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🎸CLASSIC ROCK🎸2026 Looking Forward | Harrison's Beatle Slam | Lennon's Sesame Street Pitch | Townshend vs Grateful Dead and more...

🎸CLASSIC ROCK🎸2026 Looking Forward | Harrison's Beatle Slam | Lennon's Sesame Street Pitch | Townshend vs Grateful Dead and more...

Plus, Stones Fans Pick Best | Ozzy Tells Satanists Off | Joan Jett's 23 Rejections | Dylan Trio Highway 61 | Ringo's Drum Solo | and more...

January 02, 2026

Today we're looking forward to 2026, plus diving into The Who's legendary crossover moment with the Grateful Dead, George Harrison's surprising Beatles criticism, and a touching story about John Lennon and Sesame Street.

Have a Rockin Day,
Hippy Pete

26 things we're looking forward to in 2026

Over the next twelve months, rock will keep rolling smoothly forward - here are 26 ways its wheels will remain lubricated CONTINUE...

Unlikely moment The Who’s Pete Townshend joined Grateful Dead on stage for Not Fade Away performance

Pete Townshend once joined Grateful Dead on stage for a blistering performance of Not Fade Away, which has been praised by fans. CONTINUE...

George Harrison once said The Beatles ‘weren’t that good’ when promoting ill-fated solo tour

George Harrison once suggested The Beatles 'weren't that good' and that he wouldn't join a band with Paul McCartney again. CONTINUE...

John Lennon song was called ‘beautiful’ in failed pitch for Beatles member to appear on behalf of Sesame Street

John Lennon was once requested to appear at a benefit show for Sesame Street but ended up turning it down, despite the flattering letter. CONTINUE...

The Rolling Stones fans decide on band’s best album from after 1990

Fans of The Rolling Stones believe it's clear which album is the group's best since 1990, with both Blue and Lonesome and Voodoo Lounge highly praised. CONTINUE...

Why Ozzy Osbourne told Satanists to ‘fuck off’ after being invited to play gig at Stonehenge

Ozzy Osbourne once confirmed he and Black Sabbath were invited to play at Stonehenge by Satanists, though the group weren't all that keen. CONTINUE...

The pioneering Joan Jett classic that was rejected 23 times

Joan Jett is an undeniable force: Spat at hundreds of times, kicked again and again by a horrid industry, she refused to give up some 23 times for one record. CONTINUE...

Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young’s Highway 61 Revisited performance hailed as ‘badass’ by fans

Bob Dylan's performance of Highway 61 Revisited saw the legendary songwriter joined by both Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. CONTINUE...

The only Beatles song with a Ringo Starr drum solo

Whilst Ringo Starr hates drum solos, he eventually caved and recorded his one and only for the band as a "token" for Paul McCartney. CONTINUE...

Roger Waters explains meaning behind Leaving Beirut song after people ‘boo’ track in New Jersey

Roger Waters' Leaving Beirut drew a mixed reaction from crowds across the United States, and he has since explained why that was the case. CONTINUE...

Jimi Hendrix was ‘afraid of going on stage’ ahead of show at Isle of Wight Festival

One of the final shows Jimi Hendrix ever played had him nervous backstage at the Isle of Wight Festival, according to his girlfriend at the time. CONTINUE...

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker shares what he would tell Bob Dylan if he ever met him

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker has shared exactly what he'd tell Bob Dylan should he bump into the veteran songwriter. CONTINUE...

David Gilmour – Live in Gdansk Review

David Gilmour slips all of his On an Island album into Live in Gdansk, a massive two-hour set which features reimagined versions of Pink Floyd classics. CONTINUE...

Nine must-listen Bob Dylan bootlegs and where to find them

Bob Dylan has more bootlegs than most artists, and figuring out where to start with them is a tricky task - one made easier by these nine bootlegs. CONTINUE...

The performer Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger both called the best

Both Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger helped usher in a new kind of rock star for the masses, but they knew nothing could top the true greats. CONTINUE...

Bob Dylan – Minneapolis Coffee House Review

One of the more mysterious bootlegs available to Bob Dylan fans, Minneapolis Coffee House is a bit of a dark horse. It is not the infamous performances but a collection of party tapes, coffee shop … CONTINUE...

NEW George Harrison - Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) [Official Video]

TODAY IN CLASSIC ROCK

1954
Eddie Calvert started a nine-week run at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with "Oh, Mein Papa." This was the first No. 1 recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

1957
Country music singer Ricky Van Shelton was born. He would go on to chart more than 20 Billboard Hot Country singles with 10 reaching No. 1, including duets with Dolly Parton and Brenda Lee.

1965
Elvis Presley went to No. 1 on the US album chart with the Roustabout soundtrack, his eighth No. 1 album. The movie soundtrack showcased Presley's enduring popularity during the British Invasion era.

1969
The Beatles began their final recording sessions at Twickenham Studios for the Let It Be album. These sessions, marred by internal tensions, produced classics including "Get Back," "Across the Universe," and the title track, later documented in the 2021 docuseries The Beatles: Get Back.

1969
Led Zeppelin played the first of four nights at the legendary Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles during their first North American tour. With Alice Cooper as support, this performance marked a turning point for the British rock giants, still virtually unknown in America.

1969
A shipment of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's album Two Virgins was seized by authorities in New Jersey due to the full-frontal nude photograph on the cover. The album was wrapped in plain brown paper when sold in record stores, becoming a statement on artistic freedom.

1971
George Harrison's solo album All Things Must Pass began a seven-week run at No. 1 on the US album chart, making Harrison the first former Beatle to score a chart-topping solo album in America. The triple album featured hits "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life," plus standout tracks rejected by The Beatles.

1978
Ozzy Osbourne officially rejoined Black Sabbath, approximately two months after quitting. He recorded the Never Say Die! album with the group but was fired again in April 1979 due to substance abuse and erratic behavior.

1979
Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious went on trial in New York for allegedly murdering his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. Vicious was released on bail but died exactly one month later from a drug-related overdose, becoming one of punk's most tragic figures.

1980
American singer Larry Williams was found dead from a gunshot wound in his Los Angeles home, aged 45. Williams had the 1957 US No. 5 hit "Short Fat Fannie" and recorded classics like "Bony Moronie" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy," covered by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dr. Feelgood, and many others.