ABC - Classic Hits / Oldies News

Phil Collins ready for ‘interesting’ experience running into Oasis at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Posted today at 4:00pm

Phil Collins of Genesis performs on the opening night of their North American "The Last Domino?" tour at the United Center on November 15, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images)

Phil Collins has addressed the supposed feud between him and Oasis, as both artists are due to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November.

In a new interview with Mojo, Collins shared his thoughts as he discussed the possibility of running into the Gallagher brothers at the event.

“The inductees have all been invited to a lunch before the ceremony,” he said. “Which will be interesting, as I’m sure to bump into Oasis.”

According to Mojo, the feud dates back to 1994, around the time Oasis released their debut album, Definitely Maybe. At the time, Noel Gallagher reportedly called Collins “the antichrist of music”; he went on to say other things about him over the course of his career.

In the Mojo interview, Collins claimed one of his daughters, actress Lily Collins, confronted Liam Gallagher about the comments backstage at Live Earth in 2007.

“She went up to him and said, ‘Why do you hate my dad?’” Collins told the mag. “And apparently Liam said, ‘I don’t hate anybody, love.’”

Seems Noel once revealed in an interview that his issues with Collins stemmed from Collins scaring him at a Genesis concert in the '80s when Noel was “completely out of it.”

“Now I’ve thought this through, and although Noel didn’t specify what song it was, I reckon it was ‘Mama,’ where I go ‘Ha-ha-ha… Oww,’ with the light under my face,” Collins says of what could have scared Noel. “So I think 'Mama' is why Noel called me the antichrist.”

He added, “But I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt here, and assuming he doesn’t really think I’m the antichrist.”

Collins and Oasis will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 14 in Los Angeles. The ceremony will air on ABC and stream on Disney+ in December.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' nominated for a 2026 Humanitas Prize

Posted today at 3:00pm

Billy Joel: And So It Goes artwork (Courtesy of HBO)

The HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes is one of the nominees for the 2026 Humanitas Prizes.

Established in 1974, The Humanitas Prizes honor “professional film and television writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful way.”

Part two of the two-part doc is nominated in the documentary (docuseries, single episode) category. Its competition includes Katrina: Come Hell and High Water, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! and Rise of the 49ers.

Also earning a nomination this year is Song Sung Blue, the Hugh Jackman/Kate Hudson film about a Neil Diamond tribute band, in the drama feature category.

Winners will be announced at The Humanitas Prizes Award Show & Toast on Sept. 9 in Hollywood.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes, directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival in June 2025, before debuting on HBO in July of that year.

Billy Idol debuts new performance of ‘White Wedding’

Posted today at 2:00pm

Billy Idol and Steve Stevens perform on 'American Idol' (Disney/Eric McCandless)

Billy Idol is revisiting one of his classic hits.

Idol and his longtime collaborator Steve Stevens have recorded a new take on “White Wedding,” recorded at Apple Music Studios in Los Angeles.

“We were really just making the song for that moment,” Idol says in a clip posted to Instagram, “but we did have in the back of our minds, we could create songs that somehow could last into the future, well that would be added bonus and look what happened, it did.”

Originally released in 1982, “White Wedding” appeared on Idol’s self-titled debut album. While it peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100, the song went on to be one of Idol's signature tunes.

Idol is set to kick off a new leg of his It’s A Nice Day To…Tour Again! tour on Aug. 7 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The tour name is a reference to the chorus of “White Wedding.”

Idol and Stevens are both set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. The 2026 induction ceremony will take place Nov. 14 in Los Angeles. It will air on ABC and stream on Disney+ in December.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

The Zombies honored to be invited to join the Recording Academy

Posted today at 1:00pm

Inductees Hugh Grundy, Chris White, Rod Argent, and Colin Blunstone of The Zombies attend the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony - (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

The Zombies are expressing their gratitude at being one of the artists invited to join the Recording Academy.

“It’s an honor to be part of a community of music creators and professionals who are helping support, uplift, and advocate for the people who make and shape music,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers wrote in an Instagram post. “We are grateful for the opportunity to use our voices, contribute to the Grammy Awards process, and be part of conversations that help move our industry forward.”

“Music is shaped by so many voices, genres, backgrounds, and perspectives, and we are proud to add ours to the mix,” the post added.

Becoming a Recording Academy member will grant inductees "access to mentorship, professional development and networking opportunities designed to support their creative and professional journeys," according to a press release. Those who become voting members of the Recording Academy will be eligible to vote for the Grammys.

Journey and Lynyrd Skynyrd return to the Hot 100 for first time in decades

Posted today at 11:30am

Arnel Pineda and Neal Schon of Journey perform during Journey's 50th Anniversary Tour at Moody Center on February 22, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rob Loud/Getty Images for Journey)

Journey and Lynyrd Skynyrd have returned to the Billboard Hot 100 after decadeslong absences.

According to Billboard, thanks to the July Fourth holiday, as well as the excitement of the World Cup, both artists have seen a chart resurgence.

Skynyrd’s classic track “Sweet Home Alabama” is at #31 this week, the first time the band’s been on the chart since 1978.

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” also saw a chart spike, landing at #35. The boost was likely thanks to not only the holiday, but because it was played at Lumen Field in Seattle during a World Cup match between the U.S. and Australia. The track, which originally peaked at #9 in 1981, marks the band’s first return to the Hot 100 since 1997.

Other songs returning to the Hot 100, likely due to the July Fourth holiday, include Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” at #36 and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” at #44, the latter making its first chart appearance in over 50 years.

On This Day, July 14, 1982: The movie of Pink Floyd’s 'The Wall' premiered in London

Posted today at 9:30am

On This Day, July 14, 1982...

A movie based on Pink Floyd’s classic album The Wall opened at The Empire, Leicester Square in London, England. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason all attended the premiere, as did fellow musicians The Who's Pete Townshend, Queen's Roger Taylor, The Police's Sting and Andy Summers, and more.

Directed by Alan Parker, with a screenplay by Waters, the film starred The Boomtown Rats’ Bob Geldof as a depressed rocker dealing with the pressures of stardom and more. In order to protect himself, he constructs both a physical and emotional wall around himself.

The movie didn’t premiere in the U.S. until that August; it went on to earn $22 million at the box office worldwide.

Billy Joel reveals why he almost left ‘Just the Way You Are’ off 'The Stranger'

Posted today at 5:00am

Billy Joel performs at Allegiant Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Billy Joel recently sat down for an interview with YouTube personality Rick Beato, where they discussed songwriting, touching on such Joel hits as "Piano Man," "Allentown" and "We Didn’t Start the Fire."

Discussing his first big hit, "Just the Way You Are," Joel revealed that he almost didn’t put the song on his album The Stranger because he thought it was "too mushy." He credits Linda Ronstadt for changing his mind, explaining that he played the song for her and Phoebe Snow in the studio.

"I said, 'I don't like this song that much.’ Linda Ronstadt goes, ‘Are you out of your mind? That's a hit record. You got to put that on the album. That’s a great song,'" he said. "She talked me into it. So, I have to thank Linda Ronstadt for that song."

Beato notes that in Joel’s HBO documentary And So It Goes, Paul McCartney said "Just the Way You Are" was one of the only songs he wished he had written.

"That blew me away. He's like the melodic king," Joel said. "He can do no wrong with melody."

Released in 1977, "Just the Way You Are" was Joel's first top-10 hit in the U.S., peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It went on to win two Grammys, record of the year and song of the year.

The Rolling Stones’ 'Foreign Tongues' on track for #1 in the UK

Posted yesterday at 4:00pm

The Rolling Stones' 'Foreign Tongues' (Capitol Records)

Looks like The Rolling Stones may nab another #1 in the U.K.

According to the U.K. Official Chart, the band’s latest album, Foreign Tongues, is currently the front-runner to top the U.K. Official Albums Chart.

If the album does indeed wind up on top, it will be The Stones’ 15th U.K. #1 album.

The Stones last topped the U.K. albums chart in 2023 with their Grammy-winning record Hackney Diamonds.
They earned their first #1 in 1964 with their self-titled debut.

Foreign Tongues, produced by Andrew Watt, is The Rolling Stones’ 25th studio album. It features guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, The Cure’s Robert Smith and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.

It also features an appearance by the band’s late drummer, Charlie Watts, taken from one of his final recording sessions before his death in 2021.

The Stray Cats announce fall tour dates

Posted yesterday at 3:00pm

L-R: Slim Jim Phantom, Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker of The Stray Cats/(Photo credit: Suzie Kaplan)

The Stray Cats are spending more time on the road this year.

The band’s three original members — Brian Setzer, Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom — have announced dates for a fall tour that begins Nov. 9 in Grand Prairie, Texas.

The tour will hit several cities in Texas, as well as Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Florida and more, before wrapping Dec. 6 in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

An artist presale begins Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time, with tickets for all shows going on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time.

After canceling their 2025 tour due to frontman Setzer’s health, The Stray Cats are set to return to the road on July 24 in Las Vegas. The tour is their first since Setzer’s February 2025 announcement that he’d been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that had left him unable to play guitar.

Summer dates run through Aug. 16 in Morristown, New Jersey. A complete schedule can be found at StrayCats.com.

Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' surpasses $1 billion

Posted yesterday at 1:00pm

Can’t beat it! The Michael Jackson movie has hit another milestone.

Michael has surpassed the $1 billion mark at the box office, becoming the first biopic to cross that threshold.

In June it claimed the title of highest-grossing biopic of all time, taking over from the Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer. It’s also the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody, and the biggest film ever for Lionsgate.

“Audiences have embraced the film from the beginning, turning it into a unique cultural phenomenon in theaters around the world,” Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson said in a statement. “Their passion speaks to the enduring appeal of one of the greatest recording artists of all time, and it underscores the continued strength and vitality of the theatrical moviegoing experience.”

Director Antoine Fuqua called the milestone “a deeply humbling moment.”

"This achievement belongs to everyone who came together with a shared vision to honor one of the greatest artists the world has ever known,” he continued in a statement. “I am profoundly grateful to the audiences around the globe who embraced this film, showed up in theaters, and connected with this story across generations and cultures. This historic milestone is a testament to the enduring power of cinema to bring us together, and it is a chapter in movie history I will never forget.”

The movie, starring the King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role, debuted in April with an impressive $217 million globally.

Bon Jovi performs two classic ballads for the first time since 2019

Posted yesterday at 11:30am

Tico Torres, John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, Everett Bradley and Phil X attend the Forever Tour Kick Off - New York at Madison Square Garden on July 07, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Bon Jovi)

Bon Jovi broke out two classic ballads on the third night of their nine-show Forever Tour stand at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

According to setlist.fm, halfway into the concert the New Jersey rockers performed the Keep the Faith track “Bed of Roses,” marking the tour debut for the song. It is also the first time they performed the track live since 2019.

But that wasn’t the only tour debut of the night. For the final song of the evening, the band performed the Cross Roads ballad “Always,” a song they also haven’t performed since 2019.

The rest of the 22-song set was filled with plenty of Bon Jovi classics, including “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “I’ll Be There for You,” “Wanted Dead or Alive” and “Bad Medicine.”

Meanwhile, night two of the Forever Tour on Thursday had one very special A-list guest in the audience. The Beatles' Paul McCartney took in the show and later posed with the band for a photo; the band posted the photo with the caption, “Did this really happen??? Yes, it did.”

Bon Jovi returns to MSG on Tuesday, with the run concluding June 26. They then head to the U.K. for shows in Scotland, Dublin and London. A complete list of dates can be found at BonJovi.com.

Mick Jagger on getting old: ‘there’s nothing good about it’

Posted yesterday at 10:30am

Mick Jagger attends the inaugural British Museum Ball at The British Museum on October 18, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Lia Toby/Getty Images)

The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger is reflecting on getting older in a new interview with The New York Times.

When asked about how it feels to be getting older, the 82-year-old rock legend simply replied, “there’s nothing good about it.”

When the interviewer suggested that wisdom is a benefit of aging, Jagger shot that down.

“I forgot all my wisdom. I might have had a couple of pearls drop, but I’ve already forgotten what they are,” he said with a laugh. “So, no, it’s not particularly pleasant.”

“You can’t do things as quickly as you want to,” he continued. “Physically you’ve got to be more careful. You know, when you’re playing football, they put you in goal a lot. I’m not very good at it!”

Jagger also touched upon the future of The Stones on the road, saying that he hopes another world-spanning tour will happen. “I’m up for doing it,” he said.

Mick added that he doesn’t think he’ll ever know when he’s played his last Stones show.

“Maybe I have! I could get run over by a bus outside of my house. You never really know, do you?” he explained. “You don’t know what’s going to happen to you in life. But I personally hope to be able to tour. I like going places. I like meeting people. I like to go to weird countries to do shows.”

Mick's interview coincides with the release of The Rolling Stones' new album, Foreign Tongues, which is out now. The band released visualizer videos for each track, shot in different locations around the world. The videos are now available on The Stones' YouTube channel.

On This Day, July 13, 1985: The star-studded Live Aid charity concerts were held in London and Philadelphia

Posted yesterday at 9:25am

On This Day, July 13, 1985…

The star-studded Live Aid charity concerts were held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.

Organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the concerts featured performances by Queen, David Bowie, U2, Sting, The Who, Elton John, Paul McCartney and many others in London, while the Philadelphia lineup included Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Mick Jagger and a Led Zeppelin reunion.

Phil Collins performed at both venues, flying aboard the Concorde from London to Philadelphia, and traveling to and from each stadium by helicopter.

Together, the concerts raised money for African famine relief. They were broadcast around the world to an estimated audience of more than 1 billion people across 150 nations.

Madonna nabs 10th #1 album with 'Confessions II'

Posted yesterday at 6:00am

Madonna, 'Confessions II,' (Warner Records)

Madonna has achieved her 10th #1 album on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.

Confessions II debuts atop the tally, giving the Queen of Pop her biggest streaming week ever for an album and her largest pure album sales week in more than a decade, according to Billboard.

The album, featuring the Sabrina Carpenter collab “Bring Your Love,” is Madonna’s first #1 in the 2020s. It also makes her the first act with a #1 in the 2020s to have also claimed the #1 spot in three other decades. She’s had three #1 albums in the 1980s, four in the 2000s and two in the 2010s.

Confessions II is the long-awaited sequel to Madonna’s 2005 album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, which also reached #1 on the chart.

Last week, Confessions II topped the U.K. Official Albums Chart, making it her 13th U.K. chart-topper.

R.E.M.’s Peter Buck releases new single with band Drink The Sea

Posted yesterday at 5:00am

Peter Buck, of R.E.M., performs onstage during the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala June 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)

R.E.M. guitarist and co-founder Peter Buck has released new music with his latest band, Drink The Sea.

The band also features Screaming Trees' Barrett Martin, Eleven's Alain Johannes and others. It just released the track “Oh Desire,” written by Buck and Johannes, with Johannes on vocals.

The song will appear on the band's upcoming album, Drink the Sea III, which will be released Oct. 2. Drink The Sea's first two albums, Drink the Sea I and Drink the Sea II, came out in 2025.

“Oh Desire” is available now via digital outlets.

Drink The Sea is hitting the road on a U.S. tour starting Aug. 30 in Vashon Island, Washington, with dates confirmed through Sept. 24 in Kirkland, Washington. They also have European shows booked in September and October.

A complete list of dates can be found at DrinkTheSeaMusic.com.

Madonna lands 13th UK #1 album with 'Confessions II'

Posted Friday afternoon

Madonna has landed a new #1 in the U.K.

Her latest release, Confessions II, tops the U.K. Official Albums Chart this week, making it her 13th chart-topper.

The new #1 makes Madonna the first female artist in the U.K. to have a #1 record in each of the last five decades. She’s also now tied with Elvis Presley for fifth place when it comes to overall U.K. #1 albums.

Madonna earned her first #1 album in 1984 with her sophomore release, Like a Virgin. Her last #1 was MDNA, which came out in 2012.

Madonna is actually sitting on top of several U.K. charts. Confessions II is also #1 on the U.K. Official Sales, Official Vinyl Albums and Official Dance Albums charts.

Confessions II is the long-awaited sequel to her 2005 album, Confessions on a Dance Floor.

Phil Collins to appear on 'Sodajerker On Songwriting' podcast

Posted Friday afternoon

Phil Collins is set to make a new podcast appearance.

The team behind the Sodajerker On Songwriting podcast announced on Instagram that the Genesis frontman will appear on their show next week.

“Coming to Sodajerker On Songwriting next week: the one and only @officialphilcollins!” read the post. “We had the true honour of spending a fascinating hour with Phil in London recently; he was in terrific form & we can’t wait to share our conversation.”

The podcast is hosted by musicians Simon Barber and Brian O’Connor, who didn’t reveal the exact date Collins’ appearance will go live. They did encourage fans to “go out and spread the word to the Phil fans in your life.”

This is a big year for the 75-year-old Collins. He is set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist on Nov. 14 in Los Angeles. This will be his second induction; he was previously inducted as a member of Genesis in 2010.

Steve Winwood opens up about his contribution to The Rolling Stones’ 'Foreign Tongues'

Posted Friday afternoon

Steve Winwood speaks on stage during the Coronation Concert on May 07, 2023 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Steve Winwood is a special guest on The Rolling Stones' just-released album Foreign Tongues, and he’s revealing how he got involved in the project in a new Instagram post.

“I think Ronnie Wood called me first, when they were cutting ‘Hackney Diamonds’. He said, ‘Hi, man. Come and play a track.’ I said, ‘Yeah, sure, just let me know where and when,’” Winwood writes. “I think I was asked just to play on one song, then they said, ‘There’s another couple you can do.’ I did a couple more and then they said, ‘Come next week and do some more.’’

Winwood then explains why he thinks they wanted him on the record.

“Nicky Hopkins and I were on a similar journey, in a way,” he writes, referring to the legendary pianist who contributed to some of the Stones' biggest hits and briefly toured with the band. “I think the Stones knew that, and I suspect that they wanted that sort of feel.”

“Everything they do has this wonderful vintage Stones thing going on,” Winwood continues. “Much of the album was done with everyone playing together, which is a rarity these days and adds some magic and temperament.”

Foreign Tongues, the Stones’ 25th studio album, is out now.

Queen gets into World Cup spirit with soccer shirt release

Posted Friday afternoon

Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen perform during the Rhapsody tour, at The O2 Arena on June 05, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images)

Queen is getting into the World Cup spirit with the release of a new limited-edition football aka soccer shirt.

“Whether you’re caught up in World Cup fever or counting down to the new football season, there’s no escaping the launch of this year’s new kits—and now Queen are ready to unveil theirs!” reads a message on the band's Instagram account.

The shirt is white with black and gold accents, and features the Queen crest on the front and the number one on the back.

In addition to the shirt, the new line of football merch includes a pennant, scarf and soccer ball.

All are available for preorder now at Queenonline.com, with shipping starting July 31.

The reveal comes as England is set to take on Norway in the World Cup on Saturday in Miami.

The B-52s to revisit David Byrne-produced EP 'Mesopotamia'

Posted Friday morning

The B-52s are revisiting their 1981 EP Mesopotamia, which they made with Talking Heads frontman David Byrne.

The band originally planned to make a full album with Byrne, but after the sessions were cut short they wound up releasing a six-track EP. Now fans are going to get to hear more songs from those sessions with a new expanded release.

Ancient Culture: Mesopotamia Revisited, dropping Aug. 21, will feature a whole host of bonus material. The three-CD/two-LP set will include newly remastered versions of the six original songs, along with unreleased outtakes and alternative mixes. There will also be an unreleased concert, recorded April 19, 1982, at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.

As a preview of the set, a newly remastered version of the title track has now been released to digital outlets.

Ancient Culture: Mesopotamia Revisited is available for preorder now.