Classic Rock News

Journey and Lynyrd Skynyrd have returned to the Billboard Hot 100 after decadeslong absences.

According to Billboard, thanks to the July Fourth holiday, as well as the excitement of the World Cup, both artists have seen a chart resurgence.

Skynyrd’s classic track “Sweet Home Alabama” is at #31 this week, the first time the band’s been on the chart since 1978.

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” also saw a chart spike, landing at #35. The boost was likely thanks to not only the holiday, but because it was played at Lumen Field in Seattle during a World Cup match between the U.S. and Australia. The track, which originally peaked at #9 in 1981, marks the band’s first return to the Hot 100 since 1997.

Other songs returning to the Hot 100, likely due to the July Fourth holiday, include Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” at #36 and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” at #44, the latter making its first chart appearance in over 50 years.

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Iron Maiden is the latest artist to sell a stake in their catalog.

The band has signed a partnership with Pophouse, the Swedish company behind ABBA’s London hologram show, Voyage, and the same company that purchased KISS’ catalog in 2024. The deal has Pophouse acquiring a stake in Maiden’s music catalog, including master recordings and publishing rights, as well as rights to their brand name, image and likeness.

Iron Maiden’s co-manager Andy Taylor and Pophouse have actually been working together since last year, with the partnership resulting in the creation of the Infinite Dreams Museum Experience, which debuted at the band’s recent EddFest concert at Knebworth Park, U.K.

Future plans include a film of the band’s current Run For Your Lives World Tour. They also aim to bring the band’s mascot Eddie into the digital universe.

“I am very excited about our relationship with Pophouse and the ability we now have to pursue, facilitate, and finance our many plans and dreams quicker than we ever hoped,” says Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood. “The fans can be assured there is a great deal more to come for Maiden, and Eddie will rule, OK!!”

“Iron Maiden is a band whose remarkable longevity and rich catalogue open up countless creative possibilities,” Pophouse CEO Jessica Koravos adds. “With Pophouse’s partnership, the band now has the investment and creative firepower to keep evolving for decades to come.”

Iron Maiden, who will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November, is currently on their Run For Your Lives World Tour. It hits the U.S. starting Sept. 5 in Harrison, New Jersey. A complete list of dates can be found at IronMaiden.com.

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On This Day, July 14, 1982…

A movie based on Pink Floyd’s classic album The Wall opened at The Empire, Leicester Square in London, England. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason all attended the premiere, as did fellow musicians The Who’s Pete Townshend, Queen’s Roger Taylor, The Police’s Sting and Andy Summers, and more.

Directed by Alan Parker, with a screenplay by Waters, the film starred The Boomtown Rats’ Bob Geldof as a depressed rocker dealing with the pressures of stardom and more. In order to protect himself, he constructs both a physical and emotional wall around himself.

The movie didn’t premiere in the U.S. until that August; it went on to earn $22 million at the box office worldwide.

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Billy Joel recently sat down for an interview with YouTube personality Rick Beato, where they discussed songwriting, touching on such Joel hits as “Piano Man,” “Allentown” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

Discussing his first big hit, “Just the Way You Are,” Joel revealed that he almost didn’t put the song on his album The Stranger because he thought it was “too mushy.” He credits Linda Ronstadt for changing his mind, explaining that he played the song for her and Phoebe Snow in the studio.

“I said, ‘I don’t like this song that much.’ Linda Ronstadt goes, ‘Are you out of your mind? That’s a hit record. You got to put that on the album. That’s a great song,'” he said. “She talked me into it. So, I have to thank Linda Ronstadt for that song.”

Beato notes that in Joel’s HBO documentary And So It Goes, Paul McCartney said “Just the Way You Are” was one of the only songs he wished he had written. 

“That blew me away. He’s like the melodic king,” Joel said. “He can do no wrong with melody.”

Released in 1977, “Just the Way You Are” was Joel’s first top-10 hit in the U.S., peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It went on to win two Grammys, record of the year and song of the year.

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Guns N’ Roses are giving fans a chance to win a VIP experience to one of their upcoming shows, while also raising money to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The “Welcome to the Jungle” rockers have just launched a new sweepstakes offering two premium tickets to their show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Sept. 5, along with roundtrip airfare and a three-night hotel stay for two.

The package also comes with VIP riser access in the pit, a behind-the-scenes tour of the production, an onstage group photo, limited-edition VIP merch and more.

The sweepstakes is being hosted by the platform Fandiem. Fans can enter by making a donation that will go to support the national fundraising campaign for AFSP. Those who donate $150 or more will receive a free Guns N’ Roses hoodie.

“We are grateful to Guns N’ Roses and Fandiem for their extraordinary support and for using their platform to champion the mission of our organization,” AFSP Chief Executive Officer Bob Gebbia said in a statement. “Music has a unique ability to reduce stigma and start conversations that save lives, and by bringing a message of hope directly to fans during their 2026 World Tour, the band is helping us reach more people with vital resources and the knowledge that they are not alone.”

The sweepstakes is now open and will run until Aug. 21. More info can be found at Fandiem.com.

Guns N’ Roses’ North American tour kicks off July 23 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and runs through Sept. 19 in Atlanta. A complete list of show dates can be found at GunsNRoses.com.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide — call or text the national lifeline at 988.

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Looks like The Rolling Stones may nab another #1 in the U.K.

According to the U.K. Official Chart, the band’s latest album, Foreign Tongues, is currently the front-runner to top the U.K. Official Albums Chart.

If the album does indeed wind up on top, it will be The Stones’ 15th U.K. #1 album.

The Stones last topped the U.K. albums chart in 2023 with their Grammy-winning record Hackney Diamonds.
They earned their first #1 in 1964 with their self-titled debut.

Foreign Tongues, produced by Andrew Watt, is The Rolling Stones’ 25th studio album. It features guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, The Cure’s Robert Smith and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.

It also features an appearance by the band’s late drummer, Charlie Watts, taken from one of his final recording sessions before his death in 2021.

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Alice Cooper has announced dates for a fall leg of his Alice’s Attic tour.

The new leg kicks off Sept. 17 in Louisville, Kentucky, and hits cities in Massachusetts, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California and more. It also includes three Canadian dates before wrapping Nov. 21 in Reno, Nevada.

A presale for tickets begins Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

The first leg of the Alice’s Attic tour launched in April and wrapped in May. Cooper will next head overseas for a U.K. tour with The Hollywood Vampires, starting Aug. 12 in London.

Outside of touring, Cooper has several projects set for release in 2026.

The Studio Albums 1975-1978, a new box set featuring Cooper’s first four solo albums, plus a selection of bonus rarities, is due to drop July 31. He’s also releasing the memoir Devil on My Shoulder on Oct. 6, and will head out on a U.K. book tour starting Oct. 11 in Cardiff, Wales.

A complete list of tour dates can be found at AliceCooper.com.

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Bon Jovi broke out two classic ballads on the third night of their nine-show Forever Tour stand at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

According to setlist.fm, halfway into the concert the New Jersey rockers performed the Keep the Faith track “Bed of Roses,” marking the tour debut for the song. It is also the first time they performed the track live since 2019.

But that wasn’t the only tour debut of the night. For the final song of the evening, the band performed the Cross Roads ballad “Always,” a song they also haven’t performed since 2019.

The rest of the 22-song set was filled with plenty of Bon Jovi classics, including “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “I’ll Be There for You,” “Wanted Dead or Alive” and “Bad Medicine.”

Meanwhile, night two of the Forever Tour on Thursday had one very special A-list guest in the audience. The Beatles’ Paul McCartney took in the show and later posed with the band for a photo; the band posted the photo with the caption, “Did this really happen??? Yes, it did.”

Bon Jovi returns to MSG on Tuesday, with the run concluding June 26. They then head to the U.K. for shows in Scotland, Dublin and London. A complete list of dates can be found at BonJovi.com.

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The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger is reflecting on getting older in a new interview with The New York Times.

When asked about how it feels to be getting older, the 82-year-old rock legend simply replied, “there’s nothing good about it.”

When the interviewer suggested that wisdom is a benefit of aging, Jagger shot that down.

“I forgot all my wisdom. I might have had a couple of pearls drop, but I’ve already forgotten what they are,” he said with a laugh. “So, no, it’s not particularly pleasant.”

“You can’t do things as quickly as you want to,” he continued. “Physically you’ve got to be more careful. You know, when you’re playing football, they put you in goal a lot. I’m not very good at it!”

Jagger also touched upon the future of The Stones on the road, saying that he hopes another world-spanning tour will happen. “I’m up for doing it,” he said.

Mick added that he doesn’t think he’ll ever know when he’s played his last Stones show.

“Maybe I have! I could get run over by a bus outside of my house. You never really know, do you?” he explained. “You don’t know what’s going to happen to you in life. But I personally hope to be able to tour. I like going places. I like meeting people. I like to go to weird countries to do shows.”

Mick’s interview coincides with the release of The Rolling Stones’ new album, Foreign Tongues, which is out now. The band released visualizer videos for each track, shot in different locations around the world. The videos are now available on The Stones’ YouTube channel.

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On This Day, July 13, 1985…

The star-studded Live Aid charity concerts were held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.

Organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the concerts featured performances by Queen, David Bowie, U2, Sting, The Who, Elton John, Paul McCartney and many others in London, while the Philadelphia lineup included Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Mick Jagger and a Led Zeppelin reunion.

Phil Collins performed at both venues, flying aboard the Concorde from London to Philadelphia, and traveling to and from each stadium by helicopter.

Together, the concerts raised money for African famine relief. They were broadcast around the world to an estimated audience of more than 1 billion people across 150 nations.

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