David Byrne releases reworked take on ‘Who Is the Sky?’ track ‘What Is the Reason For It?’

April 29, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

David Byrne has released a new version of the track “What Is the Reason For It?” from his latest solo album, Who Is the Sky?

The original song featured Paramore’s Hayley Williams, but the new take, retitled “¿Cuál Es La Razón?,” features Grammy Award-winning Mexican singer Natalia Lafourcade in her place.

A press release describes the new version as “a vocal and brass-led remix, drawing inspiration from David’s experiences in Mexico City and the enduring mysteries of love.”

“¿Cuál Es La Razón?,” produced by Mexican Institute Of Sound, is now available via digital outlets.

The release coincides with Byrne announcing that he’ll bring his Who Is The Sky? tour to Mexico for a trio of shows: Sept. 4 in Mexico City, Sept. 8 in Guadalajara and Sept. 10 in Monterrey.

In other Byrne news, the rocker’s new book, Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up, will be released Oct. 6. It’s described as “a brilliant and inspiring reckoning with how breakthroughs across the arts and sciences get forgotten, and how they get rediscovered.”

Byrne is currently on the latest North American leg of his Who Is The Sky? tour. He’ll wrap a two-night stand in St. Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday. The tour hits Europe and the U.K. this summer, with additional stops in Thailand, Japan and South Korea before returning to the U.S. The tour is set to wrap Sept. 19 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York.

A complete list of dates can be found at DavidByrne.com.

The Police’s Stewart Copeland adds more dates to his North American spoken word tour

April 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Police drummer Stewart Copeland has added more shows to his Have I Said Too Much – The Police, Hollywood, and Other Adventures spoken word tour.

The trek, Copeland’s first North American spoken word tour, was initially supposed to hit 34 cities this summer, but has been extended into the fall and will now visit 53 cities.

The new dates begin Oct. 28 in Thousand Oaks, California, with stops including Tucson, Arizona; Boulder and Denver, Colorado; Omaha, Nebraska; Detroit; and Homer and Bethel, New York. The tour will wrap Nov. 22 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The show is described as an evening of conversation with Copeland. It will include photos and videos, along with a Q&A.

An artist presale for the new dates begins Thursday at 10 a.m. local time, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

Have I Said Too Much – The Police, Hollywood, and Other Adventures launches June 3 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at StewartCopeland.net.

Europe to release first new album in nine years, ‘Come This Madness’

April 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Europe is getting ready to release their first new album in nine years.

The Swedish rockers, best known for their 1986 hit “The Final Countdown,” have announced that their 12th studio album, Come This Madness, will be released Sept. 25. They are previewing the record with the new single “One on One.”

“‘One On One’ is definitely one of my favorite tracks from the album,” says Europe’s founding member and frontman Joey Tempest. “The power and feel is fresh, but some of the melodies bring me back to where it all began.”

“Lyrically, it’s perhaps not filled with as much escapism as early Europe. These lyrics automatically ended up being more of a reflection of the times we live in today,” he adds. “Ever since ‘One On One’ was just a demo, we’ve stayed with it … never gave up on it, and elevated it to a place where it belongs: a high-flying, classic hard rock track.”

The “One on One” release is accompanied by a new video, featuring Fargo actor Peter Stormare.

Come This Madness, Europe’s first album since 2017’s Walk the Earth, features guest appearances by Ghost’s Tobias Forge and Opeth’s Michael Åkerfeldt. It will be released digitally, and on CD and vinyl, and is available for preorder now.

Loverboy’s Mike Reno and Paul Dean to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

April 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Loverboy’s Mike Reno and Paul Dean are among this year’s inductees into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The pair, known for writing such songs as “Working for the Weekend” and “Turn Me Loose,” will be celebrated at a ceremony taking place at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Sept. 26.

“We set out to write songs that made people feel something right away, that energy, that release, that connection,” Reno and Dean said in a statement. “To have that songwriting recognized all these years later, and to know the songs are still out there doing their job, means everything to us.”

This year’s other Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees include Tragically Hip, Feist and Roch Voisine.

“The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame exists to honour the songwriters whose work has shaped our culture and defined how Canadian music is heard at home and around the world,” said Nick Fedor, executive director of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. “This year’s inductees represent that standard at the highest level. These are writers whose songs have endured, traveled, and become part of the country’s shared experience. They did not follow a template; they defined one.”

He added, “Their induction recognizes a body of work that continues to resonate across generations and audiences.”

Tickets for the induction ceremony go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m ET.

‘Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live’ to debut in May

April 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

The Recording Academy is honoring Rod Stewart with his very own concert special.

Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live will feature taped performances from Stewart’s One Last Time Tour concerts that took place in Miami, Florida, in February. In addition to the concert performances, the special will feature archival footage of Stewart, along with a behind-the-scenes look at his show.

Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live, named after Rod’s 1988 hit song, will air May 19 on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

Rod Stewart launched his One Last Time Tour in 2024 and still has shows booked through August. Next up, he’ll kick off a new set of Las Vegas residency dates at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on May 27. A complete list of dates can be found at RodStewart.com.

Bruce Springsteen to receive the Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award at Tribeca Festival

April 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Bruce Springsteen is set to be celebrated at the 2026 Tribeca Festival in June.

The Boss will be honored with the 2026 Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award, named after the late singer, actor and civil rights activist. The award “recognizes artists who don’t just speak out, but actively use their platform to advance equality, dignity, and human rights.”

“There are few figures who embody the spirit of Tribeca’s Harry Belafonte Award more fully than Bruce Springsteen,” said Jane Rosenthal, Tribeca Festival co-founder and co-chair.

The event, taking place June 13 at the OKX Theatre at BMCC in Manhattan, will include a conversation between the New Jersey rocker and U2 frontman Bono, with Robert De Niro and singer Patti Smith also on hand to celebrate Springsteen.

The 2026 Tribeca Festival runs from June 3 to June 14. Tickets are on sale now.

Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon among ‘New York Times” 30 greatest living American songwriters

April 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon are among the artists recognized on The New York Times Magazine’s new list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters.

According to the mag, the list was based on feedback from more than 250 music insiders and six New York Times critics, noting that in making their picks, they decided to focus on “contemporary practitioners working in the ever-evolving tradition of the great American songbook.”

The mag describes Simon as “musically voracious, an almost obscenely gifted crafter of melodies and chord progressions and — surprisingly, perhaps — a beatmaster supreme, forever seeking new ways to syncopate his songs.”

For Dylan, they debate the idea as some have suggested that he’s the “greatest songwriter of them all,” but note that he’s “pushed back the horizons of popular music, expanding the limits of what a song could say and how it could say.”

When it comes to Springsteen, the mag points out how he’s “continued to believe in songwriting as a tool to hold his bruised, beloved country accountable.” It adds, “He takes seriously his self-appointed role as America’s conscience, its cultural ambassador and its chief firefighter, and he knows that these jobs are never done.”

Other songwriters making the list include Carole King, Lionel Richie, Diane Warren, Smokey Robinson, Nile Rodgers, Lana Del Rey, Fiona Apple, Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Taylor Swift.

Metallica announces deluxe ’Reload’ reissue

April 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Metallica has announced a deluxe reissue of the band’s 1997 album, Reload.

The set will arrive in multiple formats on June 26, including a deluxe box set featuring Reload remastered on two vinyl LPs, the Ministry of Sound ’97 live album on three LPs, a 7-inch “The Memory Remains” single and 15 CDs collecting “never-before-released collections of riffs, demos & rough mixes, B-sides & rarities, and a wealth of live material.”

Also included in the box set are four DVDs featuring live and in-studio footage, as well as various memorabilia, such as posters, stickers, lyric sheets and a 128-page photo book.

You can watch footage of an included 1997 Philadelphia live performance of “The Memory Remains” now streaming on YouTube.

Reload, which followed 1996’s similarly titled Load, marked Metallica’s seventh studio album and their last with bassist Jason Newsted. It spawned singles in the aforementioned “The Memory Remains,” which featured English singer and actress Marianne Faithfull, as well as “Fuel” and “The Unforgiven II.”

For more info on the reissue, visit Metallica.com.

One-of-a-kind experiences from Rush, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and more part of new Rock N’ Relief initiative

April 28, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

Rush, AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams are among the first artists donating one-of-a-kind experiences for fans to raise money to help other artists.

The experiences are part Rock N’ Relief, an initiative launched by Sweet Relief Musicians Fund in partnership with Fandiem to support Sweet Relief’s efforts to provide services and financial assistance to musicians and industry professionals in need.

Packages include trips to see Rush live at New York’s Madison Square Garden; Bryan Adams’ acoustic residency in Las Vegas; Bon Jovi’s Forever tour kickoff at Madison Square Garden; and AC/DC at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

There are also trips to see Foo Fighters at their sold-out stadium show in Paris; Iron Maiden at their 50th anniversary Eddfest in Knebworth, England; and ZZ Top at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

All trips include roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations, plus other goodies.

“We’re excited to partner with our pals at Fandiem to highlight the story and work of Sweet Relief and bring fans the opportunity to see their favorite bands live and in style!” says Aric Steinberg, executive director of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.

“This is what rock is all about, fans showing up for the people behind the music,” Jared Heiman, CEO of Fandiem, adds. “Rock N’ Relief gives fans the chance to win truly one-of-a-kind experiences while helping support the artists, crews, and music community that make it all possible.”

More information can be found at fandiem.com.

Jon Anderson’s debut solo album getting audio upgrade

April 27, 2026 by Classic Rock 93.9

The 50th anniversary of former Yes frontman Jon Anderson’s solo debut, Olias of Sunhillow, will be celebrated with an audiophile vinyl reissue from Mobile Fidelity.

The original, released July 9, 1976, was recorded while Yes was on a break. It was self-produced by Anderson, who played all the instruments on the record. It was a concept album, following four tribes of an alien race in search of a new planet after a volcanic eruption threatens their home.

“The evolution of the idea took me on an everlasting mission, driving me a bit crazy but nonetheless a satisfying experience which has stood the test of time,” says Anderson, who adds that he hopes fans “enjoy the journey!”

The Olias of Sunhillow reissue will be limited to 2,000 numbered copies. The audiophile vinyl is only the second domestic vinyl version of the album since its original 1976 release. It is available for preorder now.

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