This Day in Rock History

Exactly 69 years ago, something magical happened in a tiny studio on Union Avenue in Memphis. Sun Studio, the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, became the stage for an impromptu jam session that would go down in music history. Elvis Presley, already a national sensation, had dropped by to record some tunes. But fate had […]

Boy, my memory fades (it was ’80’s), I saw them open for some folks in the early days. They were true road dogs. This is a loose look at their years on the stage. Where did you first catch Mötley Crüe on stage? Theatre of Pain Tour (1985–1986)Early on, one opener was Guns N’ Roses. […]

Here are 11 solid, widely-accepted, non-controversial examples where a band had a huge breakthrough album and then a significantly weaker follow-up, either critically, commercially, or both. 1. BostonBreakthrough: Boston (1976) – one of the biggest debut albums of all time.Follow-up: Don’t Look Back (1978) – big first-week sales, but widely seen as rushed, repetitive and a step down.

Here are 9 solid, widely-known examples from ’80s metal and hard rock where a band blew up with a breakthrough album and then stumbled with the follow-up.(All standard music-history facts: no speculation, no defamation.) 1. Quiet RiotBreakthrough:  Metal Health (1983) – first metal album to hit #1.Follow-up:  Condition Critical (1984) – rushed, weaker chart run, didn’t come close to the success of Metal Health. 2. […]

Ever sat in your car after a show, ears ringing, wallet lighter and wondered, “How much of that $150 ticket went to the guys on stage?”  Buckle up, because the numbers behind classic rock’s biggest names are juicier than a backstage scandal.

Let’s face it, before social media and streaming wars, Rolling Stone magazine was the cultural altar. Those glossy covers didn’t just show stars, they anointed legends. For any man who grew up when music still came on vinyl, these five covers hit harder than a power chord at Madison Square Garden. 1. John Lennon & […]

Classic Rock Stars You Didn’t Know Were Singing Backup! Rock history is full of surprises and sometimes the legends you think you know were hiding in plain sight—right in the background of hits you love.  Yes, some of your favorite classic rock stars lent their voices to songs you never knew had them.

Rockin’ Through the Years: The Greatest Classic Rock Albums Ever Dropped in November(Because nothing says “Thanksgiving” like a face-melting guitar solo)

ChatGPT said: Alice Cooper’s ‘Feed My Frankenstein’ is one of his most gloriously theatrical songs — a perfect mix of horror, humor, and heavy metal showmanship. Released in 1991 on Cooper’s album Hey Stoopid, the track became one of his most memorable hits of the early ’90s, thanks in part to its larger-than-life energy and […]

October 20, 1977 will forever echo as one of rock’s most heartbreaking days. Lynyrd Skynyrd—America’s fiery Southern rock powerhouse, had just released Street Survivors, their fifth album, only three days earlier. The cover showed the band engulfed in flames, an image meant to symbolize their musical heat, not tragedy. But after their plane went down […]

Jon Bon Jovi declares, “I am a Def Leppard Fan!” in his dedication speech for Def Leppard’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It’s always a special occasion when a big star gets immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Def Leppard couldn’t be more deserving of this honor. Doug O’Brien