Fearless appreciation of rock music since 2012
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After the hardcore heaviness of rock genres that start with ‘H,’ we arrive at the letter ‘I,’ which carries its own idiosyncratic set of genres. Some of these are global twists on rock, others are indie offshoots that reshaped the…
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25 Songs About Friends
Sometimes when I’m creating these lists, there’s a shocker at the beginning. For example, in 25 Songs About California, I open with a spiel about not including “Hotel California”, an obvious choice that appears on every other list. Likewise, in…
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Top 50 Rock Guitarists of All Time (According to Me)
I haven’t picked up or played a guitar in several years, but my perception of great guitar playing is tainted by 40 years of learning the instrument. So, I think of “the best rock guitarists” in terms of how they…
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Top Rock Music Producers of the 1980s
Rock music in the 1980s was a fascinating era marked by excess, experimentation, and the gradual but inevitable shift from analog tape machines to the digital frontier. It was the last gasp of the “classic” recording studio setup: massive consoles,…
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Rock Genres Beginning With H
I took a break from music and blogging while I finished writing Year of the Dragon & Everything After, the fourth and final book in my Lunar New Years series. I’m back with the letter H in the rock genres…
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Brothers & Sisters: 75 Siblings in Rock Music
The combustible chemistry between siblings has powered some of the most iconic moments in rock history. There’s something flammable about the connection between siblings who share both a stage and a last name—whether it’s the tight harmonies, the creative tension,…
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Artist Spotlight: Grand Funk Railroad
Explore the story of Grand Funk Railroad — from their Michigan roots to sold-out stadiums and everything in between.
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Top Rock Music Producers of the 1970s
The first compact disc wasn’t burned until 1983, so 1970 to 1982 was the Golden Age of Albums. The period also welcomed album-oriented rock (AOR) radio formatting, which allowed disc jockeys some leeway to play longer songs and deeper cuts.…
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Great Rock Bands from the 2000s (You Might Have Missed)
Not that anybody is keeping track, but I’ve probably said “rock music died in 1991” at least a dozen times in print and hundreds of times in conversation. I believe that once digital audio software (ProTools), samplers, sequencers, and synthesizers,…
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Rock Genres Beginning with G
As the seventh letter of the alphabet, G represents a healthy portion of rock genres, but I’m reminded of how far I’ve yet to go before A to Z are covered. You’ll find a couple of solid headliners in the…
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Artist Spotlight: Them Crooked Vultures
Supergroups have the potential to really be special. Them Crooked Vultures prove that with their unique modern take on rock and roll.
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Top Rock Music Producers of the 1960s
In the mid-1960s, rock musicians and producers began shifting focus from singles to albums as the primary medium for creative expression and listener engagement. The Beatles and Bob Dylan were at the forefront; their work helped elevate rock music’s cultural…
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Great Rock Set Lists from 1976
If you wanted to know who’d be touring in 1976, you looked at the record bins. It was an action-packed year for rock n’ roll new releases and epic rock set lists. Riding on the excitement of the previous year,…
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30 Rock Bands from the 1990s (You Might Have Missed)
For many of us, the 1990s were dominated by the rise (and fall) of grunge and alternative rock, and the emergence of rap and hip hop as the beacon of popular music and culture. There are dozens of rock bands…
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25 Songs About New York
I enjoy the freedom of telling you what to expect at the beginning of a post because it either gets you onboard with the program or sends you on your way. Both are positive outcomes. If you’re looking for songs…
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What Does a Rock Music Producer Do?
Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the music we love and cherish was created under the guidance of a music producer. Only a minuscule fraction of listenable music has been created without production values. Even a lack of production can be part of…
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Brothers by Alex Van Halen Book Review
When approaching an intimate memoir like Brothers by Alex Van Halen, it’s important to establish what the book isn’t trying to do. Brothers isn’t a rock star tell-all. It’s not a searing fuck-off to former band members. It’s not a…
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Rock Genres Beginning With F
With only a handful of recognized rock genres to cover, we get a bit of a breather on the letter F, but the Rock Genres Explained campaign carries on. Regardless of length, it’s a pivotal category because F stands for…
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Let the Drummer Have Some! Solo Albums By Rock Drummers
Drummers are the foundation of modern rock music, and the nature of the instrument is rhythmic support. Televised network “talent” shows never feature standalone rock drummers because (almost) nobody wants to hear two minutes of drums and nothing but drums.…
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Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not (1973–1974)
Progressive rock and art rock dominated the landscape in 1973–1974. Southern rock and reggae were among the up-and-coming genres. The four horsemen of the rock apocalypse were Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and the Rolling Stones. And don’t forget…
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Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not (1971–1972)
1971–1972 featured the emergence of jazz fusion and art rock, and the continued development of progressive rock. We’ll hear some cool progressive soul and R&B from Stevie Wonder. Meanwhile, record labels are pushing artists to release two, sometimes three albums…
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Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not (1969–1970)
All hell broke loose in the late 60s–early 70s, and despite (or maybe because of) the chaos, we have boatloads of albums you must hear before you die. Equally important, we’re now seeing a phalanx of splinter genres reaching maturity:…
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Rock Genres Beginning with E
Leave it to the letter E to school me on just how much I don’t know about music. Of the 14 genres listed below, I could only write two descriptions off the top of my head. A few of these…
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Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not (1993–1994)
It started as a joke in late 2014. A friend had a copy of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (third edition, 2010, edited by Robert Dimery). Flipping through the pages, I muttered and scoffed. “Oh, come on!…
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Rock Genres Beginning with D
The letters of the alphabet may have been created equal, but you can’t say the same thing about rock music genres. The letter D has more than its share of misfits and malformations. Can you guess why? I’ll give you…
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