Classic Rock News

The Beatles may have broken up in 1970, but the band continues to live on and 2025 was no exception.

-Fans of the band got a new look at their 1990s Anthology project with reissues of the documentary series, music and book.

-Disney+ debuted a restored and remastered version of the Anthology documentary series, which aired on ABC in 1995, with the eight-part series expanded to nine episodes. In addition, the music was reissued as The Anthology Collection, a box set featuring the first three Anthology albums, along with a new fourth edition, featuring 13 previously unreleased recordings. Anthology 4 was also released as a standalone.

-A 25th anniversary edition of The Beatles Anthology book, featuring more than 1,300 photos, documents, artwork and memorabilia, was also released.

-This year also brought casting news for Sam Mendes‘ four Beatles films, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, due out in April 2028. The project, in which each film will be told from the point of view of a different band member, will star Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. 

Among this year’s other Beatles highlights:

-Ringo released a new country album, Look Up, and as part of the promotion for his Grand Ole Opry debut. He also headlined two nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, joined by some famous friends, with the shows turned into a special that aired on CBS.

-The Beatles won another Grammy, taking home best rock performance for “Now and Then.” In addition, Lennon’s son Sean Ono Lennon won the Grammy for best boxed or special limited edition package for his work on the reissue of his late father’s Mind Games album.

-McCartney surprised fans in New York City by headlining three shows at the 575-person-capacity Bowery Ballroom. The shows were a lead-up to his performance on the SNL 50 anniversary special.

-A new documentary about Lennon and wife Yoko Ono, One to One: John & Yoko, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald, opened in theaters in April.

-Original Beatles drummer Pete Best announced his retirement from music.

-The Lennon documentary Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade, from director Alan G. Parker, debuted in London in May. The film eventually opened in the U.S. in December.

-McCartney returned to the stage in the band’s hometown of Liverpool, joining Bruce Springsteen for The Boss’ show at Anfield Stadium. They played two songs together, The Beatles’ classic “Can’t Buy Me Love” and a cover of the Leiber & Stoller tune “Kansas City,” which The Beatles recorded in 1964.

-McCartney brought his Got Back tour back to North America in September, starting with a warm-up show in Santa Barbara, California, before officially kicking things off in Palm Desert, California.

-A new box set celebrating John and Yoko’s activism, Power to the People (Super Deluxe Edition), produced by  Sean Ono Lennon, was released to coincide with what would have been John’s 85th birthday. It featured 123 tracks, 90 of which had either never been heard before or were previously unreleased.

-McCartney released a new book, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, dedicated to his post-Beatles career in Wings. A new documentary focusing on that time period, Man on the Run, was acquired by Amazon MGM and will debut on Prime Video Feb. 25, 2026. It is also expected to be released in select theaters.

-The BBC announced it had picked up a new drama series, Hamburg Days, which will focus on The Beatles’ early days as a band. The six-part series is based on the autobiography by German artist, musician and longtime Beatles pal Klaus Voormann.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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Along with decking the halls, you can also Duff the halls this Christmas Eve.

Duff McKagan has announced a stream of his Lighthouse: Live from London concert film, premiering on his YouTube channel at noon ET on Dec. 24.

Lighthouse: Live from London captures the Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver bassist’s 2024 show in the English capital while touring behind his 2023 solo album, Lighthouse. It was released as a live album in October.

McKagan will be back rocking with GN’R on their upcoming world tour, which launches in the U.S. in May. The “Welcome to the Jungle” rockers also just put out a pair of new songs, “Nothin'” and “Atlas,” earlier in December, marking their first fresh material in two years.

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Former KISS drummer Peter Criss is responding to reports that it will cost fans $1,000 to download a digital copy of his recently released self-titled solo album.

The reports surfaced after Criss’ Bandcamp page listed not only the physical copies of the album, but a digital link at a cost of $1,000 with the note, “Digital purchases are discouraged, That’s why the high price.”

But now in a post on Instagram, Criss is saying the issue lies with Bandcamp and he is not charging such a big pricetag for the download.

“Bandcamp had become an issue and I had requested Flatiron Recordings to disable the account associated with my records before the release day of my New record on December 19, 2025,” he wrote. “I am not in control of the Bandcamp account. Flatiron Recordings is. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and for the misinformation and implication that I am charging $1,000 for a download of my New record – I am Not.”

He then suggested fans “find another outlet to purchase” the album, sharing a linktree on his website for locations to purchase it.

Peter Criss is the first solo album from the rocker since 2007’s One For All.  

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James Taylor is sharing his 2026 tour plans with fans.

In a video posted on Instagram from a snowy New England, Taylor reveals that he will be hitting the road next year, giving fans an overview of where he’ll be playing.

“It’s a wintery scene here in New England, and a beautiful day, but a cold one,” he says in the video. “We’re thinking about the spring. We’re thinking about going on the road,” noting that they’ll be out west in California and Nevada in April.

“Then we’re gonna work our way back east and in June we’ll play a bunch of east coast gigs ending here in Western Massachusetts, at Tanglewood,” he adds, referring to his already announced shows July 3 and 4 at the Lenox, Massachusetts, venue.

But Taylor’s not just bringing his show to the U.S.

“Then we’re gonna hop across the pond and play in Europe again, which I’m really anxious to, eager to do,” he says, noting that he’ll be playing in Ireland, Scotland, England and Amsterdam.

“It’s gonna be a great spring and summer of touring for us and I’m really looking forward to getting back together,” he concludes the post. “Come out and see us.”
 

The post notes that exact tour dates will be announced in January.

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Sean Ono Lennon, the only son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, is concerned that younger generations may one day not know about his father or The Beatles.

During an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, Sean talked about taking over from his mother as the keeper of his father’s legacy, and explained why he feels it’s important.

Sean noted that it’s not only him but “the world” who are also the keepers of his dad’s legacy, adding, “I’m just doing my best to help make sure that the younger generation doesn’t forget about The Beatles and John and Yoko. That’s how I look at it.”

Asked whether he really thought it would be “even possible” to forget them, he responded, “I do, actually, and I never did before.”

“My parents gave me so much that I think it’s the least I can do to try and support their legacy in my lifetime,” he explained, noting, “I feel like I just owe it to them. It’s a personal thing.”

“I think The Beatles’ music, and John and Yoko’s legacy, is something important for the world to kind of cherish and be reminded of,” he added. “So, that’s how I see my job.” 

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Paul McCartney had a busy 2025, so it wasn’t easy for him to nail down a highlight of the year.

In the final website Q&A for 2025, McCartney was asked to name his “professional highlight” of the year, and he couldn’t pick just one.

“The great thing is there’s so much suddenly happening,” he said. “It’s like a log jam, loads of things have just come in.”

He then mentioned things like his Wings book, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, and that High in the Clouds, an animated film based on his 2005 children’s book, “is finally getting made.”
 

McCartney also called his Got Back tour “spectacular,” noting, “the audiences were so warm and receptive.” He specifically mentioned shows like his Bowery Ballroom club gigs, and dates in Santa Barbara and Nashville, where phones were not allowed.

He said those “were really cool, because it’s a completely different type of show. People aren’t just holding up phones, so you really see the whites of their eyes. It’s lovely!”

“This idea of everything coming home to roost, all these projects I’ve done over the years, it’s very exciting,” he added. “But yeah, if I had to pick one I think the tour was probably the highlight of the year for me – it was so successful and enjoyable for everyone involved.”

McCartney also dropped some exciting news for fans when asked what he’s most looking forward to in 2026.

“My new album!” he said, adding, “We’re just starting to think about how to put that together.”

As for his New Year’s resolution, McCartney first joked, “To be a good boy!,” before adding, “I normally don’t have one, but what comes to mind is things like ‘to eat sensibly.’ That’s always a good one.”

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When Bruce Springsteen released the box set Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition in October, it included a present-day recording of The Boss performing his album Nebraska in its entirety at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. Now, the rocker is giving fans who didn’t buy the box set a chance to experience it.

Springsteen has now made the performance available to rent or own via digital outlets.

Bruce has performed songs from Nebraska live over the years, but he never toured behind the album. This concert marks the first time he performed the record from start to finish.

Springsteen’s longtime collaborator Thom Zimny, directed the concert, which was shot in black and white without an audience. Springsteen is backed by only two musicians: Larry Campbell and Charlie Giordano.

According to the description posted to Instagram, the performance offers “fresh insight through the subtleties of his live performance, while remaining true to the spirit of the original recordings.” The performance is offered without narration or commentary, so, as Bruce notes, “Only the voices of the characters are heard.”

In addition to the concert, Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition includes a remastered version of the original album, along with previously unreleased material such as the long-rumored “Electric Nebraska.” It also features solo outtakes, including additional songs from Springsteen’s original Nebraska home recordings that didn’t make the album, as well as recordings from a 1982 solo studio session.

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On This Day, Dec. 22, 2014 …

British singer Joe Cocker died of lung cancer in Colorado at the age of 70.

Known for his raspy voice and expressive body movements while performing, Cocker first gained commercial success thanks to his soulful cover of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends,” which appeared on his debut album.

The song, which featured Jimmy Page on guitar, hit #1 in the U.K. and was later used as the theme song for the ABC series The Wonder Years. In 2001, the track was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Cocker’s best-selling tune was “Up Where We Belong,” a duet with Jennifer Warnes that the two recorded for the Richard Gere movie An Officer and a Gentleman. The song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned the pair a Grammy for best performance by a duo or group with vocals. The song also won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for best original song.

Other Cocker hits include covers of Billy Preston‘s “You Are So Beautiful,” which peaked at #5 in the U.S.; Dave Mason‘s “Feelin’ Alright?”; the Ray Charles hit “Unchain My Heart;” and Randy Newman‘s “You Can Leave Your Hat On.”

In November, Cocker was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with a tribute featuring performances by Bryan Adams, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and Teddy Swims.

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After waiting almost four years, Led Zeppelin fans finally got to see the story of their favorite band on the big screen with the February 2025 release of Becoming Led Zeppelin, the first officially sanctioned documentary about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band.

The film, directed by Bernard MacMahon, first premiered as a work in progress at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. It took until May 2024 for Sony Pictures Classics to acquire the rights to the completed project.

Described as a “hybrid docu-concert film,” Becoming Led Zeppelin featured archival footage of the band’s early days, along with concert footage and new interviews with surviving members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. It also featured archival audio from their late drummer, John Bonham.

The film initially opened exclusively in IMAX theaters and set a record in the U.S., bringing in $2.6 million, which was the biggest opening weekend ever for an IMAX-exclusive music release. The film also landed in the top 10 at the box office opening weekend. Since its release, Becoming Led Zeppelin has brought in $10.4 million domestically.

The film, currently streaming on Netflix, is on the short list for a possible Oscar nomination in the best documentary feature film category. It was also one of two docs to win best music documentary at the 10th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, tied with the Sly Stone doc Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius).

– This year also saw Led Zeppelin celebrate the 50th anniversary of their iconic album Physical Graffiti. To mark the occasion, the band released a new live EP, titled Live E.P., as well as an update of 2015’s three-LP Physical Graffiti Deluxe Edition. It included a remastered version of the album, a bonus album featuring rough mixes and early versions of songs.

– John Bonham’s son, Jason Bonham, also marked the milestone by launching a new tour, An Evening with JBLZE Celebrating 50 Years of Physical Graffiti, which had him and his band performing the album in its entirety, alongside other Led Zeppelin classics.

– Also this year, Plant released his first album with his band Saving Grace. Plus, Page and The Black Crowes reissued their collaborative live album, Live At The Greek.

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The final installment of the three-part YouTube series looking back at Freddie Mercury’s debut solo album, Mr Bad Guy, has just been released, and it focuses on the songs on the album.

Once again, the clip features archival footage of the Queen frontman’s 1985 interview with journalist David Wigg. When asked what song he finds most rewarding, Freddie has a hard time picking a favorite.

“Oh, I don’t know, the one that sells the most,” he quips, before giving a more thoughtful response.

“To me, this is a rewarding album. I think it’s a collection of songs which seem to sort of get in a groove,” he says. “And to me I couldn’t single out one song, because, at this point in time, I seem to be liking a different song every day.”

There are several songs about love on the album, and Mercury reveals whether that means he’s a romantic at heart.

“Well, I guess so,” he says, “but I just like writing songs about love because there’s so much scope and also they have so much to do with me.”

Mercury’s Mr Bad Guy was recently reissued in celebration of the 40th anniversary of its release. It was reissued on 180-gram translucent green vinyl featuring a 2019 mix by Queen’s longtime sound team, Justin Shirley-Smith and Joshua J. Macrae. The mix originally appeared on the Mercury box set Never Boring.

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