genre rock
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Add Billy Joel to the list of artists advocating for late powerhouse rock vocalist Joe Cocker to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. On Tuesday (April 1), Billy Joel posted a video in which he reads a letter he wrote in 2014 to the RRHOF’s induction committee — at a time when Cocker’s health was in decline — imploring the Rock Hall to finally enshrine Cocker in its ring of honor.
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“As a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of fame since 1999, it has been one of my finest hopes to see Joe Cocker into it as well,” Joel said in a never-before-released clip recorded in 2016 in which he notes that he was “stunned” that he was inducted before Cocker. “When I first heard him in 1969 I was very inspired by the sound of his incredibly raw and soulful vocal style.”
That same “watershed” year, Joel said he attended the Woodstock Festival, bought the first Led Zeppelin album and heard Cocker sing one of his signature, raw-boned covers, the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
“I thought Joe was the most powerful rock n’ roll interpretive male singer I had heard since first hearing the iconic early recordings of Ray Charles,” Joel continued in the video. “In my opinion, no one has since come even close to him as one of the great primal rock n’ roll vocalists of all time. I feel very strongly that Joe Cocker should be considered for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
The plea came from a video recorded by filmmaker John Edginton backstage at Madison Square Garden before a Joel performance, which was filmed for the 2017 documentary Joe Cocker: Mad Dog With Soul, but not included in the final cut. The clip posted to Cocker’s Instagram feed last week, ends with Joel asking the committee to consider putting Cocker on the ballot that year (2016). The singer said he never heard back from the Hall, joking, “it shows how much impact I have.” The Edginton video also includes singer-songwriter Randy Newman expressing surprise that Cocker — who recorded Newman’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On” — had not been on the ballot to that point.
Cocker was famous for his ragged, one-of-a-kind covers of other acts’ famous songs, with Joel comparing the late singer to such legendary song interpreters as Frank Sinatra.
In February, Cocker — who died in December 2014 at 70 from lung cancer, just months after Joel penned the letter — was nominated for the RRHOF for the first time after 36 years of eligibility. He’s vying for a spot for the Rock Hall’s Class of 2025 alongside 13 other musical greats, including Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden and The White Stripes. The Class of 2025 will be revealed in late April, and this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall, with details to be announced at a later date.
In March, Paul McCartney wrote his own letter to the Rock Hall also calling for Cocker’s induction. “Joe was a great man and a fine singer whose unique style made for some fantastic performances,” McCartney wrote. “He sang one of our songs ‘With a Little Help From My Friends,’ a [1968] version produced by Denny Cordell which was very imaginative.”
The two-time HOF honoree added, “All the people on the panel will be aware of the great contribution Joe made to the history of Rock and Roll. And whilst he may not have ever lobbied to be in the Hall of Fame, I know he would be extremely happy and grateful to find himself where he deserves to be amongst such illustrious company.”
Cocker’s widow, Pam Cocker, appreciated Macca support and his “sweet, sweet letter,” saying, “Joe was never anxious for it. The awards and accomplishments and all of that kind of stuff were not his thing — not to say that he wouldn’t be very pleased, as I am, just thrilled. But you just didn’t think about it.”
In addition, ZZ Top guitarist/singer Billy Gibbons has also supported the nomination of “one of a kind” singer Cocker nomination, saying, “Good news in view of the monumental recordings released and amazing performances… the very embodiment of rock and roll in terms of talent and spirit.”
See Joel’s video below.
Summer School is back for its Sophomore session.
On Tuesday morning (April 1) idobi Radio Summer School Tour founders Eric Tobin (Hopeless Records), Michael Kaminsky (management firm KMGMT) and Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman announced the return of the traveling punk rock showcase for new acts with a lineup that includes headliners Taylor Acorn, Charlotte Sands and Rain City Drive and support from If Not For Me, Beauty School Dropout, Arrows in Action, and Huddy.
Sponsored by idobi radio and Hot Topic, the coast-to-coast showcase will make an inaugural stop at the July 27 Vans Warped Tour date in Long Beach, Calif.; the Warped tour is returning for a limited three-stop run this summer after a six-year absence.
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“We launched last year and were really encouraged by the reaction to Summer School from the fans — there had been a need in the market for new bands to connect with young audiences looking for new bands to support,” Tobin tells Billboard. He noted that he and his partners had always imagined Summer School as a touring vehicle from a bygone era, working with young bands to focus on artist development, community, ticket affordability and social impact.
Kaminsky tells Billboard that acts on the tour alternate set times at each date and are encouraged to spend time meeting and interacting with fans, describing the tour as an “incubator for the next generation” of headliners.
“If you look at the current touring business, most new acts are given support slots on tours and not given a chance to breakout on their own and shine,” Kaminsky says. “This is a chance for these acts to enjoy some of the spotlight without high priced tickets.”
Lyman said he was immediately sold on the idea once it was pitched by Tobin and Kaminsky last year, noting “the lack of available opportunities for young bands to find audiences. There’s very little artist development for today’s acts and hopefully Summer School creates a vehicle for that development.”
‘Launching July 11 at the Fillmore Detroit, the 2025 run will stop in 23 cities before wrapping at Philadelphia’s Franklin Music Hall. Pre-sale tickets for the 2025 idobi Radio Summer School Tour are available with reduced ticketing fees here beginning today at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT. General on-sale tickets are available for $35 plus applicable taxes and fees starting Friday, April 4 at 10 a.m. local time.
Eddie Barella, CEO of sponsor idobi Radio, called the partnership “an incredible honor” for “championing emerging artists, amplifying their voices, and ensuring that alternative music continues to thrive” while Andrea Lewis, Hot Topic VP of Brand Marketing added, “Partnering with Summer School allows us to support the next generation of artists and fans who are shaping the future of alternative culture, and we’re proud to be part of something that creates such an unforgettable experience.”
Dates for idobi Radio Summer School are below. More at summerschooltour.com.
July 11, 2025 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
July 12 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
July 13 – Cleveland, OH @ The Agora
July 15 – Newport, KY @ MegaCorp Pavilion
July 16 – Chesterfield, MO @ The Factory at The District
July 18 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
July 19 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
July 20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union
July 22 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
July 23 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
July 25 – Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24
July 26 – Long Beach, CA @ Vans Warped Tour*
July 27 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
July 29 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
July 30 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
August 1 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
August 2 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade Heaven
August 3 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
August 5 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
August 6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
August 8 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
August 9 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
August 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
* Vans Warped Tour Event
You never really know how much your fans have missed you until you go away for a while. Even now, nine months after Oasis shocked the world by announcing that they would be reuniting for a summer 2025 stadium tour that nobody thought would ever happen, songwriter/guitarist and occasional lead vocalist Noel Gallagher finds it hard to believe how big a deal it all is.
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According to NME, in an interview with one of the magazine’s former photographers, Kevin Cummins, for his new book Oasis: The Masterplan, the elder Gallagher admits that the mad dash to secure tickets for the band’s first gigs since 2009 shocked him. “I thought it’d be a big deal, but I was a bit taken aback by just how much of a big deal it was,” Gallagher, 57, said.
In an effort to beat the bots and scalpers, the band fronted by Liam Gallagher teamed with Twickets for a scheme meant to block re-sellers posting tickets for profit, warning that those purchases would be cancelled. During the frenzied pre-sale, though, frustrated fans described being in queue for hours on end and often ending up empty-handed for the initial run of U.K. and Irish dates.
In October, Ticketmaster said it would investigate the matter and cancel roughly 50,000 resale tickets that were deemed to have been purchased using techniques that were forbidden for the tour. Those methods typically used by scalpers and bots, included purchasing more than four tickets per household, per show, and using multiple identities to buy up tickets.
Then, in March, the UK’s CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) said that Ticketmaster may have “misled” fans over pricing for the shows; Oasis later issued a statement saying they had no “awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used” in the sale of tickets for the initial 19 dates. An update to the CMA’s ongoing investigation revealed that Ticketmaster UK may have breached consumer protection law, by “Labelling certain seated tickets as ‘platinum’ and selling them for near 2.5 times the price of equivalent standard tickets, without sufficiently explaining that they did not offer additional benefits and were often located in the same area of the stadium.”
Though at press time neither the make-up of the rest of the band nor the expected set list has been revealed, Noel may have tipped his hand at which songs will make the cut when Cummins asked him to name his favorite Oasis song. “Can I have more than one? ‘Supersonic’, ‘Some Might Say’, ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Rock’n’Roll Star,” Gallagher said of a handful of the band’s most beloved, frequently performed, songs.
In January, Liam responded to a fan’s dream setlist, telling them “it’s not far off,” when they asked if the unsolicited rundown was “official.” The list had pretty much what you’d expect based on the band’s past setlists, including such live staples as: “Acquiesce,” “Some Might Say,” “Lyla,” “Shakermaker,” “The Hindu Times,” “Cast No Shadow,” “Slide Away,” “Supersonic,” “Morning Glory,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Live Forever” and “Champagne Supernova.”
Last month, the band announced that a film documenting the Oasis Live ’25 tour would be created and produced by BAFTA- and Oscar-nominated writer/producer/director Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Spencer, Dirty Pretty Things) and directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace (Meet Me in the Bathroom, Shut Up and Play the Hits). No release date has been announced yet for the untitled film and no further details were revealed about the content of the project that will be distributed by Sony Music Vision.
Oasis have announced 41 dates so far for the tour, which will kick off on July 4 with the first of two shows at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, before criss-crossing the U.K. in advance of a North American run beginning August 24 in Toronto; the tour will then move on to Mexico City, South Korea, Japan, Australia and South America.
The 2025 Soundside Festival in Bridgeport, CT will feature headlining sets from The Killers, Weezer, Hozier and Vampire Weekend. The two-day event (Sept. 27-28) formerly known as the Sound on Sound festival will once again take place at Bridgeport’s Seaside Park, with a pre-sale slated to kick off on Thursday (April 3) from 10 a.m.-11 […]
Celebrity baby names can sometimes be a real journey. But Machine Gun Kelly took to his Instagram Stories on Monday (March 31) to clear up some confusion about what people apparently think he and his ex, Megan Fox, named their newborn baby girl. You see, some people thought that the little bundle of joy had […]
The first cast announcement for the upcoming Beatles biopics has been confirmed, with Harris Dickinson (John Lennon), Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney), Barry Keoghan (Ringo Starr) and Joseph Quinn (George Harrison) set to play the Fab Four.
The quartet will assume the roles for what Sony Pictures is currently dubbing The Beatles – A Four Film Cinematic Event, directed by Sam Mendes (Skyfall, 1917). The group will appear in four separate biopics – one about each member – and all will be released in theatres in April 2028, in what Sony Motion Pictures Boss Tom Rothman’s called a “bingeable moment in cinema” (per Deadline). No further cast members have been announced at this stage, nor has the release order for the four films.
The news was confirmed on Monday night (March 31) at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, with Mendes and the all-star cast all appearing on stage to celebrate the announcement. See a photo of all four members together below.
Mendes said that the four separate films will provide “a chance to understand them a little more deeply.” Mendes added that the group “redefined the culture and stayed with you for a lifetime,” and called them “the most significant band of all time.” He also said that he had been trying to make a Beatles film “for years,” but struggled to fit the story into one movie and rejected the idea of a television series.
“There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation,” he told the audience, adding: “I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore and I think we found a way to do that.”
On stage, Dickinson, Mescal, Keoghan and Quinn recited from the band’s song “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”: “It’s wonderful to be here, it’s certainly a thrill, you’re such a lovely audience, we’d like to take you home with us,” each saying a line.
The upcoming film has approval from McCartney and Starr, as well as Lennon and Harrison’s estates. It marks the first time the group and rights holders Apple have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film.
The reveal confirms rumors that have swirled about the casting for months. Last year Starr hinted that Keoghan would be playing him in the film, saying “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.” Ridley Scott, who directed Mescal in Gladiator II, accidentally confirmed the latter’s casting in an interview in late 2024, with Mescal responding that it would be “a dream come true” to play McCartney.
Dickinson is best known for his roles in Babygirl (2024) and The Iron Claw (2023), while Quinn had a starring role alongside Mescal in Gladiator II, and also appeared in the most-recent season of Stranger Things.
The four Beatles films will follow the group’s trajectory from their 1960 formation through their time as a touring act and in the studio. The group hold the record for the most No. 1 LPs on the Billboard 200 (19 in total) and most No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 (20 in total).
A number of documentaries and smaller-budget films have been released chronicling the group’s career, including 2009’s Nowhere Boy which focused on Lennon’s early years, and starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the leading role. In 2022, The Beatles: Get Back documentary saw Peter Jackson compiling hours of unused footage for an eight-hour epic on Disney+.
Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan will be playing classics from his beloved group when he hits the road this summer, though his backing group will look a little different.
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Hitting the live trail throughout June, Corgan will be joined by his new band, the Machines of God, for the 16-date tour of North America.
Dubbed A Return to Zero, the trek sees Corgan and his band touring in support of the 30th anniversary of the Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, and the 25th anniversary of the 2000 albums Machina/The Machines of God and Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music. The tour will feature classics and deep cuts from the records, along with selections from 2024’s Aghori Mhori Mei.
Joining Corgan in the Machines of God is nascent Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Kiki Wong, drummer Jake Hayden, and bassist Kid Tigrrr (aka Jenna Fournier of NIIGHTS).
This isn’t the only retrospective look that Corgan is taking in 2025. In early March, Corgan detailed a forthcoming series of performances which sees him and the Lyric Opera of Chicago reimagining Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in a new operatic light in November. “Opera and rock both tell stories of heightened emotions, and I am excited for both fans of my music and traditional opera fans to hear some truly inspired work; for the balance here is to honor both traditions in a magisterial way,” Corgan explained.
Mellon Collie was issued in 1995 as the band’s third album, and managed to become the Smashing Pumpkins’ first release to debut atop the Billboard 200. The record also garnered seven nominations at the 1997 Grammys, including album of the year and best alternative music album, ultimately winning best hard rock performance for lead single, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.”
Meanwhile, Machina/The Machines of God arrived in February 2000 as the band’s last studio album to be commercially released ahead of their breakup later that year. The record hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and received a Grammy nomination for best recording package.
Its follow-up, Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music, was released in September of 2000 as a free download after plans to release the records as a double album fell through. A long-awaited reissue of the Machina albums is set to arrive later in the year.
Billy Corgan and the Machines of God – A Return to Zero North American Tour
June 7 – Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, MDJune 9 – Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MAJune 11 – Kee to Bala, Muskoka, ONJune 12 – History, Toronto, ONJune 13 – Beanfield Theatre, Montreal, QCJune 15 – Irving Plaza, New York, NYJune 16 – Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PAJune 17 – Archer Music Hall, Allentown, PAJune 19 – St. Andrew’s Hall, Detroit, MIJune 20 – Taste of Joliet, Joliet, ILJune 21 – Intersection, Grand Rapids, MIJune 23 – Roxian Theatre, Pittsburgh, PAJune 25 – House of Blues Cleveland, Cleveland, OHJune 26 – Bogart’s, Cincinnati, OHJune 27 – Summerfest, Milwaukee, WIJune 29 – Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN
Japanese heavy outfit BABYMETAL are preparing to kick off their latest era, announcing the release of their fifth album today.
As is tradition, news of the group’s latest happenings was shared on Fox Day (April 1, Japanese time), a day typically used by the group to unveil big announcements. The big headline for 2025 is the forthcoming release of BABYMETAL’s fifth album, Metal Forth, which will be released on June 13.
The ten-track release is a heavily-collaborative effort, featuring appearances from the likes of Spiritbox, Polyphia, Bloodywood, and Slaughter to Prevail. The album will also include previous singles released by the band, including the 2023 Tom Morello-featuring “METALI!!”and their 2024 collaboration with Electric Callboy, “Ratatata.” News of the forthcoming record will also be bolstered by the impending arrival of new single “From Me to U,” which drops on Friday (April 4) with guest vocals from Poppy.
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BABYMETAL first formed in 2010, releasing their self-titled debut in 2014. While the record peaked at No. 187 on the Billboard 200, subsequent albums performed better, with 2016’s Metal Resistance hitting No. 39 and 2019’s Metal Galaxy reaching No. 13.
In 2023, the band released fourth album The Other One, which became their first not to chart on the Billboard 200, and their first to be released as a duo following the departure of Yuimetal in 2018. Now, following the inclusion of Momometal as an official member in 2023, the forthcoming record is said to represent a new era for the band, with its title meaning “beyond metal,” and a new signing to Capitol Records being detailed alongside its announcement.
In a statement issued on Monday (March 31), Capitol Records noted that the deal makes BABYMETAL “the first Japanese artist to sign a frontline deal with the label.”
“BABYMETAL’s groundbreaking sound and compelling artistic vision have not only cultivated a worldwide following, but have also demonstrably shifted global music culture,” said Capitol Records Chairman & CEO, Tom March. “We at Capitol Records are privileged to join them in this next chapter as we continue to amplify their international reach and influence with the upcoming release of Metal Forth.”
The arrival of Metal Forth on June 13 will also coincide with the launch of a 24-date North American tour for the band, with dates in Europe, the U.K., and Asia also set to complement their current schedule.
One of Kurt Cobain‘s most iconic instruments is about to go on display for the first time in Europe. The Royal College of Music London announced that its “Kurt Cobain Unplugged” exhibit — which opens on June 3 and runs through Nov. 18 — will feature the late Nirvana singer’s rare Martin D-18E guitar, which […]
Unlike some other artists, Guster did not cancel their booked gig at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center in the wake of the prestigious venue’s MAGA makeover in which Donald Trump had himself appointed as chairman and filled the organization’s board with loyalists while vowing to fill the stage with “non-woke” musicals such as his favorite, Cats.
In fact, Guster did just the opposite. During their gig on Friday night (March 28), the band staged a subtle protest against the administration’s planned make-over — which has quickly resulted in more than two dozens shows and performers canceling scheduled gigs — by bringing out the cast of Finn, an LGBTQ+ musical whose performances were called off after the Trump revamp.
Finn is a children’s musical that opened to good reviews at the Kennedy Center last year, telling the story of a young shark who “wants to let his inner fish out.” According to a video of the performance , Guster invited out the cast of the musical with trans themes, with singer Ryan Miller explaining, “I have a friend named Michael who wrote the songs for a musical called Finn” in the midst of the band’s show with the National Symphony Orchestra.
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“In the before times they were booked to play here at the Kennedy Center. But as all of you know, things happened, and the show is no longer being presented here,” Miller continued. “As the new administration has made abundantly clear, Finn’s themes of inclusivity, love, and self-acceptance aren’t going to be welcome in this building while they are in control. So tonight our band is here to say our stage is your stage. We are your allies, we stand with the LGBTQ community, and we want you to sing with us. Please welcome the cast of Finn and composer Michael Kooman.”
The six singers from the cast received a prolonged, raucous standing ovation before the performance of Guster’s “Hard Times” and then again after.
Following Finn‘s cancellation at the Kennedy Center — which the venue said at the time was a “purely financial decision” — the show was performed by a cast of Broadway stars for a one-night-only livestream at New York’s Town Hall earlier this month, with a portion of the proceeds earmarked for The Trevor Project. Among the stars who participated in the special event were: Andrew Rannells, Bonnie Milligan, Nikki M James, Kelli o’Hara, Lea Salonga, Michael Urie, Peppermint, Brenda Braxton and more.
To date, more than two dozen events have been canceled by the artists or postponed at the Kennedy Center following the Trump revamp, including shows by Issa Rae, a production of Hamilton, the National Youth Poet Laureate event, Blacks in Wax, as well as shows by Low Cut Connie and Amanda Rheaume, a book event with J. Geils Band singer Peter Wolf and many more.