BEST CLASSIC BANDS – CELEBRATING THE ARTISTS, MUSIC AND POP CULTURE OF THE CLASSIC ROCK ERA
Graham Parker & the Rumour’s ‘Heat Treatment’: When Pub-Rock Met New Wave
When the Village Voice unveiled its 1976 Pazz & Jop Poll winners, an unknown English musician commanded two of the top five entries from the influential poll’s panel of music critics.
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1973: The Year in 50 Classic Rock Albums
We looked back at hundreds of albums released in ’73 and whittled the list down to the 50 that we think represent the cream of the year’s crop.
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Rock Radio Promotion: From Dead Rats to Live Aid
How a highly original record label promotional stunt helped introduce Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats to America. “Playboy called me a promotional genius”…
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Focus Performs Magic on ‘Hocus Pocus,’ From TV’s ‘The Midnight Special’
The ground-breaking Dutch progressive rock band formed in 1970 and earned a surprising international hit in 1972-1973.
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Elvis Costello’s Debut Album, ‘My Aim is True,’ Gets Expanded 5-CD Set
The collection spans 104 tracks, demos, masters, outtakes, live performances, and other rare recordings (52 of them prev. unreleased), plus a 2026 remaster of the 1977 original.
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Crossroads: 15 Covers of Classic Robert Johnson Blues Songs
With each reissue of his material, another generation discovered—and was inspired to record—his songs.
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Graham Parker & the Rumour’s ‘Heat Treatment’: When Pub-Rock Met New Wave
When the Village Voice unveiled its 1976 Pazz & Jop Poll winners, an unknown English musician commanded two of the top five entries from the influential poll’s panel of music critics.
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Radio Hits in October 1974: The ‘New Math’
The Best Classic Bands chart nerds noticed that this week featured 3 hits at the top with the word “Nothing” in the title: great songs by BTO, Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston.
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Dolly Parton Musical Coming to Broadway
Among the many songs she wrote are such classics as “I Will Always Love You,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” “9 To 5” and “Tennessee Homesick Blues.”
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Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘Out of the Blue’: The Masterpiece from Munich
It’s full of treasures, a sweeping double-LP that Jeff Lynne dubbed “probably the hardest work I have ever done, but the most satisfying.”
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Remembering Woody Guthrie in 15 Songs
His songs have been covered by artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, U2, Jefferson Starship, Bruce Springsteen, the Byrds and Woody’s own son Arlo.
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Billy Joel’s ‘Turnstiles’ Gets 50th Anniversary Expanded Edition
The 4-CD + Blu-ray boxed set includes 54 previously unreleased recordings of demos, studio sessions, and live recordings, alongside 32 video performances, 24 previously unreleased.
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Genesis’ Debut Album, ‘From Genesis to Revelation,’ Gets Expanded, Deluxe Editions
Originally released in 1969, the LP marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey, the first chapter in the story of a band that would go on to achieve immense success and lasting acclaim.
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Rod Stewart Announces His Last Rock and Roll Tour, Following Health Issues
“Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce next year will be my last tour ever, ever. I’m not retiring, but this will be the last rock and roll tour.”
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