Rev Rock Report

On This Day, Nov. 5, 1971 ...Elton John released his fourth studio album, Madman Across the Water, featuring nine tracks composed and performed by Elton, with lyrics written by his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin.The album featured two future Elton classics, “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon,” although neither were huge hits at the time they were released. In fact, while “Levon” peaked at #24, “Tiny Dancer” failed to make the top 40, […]

2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joe Cocker (Courtesy of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) British singer Joe Cocker, who passed away in 2014, is set to be posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday.Known for his soulful voice, Cocker rose to fame starting in the late '60s and is remembered for his iconic performance at the Woodstock festival in 1969.Some of […]

'Bread of Angels' book cover. (Courtesy of Random House) Patti Smith details discovering the identity of her biological father in her new memoir, Bread of Angels.According to People, Smith writes that she "wept" after learning that she and her sister were actually half sisters upon taking a DNA test in 2012."The results of our test put a great strain on my thought processes and for some time, I was unable to write," […]

Steve Lukather of Toto performs at Toyota Pavilion at Concord on August 25, 2025 in Concord, California. (Steve Jennings/Getty Images) Toto has announced a 2026 U.S. tour.The outing, dubbed An Evening with Toto, kicks off Feb. 18 in Milwaukee and wraps up March 13 in New Buffalo, Michigan. It also includes a performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Miami on Feb. 28.A presale begins Wednesday at 10 a.m. local […]

Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top performs on stage at Viejas Casino & Resort on November 02, 2025 in Alpine, California. (Daniel Knighton/Getty Images) ZZ Top's Billy F Gibbons has announced a 2026 U.S. tour.The outing runs from Jan. 20 in Napa, California, to Feb. 28. in Atlanta. For the shows, Gibbons will be joined by his BFG Band, which features Chris "Whipper" Layton of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble on drums and Mike "The Drifter" […]

Bob Dylan performs as a surprise guest during Farm Aid at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center on September 23, 2023 in Noblesville, Indiana. (Gary Miller/Getty Images) Bob Dylan has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston.The distinction recognizes the folk icon's "lifetime of songwriting that changed the sound and scope of modern music.""Thank you, Berklee College of Music, for bestowing on me this prestigious […]

James Taylor performs onstage during The Rainforest Fund 30th Anniversary Benefit Concert Presents 'We'll Be Together Again' at Beacon Theatre on December 09, 2019 in New York City. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rainforest Fund) James Taylor will be hopping across the pond in 2026.The "Fire and Rain" artist has announced a run of international dates kicking off in July, consisting of four U.K. shows and one in Amsterdam. The outing […]

On This Day, Nov. 4, 1988 ...The U2 music documentary/concert film Rattle and Hum opened in theaters, following the Irish rockers as they recorded the hybrid live/studio album of the same name.Directed by Phil Joanou, the film included concert footage from their fall 1987 Joshua Tree tour of North America, as well as footage of the band in the studio recording. It also followed them as they visited historical musical sites […]

The Doors' Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger pose for a portrait circa 1968 in Hollywood, California. (Edmund Teske/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) A new podcast dedicated to The Doors has been announced.Really?? The Doors? will be hosted by The New Yorker writer Naomi Fry and aims to "use The Doors' chaotic legend to ask what happens when myth overtakes meaning, and what that reveals about how we talk about […]