On July 25, 1965, Bob Dylan walked onto the stage at the Newport Folk Festival with an electric guitar, backed by a rock band, and forever changed the trajectory of popular music — while igniting one of the most infamous controversies in festival history. Up until that point, Dylan had built his reputation as the … Read more
Before Fleetwood Mac became one of the best-selling bands of all time, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were a struggling duo trying to figure out whether their music career was worth continuing. It was during this uncertain period, while staying in the mountains near Aspen, Colorado, that Nicks wrote “Landslide,” a song that would go … Read more
On July 13, 1985, Queen took the stage at Wembley Stadium for a 20-minute set as part of Live Aid, the global benefit concert organized to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. What followed has since been studied, replayed, and celebrated as arguably the greatest live performance in rock history. Queen wasn’t even the … Read more
Nearly 46 years after his death, John Bonham’s name still comes up first in almost any conversation about the greatest rock drummers of all time. His playing combined raw power with an almost impossible sense of groove, and these five Led Zeppelin tracks capture exactly why. “Moby Dick” remains the definitive showcase of Bonham’s technical … Read more
On November 29, 2002 — exactly one year after George Harrison’s death — the Royal Albert Hall in London became the site of one of the most heartfelt tributes in rock history. The Concert for George brought together an extraordinary lineup of musicians who had shared decades of friendship and collaboration with the quiet Beatle, … Read more
When Phil Collins launched his Not Dead Yet Tour, it marked an emotional return to the stage for the legendary musician. However, the tour came with significant challenges. Due to ongoing nerve problems in his hand, Phil was no longer able to play the drums the way fans had known him for decades. Fortunately, he … Read more
For more than sixty years, Mick Jagger has stood at the center of some of the biggest concerts in rock history. But according to the Rolling Stones frontman, his mission on stage has always been remarkably simple: give people a great time and let them forget their worries for a few hours. Speaking during a … Read more
Some performances become more than just concerts—they become snapshots of a moment in history. One such moment came in 2010, when Sir Paul McCartney stepped onto the stage at the White House and delivered an unforgettable rendition of the Beatles classic Hey Jude for President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their family. The … Read more
The last concert Led Zeppelin ever performed — as a complete, original four-piece lineup — was at the Day on the Green festival in Oakland, California on July 24, 1977. They did not know it was their last concert. Nobody in the audience knew it was the last concert. The decision that made it the … Read more
In the 1970s, British popular music had two figures who were, simultaneously and in full public view, redefining what a rock star could be — not in the same direction, not through the same methods, not with the same relationship to their own identities and their own performances, but with an equivalent completeness that made … Read more