The Classic Rock Legacy

Pink Floyd & Syd Barrett: The Early Years

We take a close look at the formative years of one of rock’s greatest bands, and their ‘madcap’ leader who was a shining star of the psychedelic era

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Harp On It: 20 Great Rock Songs Featuring Harmonica

The harmonica has long been used—particularly by lead singers—to inject a bit of bluesy, earthy authenticity into a song. We look at some of the best.

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The Beatles’ Decca Audition: An Invaluable Lesson in Failure

Try to please everyone, and you please no one, including yourself. For the Beatles, January 1, 1962, was the day that the lesson was learned.

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ELO’s ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ Like You’ve Never Seen It

Electric Light Orchestra fans will be surprised to discover how this favorite fared on U.S. radio. It was released in the midst of a string of hit singles for the group that combined electric instruments with orchestral ones

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Musician Deaths of 2024

Many of our favorite recording artists, as well as other celebrities, have been taken from us in 2024. We pay our respects.

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Edgar Winter’s ‘They Only Come Out at Night’: The Story Behind the LP and Its Monster Hit

Edgar on the LP: ‘We were just having fun. Play the music you love and follow your heart, and you can’t go wrong.’

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McCartney, Queen, The Who Headline 4 Spectacular Nights in 1979

Over the course of 4 nights during the Christmas holiday, a Who’s Who of British rock stars performed to raise money for war-torn Cambodia.

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Remembering 2x Rock Hall Member Curtis Mayfield

The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee left the hitmaking soul group the Impressions in 1969 and created classics like “Super Fly.”

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Remembering Joe Cocker: Rock’s Soulful Interpreter

His gift was that among all the British R&B belters, he may have been the most ballsy and uninhibited of them all and an outstanding interpreter of songs.

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Bob Dylan 1965: Evolving to Electric

In the spring of that pivotal year, Columbia Records ran industry ads proclaiming “No One Sings Dylan Like Dylan!” We examine several items rarely seen since then.

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