Rock
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The Doors will turn 60 next year — something drummer John Densmore says the kids who formed the legendary rock group in Los Angeles could never have imagined.
“When I was a kid, 60 years old seemed like, ‘Well, you’ll be dead any minute,’” Densmore tells Billboard with a laugh. “And here we are.”
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The group’s 60th anniversary celebration is upon us, too — starting next month with some key archival releases. Arriving Nov. 22 via Rhino’s High Fidelity audiophile vinyl series is The Doors 1967-1971, a limited edition (3,000 copies) six-LP set that houses the six studio albums the band released during late frontman Jim Morrison’s lifetime. A week later, for Record Store Black Friday, Rhino will release a four-disc remastered vinyl edition of Live in Detroit, taken from a May 8, 1970, concert at the city’s famed Cobo Arena. The 25-song set is the longest concert the Doors ever performed, according to band manager Jeff Jampol of JAM Inc.
Following those, in early 2025, will be Night Divides the Day, a 344-page book from Britain’s Genesis Publications that includes new interviews with Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger, archival material from Morrison and the late keyboardist Ray Manzarek, commentary from other colleagues, friends and admirers, a treasure trove of photos, a foreword by Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and an afterward by conductor and composer Gustavo Dudamel (a recent Billboard cover subject). The 2,000 numbered box sets will be signed by Krieger and Densmore and come with rare demo recordings of “Hello, I Love You” and “Moonlight Drive” on a 7-inch vinyl disc. It’s available for pre-order here.
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These are just the beginning of the Doors’ 60th festivities, according to Jampol. “Here we are 60 years later talking about them, and they’re just as relevant and the music is more relevant than ever, and the message,” Jampol, who also represents the Morrison estate, tells Billboard. “I want to preserve it because I think it’s relevant for new generations. We’re trying to do two things here. We want to do interesting things and fun things for Doors fans, who are great ’cause they’ve always been here with us and they’ll support whatever it is we’re doing, and they’re excellent passers-on of the baton. Then we also want to expose the Doors to people who are not as familiar…this group of potential new fans, which is thousands of times larger. So we’re trying to serve those two distinct fan bases.”
Jampol is confident that either constituency will be impressed by the remastered sound quality of the upcoming vinyl releases, while the book, he adds, is “a thing of beauty” that came in the wake of The Collected Works of Jim Morrison, another Genesis project that came out during 2021. “We started working on this three years ago,” Jampol says, promising that, “there’s some stuff in that book no one’s talked about, photos I’ve never seen.”
Densmore, meanwhile, was particularly flattered by Dudamel’s glowing assessment of the Doors’ creativity in his afterward.
“He talks about my rhythms and said, ‘Oh, a few hundred years down the road the Doors will be remembered like Beethoven and Mozart,’” Densmore says. “I’m like, ‘Holy sh-t! I feel a whole lot of helium rising up in my skull now.’”
Densmore himself has written a couple of books about the Doors — a memoir and another focused on his legal issues with Krieger and Manzarek after they began playing together again during the early 2000s — while Krieger has also published an autobiography. Both are clear about why interest remains so high in the Doors 52 years after its last album of original material.
“When you get right down to it, it’s the songs. We had great songs,” Krieger told Billboard a couple of years ago. “A lot of kids come up to me, like 10-year-old kids, ‘Yeah, I love the doors. You guys are amazing.’ I don’t think they even know about the Jim Morrison myths and all that as much as they love the music. And I think that’s what is gonna carry it for the next 50 years, or more.”
“I hoped we would last 10 years and pay the rent: ‘That’d be cool,’” Densmore says with a laugh. “I knew the ingredients were unique. It was a wonderful, blessed few years. And that we’re still talking about it? Come on, man!”
Other 60th anniversary plans for 2025 are still being finalized, including museum exhibitions and art installations and possibly additional archival releases. Densmore — who played with Krieger during February of 2016 in Los Angeles for a Stand Up to Cancer benefit on what would have been Manzarek’s 77th birthday — says he’d also like to see some sort of performance be part of the celebration.
“The Doors 60th at the Hollywood Bowl would be quite wonderful,” Densmore says of the venue where the group recorded and filmed a concert during July 1968 (and returned in 1972, after Morrison’s death in 1971). “Willie Nelson did his 90th birthday at the Bowl, so it’d be wonderful to have something like that — me and Robby would play a little bit here and there, and there’d hopefully be lots of wonderful artists that would show up for that. I’d love to see something like that happen.”
The Flaming Lips are calling on fans for help after instrumentalist Steven Drozd’s daughter went missing. Both Drozd himself and frontman Wayne Coyne took to their social media pages on Monday (Oct. 7) to share a missing person poster of 16-year-old Charlotte “Bowie” Drozd, who has been missing since around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. According […]
Riot Fest issued a statement over the weekend in response to the death of a 58-year-old fan who was injured at the Sept. 20-22 event in Chicago’s Douglass Park. “We are heartbroken to share that a festival attendee passed away yesterday. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly challenging time,” the statement read in reference to the recent passing of Stephen Shult from injuries sustained at the festival.
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“The health, safety, and well-being of our fans and community have always been our top priority. We are aware of the various speculations surrounding this tragedy, including claims that it may be linked to the Slayer crowd,” the statement continued, seemingly referencing online reports claiming that Shult was trampled during a set by the speed metal band.
“However, we want to clarify that this is not the case. The on-site medical team responded to this medical incident, near the Ferris Wheel area, prior to Slayer’s performance. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will not be sharing further details,” it concluded.
Prior to his passing, Shult’s daughter, Jen Eaton, started a GoFundMe to help pay for the cost of her father’s treatment, saying that she and her dad attended the festival on Sept. 22 as a “typical father daughter, music festival activity. After separating for the last band, my Father never met up at any of our designated meet up spots and was reported missing. After posting on the Riot Fest FB page for any tips locating him, we were soon able to find him, thanks to that amazing community.”
She said her dad was then brought into the neurology ICU with “head trauma, under the wrong name. By the time we were able to locate him, he had undergone a craniotomy due to brain swelling and a brain bleed. He has since been in the Neuro ICU.” At the time, Eaton said doctors remained “hopeful” about her dad’s prognosis.
Then, on Sunday, she announced her father’s death. “Yesterday at 1:48pm we lost our Dad. His recovery initially was going wonderfully. Over the weekend he began to decline with minor issues but by Tuesday night changes were happening rapidly for the worst. When we arrived Wednesday they suspected he was in a natural coma and had little to no brain activity. We were put in the position to determine the next steps. After more testing and another day of waiting for those results it was confirmed he would not have any decent quality of life moving forward if he recovered and we collectively as a family, made the decision to let him be at peace. It was the hardest decision my family and I have ever had to make. Once made comfortable and removed from breathing machines he passed very quickly.”
This year’s Riot Fest lineup featured headliners Fall Out Boy, Beck, Pavement and Slayer, who closed out the event’s final night. Other acts who performed included: The Offspring, the Marley Brothers, Sum 41, Cypress Hill, New Found Glory, NOFX, St. Vincent, Spoon, Rob Zombie, Sublime, Tierra Whack and more.
See the statement from Riot Fest below.
It’s been a busy week for Coldplay. On Friday (October 4) the British band released their 10th album, Moon Music, and then hopped on to shopping channel QVC to flog it to viewers. They kept the roll going on Saturday night they appeared as music guests on SNL to help the show celebrate its 50th season.
Now, they’ve shared a deluxe edition of Moon Music entitled Full Moon Edition, which features bonus tracks and three new original songs. You can see the full tracklist below for the new release.
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Moon Music (Full Moon Edition) is out now on all platforms https://t.co/C4o1q2EncoOriginal album + 10 BLUE MOONS including The Karate Kid, Man In The Moon and 👋MOON MUSiC1. MOON MUSiC2. feelslikeimfallinginlove 3. WE PRAY 4. JUPiTER5. GOOD FEELiNGS6. 🌈7. iAAM8.… pic.twitter.com/IRYGyGgmUf— Coldplay (@coldplay) October 6, 2024
The Chris Martin-led group’s deluxe edition includes unheard tracks “The Karate Kid”, “Angelsong” and “A Wave”, the latter stylised as a waving hand emoji on streaming services. The Full Moon Edition includes alternative and live versions of some of the album’s tracks. “Feels Like I’m Falling In Live” is a version recorded live on their record-breaking Music Of The Spheres global tour, while “We Pray – Be Our Guest” removes Little Simz’ verse to encourage the listener to do their own vocal take.
Moon Music hosted an array of collaborators including super-producer Max Martin, Nigerian superstar Burna Boy, electronic musician Jon Hopkins and even a contribution from ambient pioneer Brian Eno, who produced the band’s fourth studio album, 2008’s Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The latest LP is a companion to their 2021 album Music Of The Spheres, which charted at No.4 on the Billboard 200.
Amidst the promotion for the new album, Martin has again discussed his vision for the band to only record 12 studio albums. Speaking to NME in 2021, Martin said “it’s a lot to pour everything into making them. I love it and it’s amazing, but it’s very intense too.”
In a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Martin pointed towards the limited oeuvre for The Beatles, Bob Marley and the Harry Potter books and films. “Having that limit means that the quality control is so high right now, and for a song to make it, it’s almost impossible, which is great,” he said.
Elsewhere the band recently announced a new U.K. leg of stadium tour dates in London and Hull, including 10 sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium. The U.K. shows – their only in Europe in 2025 – will include a donation to the Music Venues Trust to support the grassroots music scene.
Michael Stipe and Jason Isbell joined forces to perform a pair of R.E.M. classics during a Pennsylvania campaign event supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
On Friday (Oct. 4), the singer-songwriters took the stage during a Get Out the Vote concert at Pittsburgh’s Schenley Plaza, where Stipe sang R.E.M.’s “The One I Love” and “Driver 8,” which he hadn’t performed live since 2008. The former was the iconic rock band’s first top 10 hit, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1987.
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The singer-songwriters also teamed up for a handful of songs from Isbell’s catalog, including “Traveling Alone” and “Hope the High Road.”
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During the event, Stipe and Isbell were introduced by potential future First Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is married to Vice President Harris. Emhoff was present to help rally voters in the battleground state for this year’s Democratic presidential ticket.
“It’s been a while since I’ve sung these songs, 16 years in fact, but I’m really happy to be here with Jason and with the soon-to-be First Gentleman ever of the United States of America,” Stipe told the crowd.
Stipe and Isbell have been vocal in their support for the VP this year, with the “Cover Me Up” singer performing at the Democratic National Convention in August. Stevie Wonder, John Legend, The Chicks, Mickey Guyton and P!nk also took the stage at the Chicago political gathering, while numerous celebrity musicians — including Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Lizzo and Cardi B — have all endorsed Harris for president in 2024.
The Get Out the Vote concert arrived on the heels of the Oct. 1 vice presidential debate between Walz and Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, which took place a few weeks after the Sept. 10 presidential debate between Harris and the former POTUS.
Both campaigns are now working to sway the minds of American voters as Election Day on Nov. 5 approaches, particularly the nation’s swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Watch Stipe and Isbell’s performances of “The One I Love” and “Driver 8” here.
James Bay’s “Up All Night,” a collaboration with The Lumineers and Noah Kahan, jumps two spots to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart dated Oct. 12. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The song marks Bay’s first No. 1 on the survey, as well as his […]
In a year when famously battling brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher defied the odds and announced they were burying the hatchet and reuniting after a decade-and-a-half of incessant public sniping, Pink Floyd‘s David Gilmour made it crystal clear that he is never, ever getting back together with the band’s former bassist/singer Roger Waters.
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Asked by a fan in a Guardian reader interview if he’d ever perform again on stage with Waters, Gilmour said “absolutely not.” Then, in a pointed attack seemingly aimed at some of Waters’ more controversial comments in recent years about the war in Ukraine and his seeming support of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and authoritarian Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, Gilmour took fire at the Floyd co-founder.
“I tend to steer clear of people who actively support genocidal and autocratic dictators like Putin and Maduro [president of Venezuela],” Gilmour said. “Nothing would make me share a stage with someone who thinks such treatment of women and the LGBT community is OK.”
Waters has frequently stirred controversy with his political views about Israel and the war in Ukraine. His comments about the government of Israel led to his record company, BMG, dropping the Floyd co-founder and solo performer earlier this year after Berlin police opened an investigation into the imagery in a May 2023 Waters show in that city. Officials said the probe was launched over “suspicion of incitement to public hatred” related to costumes that appeared to replicate Nazi uniforms and claims that Waters’ show desecrated the memory of Holocaust victim Anne Frank.
Water denied the claims, writing on X, “My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles. The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms. Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated.”
During the show, Waters wore a costume resembling the Nazi SS soldier uniform — a long black coat with a red armband — while pointing a fake rifle at the crowd, with the singer saying later that the “depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue” has been featured in his past live performances since the release of the 1980 Pink Floyd film The Wall. In May 2023, a number of Jewish groups and politicians rallied against Waters’ concert in Frankfurt, Germany, accusing the singer of antisemitism after unsuccessfully pushing to have the show cancelled. It took place in the city’s Festhalle, where more than 3,000 Jews were rounded up, beaten and abused by Nazis before being sent to concentration camps in 1938.
Waters, who has frequently drawn the ire of the pro-Israel community for his vehement support of the BDS movement, which calls for boycotts and sanctions against the state of Israel, again rejected the claims of antisemitism.
A month later, the Biden administration’s State Department weighed in on what it called Waters’ “long track record of using antisemitic tropes” and the German show it said “contained imagery that is deeply offensive to Jewish people and minimized the Holocaust.”
Gilmour and Waters have been at odds since the bassist split with the group in 1984, trading barbs in the press as Waters continues to tour and perform Floyd music alongside his solo material, while the Gilmour-led Floyd ceased touring in 1994.
Pink Floyd’s musical assets — not including their publishing — were recently bought by Sony for around $400 million.
When Ozzy Osbourne celebrates his second Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction later this month in Cleveland he will have an impressive roster of A-list help on hand to do the honors. The 75-year-old Prince of Darkness will be fêted by friends and colleagues who will take the stage on Oct. 19 to celebrate Osbourne’s induction as a solo artist; he was previously enshrined in 2006 with Black Sabbath.
“I don’t know what to think. I’m still in shock that I’m getting inducted for a second time,” Ozzy told Rolling Stone in an email. “But at the same time, I’m very excited.” He’s got reason to be, since among the performers who will help usher him in are actor/singer Jack Black, who famously ripped a School of Rock-like version of Ozzy’s 1980 occult metal classic “Mr. Crowley” with a group of teenagers last year.
“Jack invited my family to the School of Rock movie premiere in 2002,” Osbourne told the mag. “I’ve always been a big fan of his. Jack is one of the few great actors that is also a genuine rock & roller and not acting the part.” The RRHOF announced that Black will be joined by a number of other artists paying tribute to the metal icon, including Tool singer Maynard James Keenan, Jelly Roll, Billy Idol and a gilded gang of guitarists who will honor Ozzy’s history of working with unique stylists.
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Among that group are Osbourne’s longtime collaborator Zakk Wylde, recent producer Andrew Watt, Idol’s longtime guitarist Steve Stevens and Wolfgang Van Halen, with Metallica and former Ozzy bassist Robert Trujillo and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith holding down the rhythm section.
Ozzy had kind words for those stepping up to honor him, calling Idol a “rock icon” whose music is “timeless,” while noting that the snarling punk-turned-pop star should be in the RRHOF. He referred to Keenan as a “true family friend since 1997… He is such a creative force. There are few artists who can keep three successful bands going for multiple decades,” he said in reference to the singer’s trifecta of hard rock acts: Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer.
And in a year when Jelly Roll is on a truly epic roll, Ozzy said having the country singer on board makes perfect sense. “Who doesn’t love Jelly Roll? His voice is soulful, pure, and dirty. I’m so honored that someone would do this for me who I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting,” Osbourne said.
Osbourne was nominated for his solo work for the first time this year and will be inducted after first becoming eligible in 2006 for a solo run that has produced such beloved hard rock anthems as “Crazy Train,” “Bark At the Moon,” “Mama I’m Coming Home” and “No More Tears.”
At press time it was unknown if Osborne — who retired from touring last year following a series of serious health issues over the past few years — will perform at the event that will also feature the inductions of Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Peter Frampton and Kool & the Gang.
The Hall recently revealed an extensive list of performers and presenters for this year’s induction at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, including: Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, James Taylor, Julia Roberts, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Lucky Daye, Mac McAnally, Method Man, Roger Daltrey, Sammy Hagar, Slash and The Roots.
The 2024 RRHOF induction ceremony will livestream on Disney+ on Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. ET. ABC will air a primetime special featuring the evening’s biggest moments on Jan. 1, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET, which will be available on Disney+ and Hulu on Jan. 2.
Check out the announcement below.
Mötley Crüe are headed back to Las Vegas. The long-running metal band announced their latest Sin City stay-put on Thursday (Oct. 3), The Las Vegas Residency, which will find them playing an exclusive limited run of 11 shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM from March 28-April 19, 2025.
“Mötley Crüe and Las Vegas have always been the perfect combination of extravagance and decadence. We’ve always loved the idea of the Vegas residency, because we’ve always loved the idea of staying in one location to build a unique show for the fans,” the band said in a statement. “We’re excited to get into rehearsals and work up a lot of songs that have been requested by the fans for years.”
The Crüe’s third Vegas residency is being billed as a “tell-all show [that] will immerse the audience in the band’s history, leading all the say through their record-breaking Stadium Tour.” They previously set up shop in Vegas in 2012 for Mötley Crüe Takes On Sin City and 2013 for Evening in Hell.
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A presale for members of the band’s S.I.N. fan club will begin at 10 a.m. PT on Friday (Oct. 4), with information available here. A Citi card member presale will begin at 12 p.m. on Friday through 10 p.m. PT on Oct. 10, details here. The public onsale will kick off on Oct. 11 at 10 a.m. PT here. The band said a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales for the residency will be donated to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.
Friday also marks the release of the band’s new EP, Cancelled, featuring the previously released singles “Dogs of War,” the title track and a rock-ified cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Fight For Your Right.” To celebrate the EP’s release, the Crüe will play a series of club shows in L.A. next week, including a gig at the Troubadour on Oct. 7, the Roxy on Oct. 9 and Whiskey a Go Go on Oct. 11.
In conjunction with the sold-out Höllywood Takeöver club shows the band has teamed with Global Merchandising Services for a series of exclusive drops from Represent, Prince Street Pizza, Rainbow Bar & Grill and Hot Topic during the week of gigs. Prince Street will be offering the 4-slice Mötley Crüe Combo at their eight L.A. locations, with each band member picking their favorite Prince St. favorite.
The Rainbow pop-up will feature exclusive, band-curated merch and a co-branded T-shirt and pint glass combo available with purchase of Crüe-inspired drinks such as the Dr. Feelgood RX, Kickstart my Heart-Tini and the Without You mocktail. Represent will have a limited-edition shirt at their L.A. store and Hot Topic will have a limited-edition T-shirt.
The Mötley Crüe The Las Vegas Residency show dates:
March 2025: 28, 29
April 2025: 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19
Could there be anything more on-brand than Tim Walz losing it over Bruce Springsteen‘s endorsement of Kamala Harris for President? The Minnesota Governor who is running as current Democratic V.P. Harris’ running mate had a typically enthusiastic, joyful response to the full-throated stamp of approval from The Boss in a three-minute video the rock icon posted on Thursday (Oct. 3).
“Wow. As a lifelong fan of The Boss, I couldn’t be more honored to have his support,” Walz wrote on X Thursday night along with a repost of the plainspoken video from the “Born in the U.S.A.” singer who referred to Harris’ Republican opponent Donald Trump as the “most dangerous candidate for President in my lifetime.”
Springsteen, who was a vocal supporter of President Joe Biden in his 2020 election run — he narrated a “Hometown” ad for the Biden campaign — took on a somber tone for the clip filmed in an empty diner in which he speaks directly to camera to deliver a plainspoken explanation of why he’s backing the Democratic ticket.
“We are shortly coming up on one of the most consequential elections in our nation’s history,” he says. “Perhaps not since the Civil War has this great country felt as politically, emotionally and spiritually divided as it does at this moment. It doesn’t have to be this way. The common values, the shared stories that make this a great and united nation are waiting to be rediscovered and retold once again. That will take time, hard work, intelligence, faith and women and men with the national good guiding their hearts.”
Springsteen goes on to praise the bedrock values he says Harris believes in, including “freedom, social justice, equal opportunity, the right to be in love with who you want,” while ticking off a list of what he says are the disqualifying attributes of twice impeached convicted felon Trump. “His disdain for the sanctity of our Constitution, the sanctity of democracy, the sanctity of the rule of law, and the sanctity for the peaceful transfer of power should disqualify him from the office of president ever again. He doesn’t understand the meaning of this country, its history or what it means to be deeply American,” the singer says.
Springsteen is among a long list of A-list stars who’ve lined up to support the Harris/Walz campaign, joining Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Wonder, Lil Nas X, Maren Morris, Barbra Streisand, Ariana Grande, Stevie Nicks, Cardi B, Katy Perry and many more. Trump also picked up an endorsement this week from Shazam star Zachary Levi, after the actor’s preferred candidate, vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abandoned his bid. In addition to the Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget actor, Trump has been endorsed by Kanye West, Elon Musk, Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan, Randy Quaid, Amber Rose, Russell Brand, Rosanne Barr and Rob Schneider.
See Walz’s reaction below.