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.

Classic Rock

WELCOME

This month’s contributors

BON JOVI RETURN TO THE UK • And Rush’s comeback tour grows bigger and bigger!

RIP • Thank you… and good night.

Marcie Free • April 12, 1954 – October 24, 2025

David Ball • May 3, 1959 – October 22, 2025

Scott Sorry • October 30, 1978 – October 30, 2025

Journey Announce Farewell Tour • “It’s been an incredible ride.”

Spin̈al Tap: Over And Out? • Fictional band sign off with a show at Stonehenge.

NEWS

Coroner • Back with a new album after 14 years, and on a different musical tack to their thrash metal of the 80s and 90s.

Luna Marble • Meet the soulful, 70s-inspired group born from adversity and a blossoming romance.

Justin Hawkins • The Darkness frontman on being back in arenas, supporting Iron Maiden, brother Dan being a rock star, Yungblud…

ALBUMS OF 2025 • Hundreds of albums came out during the past 12 months, from A-list releases to debuts and everything in between. Here are Classic Rock’s Top 50.

BUCKCHERRY • Frontman Josh Todd talks managing old habits, and the new things in his life.

TOP 5 BLUES ALBUMS

DANKO JONES • By their own admission, you know what to expect with a new Danko album. With this year’s Leo Rising being met with more positive responses than they’re used to, things are looking good.

TOP 5 AOR ALBUMS

CARDIACS • Adored and detested in equal measure, Cardiacs defied classification for decades. Earlier this year, the late Tim Smith’s brother Jim, William D Drake, Kavus Torabi and others looked back, and gave an update on what would be the band’s long-awaited final studio album.

TOP 5 PROG ALBUMS

FM • Latest album Brotherhood shows they’re not standing still.

HIS LORDSHIP • With their second album, James Walbourne and Kris Sonne aimed for the bullseye of good old rock’n roll: record it as-live, leave it alone, no polishing. And on Bored Animal their aim was true.

JETHRO TULL • Ian Anderson talks about the band’s latest album Curious Ruminant, and says he’s more likely to get the itch to make more records than to get the itch to retire.

TOP 5 COUNTRY ALBUMS

CHEAP TRICK • Fifty years in, they’re still knocking out classy songs, and still Anglophiles when it comes to music, both of which are evident on their latest album, All Washed Up (which clearly they’re far from).

3 MAMMOTH

2 ALICE COOPER

1 STEVEN WILSON

BACK TO THE BEGINNING • When Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale was asked to appear at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show in Birmingham a few months ago, ‘thrilled’ doesn’t even come close to how she felt. Here she recalls the build-up, the show and the afterwards, and reflects on the loss of a superstar.

CLASSIC ROCK’S ULTIMATE PLAYLIST OF 2025 • Take any style of music, and there’s good and bad. Here we’ve collected tracks from across the board that, no matter which way your musical taste usually swings, are all worth a listen.

THE LAST HURRAH • This month, British heavy stalwarts Orange Goblin play their last ever shows, having decided to call it a day after 30 years. Frontman Ben Ward explains why, and reflects on three decades of creating metal...