hart : good morning !
Let’s catch up some of the latest happenings with some classic rockers .
Neil Young — will be the artist feted at this year’s Americana Pre-Grammy Salute, the Americana Music Association has announced. Their annual tribute concert is set for Grammy eve (Jan. 31) at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Performers will include Jesse Welles, Margo Price, Rhiannon Giddens, I’m With Her, Maggie Rose, Molly Tuttle and Sierra Hull.
Def Leppard – burst into 2026 with the release of their powerful new single ‘Rejoice’ just released last week . And fans will get the chance to hear it performed live during the group’s Las Vegas residency “Def Leppard: Live at Caesars Palace”. It runs through February 28, and follows the band’s sold-out residencies in 2013 and 2019. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/37sabsmd
Alice Cooper – said in a podcast appearance that his 1972 summertime anthem ‘School’s Out’ was inspired by The Who. He told Rock & Roll High School host Pete Ganbarg: “We understood what an anthem was after hearing ‘My Generation’. At the same time, everybody hated school.” His goal was to “capture the last 3 minutes of the last day of school before summer vacation.”
Rush — will release “Grace Under Pressure: Super Deluxe Edition” on March 13 in 5 formats, including a limited-edition 4-CD + Blu-ray set with a 52-page hardcover book. The expanded edition of the 1984 record features a remastered version and a new stereo mix, plus the band’s complete Sept. 21, 1984, concert at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. The Blu-ray includes the Toronto concert on video.
Rush – Geddy Lee said he’s open to the idea of creating new Rush music, provided he, guitarist Alex Lifeson and new drummer Anika Nilles “manage to survive” their massive Fifty Something reunion tour. If and when that happens, he said they will “go back to Canada and have a rest, who knows what’ll happen, but I suspect some music will eventually come out.”
Oasis — Noel Gallagher has hinted that new music is in the pipeline. The Oasis Live ’25 tour wrapped in November, and although the group has nothing official planned for this year, they’ve recently been rumored to be in the running to record the theme song for the next ‘James Bond’ movie.
Green Day – Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong teamed up with his son Jakob to record a cover of David Bowie‘s ‘Heroes’ to commemorate Survivor‘s 50th season. Their take is featured in the latest promo video for Survivor season 50, which kicks off in February. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdczets4
Metallica – The new, and final Megadeth album, titled “Megadeth” dropped this month, and it includes a cover of Metallica’s ‘Ride the Lightning’. Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine co-wrote the song as a member of Metallica prior to his departure from the band in 1983, but did not appear on the original recording of the song. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3tneusw9
Pretty in Pink — The iconic soundtrack to the ’80s movie will be reissued March 13 in celebration of the movie’s 40th anniversary. Featuring songs from INXS, OMD, New Order, The Smiths, The Psychedelic Furs and more, it will be available as a limited-edition “Pretty in Baby Pink” vinyl with 2 songs not previously available on the original: Otis Redding’s ‘Try a Little Tenderness’ and Talk Back’s ‘Rudy’.
John Mellencamp — A new jukebox musical featuring his music will make its world premiere in Maine Oct. 1. “Small Town”, directed by 3-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall, will stage its first performances at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Ogunquit. The musical follows star-crossed lovers Jack and Diane, and features iconic Mellencamp songs like ‘Hurts So Good’, Small Town’, and, of course, ‘Jack & Diane’.
Ringo Starr – will release a new country album this year. He posted a video recap of his 2025 highlights, including the release of his country album “Look Up”. He then told fans in the vid: “Just so that you know, I do have another country album ready that will be out sometime this year.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/fra69p7h
Eagles – “Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975” just earned Quadruple Diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of more than 40 million. According to RIAA, it is the #1 selling album of all-time. (I think they mean in the US.)
Beach Boys – The new 3CD/3LP box set “We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years” will be released Feb. 13. It focuses on sessions for the 1976 LP “15 Big Ones”, and 1977’s “The Beach Boys Love You”, and features 35 unreleased and 22 newly mixed songs. ‘We Gotta Groove (2025 Mix)’ is out now. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3k5x877t
Phil Collins – has been interviewed for the new podcast “BBC Eras: Phil Collins”. Hosted by Zoe Ball, it also features new interviews with Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Sir Bob Geldof and more. The first 4 episodes are out now, the Collins episode has already premiered .
