Rock
This section gathers album stories, birthdays, and anniversaries tied to the artists and bands who shaped rock, along with notes on new vinyl reissues as they surface. Rock grew up alongside the LP: gatefold sleeves and a running order built around two sides of a record were part of how the genre presented itself from the start, and a large share of its catalog keeps coming back through official reissue programs. Expect the human side of the records here: the sessions, the lineup changes, the decisions that turned into landmark albums, and why particular pressings matter to collectors.
521 STORIES
How a $7M Film Turned Prince's Pain Into Vinyl Gold
Inside First Avenue, the air was thick with cigarette smoke and the scent of cheap beer. A silhouette emerged on stage, draped in a purple trench coat, gripping…
· 5 min read
The Smashing Pumpkins’ $250K Wall of Guitars
A quarter-million-dollar budget and a frontman on the verge of a breakdown—The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream was born from a paradox of excess and despair. W…
· 5 min read
Stevie Nicks, Bella Donna: A Fleetwood Mac Mythology Splinters
Stevie Nicks released Bella Donna on July 27, 1981, while still inside Fleetwood Mac. It was a platinum-selling statement that reframed her songwriting as a separate, self-sufficient mythology.
· 4 min read
Pink Floyd's More: A Week in Pye Studios for Film
In February 1969, Pink Floyd spent eight days at Pye Studios creating their first full soundtrack. The album for Barbet Schroeder's film More marked a turning point in their songwriting.
· 4 min read
The Road That Took Everything: AC/DC's Highway to Hell
In the spring of 1979, AC/DC entered a London studio with Mutt Lange. They emerged with Highway to Hell, the final album Bon Scott recorded before his death.
· 5 min read
Robert Wyatt’s Rock Bottom: The Fall That Built a Cosmos
The fourth-floor window gave way during a party, and Robert Wyatt fell. It was June 1, 1973, and the former Soft Machine drummer and vocalist plunged into a new…
· 5 min read
The Quiet Master Clapton Turned Into a Roar
J.J. Cale, who died in 2013, wrote 'After Midnight' and 'Cocaine' but spent his life avoiding the spotlight that Eric Clapton's covers brought him.
· 4 min read
ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres: 33 Minutes of Texas Blues-Rock
Released on July 26, 1973, ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres condensed a decade of blues, boogie, and hard rock. Its lean 33-minute runtime redefined Southern rock.
· 5 min read
AC/DC's American Voltage: When Atco Flipped the Switch
Five Australians who had never sold a record in the U.S. cut a Bible-thumping hard rock landmark. On July 25, 1977, Atco Records wired their raw voltage into the American grid with Let There Be Rock.
· 5 min read
Don Henley: From Texas Drums to Eagles' Timeless Hits
Don Henley, born in Gilmer, Texas, traded football for music. He became the drummer, vocalist, and songwriter behind the Eagles' timeless hits and a celebrated solo career.
· 4 min read
Yes: The Rickenbacker Stereo That Outshone the Charts
Yes released their self-titled debut on Atlantic Records on July 25, 1969, and watched it fail to chart. The sound already burst with the prog-rock DNA that critics would praise.
· 5 min read
Chris Cornell: The Voice That Defined Grunge and Beyond
Chris Cornell wielded a four-octave voice that defined Seattle's grunge movement. From Soundgarden to Audioslave, his legacy still inspires musicians nearly a decade after his death.
· 3 min read
DROP · July 20, 2026Rush A Farewell to Kings
Mobile Fidelity is reissuing Rush's 1977 album A Farewell to Kings as a numbered UltraDisc One-Step box set limited to 5,000 copies.
· 1 min read
David Hasselhoff: From Knight Rider to German Rock Stardom
David Hasselhoff, born July 17, 1952 in Baltimore, became America's unlikely European rock sensation while simultaneously dominating 1980s television.
· 3 min read
Pelageya: From Child Prodigy to Russia's Folk-Rock Icon
A four-year-old girl steps onto a Siberian stage, unaware she's beginning one of Russia's most unconventional musical journeys. Pelageya Khanova, born Polina Sm…
· 3 min read
Dan Smith of Bastille: From Bedroom Composer to Synth-Pop Visionary
Dan Smith, the creative force behind Bastille, went from a teenager secretly writing songs in his London bedroom to a synth-pop visionary. His 2013 hit 'Pompeii' anchored a global breakthrough.
· 4 min read
When the Grateful Dead Told Their Own Story on Vinyl
In 1973, the Grateful Dead broke from their studio albums to release a live compilation, 'History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One.' 53 years later, it stands as a time capsule of a band in flux.
· 1 min read