Classic Hits

The soundtrack to the new Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, is out now, and to coincide with the opening, a new video for Jackson’s iconic track “Human Nature” has just been released.

The video features footage of people dancing to the song in various locations, cut with clips of Jackson performing the tune.

“Human Nature,” from Jackson’s sixth solo album, Thriller, was a top-10 hit for the King of Pop, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was one of seven top-10 hits on the album, two of which, “Billie Jean” and “Beat it,” went to #1.

Michael: Songs From the Motion Picture features 13 iconic tracks featured in the film. The album includes tunes from all eras of Michael’s career, including The Jackson 5, The Jacksons and Michael’s solo career.

Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua, stars Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role, along with Colman Domingo, Nia Long and Miles Teller. It is in theaters now.

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In a recent post on his website, Neil Young let fans know that a live album with his band The Chrome Hearts was “ready to go.” Well, now we know the details.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is set to release as time explodes on May 29. The 13-track album, recorded during The Love Earth Tour 2025 that hit Europe, the U.K., the U.S. and Canada, features live performances of such classic tracks as “Harvest Moon,” “Cortez the Killer,” “After the Gold Rush,” “Ohio” and “Like a Hurricane,” along with Young’s more recent track “Big Crime.”

As time explodes will be released digitally, and on black vinyl and CD. It was previously released on double clear vinyl for Record Store Day on April 18. It is available for preorder now, and digital and CD preorders come with an instant download of the live performance of “Silver Eagle.”

Young and The Chrome Hearts — Spooner Oldham, Micah Nelson, Corey McCormick and Anthony LoGerfo — launched The Love Earth Tour 2025 in Sweden in June. They were supposed to tour Europe again in 2026, but in February Young announced he was canceling the tour, saying he “decided to take a break” from touring.

Here is the track list for as time explodes:
“Daddy Went Walking”
“Looking Forward”
“Harvest Moon”
“Ohio”
“Name of Love”
“Be The Rain”
“Big Crime”
“Long Walk Home”
“Vampire Blues”
“Cortez The Killer”
“After The Gold Rush”
“Like A Hurricane”
“Silver Eagle”

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R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe debuted an unreleased song off his upcoming debut solo album Thursday night on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The track is called “The Rest of Ever.” Stipe sang lead vocals while backed by the Colbert house band, Louis Cato and The Great Big Joy Machine. 

Stipe also sat down with Colbert for an interview and revealed that the long in-the-works album, which he’s been teasing since at least 2022, is finally set to be released at the end of 2026. He described one song on the record as “the sound of a tree hearing itself for the first time,” which apparently sounds like Daft Punk.

Elsewhere in the interview, Colbert asked Stipe who should play him if R.E.M. ever got their own biopic. After first replying, “Someone really hot,” Stipe thought about it for a bit before suggesting, “Maybe Billie Eilish could do it.”

“She held a door open for me once at a restaurant in Manhattan,” Stipe said of the alt-pop star. “I don’t know if she knew who I was. She’s incredibly polite and sweet, but I didn’t know who she was until she was down the street.”

Colbert then offered to introduce Stipe to Eilish and her brother and collaborator, FINNEAS.

Stipe also released a new song called “I Played the Fool” in March, which is the theme to the HBO series Rooster.

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On This Day, April 24, 1976…

Following rumors of a possible Beatles reunion, Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels used a segment of the show to try and make that happen.

Michaels directly addressed Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, noting that a reunion would be “great” and offered them $3,000 to reunite, holding up a check made out to The Beatles, noting they’d have to perform three songs.

Michaels joked about the check, “You divide it any way you want: if you want to give Ringo less that’s up to you. I’d rather not get involved.”

While the reunion never happened, it turns out McCartney and Lennon watched the segment together at Lennon’s New York apartment the Dakota, and thought about the offer, but in the end decided against it.

In the book All We Are Saying, by David Sheff, Lennon said they almost went to the studio but in the end decided they were too tired.

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Ringo Starr’s new album, Long Long Road, which has roots in country and Americana, is out today.

It’s the second straight album he’s done with producer T Bone Burnett. At a recent listening party in Los Angeles, Ringo said Burnett made making the album easy, noting, “There’s a lot of great players in Nashville, and he knows most of them.”

Ringo said Burnett would send him “tracks with some meat on” them, and he would send back his drum and singing parts. Then Burnett would “complete the deal,” which Ringo describes as “a great way of working.”

And it was just as easy for Burnett, who said he’s been listening to Ringo play drums for so long that “his feel is in my DNA at this point. It’s in my cells, you know.”

“I’ve always thought of him as a Texas musician because he played so Texas,” he added. “He’s the swinginest drummer in the history of the United Kingdom. I can tell you that.”

Ringo said the title of the album represents “the road I’ve taken,” adding, “You know all of those stop marks on your walk of life, it’s so far out.”

He said that the title track “is me going through my things about my life.” And while he said some of it may have been bad, most of it wasn’t.

“I’ve been a lucky human being,” he said. “I got to do what I love to do.”

Long Long Road is the follow-up to Ringo’s 2025 country-inspired album, Look Up. It features guest appearances by Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle and Sarah Jarosz.

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More than 300 Grateful Dead-related instruments and memorabilia went up for auction Thursday in San Francisco, with a custom acoustic guitar one of the tops sellers.

Treasures From The Golden Road Featuring Property From “Big Steve,” “Ram Rod” & Trixie Garcia featured instruments, keepsakes and more from the personal archives of members of the Grateful Dead’s inner circle, including crew chief and Jerry Garcia Band manager “Big Steve” Parish, Jerry Garcia’s daughter Trixie Garcia and Grateful Dead head roadie Lawrence “Ram Rod” Shurtliff.

The top seller was an Alvarez Yairi acoustic guitar, custom made for Jerry Garcia in 1988, which brought in $256,000, three-times more than the estimated price. Another guitar, Garcia’s 1939 Gibson Super 400 N Archtop, also sold for $256,000, two-times more than the estimate.

Other sale highlights include a Grateful Dead signed 1993 New Year’s Eve concert poster, which sold for $35,200; a Jerry Garcia handwritten set list from a 1989 Jerry Garcia Band show, which sold for $22,400; and a Winterland Grateful Dead dressing room plaque, which sold for $19,200.

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We’re getting our first look at a new documentary about legendary Allman Brothers Band founder Gregg Allman.

A new teaser for Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul, from Grammy- and Golden Globe award-winning filmmaker James Keach, has just been released. The clip opens with Cher, who married Allman in 1975,  introducing him on what appears to be her variety show. It’s followed by archival photos and footage of the rocker throughout his career, including snippets of old interviews.

The film is described as “a profound portrait of Gregg Allman, a luminous figure whose life and songs mirror his struggles and salvation,” told through archival recordings, interviews and live performances. The description notes that the film includes some rarely seen footage of the Allman Brothers Band “at their creative peak.”

Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul will premiere in New York on June 9, and feature an acoustic performance by Devon Allman and Duane Betts, sons of Greg and fellow Allman Brothers Band member Dickey Betts. That will be followed by a June 11 premiere in Macon, Georgia, which will include an appearance by Allman Brothers Band member Chuck Leavell. Both premieres will feature a Q&A with the filmmakers.

The film will also have one-week exclusive engagements in Los Angeles and New York, before its full theatrical release on June 17.

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Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the Ramones’ self-titled debut album, and the milestone will be celebrated throughout the year.

One of those celebrations is the July 4 world premiere of the only authorized exhibition dedicated to the Ramones at The Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas. The exhibit was organized and curated by the museum in collaboration with Linda Ramone, wife of the late Johnny Ramone, and Ramones Productions Inc. It will include performances, artist conversations and interactive experiences.

According to a press release, the exhibit “connects audiences to the Ramones’ legacy, cultural impact, and continuing aftershock across music, art, design, and public memory.”

The upcoming year will also include physical Ramones releases and reissues from Rhino. In addition, newly remastered videos for “I Wanna Be Sedated,” “Rock N Roll High School,” “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker” and more have now been released on the Ramones’ official YouTube page.

Released April 23, 1976, Ramones was recorded in one week, opening with what would become a Ramones classic: “Blitzkrieg Bop.” While Ramones wasn’t a commercial success, only making it to #111 on the Billboard charts, it was a hit with critics and went on to be considered one of the most influential punk records in the U.S. It has also landed on several best-of lists, including Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

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David Lee Roth has revealed that he’s sold his publishing.

In an interview with The Associated Press at the Coachella Festival, which was just published to YouTube, the former Van Halen frontman reveals he sold his publishing catalog “eight months ago.” He didn’t reveal who he sold it to.

He then told the reporter, “Ask me how I feel.” When they did, he replied with a laugh, “Rich,” noting, “For the first time in my life I can rub two coins together and create a little interest. No, really.”

Roth was the surprise guest during both weekends off Coachella, coming out to perform “Jump” with Teddy Swims.

Roth is currently on a U.S. tour, where he’s been performing a set filled with Van Halen classics. He’s even been performing the track “Little Dreamer” from Van Halen’s 1978 self-titled debut, which is the first time he’s performed the song since 2003.

Roth’s Don’t Love Me, Rent Me tour hits Austin, Texas, on April 29. A complete list of dates can be found at DavidLeeRoth.com.

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KISS recently announced the dates for the 2026 KISS Kruise: Landlocked in Vegas, and now Gene Simmons has revealed details of this year’s lineup.

This year’s convention will be held Nov. 13-15 at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. In addition to two unmasked KISS shows featuring Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, the weekend will feature an all-star tribute to KISS founding member Ace Frehley, who passed away in 2025. According to the announcement, the tribute will include “sit-ins from members of KISS & guests.”

The weekend will also include performances by Night Ranger, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, Slaughter and Faster Pussycat. There will also be a pre-party on Nov. 12 featuring the Ace Frehley Band, Enuff Z’Nuff and others.

In addition to performances, the weekend will include a whole host of activities, like Q&A artist panels, a KISS lookalike contest, KISS karaoke and artist meet-and-greets.

Folks can register now at KissKruiseVegas.com to get the first info on when reservations open.

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