing we had ever experienced before. It was such a huge record for us”: how Rush’s prog classic Moving Pictures marked their great reinvention

By Paul Elliott published 28 October 23

With Moving Pictures, Rush ditched side-long sci-fi epics for songs about fast cars and fame – and kicked their career to a whole new level

The Lou Reed albums you should definitely own... and one to avoid

By Paul Elliott last updated 27 October 23

Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground influenced multiple generations of musicians, from David Bowie to punk rock, metal and beyond. These are his best albums

Dokken's signature sound lives on but Heaven Comes Down has a surprising sting in the tail

By Paul Elliott published 27 October 23

Twelfth album Heaven Comes Down Still is proof that Dokken are still rokken' after all these years

The Fleetwood Mac albums you should definitely own

By Paul Elliott published 12 October 23

After more than 50 years and 120 million sales, the Fleetwood Mac saga appears to be slowly winding to a close: these are their best albums

The Krokus albums you should definitely own

By Paul Elliott published 10 October 23

As Switzerland’s answer to AC/DC continue to deliver farewell tour dates, we look at their must-have (and best not to have) albums

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