June 2, 1978 – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers make their American television debut on The Midnight Special. June 2, 1989 – Bill Wyman (52) of the Rolling Stones secretly marries Mandy Smith (19). They had been dating since she was 13 and he was 47.  Just prior to the couple being divorced in 1993, things got even stranger when Wyman’s oldest … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 2 in Classic Rock →

April 20, 1971 – Five friends at San Rafael High School in California coin the term “4:20” as a euphemism for smoking pot so they could talk about their “activity” in front of their parents. April 20th becomes a popular day to spark one up, as does 4:20 pm… every day. April 20, 2011 – K.K. Downing, guitarist … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 20 in Classic Rock →

Classics Du Jour (CDJ) is excited and proud to announce the release of “Gliders Over Hollywood: Airships, Airplay and The Art Of Rock Promotion” written by our own Paul Rappaport (‘Backstage Access‘)! Release date for the book is April 1st (available NOW for presale through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and wherever books are sold ).“Gliders Over Hollywood” tells the exhilarating true … Continue reading CDJ’s Paul Rappaport Shares the Stories and Secrets Behind Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Greatest Promotional Antics in his New Memoir ‘Gliders Over Hollywood’ →

August 25, 2005 – Slash and Duff McKagan file a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles against Axl Rose, accusing the Guns N’ Roses singer of changing the publisher of the group’s copyrighted songs without their consent and pocketing the royalties.  “Rose’s actions were malicious, fraudulent and oppressive, and undertaken in conscious disregard of [Slash and Duff’s] property rights,” the … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 25 in Classic Rock →

August 24, 1980 – Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Budgie, Girl and Tygers of Pan Tang appear on the final day of the Reading Rock Festival in England. August 24, 1990 – Judas Priest are acquitted at their trial in Reno, NV, after having been accused of planting subliminal messages on their album Stained Class, which led two fans to attempt suicide. Rob Halford says, … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 24 in Classic Rock →

June 18, 1948 – Columbia Records unveils the new 33 rpm record, a replacement for the 78. Nathan Milstein, performing the Mendelssohn violin concerto, was the first 12″ album produced. June 18, 1983 – The Cotton Bowl in Dallas hosts The Texxas Jam, with Uriah Heep, Ted Nugent, Triumph, Sammy Hagar and Styx performing in that order. June 18, 1967 – The Monterey International Pop Festival concludes it’s 3-day … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 18 in Classic Rock →

July 17, 1979 – Gary Moore leaves Thin Lizzy for the final time to support his solo career, with the blessing of Phil Lynott.  He is replaced by Midge Ure. July 17, 1994 – Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss raid a Kiss convention in Michigan to reclaim their Kiss costumes that were stolen more than a decade ago. July 17, … Continue reading CDJ Today: July 17 in Classic Rock →

Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eurythmics and Carly Simon will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, Rock Hall President Greg Harris announced today. Also joining the Hall in the performer’s category are Lionel Ritchie, Dolly Parton and Eminem. Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis will be inducted in … Continue reading Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Reveals Class of 2022 →

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the list of nominees for induction into the Hall in 2022. The list features a number of acts who were previously nominated but didn’t make the cut such as Judas Priest, the New York Dolls and Pat Benatar as well as several first time nominees including … Continue reading Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2022 Nominees →

Looking back at some of the people who shaped our musical life that are no longer with us. Here are the rockers we lost in 2021. Mick Bolton Died January 1, 2021Keyboardist for Mott the Hoople Gerry Marsden September 24, 1942 – January 3, 2021Leader of Gerry and the Pacemakers Michael Fonfara August 11, 1946 … Continue reading Remembering Rockers We Lost in 2021 →

Since the dawn of the first TV commercial in 1941, music has been an integral part of promoting everything from food to cars to toys to all kinds of medical products. In 1944, the first music jingle was used in a commercial for Chiquita Bananas. And while bespoke jingles were the norm for many years, … Continue reading 10 Questionable Classic Rock Song Choices in TV Commercials →

Let us start by saying that we 100% applaud the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for its 2021 list of nominees, which marked the most diverse lineup to date. And we absolutely celebrate this year’s Class of Inductees as the most female-heavy in history, including the 2nd and 3rd females ever to be inducted … Continue reading 15 Most Overlooked Artists by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame →