Classic Rock News

Soundgarden was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during Saturday’s ceremony in Los Angeles.

Guitarist Kim Thayil, drummer Matt Cameron, and bassists Ben Shepherd and Hiro Yamamoto were on hand to accept the honor on behalf of the band and late frontman Chris Cornell, who died in 2017.

Actor Jim Carrey did the honors of enshrining the grunge titans, noting that they were the musical guest when he hosted Saturday Night Live back in 1996.

“Tonight, we make sure that [Soundgarden] go down in history as one of the most majestic, powerful and influential bands ever to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Carrey declared. “Long live Chris Cornell, and long live Soundgarden!”

Following Carrey’s speech, Cornell’s eldest daughter, Lily Cornell, introduced Soundgarden’s two-song performance. It began with a rendition of “Rusty Cage” with Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless on lead vocals and Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready alongside Thayil, Shepherd and Cameron.

They then launched into “Black Hole Sun” with vocals by Momsen and Americana artist Brandi Carlile, plus Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains on guitar and Yamamoto, Soundgarden’s original bassist.

In their acceptance speeches, the Soundgarden members paid tribute to Cornell, who Cameron called “my hero.”

“I miss him, I love him,” Thayil said of Cornell. “And I love all of my Soundgarden brothers.”

Cornell’s daughter Toni Cornell then delivered a performance of Soundgarden’s “Fell on Black Days” while accompanied by Nancy Wilson of Heart, who Cornell had inducted in 2013.

Highlights from the 2025 Rock Hall induction ceremony will air Jan. 1 on ABC.

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Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil plays on a new version of the band’s song “The Day I Tried to Live,” recorded for the King Ultramega project.

Spearheaded by Mark Menghi of Metal Allegiance, King Ultramega aims to pay tribute to late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who died in 2017. Along with Thayil, the King Ultramega version of “The Day I Tried to Live” features Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz.

“I believe that the personal exploration that came out of my accepting the invitation from Mark, and King Ultramega, to participate in these recordings, allowed me to open myself up to the creative risks of sharing an emotive and artistically intimate experience with other creative individuals, and that this has proved to be rewarding and encouraging, for me, of future similar collaborations,” Thayil says.

King Ultramega has previously released a cover of Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage” featuring Benante, Alice in Chains‘ William DuVall and Mastodon‘s Bill Kelliher.

Soundgarden, meanwhile, will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday.

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Queen has released the second episode in their ongoing five-part video series, Queen The Greatest Special, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of their 1975 album A Night at the Opera and its single “Bohemian Rhapsody.” 

In the latest installment, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor describe how the first three Queen albums, 1973’s self-titled debut, and 1974’s Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack, set the stage for the experimentation on A Night at the Opera and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“We go complex again [on A Night at the Opera],” May says. “You know, let’s pursue our dreams a bit further. We’ve done Sheer Heart Attack, it’s done quite well. But really, our heart is in chiseling out these unusual places.”

Queen The Greatest Special is now streaming on YouTube.

A 50th anniversary vinyl reissue of A Night at the Opera was released in October.

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Rod Stewart is extending his One Last Time tour with new dates in 2026.

The newly added shows kick off March 13, in Uncasville, Connecticut, and include stops in Houston, Phoenix, Cincinnati, Hollywood and more, before concluding in Kansas City on Aug. 15.

Howard Jones and Richard Marx will join Rod on the trek for select dates.

An artist presale begins Monday at 10 a.m. local time, with additional presales running throughout the week. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com.

In between the tour, Rod will also be returning to Las Vegas for another round of his residency, The Encore Shows. He has dates mapped out from May 27 through June 6.

His One Last Time world tour initially kicked off in 2024, with shows throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America.

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Alice in Chains has announced a deluxe reissue of their 1995 self-titled album in honor of its 30th anniversary.

The package includes the original record across two vinyl LPs, plus three 7-inch singles, posters, art prints and a hardcover cover book, among other memorabilia. 

You can preorder your copy now via the Alice in Chains web store.

The album Alice in Chains is certified double-Platinum by the RIAA and spawned the singles “Grind,” “Heaven Beside You” and “Again.” It marks the band’s final studio effort with frontman Layne Staley, who died in 2002.

Alice in Chains reformed in 2005 with new vocalist William DuVall.

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The late Brian Wilson‘s performance of the Beach Boys classic “God Only Knows” from his Live at the Roxy Theatre live album now has a lyric video.

Live at the Roxy Theatre was recorded over two nights at the famed West Hollywood venue in April 2000. The set is now being reissued in honor of its 25th anniversary.

You can watch the new “God Only Knows” lyric video on YouTube.

The Live at the Roxy Theatre reissue, which was released Friday, includes the original track list, plus never-before-heard performances and tour recordings from between 2000 and 2009.

Wilson died in June at age 82.

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Elton John is among the nominees for the 2026 Grammys.

The Rocket Man’s collaboration with Brandi Carlile, “Never Too Late,” recorded for his documentary of the same name, is up for best song written for visual media. The pair’s collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels?, is nominated in the best traditional pop vocal album category.

Other Grammy nominees include the Devo documentary Devo for best music film and Joni Mitchell‘s Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980) for best historical album.

The 2026 Grammys will air Feb. 1 on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

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Carlos Santana has teamed up with Mexican musician Carín León for a new song called “Velas.”

“This song is about something that both God and humans love; it’s called romance,” Santana says. “Romance is a bridge between humans and God. We all pray for something, to God or the universe.”

“What I hope people will feel when they hear this song is that they want to give each other a hug,” he adds. “There’s so much negativity in the world right now that we need a hug of light.”

You can watch the “Velas” video, which features both Santana and León, on YouTube.

Santana will resume his Las Vegas residence on Saturday. The 2025 leg concludes Nov. 16; a 2026 leg kicks off in January.

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KISS has announced a reissue of their famed 1975 Alive! live album in honor of its 50th anniversary.

The super-deluxe edition boasts eight vinyl LPs featuring the original record remastered, rehearsal tracks, and bonus live recordings from 1975 shows in Davenport, Iowa; Wildwood, New Jersey; and Cleveland.

The package also includes various memorabilia, such as tour poster and programs, photos and ticket stubs.

Preorders are currently open exclusively to members of the KISS Army fan club. For more info, visit KISS’ web store.

After developing a cult following with their first three records, Alive! helped KISS truly break into the mainstream. The album turned “Rock and Roll All Nite” into KISS’ signature hit, and also introduced songs including “Strutter” and “Black Diamond” to wider audiences.

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On This Day, Nov. 7, 1987 …

Bruce Springsteen topped the Billboard 200 chart with Tunnel of Love, his eighth studio album.

The album was inspired by changes in Springsteen’s personal life, as his marriage to actress Julianne Phillips was in trouble. Phillips would file for divorce in August 1988.

Springsteen recorded most of the album by himself, although some members of the E Street Band appeared on songs. It is not considered to be a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band release.

Singles released from the album include “Brilliant Disguise,” which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the title track, which went to #9.

Tunnel of Love would go on to be certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.

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