Classic Rock

Every month Classic Rock is packed with exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes features on rock’s biggest names, from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple, from Guns N’ Roses to the Rolling Stones, from the Sex Pistols to AC/DC and beyond. Each issue plays host to the heftiest rock reviews section on the planet. In an average issue, you’ll find over 150 albums reviewed, all from the ever-varied, multi-faceted world of rock - whether it’s hard rock or heavy metal, prog or punk, goth rock or southern rock, we’ve got it covered.

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This month’s contributors

Classic Rock

WHERE IS OZZY? • As he prepares to retire from the road, a new seek-and-find book celebrates the legend.

RICK DERRINGER August 5, 1947 – May 26, 2025 • The guitarist died at 77 as this issue went to press. Next month we will present a full tribute with a rare interview he gave just last year. Dave Ling offers some highlights of his life and times.

RIP • Thank you… and good night.

Simon House • August 29, 1948 – May 25, 2025

Joe Louis Walker • December 25, 1949 – April 30, 2025

The Who Asked Zak To “Lie” • Daltrey and Townshend bring in a new Who drummer.

The Song Remains …Confused • Jake Holmes sues Jimmy Page for the second time.

Fishbone • The genre-mixing US band return with hard-hitting album, following last year’s Trump-castigating single.

NEWS

Ravagers • Part Hanoi Rocks, part their skanky selves, meet the band soundtracking the end of the world.

Sheer Art Attack • Lemmy statue erected, new Sabbath mural on the way.

Springsteen’s Anti-Trump Chorus Grows • Stars back The Boss.

A Thousand Horses • The southern rockers tour the UK in the summer, and are currently “making A Thousand Horses rock record”.

Star Circus • Variety is said to be the spice of life, and musically these guys throw a lot into the ring.

MIKE PETERS February 25, 1959 – April 29 2025 • Rob Hughes looks back at the life and music of the much-loved guitarist, singer and songwriter with Welsh rockers The Alarm.

Buckcherry Sorry • Frontman Josh Todd’s mea culpa gave the Californian rockers their biggest radio hit, with a song that music fans of all stripes can identify with and which has brought many to tears.

H.e.a.t • Frontman Kenny Leckremo on the state of rock, his predecessor, why Swedes write great songs, big hair…

Battlesnake • They often perform in just underwear, they like to live dangerously on stage, they dig chaos, bombast, the Bible’s stories…

THAT’S THE WAY YOU DO IT • After four Top 5 albums, Dire Straits were doing well but were hardly a household name. That all changed when they made Brothers In Arms. Mark Knopfler, John Illsley and Guy Fletcher take us back.

BEYOND BROTHERS

YOU PLAY THE GUITAR ON THE MTV • The instrument that featured on the cover of Dire Straits’ Brothers In Arms is still very much in use.

REVOLUTION CALLING • The editor of What Hi-Fi magazine charts the rise and fall and rise of the CD.

HALLOWED BE THY STALE • With Iron Maiden about to return to the UK as part of their Run For Your Lives world tour, manager Rod Smallwood shares with us what he regards as “the most important and interesting” shows the band have ever played.

THE GREAT ESCAPE • The human experience is hard. One of life’s pleasures for Eureka Machines is “having these little tunes, at gigs, that give people a couple of hours to get out of their heads”.

REVENGE IS SWEET • When Alice Cooper’s album Billion Dollar Babies hit No.1 in the UK and US in 1973, instead of solidifying the band they unravelled. It would be 50 years until the original group recorded another, The Revenge Of Alice Cooper.

LIVE AND DANGEROUS...