Classic Rock News

Def Leppard is headed to Las Vegas for a brand new residency starting in 2026.

Def Leppard: Live at Caesars Palace The Las Vegas Residency consists of 12 shows, happening Feb. 3 to 28 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The shows will mark the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ third Vegas residency, after headlining sold out residencies in 2019 and 2013.

“Las Vegas has always been such a main attraction for Def Leppard. There’s no place on earth where you can have the likes of Adele, U2 and the Eagles all playing sold out shows on the same night!, Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott shares. “We’re really looking forward to coming back for our third Vegas residency and to do a run at the iconic Colosseum at Caesars Palace is such an honor given the giants that have blessed that stage!”

A Def Leppard fan club presale, as well as a Citi presale, kicks off Tuesday at 10 a.m. PT, with tickets going on sale to the general public starting Friday at 10 a.m. PT.

Def Leppard is currently on a summer tour, which hits Saratoga Springs, New York, on Tuesday. A complete list of dates can be found at DefLeppard.com.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Billy Joel sits down for a chat with Bill Maher on the latest episode of the comedian’s Club Random podcast, premiering Monday.

The interview took place in Florida, with Maher chatting with the rock star about his career in what’s being described as an “unfiltered conversation.”

“So excited about our first-ever Club Random on the road,” Maher wrote on Instagram, next to a preview of the episode. “[W]ent to Boca to talk to someone I’d literally have gone anywhere in the world for, Florida Man Billy Joel!!”

The appearance coincides with the recent release of part one of the HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So it Goes.

“This documentary made me realize that so many songs of yours that I’ve been listening to for so long and appreciate the lyrics on one level, because they are universal, and then this put color to this black-and-white drawing of your life that I had had,” Maher tells Billy in the clip. “Because so many songs are very literal as to what was going on in your life.”

Joel sits at the piano for the conversation and occasionally plays for Maher, with the clip showing them chatting about songs like “Only the Good Die Young,” “My Life” and “She’s Always a Woman.” 

Part one of Billy Joel: And So It Goes premiered Friday on HBO; part two is set to debut on July 25. Both parts will be available on HBO Max.

Maher’s Club Random podcast can be found on YouTube, Apple, Spotify and other podcast providers.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Van Halen has released a newly remastered version of the track “Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)” from the upcoming 30th anniversary expanded reissue of their 10th studio album, Balance.

In a post on Instagram, Sammy Hagar, who was the frontman on Balance, noted, “I love this song so much that I’m afraid to play it live!”

In addition to the remastered song, the video for the track has been remastered in HD.

Balance (Expanded Edition) will be released Aug. 15 as a two-LP/two-CD/Blu-Ray set featuring a remastered edition of the original album, along with audio and video rarities, as well as eight live performances from the band’s 1995 show at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The Blu-ray will include restored promo videos, along with a previously unreleased live clip of “The Seventh Seal” shot in Minneapolis in 1995.

Balance (Expanded Edition) is available for preorder now.

Released in January 1995, Balance was the band’s last studio album with Hagar and the last to feature bassist Michael Anthony. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jeff Lynne has given fans an update following the cancellation of the last two shows of ELO’s tour, including their BST Hyde Park show in London on July 13, which was supposed to be the band’s last ever show.

“I am now at home recuperating,” Lynne writes on Instagram. “I was absolutely gutted to have to cancel the final two shows.”

He adds, “I send my heartfelt thanks to all of the fans as well as my band and crew for all their support and love.”

Lynne initially canceled the band’s Manchester show due to illness, before pulling the plug on the London concert, explaining he was “battling a systemic infection,” and doctors had advised him that he shouldn’t perform.

Jeff Lynne’s ELO announced back in March 2024 that they would be heading out on their final tour, dubbed The Over and Out Tour. In October of that year they announced that the BST Hyde Park show would be their last ever concert. At the time he said that London seemed “like the perfect place to do our final show.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Roger Waters has shared another performance clip ahead of the upcoming theatrical release of his concert film, This Is Not a Drill – Live from Prague the Movie.

The latest is a performance of the Pink Floyd track “Have a Cigar,” which appeared on the band’s 1975 album, Wish You Were Here.

This Is Not a Drill – Live from Prague the Movie was recorded during Waters’ May 25, 2023, show at O2 Arena in the Czech Republic. The concert was part of Waters’ “first ever Farewell Tour” and featured performances of several Pink Floyd tunes, as well as his solo material.

The film is coming to theaters on July 23 and July 27, with tickets on sale now at RogerWaters.film.

In addition to the theatrical release, music from the film will be released on Aug. 1 in a variety of formats: four-LP, two-CD, DVD, Blu-Ray and digital audio. It is available for preorder now.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020, it became common for musicians of different bands to collaborate with each other virtually on covers. One such example was Alice in Chains‘ William DuVall, Mastodon‘s Bill Kelliher, Anthrax‘s Charlie Benante and Mark Menghi of the band Metal Allegiance linking up to put their spin on the Soundgarden song “Rusty Cage.”

Five years later, the makeshift outfit has officially released the “Rusty Cage” cover under the moniker King Ultramega, which references the titles of the Soundgarden albums Ultramega OK and King Animal.

The King Ultramega project aims to pay tribute to late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell while also raising funds for the Recording Academy’s charitable organization MusiCares.

“My reason for participating was simply taking on an interesting challenge when so much of the world was shut down,” DuVall says. “I had no thoughts or ambitions for this beyond our posting it on social media five years ago. But if this release can help further the good work done by MusiCares, then I’m all for it.”

There will also be future King Ultramega releases featuring different artists, including Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil.

“I’m super honored to record alongside all the amazing musicians appearing on the King Ultramega project,” Thayil says. “I’m equally proud that it celebrates Soundgarden in this tribute to the songwriting of Chris. Ultra-admirably, everyone’s participation is supporting the work of the MusiCares Foundation.”

King Ultramega also celebrates the induction of Soundgarden into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of its 2025 class.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Elton John has landed a new chart milestone in the U.K.

The rocker’s greatest hits compilation Diamonds has now spent 400 weeks on the U.K.’s Official Albums chart, his first album ever to spend that length of time on the chart.

“He’s still standing!” the Official Charts announced on social media, a reference to Elton’s 1983 hit song “I’m Still Standing.”

Released in November 2017, Diamonds was Elton’s first career-spanning compilation, featuring hits from 1970 to 2016. The album hit #1 in the U.K. in January 2025, 374 weeks after it was released, due to a limited-edition release. It was Elton’s ninth #1 on the U.K. chart.

In the U.S., Diamonds was a top-10 hit, peaking at #7 on the Billboard 200.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Paul Simon broke out a classic tune at his Wednesday night concert in Los Angeles, but he had to be bribed to do so.

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was playing the final night of a five-night stand at Disney Hall when, according to a fan post on social media, an audience member yelled out a request to play the 1973 tune “Kodachrome,” from his third studio album, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon.

The caption of the post notes that Simon said he didn’t take requests, but joked he’d do it for $20 — so the fan paid up.

The video that accompanied the Instagram post shows Simon getting up out of his seat to get the money and then pocketing the cash. He performed an abridged version of the song, which he hadn’t played since 2019, according to setlist.fm. 

Simon is currently on his A Quiet Celebration tour, which launched in April. He kicks off a three-night stand at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall on Saturday. A complete list of dates can be found at PaulSimon.com.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Back to the Beginning is headed to the big screen.

The epic concert, which was headlined by the final live performances from the original Black Sabbath lineup and Ozzy Osbourne, will screen in theaters in early 2026.

“The film promises a deeply personal and electrifying farewell from the godfather of heavy metal with exclusive behind-the-scenes access and interviews from this iconic live performance,” says production company Mercury Studios.

Back to the Beginning took place July 5 in Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham, England. The lineup for the sold-out event, which also streamed online, included Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon and Rival Sons.

Additionally, the day included a number of onstage collaborations put together by musical director Tom Morello, featuring Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Disturbed‘s David Draiman, Halestom’s Lzzy Hale, Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler, blink-182‘s Travis Barker, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool‘s Adam Jones and Danny Carey, Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, Ghost‘s Papa V Perpetua and Yungblud.

The night ended with Ozzy performing five solo tracks — “I Don’t Know,” “Mr. Crowley,” “Suicide Solution,” “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “Crazy Train” — before being joined by Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward to play the Sabbath songs “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.,” “Iron Man” and “Paranoid.”

Ozzy, who’s battled a number of health issues in recent years, sang while seated on a throne.

In related news, Yungblud has officially released his Back to the Beginning performance of Sabbath’s “Changes” on streaming platforms.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.) 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Billy Joel’s daughter Alexa Ray Joel is making a case for why fans should check out his new HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes.

Alexa said on Instagram that she got to watch the doc ahead of its debut, writing, “Without giving anything away, lemme just tell you… it’s astounding. What an emotional whirlwind to delve into both parts 1 & 2 over the last few nights with My Mother,” referring to Billy’s second wife, model Christie Brinkley.

“This is a fearlessly raw, reeling, and shockingly intimate portrait of My Father,” she adds. “The deeply layered narrative insights into Dad’s richly-textured history left me stunned. (And here I thought I knew everything there was to know about him.) You don’t know ‘til you watch this!”

Giving the doc a five-star “rave review,” Alexa notes, “If you’re interested in the full story behind My Father’s complex background, lineage, and personal life… not to mention, his timeless musical perspective and artistry: this is a must-watch. Don’t miss it.”

Part one of Billy Joel: And So It Goes debuts Friday on HBO, with part two debuting July 25. Both will be available to stream at the same time on HBO Max.

In other Billy Joel news, a new photo booth inspired by the “Piano Man” singer is coming to New York’s Grand Central Terminal. Described as a “one-of-a-kind photo booth experience,” the Billy Joel New York State of Mind photo booth will be available on Friday and Saturday by Grand Central’s Graybar Passage from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.