Rock
Bono and The Edge Surprise Ukrainian Soldiers with Concert in Bomb Shelter
Bono and The Edge performed a surprise acoustic concert from a Kyiv bomb shelter on Sunday in support of the Ukrainian people in the midst of their ongoing war with Russia. “President @ZelenskyyUa invited us to perform in Kyiv as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and so that’s what we’ve come to do. — Bono and The Edge #StandWithUkraine,” U2 tweeted from their official account ahead of the impromptu set, which took place in the converted Kryschatek metro station. According to a report by The Irish Times, the rock star duo ran through a number of U2 songs, including “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Angel of Harlem,” “With or Without You,” and “Desire” before performing a special rendition of Ben E. King’s classic “Stand By Me” alongside a golden-voiced Ukrainian soldier. Advertisement ...
Duran Duran to Reunite with Former Guitarist Andy Taylor at Rock Hall Induction Performance
What better time to reunite with old bandmates than during your induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? After being announced as part of its class of 2022 earlier this week, Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon said he’s “definitely” planning on reconvening with his band’s former guitarist Andy Taylor. “I’ve already had a definite yes from Andy,” Le Bon told Rolling Stone when asked about plans for Duran Duran’s forthcoming performance at the ceremony. “He’s definitely up for it. I’m pretty sure Warren [Cuccurullo, former guitarist/bassist] will want to do it… We’ve always maintained a decent relationship with these guys. We didn’t have so-called ‘acrimonious splits.’ It was gentlemanly and it was understood. And pretty much mutual.” Le Bon went on to discuss how Duran Duran ...
Rage Against the Machine “Stands in Support of Reproductive Justice”
Rage Against the Machine are the latest musical act speaking out against the Supreme Court’s apparent decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. According to a statement posted to Instagram, “Rage Against the Machine stands in support of reproductive justice and will continue to fight against any attempts to restrict or control reproductive freedoms. Criminalizing access to abortion will only add to the suffering disproportionately felt by poor, BIPOC, and undocumented communities.” “The constant rightward shift of both major parties should alarm us all — a wake up call that we desperately need to organize radical people power against a warfare state that continues its assault on people’s lives,” the statement added. Advertisement Related Video A number of other musicians have also spoken up in su...
Elvis Costello Recalls Meeting Gregory Peck In a Game of “The Colbert Questionert”: Watch
Considering his legacy, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Elvis Costello has had quite a few exciting celebrity encounters in his lifetime — but, as he explained during a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, one of the rocker’s most memorable meetings came way before his career even started. During a game of “The Colbert Questionert,” Costello recalled a story from when he was about nine years old, when he met classic Hollywood star Gregory Peck. “I lived near Twickenham Studios when I was a little boy, which is where A Hard Day’s Night was shot, and the beginning of Let it Be, which became Get Back,” Costello said, referring to the films starring fellow Brits The Beatles. “We got the word that they were doing a scene in the park where we’d kick the ball...
Every Arcade Fire Song Ranked from Worst to Best
Rank and File finds us sorting through an exhaustive, comprehensive body of work or collection of pop-culture artifacts. This time, we celebrate Arcade Fire’s entire catalogue by revisiting all 85 of their anthems. This article originally ran in 2017 and has been updated as of May 6th, 2022 to mark the release of WE. From the very first notes of their debut album — those gleaming wind-chime like synths, the chugging guitar, the regal piano — Arcade Fire became one of those remarkably few life-changing, era-defining bands in indie rock history. Their songs soared, creaked, ached, and roared, breathing vibrant, triumphant life and passion. For over two decades, the New Orleans-by-way-of-Montreal band have continued to push and challenge themselves, drawing from their own confrontation with p...
Dolly Parton on Rock Hall Induction: “I Guess I’m a Rock Star Now”
Dolly Parton made headlines when she bowed out of the running for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, claiming she didn’t feel she had earned the nomination. But when the Rock Hall stood its ground, officially inducting Parton into the 2022 class alongside Eminem, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Carly Simon, Lionel Richie, and Pat Benatar, the beloved artist accepted her fate, proclaiming, “I guess I’m a rock star now.” “I feel honored that all the people that voted for me did,” Parton told Billboard. “I never meant to cause trouble or stir up any controversy. It was just always my belief — and I think millions of other people out there too — always thought the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was just set up for the greatest people in the rock ‘n’ roll business, and I just didn’t feel like I really measur...
Pearl Jam Honors ‘Incredible’ Taylor Hawkins at Gigaton Tour Opener
Pearl Jam ticked off their postponed North American tour in support of their 2020 album Gigatron at San Diego’s Viejas Arena on Tuesday night (May 3), where the band paid tribute to the late Taylor Hawkins, who died unexpectedly at age 50 in March. Before playing the Gigaton track “Quick Escape,” frontman Eddie Vedder honored the band’s drummer Matt Cameron’s friendship with the late Foo Fighters drummer, according to Spin. “He emitted something very incredible and very special. We’re all missing him, and so, Matt, I’m sorry again for your loss,” he said. “But it just gives us another chance to say how much we appreciate you as well.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Cameron and Hawkins seemingly played drums together often, and just last fall, ...
Pearl Jam Mark Return to Road with Joyous Three-Hour Concert in San Diego: Recap + Setlist
“I’m not gonna talk this much at other shows, but this feels like home, and I missed ya,” Eddie Vedder told the San Diego crowd on Tuesday night. The first time I saw Pearl Jam, it was December 1991 and they were the relatively unknown openers for Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers. My friend had bought a Pearl Jam shirt before the concert (even though the “cool” thing was to get Nirvana merch), when suddenly a long-haired Vedder ran up from somewhere and thanked her. More than 30 years later, Vedder is still filled with this kind of enthusiastic gratitude. He showed plenty of tokens of it throughout Pearl Jam’s nearly three-hour set at Viejas Arena in the city he said “feels like home,” the place where he lived before moving to Seattle. Advertisement Related Video This was the first stop i...
Muse Lands First Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1 With ‘Won’t Stand Down’
Muse hits No. 1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart (dated May 7) for the first time with “Won’t Stand Down.” Previously, the Matt Bellamy-fronted band logged its best Mainstream Rock Airplay peak with “Reapers,” which reached No. 2 in April 2016, becoming the act’s second of four top 10s. Muse first appeared on the list with “Uprising,” which hit No. 28 in 2010. Muse boasts five No. 1s among 17 top 10s on Alternative Airplay, dating to the group’s first charted title, “Time Is Running Out,” which rose to No. 9 in 2004. “Down” reached No. 3 on the tally in March. On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, “Down” holds at No. 4, after hitting No. 3 in March, with 4 million audience impressions, according to Luminate. “Down” also lifts 9-8 on the mu...
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Reveals Class of 2022
On Wednesday morning (May 4), the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced which of this year’s nominees will be inducted at the 2022 ceremony on Nov. 5 in Los Angeles. Rock hitmaker Pat Benatar, new wave chart-toppers Duran Duran, hip-hop heavyweight Eminem, synth-pop duo Eurythmics, country legend Dolly Parton, R&B hitmaker Lionel Richie and pop singer-songwriter Carly Simon make up the Class of 2022. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Additionally, heavy metal fixtures Judas Priest and songwriting/production powerhouse duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are also joining the Rock Hall with the “award for musical excellence” (which was originally titled the “sidemen” category when it debuted). Judas Priest is the second band to receive the a...
For Judas Priest Third Time’s a Charm For Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: ‘That’s the Blessing We’ve All Been Waiting For’
Back in February, when Judas Priest‘s third nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was announced, frontman Rob Halford told Billboard that, “I must do a duet with Dolly Parton! … If Lionel (Richie) and Priest get in, I think we’ll both be dancing on the ceiling together.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Now that can happen. The iconic heavy metal band, long considered one of the Rock Hall’s great snubs, will be joining Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis as the two recipients of the Musical Excellence Award when the 37th annual induction ceremony takes place Nov. 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Halford was nothing but exuberant when he spoke via Zoom with Billboard after hearing the news. “All I want is a self(ie) with Dolly P...
Joan Jett Hits Back at “Tough Guy” Ted Nugent: “This is the Guy Who Shit His Pants”
Back in January, racist, conspiratorial COVID-19 denier Ted Nugent took to YouTube to criticize Rolling Stone’s [checks notes] 19-year-old 100 Greatest Guitarists list, where he particularly had a bone to pick with the inclusion of Joan Jett. NME brought Nugent’s one-sided beef to Jett’s attention, who, of course, took his abominable comments in stride. In his video tirade, Nugent said “You have to have shit for brains and you have to be a soulless, soulless prick to put Joan Jett [on the list],” before throwing similar shade to (non-white, non-male) celebrated artists like Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Grandmaster Flash and Patti Smith. When NME told Jett that Nugent didn’t believe she should be on the Greatest Guitarists lists, she shrugged, “Neither should he.” Advertisement Relate...
