It’s hard to think of a more quintessentially summertime subgenre than ’80s hard rock. Colloquially known as glam metal (or, more derisively, the dreaded “hair metal”), these songs celebrate life’s simple-but-universal pleasures: soaking up the sun, throwing a blowout party and congregating around the nearest radio to blast your favorite tunes. The ’80s are long gone, but […]
Queen has reportedly agreed to sell their recording, publishing and other rights to Sony Music for a record-smashing $1.27 billion. According to Hits, the deal also includes name and likeness rights, potentially opening the door to musicals, commercial and film placements, merchandising and other money-making opportunities. The band’s 2018 autobiographical film Bohemian Rhapsody earned over […]
Although Kiss released only three albums during the ’90s, it was quite an eventful time for the group. At the start of the decade, the group found themselves in a mirror version of their dilemma in the early ’80s. In 1982, after squandering nearly all of their career momentum with questionable trend-chasing albums, they released the […]
Switzerland’s Supreme Court is set to decide if a priceless watch given to John Lennon by Yoko Ono will be returned to the late Beatles legend’s widow. She claims the Patek Philippe 2499 was stolen by a since-fired chauffeur, while an unnamed Italian national says he legally purchased the item. “To me, if anything, the […]
Kiss started the ’80s in free fall and spent the first two years of the decade alienating a staggeringly large portion of the impressive rock music fan base they had built in the ’70s by unabashedly chasing even greater mainstream fame. After weathering the departure of their two fellow founding bandmates, Paul Stanley and Gene […]
Yngwie Malmsteen will embark on a North American tour to commemorate 40 years of his solo career. The trek begins on Sept. 26 in Fort Myers, Florida, and is currently set to run through Nov. 18 in New York City, with more shows to be announced. Kurt Deimer will provide support. More ticketing information will be available at Malmsteen’s website. You can see […]
There’s been another volley in the seemingly endless back-and-forth between Duff McKagan and The Simpsons creators over the inspiration for Duff Beer — this time from original show writer and producer Jay Kogen, who has yet again denied any connection to the Guns N’ Roses bassist. McKagan reignited the debate last week, telling Stereogum: “So I was Duff, the King […]
Gene Simmons has reflected upon the original Kiss lineup, declaring he should have been “more hard” on Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. During a conversation with Backstage Pass, Simmons was asked if there was anything he’d change about his legendary career. In response, the Kiss bassist was forthright. “Well, I’m sad in retrospect — you […]
Bill Berry left R.E.M. in 1997, a move he says he “sort of regretted” later. Berry and the other three founding members of R.E.M., Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, all recently spoke with CBS Mornings (ahead of their first reunion in over two decades), and when asked about having any second thoughts on leaving […]
If the first six months of 2024 have proven anything, it’s that rock ‘n’ roll isn’t just alive and well — it’s taken on plenty of different forms. The first half of the year has seen triumphant releases from stalwart headbangers like Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson and Sebastian Bach, along with confident new albums from ’90s rock giants […]