Michael Stipe attends Apple TV’s “Shrinking” special FYC event at Quality Italian on May 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images)
Michael Stipe fans have been patiently waiting for his long-in-the works solo album, and it appears as though he’s giving them a preview of what’s to come.
The R.E.M. frontman has just debuted a new song, “Hum Desiderata,” on the sound exhibition platform Joyfully Waiting.
According to the description, the song “combines Stipe’s recitation of the poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann from his installation at ICA Milan” with an instrumental track by Stipe and Andy LeMaster. It also features additional vocals from artist Elizabeth Hatmaker.
Stipe talked about his solo album during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in April, sharing that it is finally set to be released at the end of 2026. He also debuted a song from the record, “The Rest of Ever,” backed by the Colbert house band, Louis Cato and The Great Big Joy Machine.
Stipe also released the song “I Played the Fool,” which he recorded with producer Andrew Watt, in March. It’s the theme to the HBO series Rooster.
U2 landed their third #1 album with their eighth studio release, Zooropa.
The album, inspired by the band’s Zoo TV Tour, had the Irish rockers experimenting with alternative rock and electronic dance music.
Zooropa spent two weeks on top of the chart, despite a lack of hit singles. Three tracks were released from the album — “Numb,” featuring spoken word verses by guitarist The Edge, “Lemon” and “Stay (Faraway, So Close!).” Only “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)” hit the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #61.
The album would go on to win the Grammy for best alternative music album.
: David Lee Roth performs in concert at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on April 29, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images)/Sammy Hagar at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction/ (Disney/Michael Le Brecht II)
David Lee Roth has appeared to cancel all but one of the remaining dates on his Don’t Love Me, Rent Me Tour.
Although there’s been no official announcement, the only show still listed on Roth’s website is his Aug. 7 concert at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota.
News of the cancellation quickly spread on social media, which prompted a response from Roth’s Van Halen replacement, Sammy Hagar.
“Hey Dave, Sammy here. I just got a call from Michael Anthony … about your tour getting canceled. And I want to say from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry,” Hagar said in a video posted to social media. “I hope you’re well. I hope there’s not a physical problem.”
“Honestly, Mike and I love the fact that you’ve been out there doing it, supporting the greatest band in the world that we were both part of … supporting what we did in this band to keep this music alive,” he added.
Hagar also invited Roth to join him at his The Best of All Worlds residency in Las Vegas in September.
“Sing a couple songs, emcee the damn show, come out and just do what the f*** you do, which is pretty damn entertaining,” he said.
In the caption to the post, Hagar wrote that he hoped the news of the tour cancellation wasn’t AI, noting, “if it is, my post is still coming from my heart and soul.”
“It is so important that this music carry on especially with the AI music out there. those of us that can still go out and play. should do it as long as they can physically and emotionally carry that torch,” he added. “@vanhalen was, should be, and hopefully always will be real live music, not just for our fans, but for the future fans of real rock music.”
Dutch DJ/producer Martin Garrix and U2 have teamed up for a brand-new song.
The artists have just released the track “Fireflies,” which Garrix debuted July 17 at the Tomorrowland in Belgium festival, with U2’s The Edge making a surprise appearance.
While Bono and The Edge previously teamed with Garrix for “We Are the People,” the official song for UEFA Euro 2020, “Fireflies” marks the first time all four members of the band have appeared on a Garrix track.
“’Fireflies’ has a very unique mood and it’s a special song we started working on six summers ago,” says Garrix. “I’ve worked with Bono and Edge before, but working with the whole band I got to get a glimpse of their chemistry and why U2 are who they are. They are incredible friends and collaborators, and it has been an absolute honor to work with them again.”
“We go back a long way with Martin, and there’s always a sense of adventure whenever we get together,” says The Edge. “Playing ‘Fireflies’ for the first time at Tomorrowland, in front of one of the most passionate festival crowds anywhere, was such a rush … in fact I might have enjoyed it a bit too much. It reminded me of why I love playing outdoors. I like it better when there’s no ceiling.”
This isn’t the first new music we’ve gotten from U2. Earlier in July the band released “Street of Dreams,” the first single off their upcoming new album, which so far does not have a release date.
Foreigner is out with a new live album, In the Eye of the Storm, featuring songs recorded during their 50th anniversary concert on New York’s Ellis Island and at Brooklyn’s DUMBO House.
While you may think this is just another live album, Foreigner’s Jeff Pilson tells ABC Audio there’s something particularly special about the release.
According to Pilson, not only does the album feature “the great songs that Foreigner has in our catalog,” but they are performed by “three different generations of singers, which is really cool.”
The album features original frontman Lou Gramm on some songs, along with former frontman of 20 years Kelly Hansen and current frontman Luis Maldonado. Performances include hit tracks “Feels Like the First Time,” “Double Vision” and “Hot Blooded.”
“What we love about it is that it’s a brotherhood,” Pilson says. “Foreigner is more than just a band, it’s a family that’s all about the music.”
Foreigner’s Ellis Island show happened back in September and was hit with torrential rain, thunder and lightning that almost threatened the show. Despite the weather conditions, Pilson says things cleared up enough for them to perform five songs on the island, including “I Want To Know What Love Is” with a choir.
“Somehow we came in under the wire, delivered a performance,” Pilson says. “It was magical. It was fantastic.”
The album also includes an acoustic performance of the Simon & Garfunkel classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water” from DUMBO House.
“It’s soulful. It’s beautiful,” Pilson says of Maldonado’s performance, noting one of the reasons they wanted to cover the track was because “the message of that song, boy, do we need that today.”
“I feel a thousand percent behind our version,” he adds. “I would play it for Paul Simon in a heartbeat.”
In the Eye of the Storm is the soundtrack to Foreigner’s 50th anniversary concert film, which is expected to be released sometime this fall.
Foreigner just kicked off their Double Trouble Double Vision tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd. They play Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday. A complete list of dates can be found at Foreigneronline.com.
Portrait Of The Ramones Portrait of the Ramones, left to right, Joey Ramone (1951 – 2001), Dee Dee Ramone (1951 – 2002), Johnny Ramone (1948 – 2004) and Marky Ramone of the Ramones at the Metro in Chicago, Illinois, May 13, 1980. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Legendary punk rockers the Ramones are set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of the Los Angeles landmark’s 2027 class.
“The Walk of Fame Selection Committee is proud to welcome the Class of 2027 to one of the most enduring symbols of achievement in entertainment,” says Walk of Fame selection chairman Peter Roth in a statement. “These extraordinary individuals have each made a lasting impact on audiences around the world through their talent, creativity, and dedication to their craft.”
Roth adds, “We are honored to recognize their remarkable contributions and look forward to celebrating them as they take their place in Hollywood history.”
The dates for the star ceremonies have yet to be announced. Recipients have up to two years after the selection date to schedule their star unveiling.
Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ (Sony Music)
A new official lyric video for Bruce Springsteen’s classic Born in the U.S.A. track “I’m on Fire” has just been released.
The video features photos and grainy footage from the original music video for the song, with the lyrics in red.
The original video, which was directed by filmmaker John Sayles, was Springsteen’s first non-performance music video, with The Boss playing an auto mechanic contemplating an affair with a rich married customer.
“I’m on Fire” was the fourth single off the #1 hit Born in the U.S.A. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, one of a record seven top-10 hits from the album. The others were the title track, “Dancing in the Dark,” “Cover Me,” “Glory Days,” “I’m Goin’ Down” and “My Hometown.”
“I’m on Fire” went on to be certified double Platinum by the RIAA.
Mike Love of The Beach Boys performs onstage during the 2025 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Marriott Marquis Times Square on June 12, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
Mike Love of The Beach Boys has announced the postponement of several dates on their current tour.
Love shared the news in a post on Instagram, with a beach picture that reads “Gone Surfin.”
“Playing for you is the highlight of our summer every year—especially as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States while saluting the 60th Anniversary of Pet Sounds,” Love said, referring to the band’s iconic album. “We’ve been having a blast out there, and to keep the good vibrations going strong, we’ll be taking a short break to recharge before getting back on the road in September.”
Postponed shows run from July 23 through Sept. 3, with tickets for the original shows good for the rescheduled dates.
The band is set to return to the road starting Sept. 24 in Springfield, Massachusetts, with 2026 dates running through Nov. 13 in Bristol, Virginia.
“Thanks for your love—we can’t wait to see you back out there for a September to Remember,” Love added.
ZZ Top The Big One! tour admat/(courtesy of ZZ Top)
ZZ Top has rescheduled some dates on their current The Big One! Tour, which began in early spring and runs through November.
The band has moved two shows in order for frontman Billy F Gibbons to take part in Eric Clapton’s upcoming Crossroads Guitar Festival in Austin Texas, which is happening Sept. 26-27.
The Texas rockers’ Sept. 26 show in Nashville has now moved to Oct. 8, while their Sept. 27 show in Port Wentworth, Georgia, will now take place Oct. 9.
“We’ve learned over the years that you need to be flexible to accommodate opportunities that present themselves along the way,” Gibbons says. “Thanks to everybody for understanding that we’re always ready to rock but fine tuning of schedules is inevitable.”
ZZ Top is currently in Spain where they’ll play a show in Murcia on Thursday. The Big One! Tour returns to the U.S. on Aug. 4 in Chula Vista, California, with the tour wrapping Nov. 24 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
A complete list of dates can be found at ZZTop.com.
‘George Michael: The Faith Tour’ (Universal Pictures Content Group/Crosswalk/Michael Putland)
If you weren’t around to see George Michael live in concert during his lifetime, now you’ll be able to see him at his peak.
George Michael: The Faith Tour is a concert film that will be coming to theaters worldwide in late 2026 in premium formats, including IMAX. Filmed over two nights in Paris in 1988 during the European leg of George’s Faith Tour, it includes never-before-seen footage of the star, who died in 2016.
The movie will screen with an original short called Finding Faith, featuring a voice-over from George from a previously unheard interview. It’s paired with unseen images by the legendary photographer Herb Ritts and behind-the-scenes footage of George’s iconic “Faith” music video.
George’s Faith Tour was his first solo outing, supporting his multi-Platinum debut solo album of the same name. Choreographed by Paula Abdul, it featured George performing hits like “Father Figure,” “One More Try,” “I Want Your Sex” and “Monkey”; WHAM! hits such as “Careless Whisper” and “I’m Your Man”; and covers like Stevie Wonder’s “Love’s in Need of Love Today” and “Lady Marmalade.”
The Faith Tour, an 18-track live album of previously unreleased recordings, will be released alongside the movie.
