Classic Hits

There were certainly a lot of big things happening in music in 2025. Here’s a roundup of some of the other music stories that made headlines this year:

–Rush members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson surprised fans by announcing they were heading back on tour. Fifty Something, the band’s first tour in 10 years and the first since the death of drummer Neil Peart, will launch in June 2026. Playing drums on the tour will be Anika Nilles, who previously worked with the late Jeff Beck.

-Also announcing a return to the road was Bon Jovi. The Forever Tour, the band’s first trek since Jon Bon Jovi underwent vocal cord surgery in 2022, consists of shows in four cities — New York, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin — kicking off in July 2026 with nine shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

–Grateful Dead celebrated their 60th anniversary and were honored by the Recording Academy as the MusiCares Person of the Year. Anniversary celebrations included the release of the first official Grateful Dead greatest hits compilation, Enjoying The Ride. They ended the year by landing their 66th top-40 album on the Billboard 200 album chart, which earned them a Guinness World Record.

–Dead & Company, which features The Dead members Bobby Weir and Mickey Hart, also helped mark the Grateful Dead anniversary by headlining three shows at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. 

–Neil Young released the new album Talkin to the Trees, his first with his new band The Chrome Hearts, and hit the road on a world tour that came to the U.S. in August. The tour featured a headlining spot at the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival, although Young initially announced he wouldn’t be playing the festival due to corporate sponsorship.

-Former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth hit the stage for the first time since 2020, headlining the annual M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland. He would go on to perform several dates throughout the U.S.

-Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason, best known for his work with Traffic, announced his retirement from touring after 60 years in the business due to ongoing health issues.

–KISS reunited for their first performances since wrapping their End of the Road World tour in New York in December 2023. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer performed two unmasked shows at the KISS Kruise: Landlocked convention in Las Vegas. KISS, including original member Peter Criss, were also celebrated with the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C.

–U2 was honored with the Woody Guthrie Prize, and were also the first Irish artists to be honored as Academy Fellow of The Ivors Academy, the U.K. organization that presents The Ivor Novello Awards to celebrate excellence in British and Irish songwriting. Bono was also the subject of the Apple TV documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, a “reimagining” of his one-man stage show, Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief.

–Rod Stewart played the Glastonbury Festival in the Legends spot, where he was joined by The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood — his former Faces bandmate — as well as Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall and Scottish singer Lulu.

–Billy Idol released the new album Dream Into It, his first full-length release since 2014’s Kings & Queens of the Underground. He was also the subject of a documentary, Billy Idol Should Be Dead, which had its premiere at New York’s Tribeca Festival.

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Rick Springfield will help ring in the new year with a performance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026, and the experience certainly isn’t new to the singer.

In fact, Springfield told ABC’s On the Red Carpet during rehearsals for the show that performing on Rockin’ Eve was “one of the first things I did when ‘Jessie’s Girl’ first broke,” referring to his #1 hit from 1981.

“So this is great. I’m very excited about it,” he added. “You know, when I saw it come in I said, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna do this.'”

With the year coming to a close, a lot of people probably already have their New Year’s resolutions in mind, but Springfield says he isn’t one of them.

“I’m a very goal-oriented person, and I don’t wait for New Year’s to make goals,” he said. “It’s kind of a cop-out.”

“I mean, I get it. It’s a good kind of point for someone to start, if they’re having a hard time starting,” he noted. “But I don’t really make the resolutions on the New Year’s thing. I just go for it all the time.”

As for what Springfield has planned for 2026, he joked that he’ll be “sleeping a lot” and also plans to visit his granddaughter a lot. There’s also plenty of music in store.

“I have a record coming out with a band I have called The Locusts that’s a double album coming out,” he said, “and I’ll also be recording a new album that I’m really excited about it.”

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026 kicks off on ABC Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET, with the show featuring countdowns from New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Puerto Rico and more.

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The Who celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2025, which ended with what will likely be their last North American tour, much to the disappointment of many fans.

-The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers kicked off the year by announcing they were headlining two shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March to benefit Teenage Cancer Trust.

-During the shows, Pete Townshend revealed that he had just had hip replacement surgery, while Roger Daltrey, who is known to have hearing issues, also revealed that he was having problems with his eyesight.

-During one of the shows, Daltrey seemed upset with their longtime drummer Zak Starkey, complaining onstage and pausing the show’s final song.

-In April they announced that they were parting ways with Starkey, son of The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr, who had been playing with them since 1996. But just three days later, The Who reversed course, with Townshend saying Starkey wasn’t being asked to step down.

-Weeks later The Who then changed their mind again and let Starkey go, announcing that Scott Devours would be his replacement.

-During all the back-and-forth with Starkey in May, Townshend and Daltrey announced at a London press conference they were going to tour North America one last time, revealing dates for The Song Is Over North American Farewell Tour.

-The tour kicked off in August in Tampa, Florida, with The Who treating fans to a set filled with hits. They also played “Going Mobile,” a song they had never played live before.

-The Who wrapped the tour on Oct. 1 in Palm Springs, California. “I suppose, you know, it’s goodbye,” Townshend said during their final bows. “That’s what it is. To what we know as The Who, it’s goodbye.” Daltrey went on to thank fans “for all the years showing up for us.” They have not said whether they are bringing the tour to the rest of the world.

Other highlights of The Who’s year include:

-Townshend released Pete Townshend The Studio Albums, a box set featuring newly remastered versions of his seven solo albums.

-Townshend celebrated his 80th birthday in May.

-It was announced in June that Daltrey was selected for knighthood by King Charles for his contributions to music and his charity work, including raising funds for causes like Teenage Cancer Trust. He was officially knighted in December.

-Townshend’s Quadrophenia: A Rock Ballet, featuring an orchestral version of The Who’s 1973 album, Quadrophenia, by Townshend’s wife, Rachel Fuller, debuted in the U.K. in May and then came to New York in November.

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On This Day, Dec. 29, 1985 …

Billy Joel became a father when he and his wife, model Christie Brinkley, welcomed their only child together, daughter Alexa Ray Joel.

Their daughter’s middle name was a tribute to legendary musician Ray Charles, with whom Billy collaborated on the 1987 song “Baby Grand.” Joel later wrote the 1993 song “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)” for Alexa.

Alexa followed in her father’s footsteps as a musician and released the EP Sketches in 2006, along with several other singles. She is scheduled to perform at New York City entrepreneur Michael Dorf’s annual Music Of concert celebrating her father, which will take place March 12 at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Joel went on to welcome two more daughters with his fourth wife, Alexis Roderick. Della Rose Joel was born in August 2015 and Remy Anne Joel in October 2017.

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It’s always sad to say goodbye to our favorite musicians when they pass away, and 2025 was certainly a tough year.

The music world lost a true legend on June 11 when Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson died in his sleep at the age of 82. He was living with dementia at the time and had been placed under a conservatorship in early 2024 following the death of his wife, Melinda Wilson.

Another influential artist we lost in 2025 was Sly Stone, of Sly and the Family Stone, who passed away June 9 at the age of 82. A statement revealed that he died “after a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues.”

The rock world was in shock when news broke that Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22 at the age of 76. His death came barely three weeks after he made his final onstage appearance at the 10-hour all-star Back to the Beginning concert in his hometown of Birmingham, England. He was laid to rest in Birmingham, with fans lining the city’s streets to pay their respects.

And Ace Frehley, guitarist and founding member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band KISS, died on Oct. 16 at the age of 64. His death came just weeks after he canceled the remainder of his 2025 tour due to health issues.

Here are some of the other music figures who died in 2025, in chronological order:

Jan. 7: Peter Yarrow, of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, 86.

Jan. 10: Sam Moore, the tenor half of the iconic soul duo Sam & Dave, 89.

Jan. 21: Garth Hudson, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist who was the last surviving member of The Band, 87.

Jan. 30: British singer Marianne Faithfull, best known for her hit “As Time Goes By” and for her association with The Rolling Stones, 78.

Feb. 23: Chris Jasper, a member of the R&B group The Isley Brothers, 73.

Feb. 24: R&B singer Roberta Flack, best known for such songs as “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “Where Is the Love,” 88.

Feb. 24: Robert John, best known for the #1 single “Sad Eyes,” 79.

Feb. 28: David Johansen, lead singer and last surviving original member of the New York Dolls, who also found fame in the ’80s and ’90s as the throwback crooner Buster Poindexter, 75.

March 16: Jesse Colin Young, the voice heard on the Youngbloods‘ iconic hit “Get Together,” 83.

April 6: Clem Burke, drummer and founding member of Blondie, 70.

April 29: Mike Peters, frontman of Welsh rock band The Alarm, 66.

June 18: Lou Christie, best known for the 1966 #1 hit “Lightin’ Strikes,” 82.

June 23: Mick Ralphs, guitarist and founding member of Mott the Hoople and Bad Company, 81.

June 24: Former teen idol Bobby Sherman, 81.

July 16: Connie Francis, singer of such hits as “Pretty Little Baby” and “Who’s Sorry Now?,” 87.

July 22: Chuck Mangione, Grammy-winning jazz bandleader best known for 1978’s “Feels So Good,” 84.

Aug. 4: Terry Reid, the British musician who’s most famously known for turning down offers to front Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, 75.

Aug 10: Bobby Whitlock, pianist, guitarist and songwriter who formed Derek and the Dominoes with Eric Clapton, 77.

Sept. 5: Mark Volman, founding member of the rock band The Turtles, 78.

Sept. 6: Rick Davies, founding member of Supertramp who wrote and sang lead on their top-40 hit, “Goodbye Stranger,” 81.

Sept. 19: Sonny Curtis, a member of Buddy Holly‘s Crickets, who also wrote The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song, 88.

Sept. 25: Chris Dreja, a co-founder of the Yardbirds, 78.

Oct. 10: John Lodge, bassist and vocalist of the progressive rock band Moody Blues, 82.

Oct. 22: David Ball, the multi-instrumentalist who, along with singer Marc Almond, rose to fame as the ’80s synth pop group Soft Cell, 66.

Nov. 2: Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, vocalist for the Grateful Dead from 1971 to 1979, 78.

Nov. 5: Gilson Lavis, former drummer for the band Squeeze, 74.

Nov. 24: Jimmy Cliff, Grammy Award-winning reggae singer and actor, 81.

Dec. 3: Steve Cropper, guitarist for Booker T. and the M.G.’s, 84.

Dec. 14: Carl Carlton, singer of hit tracks “Everlasting Love” and “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked),” 72.

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Elton John and Brandi Carlile released their Grammy-nominated joint album, Who Believe In Angels?, in 2025, but 2026 may bring us some Elton John solo music — and maybe even more than expected.

In a holiday video message to members of his Rocket Club fan club, Elton said, “I’ll be going to the studio next April to make a record. But I’ve already made one, which is fantastic. So I’m teasing you with that one.”

It’s not clear which projects Elton is referring to. In November, he told Variety, “I just can’t wait to go into the studio now and write some new songs and go from there.” He also mentioned he had “seven new lyrics” from Bernie Taupin to write music for.

Despite his retirement from touring, Elton revealed in his message that he has continued performing. “I’ve done 11 private shows this year,” he said, adding that he’s in “great voice and I enjoy playing with the band and on my own.” He also made a plug for his headlining appearance at the Rock in Rio festival in September. “Who would’ve thought?” he asked.

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Billy Joel’s 2025 didn’t start out so hot. In January, the Piano Man postponed a show in order to have a medical procedure. He did perform two shows in February and continued to announce more concerts for 2025, including co-headlining dates with Sting, Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks. But issues with his health halted his touring plans.

-Joel announced in March he was postponing shows for four months to allow himself time to recover from recent surgery and to undergo physical therapy under the supervision of his doctors.

-Then in May, Joel canceled all scheduled concert dates after revealing he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a disorder in which fluid builds up in the brain. According to a statement, Joel’s brain condition, “exacerbated by recent concert performances,” led to issues with his hearing, vision and balance.

-In an interview on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast in July, Joel gave fans a health update, saying his condition was “not fixed” and “still being worked on,” but assured fans, “I feel fine.”

-And it wasn’t all bad news for Billy in 2025. In May, a new two-part documentary on the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, debuted at the Tribeca Festival.

-The documentary, directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, debuted on HBO Max in July to critical acclaim and earned a nomination for best music documentary at the 10th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards.

-Joel released a digital 100-track album, also called Billy Joel: And So It Goes, describing it as a “companion” piece to the documentary. It included eight never-before-heard songs. He also launched a yearlong YouTube series, dropping archival performances on the video-sharing platform.

In other Billy Joel news …

-Joel’s signature tune, “Piano Man,” hit 1 billion streams on Spotify. It was his second song to reach such a milestone, following “Uptown Girl.”

-20th Century Cycles, the motorcycle shop Joel opened in 2010 that housed his collection of more than 75 vintage motorcycles, closed. Joel auctioned off the bike collection.

-Joel was announced as the subject of New York City entrepreneur Michael Dorf’s annual Music Of charity concert series, with the tribute set for March 12, 2026, at Carnegie Hall.

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The Zombies have announced the dates for their third annual Begin Here festival. The 2026 event, which takes place in their hometown of St. Albans, U.K., will run from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.

The Begin Here festival, which launched in November 2023, usually features a whole host of Zombies-related events. In the past, that has included record signings, special screenings of their documentary Hung Up On A Dream, a Zombies tour of St. Albans, Q&As and performances.

In the meantime, frontman Colin Blunstone‘s next performance is happening on the high seas. He’s booked to perform on the Flower Power Cruise happening March 28 to April 4. The cruise starts in Ft. Lauderdale and hits St. Thomas, St. Kitts and Nevis, with The Beach Boys, Micky Dolenz of The Monkees, Max Weinberg’s Jukebox and Blood, Sweat & Tears among the other acts on the lineup.

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It was another big year for Bruce Springsteen, which culminated in the New Jersey rocker’s life being depicted on the big screen.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere premiered at the New York Film Festival in September and opened in theaters in October. The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White starred as The Boss, and did his own singing, while Succession’s Jeremy Strong playing the rocker’s manager, Jon Landau. The film followed Springsteen’s efforts in making his 1982 solo album, Nebraska. White earned a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of the New Jersey rocker. 

Springsteen also celebrated a big anniversary in August 2025: the 50th anniversary of his iconic third studio album, Born to Run. To mark the occasion he released “Lonely Night in the Park” for the first time, a track that was recorded during the Born to Run sessions and was considered for the album, but was ultimately left off.

He also made a surprise appearance at the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music’s Born to Run 50th anniversary celebration in New Jersey, performing two songs from the album — the title track and “Thunder Road” — joined by current and former members of the E Street Band.

But those were only some of the many Springsteen-related highlights this year. Among the others:

– Springsteen made a surprise appearance at a Patti Smith tribute concert, People Have the Power – A Celebration of Patti Smith, at New York’s Carnegie Hall. He performed “Because the Night,” the song he wrote that became a hit for Patti.

– In May, Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off a European tour, and he stirred up controversy by criticizing President Donald Trump. He said America was “in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.” That prompted a response from Trump, who called Springsteen “highly overrated.”

– The tour also featured a surprise appearance by Paul McCartney at The Boss’ show in Liverpool. They teamed up for two songs: The Beatles‘ classic “Can’t Buy Me Love” and a cover of the Leiber & Stoller tune “Kansas City,” which The Beatles recorded in 1964.

– Springsteen’s tour, which launched in 2023 and wrapped in 2025, became the highest-grossing tour of his career, bringing in $729.7 million to surpass his previous highest-grossing tour, the 2012-13 Wrecking Ball World Tour, which brought in $347 million. It also sold 4.9 million tickets, more tickets than any previous Springsteen tour.

– Springsteen released the long-awaited follow-up to 1998’s box set Tracks. Tracks II: The Lost Albums featured seven previously unheard Springsteen records.

– The Boss was honored by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures with the inaugural Legacy Award, which “honors an artist whose body of work has inspired generations of storytellers and deeply influenced our culture.”

– To coincide with the release of Deliver Me From Nowhere, Bruce released Nebraska: Expanded Edition, a box set featuring previously unreleased material. It included the long-rumored Electric Nebraska, a present-day recording of Springsteen performing Nebraska in its entirety at New Jersey’s Count Basie Theatre.

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Paul McCartney has landed on top the Billboard Boxscore for November thanks to his Got Back tour.

The Beatles legend tops the chart after bringing in $51.7 million from sales of 150,000 tickets for 11 shows. The latest leg of the tour kicked off Sept. 29 in Palm Desert, California, and wrapped Nov. 25 in Chicago.

This is the second time McCartney’s Got Back tour earned him the #1 spot on the list. The tour previously topped the Billboard Boxscore in May of 2022.

McCartney’s Got Back tour, which initially launched in April of 2022 and has included shows in 2023, 2024 and 2025, has brought $410.7 million overall, with 2.4 million tickets sold.

In other news … The Beatles are helping fans get in the Christmas spirit with the YouTube release of The Beatles Holiday Yule Log (Merry Crimble) featuring classic Beatles tracks. The video features an image of roaring fire, with Christmas stockings hung on the mantel for McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. There’s also a turntable with pictures of the band members and presents wrapped in Beatles wrapping paper.

According to the description, “this video is made to be left on all holiday long, whether you are relaxing, seeing friends and family, or simply letting it play in the background while you do nothing at all.”

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