Classic Hits

Former KISS drummer Peter Criss is responding to reports that it will cost fans $1,000 to download a digital copy of his recently released self-titled solo album.

The reports surfaced after Criss’ Bandcamp page listed not only the physical copies of the album, but a digital link at a cost of $1,000 with the note, “Digital purchases are discouraged, That’s why the high price.”

But now in a post on Instagram, Criss is saying the issue lies with Bandcamp and he is not charging such a big pricetag for the download.

“Bandcamp had become an issue and I had requested Flatiron Recordings to disable the account associated with my records before the release day of my New record on December 19, 2025,” he wrote. “I am not in control of the Bandcamp account. Flatiron Recordings is. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and for the misinformation and implication that I am charging $1,000 for a download of my New record – I am Not.”

He then suggested fans “find another outlet to purchase” the album, sharing a linktree on his website for locations to purchase it.

Peter Criss is the first solo album from the rocker since 2007’s One For All.  

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

James Taylor is sharing his 2026 tour plans with fans.

In a video posted on Instagram from a snowy New England, Taylor reveals that he will be hitting the road next year, giving fans an overview of where he’ll be playing.

“It’s a wintery scene here in New England, and a beautiful day, but a cold one,” he says in the video. “We’re thinking about the spring. We’re thinking about going on the road,” noting that they’ll be out west in California and Nevada in April.

“Then we’re gonna work our way back east and in June we’ll play a bunch of east coast gigs ending here in Western Massachusetts, at Tanglewood,” he adds, referring to his already announced shows July 3 and 4 at the Lenox, Massachusetts, venue.

But Taylor’s not just bringing his show to the U.S.

“Then we’re gonna hop across the pond and play in Europe again, which I’m really anxious to, eager to do,” he says, noting that he’ll be playing in Ireland, Scotland, England and Amsterdam.

“It’s gonna be a great spring and summer of touring for us and I’m really looking forward to getting back together,” he concludes the post. “Come out and see us.”
 

The post notes that exact tour dates will be announced in January.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Sean Ono Lennon, the only son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, is concerned that younger generations may one day not know about his father or The Beatles.

During an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, Sean talked about taking over from his mother as the keeper of his father’s legacy, and explained why he feels it’s important.

Sean noted that it’s not only him but “the world” who are also the keepers of his dad’s legacy, adding, “I’m just doing my best to help make sure that the younger generation doesn’t forget about The Beatles and John and Yoko. That’s how I look at it.”

Asked whether he really thought it would be “even possible” to forget them, he responded, “I do, actually, and I never did before.”

“My parents gave me so much that I think it’s the least I can do to try and support their legacy in my lifetime,” he explained, noting, “I feel like I just owe it to them. It’s a personal thing.”

“I think The Beatles’ music, and John and Yoko’s legacy, is something important for the world to kind of cherish and be reminded of,” he added. “So, that’s how I see my job.” 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Paul McCartney had a busy 2025, so it wasn’t easy for him to nail down a highlight of the year.

In the final website Q&A for 2025, McCartney was asked to name his “professional highlight” of the year, and he couldn’t pick just one.

“The great thing is there’s so much suddenly happening,” he said. “It’s like a log jam, loads of things have just come in.”

He then mentioned things like his Wings book, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, and that High in the Clouds, an animated film based on his 2005 children’s book, “is finally getting made.”
 

McCartney also called his Got Back tour “spectacular,” noting, “the audiences were so warm and receptive.” He specifically mentioned shows like his Bowery Ballroom club gigs, and dates in Santa Barbara and Nashville, where phones were not allowed.

He said those “were really cool, because it’s a completely different type of show. People aren’t just holding up phones, so you really see the whites of their eyes. It’s lovely!”

“This idea of everything coming home to roost, all these projects I’ve done over the years, it’s very exciting,” he added. “But yeah, if I had to pick one I think the tour was probably the highlight of the year for me – it was so successful and enjoyable for everyone involved.”

McCartney also dropped some exciting news for fans when asked what he’s most looking forward to in 2026.

“My new album!” he said, adding, “We’re just starting to think about how to put that together.”

As for his New Year’s resolution, McCartney first joked, “To be a good boy!,” before adding, “I normally don’t have one, but what comes to mind is things like ‘to eat sensibly.’ That’s always a good one.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

British singer/songwriter Chris Rea, who had a hit in the ’70s with “Fool (If You Think it’s Over),” has passed away at the age of 74. His death was confirmed in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Chris, who died peacefully earlier today following a short illness,” read the statement. “Chris’s music has created the soundtrack to many lives, and his legacy will live on through the songs he leaves behind.”

“Fool (If You Think It’s Over)” peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and went to #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts. The track was such a hit it earned Rea a best new artist Grammy nomination in 1978.

Rea’s other hits include 1989’s “Working on It,” which went to #1 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and 1988’s “Driving Home for Christmas,” which went to #1 in the U.K.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

When Bruce Springsteen released the box set Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition in October, it included a present-day recording of The Boss performing his album Nebraska in its entirety at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. Now, the rocker is giving fans who didn’t buy the box set a chance to experience it.

Springsteen has now made the performance available to rent or own via digital outlets.

Bruce has performed songs from Nebraska live over the years, but he never toured behind the album. This concert marks the first time he performed the record from start to finish.

Springsteen’s longtime collaborator Thom Zimny, directed the concert, which was shot in black and white without an audience. Springsteen is backed by only two musicians: Larry Campbell and Charlie Giordano.

According to the description posted to Instagram, the performance offers “fresh insight through the subtleties of his live performance, while remaining true to the spirit of the original recordings.” The performance is offered without narration or commentary, so, as Bruce notes, “Only the voices of the characters are heard.”

In addition to the concert, Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition includes a remastered version of the original album, along with previously unreleased material such as the long-rumored “Electric Nebraska.” It also features solo outtakes, including additional songs from Springsteen’s original Nebraska home recordings that didn’t make the album, as well as recordings from a 1982 solo studio session.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Barry Manilow has been forced to postpone his January concerts so he can undergo cancer surgery, the legendary singer announced on Monday.

In a statement on Instagram, Manilow writes that he’d recently suffered through weeks of bronchitis, so his doctor ordered an MRI to “make sure that everything was OK.” He goes on to say that the test “discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed.”

“It’s pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early,” the 82-year-old singer writes. “That’s the good news.”

The bad news? Manilow says he has to have surgery to have the spot removed.

“The doctors do not believe it has spread and I’m taking tests to confirm their diagnosis,” he explains. “So, that’s it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.”

Since he’ll need a month to recover, Manilow will be rescheduling his January arena concerts for February, March and April. He lists the rescheduled dates in his message, noting that ticket holders can use their existing tickets for the new shows.

“I’m very sorry that you have to change your plans,” he writes. “Just like you, we were all looking forward to the January shows and hate having to move everything around.”

Manilow says he’s “counting the days” until he can get back to the Westgate Las Vegas, where he normally performs, for his Valentine’s weekend concerts on Feb. 12, 13 and 14, as well as the rest of his 2026 shows.  “Something tells me that February weekend is going to be one big party!” he writes.

Manilow signs off by saying, “I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. And remember, if you have even the slightest symptom … get tested!”

Manilow was treated for throat cancer in 2020.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On This Day, Dec. 22, 2014 …

British singer Joe Cocker died of lung cancer in Colorado at the age of 70.

Known for his raspy voice and expressive body movements while performing, Cocker first gained commercial success thanks to his soulful cover of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends,” which appeared on his debut album.

The song, which featured Jimmy Page on guitar, hit #1 in the U.K. and was later used as the theme song for the ABC series The Wonder Years. In 2001, the track was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Cocker’s best-selling tune was “Up Where We Belong,” a duet with Jennifer Warnes that the two recorded for the Richard Gere movie An Officer and a Gentleman. The song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned the pair a Grammy for best performance by a duo or group with vocals. The song also won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for best original song.

Other Cocker hits include covers of Billy Preston‘s “You Are So Beautiful,” which peaked at #5 in the U.S.; Dave Mason‘s “Feelin’ Alright?”; the Ray Charles hit “Unchain My Heart;” and Randy Newman‘s “You Can Leave Your Hat On.”

In November, Cocker was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with a tribute featuring performances by Bryan Adams, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and Teddy Swims.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

After waiting almost four years, Led Zeppelin fans finally got to see the story of their favorite band on the big screen with the February 2025 release of Becoming Led Zeppelin, the first officially sanctioned documentary about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band.

The film, directed by Bernard MacMahon, first premiered as a work in progress at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. It took until May 2024 for Sony Pictures Classics to acquire the rights to the completed project.

Described as a “hybrid docu-concert film,” Becoming Led Zeppelin featured archival footage of the band’s early days, along with concert footage and new interviews with surviving members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. It also featured archival audio from their late drummer, John Bonham.

The film initially opened exclusively in IMAX theaters and set a record in the U.S., bringing in $2.6 million, which was the biggest opening weekend ever for an IMAX-exclusive music release. The film also landed in the top 10 at the box office opening weekend. Since its release, Becoming Led Zeppelin has brought in $10.4 million domestically.

The film, currently streaming on Netflix, is on the short list for a possible Oscar nomination in the best documentary feature film category. It was also one of two docs to win best music documentary at the 10th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, tied with the Sly Stone doc Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius).

– This year also saw Led Zeppelin celebrate the 50th anniversary of their iconic album Physical Graffiti. To mark the occasion, the band released a new live EP, titled Live E.P., as well as an update of 2015’s three-LP Physical Graffiti Deluxe Edition. It included a remastered version of the album, a bonus album featuring rough mixes and early versions of songs.

– John Bonham’s son, Jason Bonham, also marked the milestone by launching a new tour, An Evening with JBLZE Celebrating 50 Years of Physical Graffiti, which had him and his band performing the album in its entirety, alongside other Led Zeppelin classics.

– Also this year, Plant released his first album with his band Saving Grace. Plus, Page and The Black Crowes reissued their collaborative live album, Live At The Greek.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The final installment of the three-part YouTube series looking back at Freddie Mercury’s debut solo album, Mr Bad Guy, has just been released, and it focuses on the songs on the album.

Once again, the clip features archival footage of the Queen frontman’s 1985 interview with journalist David Wigg. When asked what song he finds most rewarding, Freddie has a hard time picking a favorite.

“Oh, I don’t know, the one that sells the most,” he quips, before giving a more thoughtful response.

“To me, this is a rewarding album. I think it’s a collection of songs which seem to sort of get in a groove,” he says. “And to me I couldn’t single out one song, because, at this point in time, I seem to be liking a different song every day.”

There are several songs about love on the album, and Mercury reveals whether that means he’s a romantic at heart.

“Well, I guess so,” he says, “but I just like writing songs about love because there’s so much scope and also they have so much to do with me.”

Mercury’s Mr Bad Guy was recently reissued in celebration of the 40th anniversary of its release. It was reissued on 180-gram translucent green vinyl featuring a 2019 mix by Queen’s longtime sound team, Justin Shirley-Smith and Joshua J. Macrae. The mix originally appeared on the Mercury box set Never Boring.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.