Classic Hits

A new cover of Van Halen’s “Jump,” put together by Coca-Cola as the anthem for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has just been released.

The cover features blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, guitar virtuoso Steve Vai, Colombian reggaeton artist J Balvin and singer-songwriter Amber Mark.

Coca-Cola previously teased the cover in an ad that premiered in January. The full song is accompanied by a video in which animated versions of Barker, Vai, Balvin and Mark “bring together fans around the world through soccer and music, culminating in an epic space stadium celebration of joy and celebration,” according to the video’s caption.

You can watch that on YouTube.

“Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ is one of those rare songs that transcends generations, so approaching it came with a lot of respect,” Mark says in a statement. “Being able to honor the original while bringing a modern perspective was incredibly special. I’m excited to be part of a track that connects past and present in such an uplifting, powerful way, and I hope fans feel that energy for years to come.”

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, takes place from June 11 to July 19.

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The Who’s Pete Townshend is the latest celebrity to take part in the Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s Colbert Questionert.

Townshend revealed that his favorite sandwich is pastrami on rye with mustard and a pickle; his first concert ever was Bill Haley & His Comets in 1958; his favorite action movie is Ang Lee’s Hulk; and that if he got only one song to listen to for the rest of his life it would be “Tracks of My Tears” by Smokey Robinson.

Asked what happens when we die, Townshend said he doesn’t believe anything happens.

“I think consciousness is what we are, not our bodies. So I think consciousness probably goes on in some form or other,” he said, adding that when people die, consciousness moves on. “Maybe then there’s a possibility of reincarnation or heaven and hell, whatever, I don’t know.”

When asked if he ever had an out-of-body experience, he shared a funny story of a bad STP trip he had on an airplane, noting that at some point he left his body and floated above the airplane, flying through the sky, which was filled with lost items like socks and buttons.

Asked whether he prefers cats or dogs, he choose dogs, but had a good reason why. Townshend said growing up he was a “snotty” kid, and every time he was sick his mother, who took in stray cats, would give him a cat to keep him company. When he was 12 he got tested and found out he was allergic to cats, noting that while his mom was trying to help, it actually “just made it worse.”

Finally, when asked to describe the rest of his life in five words, Townshend thought hard about it before saying, “Make another record, lazy (bleep).”

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On This March 6, 1946…

Pink Floyd guitarist, singer and songwriter David Gilmour was born in Cambridge, England.

The now 80-year-old joined Pink Floyd in 1967, a few months before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett.

Gilmour’s first album with the band was 1968’s A Saucerful of Secrets, appearing on all but two songs. He has appeared on every Pink Floyd album since and took over leadership of Pink Floyd following the 1985 departure of Roger Waters.

Pink Floyd went on to become one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 250 million records worldwide. Their best-selling album, 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon, has been certified 14-times Platinum.

Gilmour has also released five solo albums, the most recent being 2024’s Luck and Strange.

Gilmour was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of Pink Floyd, and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2003.

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The critically acclaimed Led Zeppelin documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin is being released in a special high-definition box set.

Becoming Led Zeppelin Limited Collector’s Edition, dropping April 14, is a two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray set that comes with a host of extras.

The set, housed in a Steelbook case, comes with a special letter from the film’s director, Bernard MacMahon, plus two limited-edition guitar picks, four photo card prints, an iron-on jacket patch and vinyl stickers.

Becoming Led Zeppelin Limited Collector’s Edition is available for preorder now.

Becoming Led Zeppelin, described as a “hybrid docu-concert film,” was the first officially sanctioned documentary about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group. It featured archival footage of Led Zeppelin, along with new interviews with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, as well as archival audio from their late drummer, John Bonham.

When it opened in February 2025 it set a record for IMAX theaters, becoming the biggest opening weekend ever for an IMAX exclusive music release. It also landed in the top 10 at the box office during its debut week.

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There’s no guarantee that the artist who tops the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fan vote will actually get into the Rock Hall, but at least they can take comfort in the fact that fans think they belong there.

Over 2.5 million votes have been cast since the nominees for induction were announced, and so far Phil Collins is #1 in the fan vote by a comfortable margin. Were he to make the cut, it would be his second time in the Hall, since he’s already in as a member of Genesis.

Coming in at #2 is R&B boy band New Edition, followed by Pink at #3. The late R&B icon Luther Vandross is currently #4, followed by Billy Idol, INXS and Sade — which, by the way, is a group and not just a person.

The rest of the top 10 vote-getters are, in descending order, Mariah Carey, Wu-Tang Clan and Lauryn Hill.

The nominee with the fewest votes on the leaderboard? The late singer/songwriter Jeff Buckley, who released one highly influential album, Grace, before he accidentally drowned in 1997.

Of course, the leaderboard can change many times before the deadline to vote is reached. As previously reported, the results of the fan vote are submitted as a single ballot, as though all the fans together were one actual Rock Hall voting member. There are roughly 1,200 voting members in all. The winner of last year’s fan vote, Phish, did not make it into the Hall.

The 2026 Rock Hall of Fame inductees should be revealed in April; the ceremony will take place in the fall.

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Guns N’ Roses announced in February they were headlining the bp Adelaide Grand Final Concert on Nov. 29 in Adelaide, Australia. Now it turns out that while they’re Down Under, they’re going to be playing some other shows, as well.

The “Sweet Child O’ Mine” rockers just announced dates for a tour of Australia and New Zealand, which will have them hitting seven cities. The trek kicks off with the Adelaide show, and then the rockers will visit Townsville, Brisbane, Newcastle, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, before wrapping the tour on Dec. 17 in Auckland, New Zealand.

A presale for the Guns N’ Roses Nighttrain fan club begins Friday. A complete list of tour dates and ticket information can be found at GunsNRoses.com.

Guns N’ Roses is set to launch a North American tour on May 5 in Hollywood, Florida. Their next show is March 28 in Monterrey, Mexico.

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The death of singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka has prompted his fans to revisit his music.

Billboard reports that in the four days following Sedaka’s Feb. 27 death at the age of 86, there was a 708% increase in streams of his tunes. His catalog clocked a total of 2.4 million on-demand U.S. streams.

The song getting the biggest boost was his classic “Laughter in the Rain,” which was a #1 hit for Sedaka. There were 515,000 streams in the days following Sedaka’s death, or an increase of 505%. That was followed by “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” also a #1 hit, which had 307,000 streams for an increase of 453%.

Sedaka was the co-writer on the Captain and Tennille hit “Love Will Keep Us Together.” Although their version of the song saw a 15% bump in streams, his recording of the track nabbed 55,000 streams for an increase of 1,811%.

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Queen guitarist Brian May is set to headline a special event in connection with the upcoming reissue of the band’s sophomore album, Queen II.

Queen II – Queen’s Masterstroke – More than Remastered! is taking place March 26 in London, although an exact location wasn’t revealed. Fans who preorder the album will be in the running to win a chance to attend, and the event will stream live on May’s Instagram account.

“I wish it were big place so we could invite you all … but this is very intimate,” May writes on Instagram, “except it will hopefully connect all around the world through my live and lovely Instagram channel.”

Queen II Collector’s Edition, dropping March 27, is a five-CD and two-LP box set, featuring the 2026 mix of the album, along with a whole host of bonus material.

Extras include previously unheard outtakes and demos, live tracks, radio sessions and what’s described as “intimate fly-on-the-wall audio of Queen in the recording studio.” The set also features a 112-page book with previously unseen photos, handwritten lyrics and more.

In addition to Queen II Collector’s Edition, the reissue will be released as a two-CD deluxe edition and on one-LP vinyl. 

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Sting is set to release a new live album, which was recorded at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum as part of the ARTE Sounds Like Art initiative.

Sting – The Night Watch: Live at the Rijksmuseum captures the January Sting concert at the museum’s Gallery of Honour, which took place in front of Rembrandt’s painting The Night Watch.

There, Sting played a 17th century guitar crafted for Louis XIV’s court. His set included songs from his musical The Last Ship, solo tracks like “Fragile,” “Fields of Gold” and “Shape of My Heart,” and Police tunes including “Message in a Bottle,” “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take” and more.

Sting – The Night Watch: Live at the Rijksmuseum will be released June 26 on CD and vinyl, and is available for preorder now.

The concert, which was also filmed, will premiere Thursday on Arte’s YouTube channel and Arte.tv.

Sting is currently in the middle of an eight-show residency in Paris, with his next show taking place Thursday. He’ll launch the North American spring leg of his Sting 3.0 tour on May 6 in Hollywood, Florida.

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The Beach Boys’ Bruce Johnston is leaving the band.

The 83-year-old Johnston joined the group in 1965 as a fill-in for Brian Wilson during live performances. In a statement to Rolling Stone he says he’s leaving the group in order to spend more time in the studio.

“It’s time for Part Three of my lengthy musical career!” he tells the mag. “I can write songs forever and wait until you hear what’s coming!!! As my major talent beyond singing is songwriting, now is the time to get serious again.”

He adds that he’ll be embarking on a speaking engagement career, along with personal appearances and events. He also plans to join The Beach Boys for special performances, including their July 3 and 4 shows at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

“This isn’t goodbye, it’s see you soon,” he adds. “I am forever grateful to be a part of the Beach Boys musical legacy.”

Mike Love, who’s the only original Beach Boys member still in the band, tells the mag in a statement that Johnston “is one of the greatest songwriters, vocalist[s], and keyboardist[s] of our time.”

“We’ve had the honor of his performance and participation for many many years with The Beach Boys,” he adds. “Change is always promised in life, today we find ourselves in a chapter of change, but not an end.”

“I am very supportive of Bruce and I have every confidence that he will produce great music,” he notes. 

After joining The Beach Boys on tour in 1965, Johnston appeared on many of their albums, starting with 1965’s Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!). He also wrote several Beach Boys songs. He left the group in 1972, but returned in 1978 and has been touring with them ever since.

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