Classic Rock 93.9

Billy Corgan plans to keep making artistic statements even beyond the grave.

In an interview with The Guardian, the Smashing Pumpkins frontman was asked what song he’d pick to be played at his funeral. His response? “I’d probably pick one of my own just to make some sort of posthumous, bitter point.”

Said point, Corgan says, would be “You should have paid more attention to me when I was here.”

“‘To Sheila’ from the Adore album by Smashing Pumpkins would be a good one, if you’re sitting there, mourning my loss,” Corgan says.

If you’d like to pay more attention to Corgan now, you can listen to his podcast, The Magnificent Others. He’s also launching a solo tour under the name Billy Corgan and the Machines of God in June.

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Fender has announced a new set of guitars paying tribute to legendary Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell.

The company is introducing two new Campbell-inspired guitars as part of their “Stories Collection” family: the Stories Collection Mike Campbell Red Dog Telecaster and the Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Masterbuilt Mike Campbell 1972 “Red Dog” Telecaster. Both guitars are reproductions of Campbell’s heavily modified Telecaster.

“Telecasters are the heart and soul of rock and roll music and this one is a beautiful instrument,” says Campbell. “I could tell The Red Dog was special as soon as I picked it up. It felt like it was in the right place at just the right time.”

“It’s our mission to honor the legacy and sonic character that Mike Campbell has infused into every note played on his beloved ‘Red Dog’ Telecaster,” Justin Norvell, executive vice president of Fender Products, shares. “Every scratch, modification, and battle scar tells a story, and with these meticulously crafted recreations, we’re giving players everywhere the chance to channel that same timeless energy and write their own musical history.”

More info can be found at Fender.com.

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Director Sam Mendes has shared some of his thoughts about why he’s decided to make four films about The Beatles.

Mendes penned an article for The Times about his BBC2 World War II documentary, What They Found, and shared how his approach to that project is similar to his motivations behind The Beatles films.

“As a filmmaker, one is always looking to find new ways to look at the past. To turn historical events so they catch the light in new and different ways,” he shares. “My film 1917 was an attempt to do this. The Beatles films we are making now also fall into this category. And here again I felt the same portal to the past had been opened.”

Mendes’ Beatles project, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, is set to be released in April 2028. The films, each focused on a different member of the band, will star Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.

The Sony films will mark the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles have granted a studio the rights to the life stories of band members and their legendary catalog of music.

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A tour van used by the Melvins and decorated with original artwork by Kurt Cobain is going on display to the public for the first time.

In connection with Record Store Day, the van will be parked outside two Seattle record stores on Saturday: Easy Street Records from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. local time and Silver Platters from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time.

Sections of the van will then be cut off to be auctioned in the upcoming Music Icons sale hosted by Julien’s Auctions, taking place May 30-31. The area including Cobain’s artwork will be included in the auction.

“Seattle is the birthplace of so many defining moments in rock history,” says Julien’s CEO and President Darren Julien. “We’re thrilled to partner with Record Store Day and these beloved local record stores to give fans a front-row seat to this one-of-a-kind piece of music memorabilia before it goes to auction.”

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Aerosmith announced their retirement from touring back in August due to frontman Steven Tyler’s vocal issues, but one of their producers isn’t writing them off just yet.

In an interview with the New York Post, Jack Douglas, who produced several of the band’s albums, including Toys in the Attic, says he hopes to see the band return one day.

“I don’t know, I hear rumors,” he says. “But I’m sure that they would love to, you know?”

Douglas says that despite the retirement, guitarist Joe Perry “is gonna keep rocking.” He notes that bassist Tom Hamilton’s already got a new band, Close Enemies, sharing, “I mean, these guys want to keep playing.”

Of course, an Aerosmith return would all depend on Tyler getting his voice back.

“There is no Aerosmith without Steven,” Douglas says. “So if Steven can sing, believe me, he’ll want to be out there.”

Meanwhile, Aerosmith marked the 50th anniversary of Toys in the Attic on social media, sharing a video featuring performance clips of various songs from the album, including the title track, “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion.”

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Jackson Browne is coming to New York in August.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced a four-night residency at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre, scheduled for Aug. 12, Aug. 13, Aug. 15 and Aug. 16.

A presale on Browne’s website begins Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday 10 a.m. ET.

Browne has also been announced as one of the headliners for the fourth edition of Jason Isbell’s ShoalsFest, taking place Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 at McFarland Park in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Browne will headline on Oct. 11, which will also feature a solo Isbell performance. The Oct. 12 show will be headlined by Isbell and his band The 400 Unit.

Other artists on the lineup include Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman, Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham.

Tickets for the festival go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time. More info can be found at shoalsfest.net.

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Metallica has announced a new film called Metallica Saved My Life, dedicated to the band’s legions of fans.

The doc “explores our world through the lives of fans who have supported each other through highs, lows, trials, and triumphs for over four decades,” the metal legends say.

“And yeah, we’re in it a little bit too,” they add.

Metallica Saved My Life, directed by prolific music video director Jonas Åkerlund, will be shown alongside stops on Metallica’s upcoming North American tour, launching April 19 in Syracuse, New York. Metallica notes that the film is “not quite finished yet, but we can’t wait for you to see it and let us know what you think.”

For all screening and ticket info, visit FathomEntertainment.com.

The official, finished version of Metallica Saved My Life is set to premiere later in 2025.

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Def Leppard fans have chosen their favorite song.

To coincide with March Madness, the band launched the On Through The Music Bracket Challenge, where 64 of their tracks went head-to-head in a fan vote until one was crowned the “greatest Def Leppard anthem of all time.”

After narrowing it down to two tracks, “Hysteria” and “Photograph,” a winner has been chosen.

“After weeks of fierce matchups, fan votes, and rock ‘n’ roll glory, one track stands tall,” the band shared on Instagram. “The people have spoken and Hysteria has been crowned as the winner.”

The fourth single and title track off Def Leppard’s fourth studio album, “Hysteria” peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Def Leppard’s first top-10 hit.

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The Eagles have added even more shows to their Las Vegas residency at the Sphere.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have added eight new shows in October and November, which will be their final Vegas concerts for 2025. The new dates are Oct. 3, Oct. 4, Oct. 10, Oct. 11, Oct. 31, Nov. 1, Nov. 7 and Nov. 8.

Registration is now open for a presale that kicks off April 15 at 10 a.m. local time, with tickets going on sale to the general public on April 18 at 10 a.m. local time.

The Eagles launched their Sphere residency in September 2024, and the new dates bring their total to 44 shows over 22 weekends.

The residency has them treating fans to a set filled with classic tunes including “Hotel California,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” “New Kid in Town,” “Take it to the Limit,” “Life’s Been Good,” “Take It Easy” and “Heartache Tonight.”

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On This Day, April 8, 1975…

Aerosmith released their breakthrough album, Toys in the Attic, which featured future Aerosmith classics “Walk This Way,” “Sweet Emotion” and the album’s title track.

The album was the band’s third studio release, and it peaked at #11 on the Billboard Albums chart, their highest charting album at that time.

Toys in the Attic went on to be certified nine-times Platinum by the RIAA.

“Walk This Way” was the second single from the album; it peaked at #10 on the chart in 1977 but saw renewed popularity when it was covered by Run-DMC for their 1986 album, Raising Hell. Aerosmith’s appearance on the cover helped the song hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first hip-hop single to reach the top five.

Both versions of the song have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

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