April 5, 1980 – R.E.M. play their first-ever gig when they appear at St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Athens, Georgia.  They perform as Twisted Kites, and three weeks later change their name to R.E.M. Classic Rock Birthdays April 5, 1966 – Mike McCready, guitar (Pearl Jam)April 5, 1946 – Dave Holland, drums (Judas Priest)April 5, 1935 – Peter Grant, rock band manager (Led Zeppelin, The Animals, The Yardbirds, … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 5 in Classic Rock →

Right now is a great time to play albums in their entirety, just like the old days.  Crank ‘em up on your stereo or put on your wireless headphones or AirPods while streaming and continue cleaning out those closets.  Here’s our first list of ten albums that won’t let you down and will provide you … Continue reading Top 10 Rock Albums to Listen to in Their Entirety →

March 1, 1969 – Jim Morrison of The Doors receives a felony charge of lewd and lascivious behavior and five misdemeanors; two counts of indecent exposure, two of public profanity and one of public drunkenness after allegedly showing his penis to a Miami audience.  Although it has never been confirmed that he actually exposed himself, he did say, “You want to … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 1 in Classic Rock →

Sometimes a band will throw around hundreds of name ideas before they finally find the right one that all members can agree on. And in some cases, like with U2 or Styx, it might just be the idea they hate the least. Previously we revealed the original names of 18 famous classic rock bands from … Continue reading Original Names of Famous Classic Rock Bands – Part Two (J-Z) →

January 8, 1994 – Nirvana perform their final concert in the U.S. at the Seattle Center Arena. They tour for about two more months in Europe prior to Kurt Cobain’s death. January 8, 1979 – The Canadian Government name Rush the country’s official Ambassadors of Music. The honor comes with a plaque that reads, “We wish to recognize the international aspect … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 8 in Classic Rock →

Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear reunited on stage in Los Angeles on Saturday evening for a special performance that saw the surviving Nirvana members performing some of the band’s biggest hits. The group were joined by Beck, St. Vincent, and Grohl’s 13-year-old daughter, Violet, who took turns filling in for the late Kurt … Continue reading Watch Dave Grohl Reunite with Nirvana Members on Stage in Los Angeles →

Nirvana’s video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, the band’s biggest hit, reached a major milestone this week.  The video has garnered more than one billion views on YouTube, crossing the threshold of one billion on Christmas Day, December 25th. The week prior, bassist Krist Novoselic declared in a Tweet that the one billionth view would … Continue reading Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Video Hits 1 Billion Views →

A new exhibit will open at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this month. Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll explores the history of the instruments that have “inspired the musicians and made possible the songs we know and love.” The Play It Loud exhibit, which was previously on display at … Continue reading New Rock Hall Exhibit ‘Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll’ to Open this Month →

November 1, 1994 – Nirvana releases MTV Unplugged in New York, the first Nirvana album following the death of Kurt Cobain.  The album debuts at number one on the Billboard 200, and is certified 5x platinum in the United States by 1997. It also wins the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996. November 1, 1968 – George Harrison releases Wonderwall Music, … Continue reading CDJ Today: November 1 in Classic Rock →

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and his band the Coattail Riders have released the second single “Get the Money” from their forthcoming album by the same name. The new offering from Hawkins’ band is a star-studded affair with The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde on backing vocals and The Eagles’ Joe Walsh on guitar alongside Guns N’ … Continue reading Listen: Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins Drops New Single feat: Chrissie Hynde, Joe Walsh, and Duff McKagan →