Bryan Adams declares Canada will never be the ’51st State’ on new song

July 1, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Wednesday is Canada Day, and Bryan Adams is celebrating with the release of a new patriotic song.

The Canadian rocker just released the track “51st State,” which appears to be a response to President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Canada should become part of the United States.

“Let me give it to you straight/ When you’re talking about my home/ You better show some respect/ Cuz up here we take care of our own,” Adams sings in the chorus. “So let me give you some advice mister/ You might have too much on your plate/ Go’n load us up with tariﬀs/ But we’ll never be the 51st State.”

“I wanted to write something about Canada because Canada is home,” says Adams. “There is more that binds us than divides us. This is a tribute to the pride and spirit of my fellow Canadians – the rest is just noise.”

“51st State” is now available via digital outlets and as a limited-editon colored vinyl 7-inch single.

There’s no word on whether the song is part of a future Bryan Adams album or just a standalone single. He released his last studio album, Roll With The Punches, in August.

Adams is set to launch a North American tour on July 24 in St. Louis, Missouri. A complete list of dates can be found at BryanAdams.com.

On This Day, July 1, 2007: Elton John, Rod Stewart perform at Concert for Diana in London

July 1, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, July 1, 2007…

Elton John and Rod Stewart were among the acts who performed at the Concert for Diana at the newly opened Wembley Stadium in London.

The concert was a celebration of Princess Diana, who would have turned 46 that year, hosted by her sons Prince William and Prince Harry.

Elton opened the show with a performance of “Your Song,” and later closed the evening, performing “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” “Tiny Dancer” and “Are You Ready for Love,” while Rod Stewart’s performance included “Maggie May,” “Baby Jane” and “Sailing.”

The concert also featured performances from Duran Duran, Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson, Tom Jones, Bryan Ferry, Joss Stone, Fergie, Lily Allen and more.

The concert raised money for charities Diana supported, as well as ones Prince William and Harry were patrons of.

Hollywood Vampires announce ’At Montreux Jazz Festival’ live album

July 1, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Hollywood Vampires, the band featuring Alice Cooper, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and actor Johnny Depp, have announced a new live album called At Montreux Jazz Festival.

The set, which was recorded at the famed Swiss festival in 2018, is due out Aug. 7 on digital and Oct. 16 on CD and vinyl.

The track list includes a mix of originals and covers, including a never-before-released rendition of the Motörhead classic “Ace of Spades.”

You can watch the At Montreux Jazz Festival performance of the original tune “Raise the Dead” streaming now on YouTube.

Hollywood Vampires have released two studio albums, 2015’s self-titled debut and 2019’s Rise. They also put out a live record called Live in Rio in 2023.

Here’s the At Montreux Jazz Festival track list:

“I Want My Now”
“Raise the Dead”
“I Got a Line on You”
“7 and 7 Is”
“My Dead Drunk Friends”
“Five to One/Break on Through”
“The Jack”
“Ace of Spades”
“Baba O’Riley”
“As Bad as I Am”
“The Boogieman Surprise”
“I’m Eighteen”
“Combination”
“People Who Died”
“Sweet Emotion”
“Welcome to Bushwackers”
“Heroes”
“Train Kept A-Rollin'”
“School’s Out/Another Brick in the Wall”

Rush postpones two Fifty Something shows due to Geddy Lee’s illness

July 1, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Rush was forced to postpone two shows on their Fifty Something tour after lead singer Geddy Lee was diagnosed with laryngitis and bronchitis. The announcement came just hours before they were to take the stage at Dickies Arena in Forth Worth, Texas, on June 30. The band’s July 2 show at the same venue was also postponed.

“We are deeply sorry to share that we must reschedule our June 30 and July 2 shows,” read a statement on the band’s website. “Geddy has been diagnosed with laryngitis and bronchitis. After being evaluated by his doctors, he has been advised that he needs additional time to rest and recover before returning to the stage.”

“This is incredibly disappointing for all of us. We know many of you have made travel plans and have been counting down the days to these shows. Please know this decision was not made lightly,” the post continues.

“After more than 50 years of touring, we’ve always believed that if we’re going to step on stage, we owe you the very best performance we can give—and right now, that simply isn’t possible.”

In a video on social media, Rush’s Alex Lifeson addressed fans, noting that when they came for soundcheck Geddy “could barely speak let alone sing.”

The June 30 show has now been rescheduled for July 11, with the July 2 show now happening July 13. Tickets for the original shows will be honored for the new dates, and those who can’t attend will receive refunds.

“Thank you for your patience, your understanding, and for always standing with us,” the post on their website concludes. “We look forward to seeing you in just a couple of weeks and appreciate your continued support while Geddy makes a full recovery.”

Phil Collen on what to expect from Def Leppard’s next album

July 1, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen is giving fans some insight into the band’s next record.

During an interview with the Thunder Underground podcast, Collen discussed the new album they’ve been working on. He notes that their latest single, “Rejoice,” which was released in January, is “one style of a song that’s on there.”

As for the rest, he says, “There’s some stuff on there that’s, like, ‘Whoa.’ You’d go, ‘This is really wacky.’ And so, I like that.”

“I love the fact that we’ve kind of, not got brave, but we haven’t got scared to express ourselves,” he adds. “Whoever writes whatever song, everyone puts 100% into it. So it kind of, again, takes on another life when you do that as well.”

He says that when it comes him and his bandmates writing songs “everyone gets involved.”

“It’s really diplomatic and it’s a democracy,” he explains. “But good ideas win.”

So far there’s no word on when Def Leppard will be releasing their new album. The record will be the first album of new material since 2022’s Diamond Star Halos.

In the meantime, Def Leppard is currently on a tour of Europe and the U.K. and will play the O2 in London on Thursday. A complete list of dates can be found at DefLeppard.com.

Master of denim: Metallica wants to showcase your battle vest

June 30, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

If you’ve ever been a soldier in the metal army, Metallica wants to see your battle vest.

“Nothing says ‘metal’ quite like a glorious battle vest,” Metallica writes in a Facebook post. “So much more than just cut-off jackets with some patches… they are rich and personal stories told by their owners, much like tattoos.”

Metallica is now asking fans to send in photos of their own battle vests to be showcased in the band’s Black Box online museum.

“Whether you’re rocking a traditional battle vest or you’ve made a sleeved battle jacket, a battle coat, or even a battle skirt, if it carries the spirit of the OG battle vest, we want to display it,” the “Enter Sandman” legends say.

We’re guessing a lot of battle vests will also be on display during Metallica’s upcoming residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, which kicks off in October.

Mick Jagger open to a Harry Styles-like residency for The Rolling Stones

June 30, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Fans of The Rolling Stones are disappointed they have no plans to tour this year, but Mick Jagger insists that doesn’t mean they will never play live again.

In a new interview with NME, Jagger says they’re not touring this year because Keith Richards “couldn’t commit” because “he wasn’t feeling so great about touring and everything.”

Jagger says they hope to do some shows next year, realizing the next question is going to be about the possibility of a residency somewhere.

Asked whether they were open to a residency in Las Vegas, Jagger replies, “Well, no,” but then explains what he thinks will work for them.

“I mean more like Harry Styles doing [multiple shows] in Amsterdam and London. But then he’s still touring though; he’s not just staying in one place,” Jagger says. “But we are gonna get live dates in for next year, hopefully … I’ll let you know when I know.”

The Rolling Stones are set to release their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues, on July 10. It is the follow-up to 2023’s Hackney Diamonds, and Jagger is already looking toward the next album.

Asked whether there’s “another album in the tank,” he replies, “Yeah, it could be a trio [of records]… I’ve already started writing songs anyway.”

“They could be for other people though,” he says. “When you write a song, you sometimes decide ‘that’s not for me, but it could be for the (Red Hot) Chili Peppers’ or whatever.”

“I’ve got a lot of stuff, and not all of it’s suitable for The Rolling Stones,” he adds. “It shouldn’t stop me writing them, you know. If you get an idea, just write it.”

Melissa Etheridge launching the R.I.S.E. Summit to explore new treatments for addiction

June 30, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Melissa Etheridge’s current album is called Rise, but in November, it’ll also stand for “Research, Innovation, Science, and Education.”

Melissa will launch the first R.I.S.E. Summit, which is being hosted by her charity, the Etheridge Foundation, on Nov. 12 in Irvine, California. She established it in 2020 after her son succumbed to opioid addiction.

“As many of you know, this work is deeply personal to me,” Melissa says in a statement. “After losing my son Beckett, I knew I wanted to do something to help other families find hope and new ways to heal.”

The R.I.S.E. Summit will focus on innovative new treatments for addiction, including the use of psychedelics. Melissa will host a fireside chat on that topic with an addiction expert, Dr. Gabor Maté, who will also discuss the larger issues of addiction, recovery, trauma and healing.

You can learn more about the summit and buy tickets with early-bird pricing at EtheridgeFoundation.org.

Melissa is currently on tour with country music legend Wynonna Judd; she’s donating $1 from every ticket sold to her foundation.

KISS celebrating 50th anniversary of iconic Anaheim show with first official release of performance

June 30, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

KISS is set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of their historic concerts, releasing it for the first time as a live album.

The band will release KISS Destroys Anaheim ’76 on Aug. 21. It’s a recording of their Aug. 20, 1976, Anaheim Stadium show on their The Spirit Of ’76 Tour, aka the Destroyer Tour.

The show had KISS playing in front of over 42,000 fans, their largest audience to date. The recording, taken from the original multitrack tapes, features performances of such iconic KISS tracks as “Detroit Rock City,” “Strutter,” “Black Diamond,” “Rock and Roll All Nite” and more.

Members of the KISS Army are getting a bonus from the band. They can now access exclusive material in connection with the announcement, including soundbites from Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley sharing their memories of the show.

KISS Destroys Anaheim ’76 will be released in a variety of formats, including CD, two-LP black vinyl, two-LP picture disc, two-LP color vinyl and digitally. The band has also launched a new merch line in connection with the release.

The album is available for preorder now.

Peter Gabriel celebrates strawberry moon with the release of ‘I Belong to the Sky’

June 30, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

To coincide with Tuesday’s strawberry moon, Peter Gabriel is treating fans to yet another new song.

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has released the new track “I Belong to the Sky” from his upcoming album, o/i, the follow-up to 2023’s i/o.

“It’s another song which has taken a while to grow,” says Gabriel. “It was a candidate, in some form, for the i/o record, but didn’t get finished off, but it was always one of my favourites.”

“I’m a strong believer that reality is more malleable than we imagine and that if you really make strong pictures of something happening, you really affect the chances of it materializing,” he adds. “Visualising … how dreams leave their nest, is the main topic of the song.”

As he did with i/o, Gabriel is releasing a new song from o/i with each full moon of the year. The entire album will be released by the end of 2026, along with Dark-Side and Bright-Side mixes handled by Tchad Blake and Mark “Spike” Stent, respectively.

“I Belong to the Sky (Bright-Side Mix)” is out now via digital outlets.

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