U2 released Songs of Surrender, a new compilation of some of their best songs stripped down and reworked, on St. Patrick's Day 2023. We knew that was coming but what was a bit of a surprise was on the same day they released a documentary/performance via Disney+. Titled Bono & The Edge - A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman, it captures the legendary singer & guitarist without their bandmates (Larry Mullen, Jr. was recovering from an injury, Adam Clayton was making a film) in Dublin discussing how some of their biggest and best songs came to be, how they've reworked them and even h ..read more

Iron Maiden are one of the biggest bands in the world, touring the planet in their own customized 747 flown by lead singer Bruce Dickinson. But in 1983, Maiden were still forging their way, trying to solidify their lineup and making their name through relentless touring. After the success of Number of the Beast, the band wanted to take things to the next level and with the addition of Nicko McBrain on drums they finally had their classic lineup set which is still intact today. Thanks to Nicko on the skins, the confidence and power of vocalist Bruce Dickinson, the sci-fi lyrics and extraordinar ..read more

David Bowie achieved a cult following and critical acclaim in the 1970s for his glam-rock, gender bending image and style. He was a huge influence to artists all around the world and is the 9th best selling artist in the UK. However, huge commercial success eluded him, especially in the US. And following the murder of John Lennon in 1980, Bowie decided not to tour and became a bit of a recluse at his home in Switzerland. After singing a big record contract with EMI in America, he decided to team up with legendary producer Nile Rodgers to create his 1983 release Let's Dance. With the help of Ro ..read more

Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon turns 50 in March and we want to celebrate this groundbreaking progressive rock album the way we always do - relating our personal stories of discovering the record, the band, seeing them play live, interviewing their members and going track x track. Dark Side is one of the biggest selling albums of all time (50 million+ sales worldwide) and changed the trajectory of the band who were best known as a psychedelic ensemble famous for their light shows and long instrumentals. After the departure of leader Syd Barret in the late 1960s, the band found their way fo ..read more

In March of 1993, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin, The Yardbirds) and David Coverdale (Whitesnake, Deep Purple) were brought together by A&R legend John Kalodner to create a hard rock album in the midst of grunge. They almost called the band Legends or North and South but settled on Coverdale Page to combine Coverdale's raspy vocals with Page's extraordinary guitar work. For Jimmy Page fans who had been waiting for his return after the tepidly received Outrider album, this release was highly anticipated and eventually went platinum in the US thanks to radio hits like Pride & Joy, Shake My Tre ..read more

In 1978, Cheap Trick were much like their friends from KISS - they were working hard on the road, putting on great live shows but their studio albums weren't making much of a dent in the charts. However, thanks to opening for bands that were doing well in Japan, Cheap Trick amassed a nice following there and earned a #1 hit with the studio version of I Want You To Want Me (which didn't chart in the US). So the band decided to release a live album in Japan only to reward their fans in The Land of the Rising Sun. However, thanks to I Want You To Want Me's inclusion as a b-side from a single on t ..read more

On our show, we often examine bands who make it big on one side of the pond, but for some reason don't hit it big on the other. This week we examine a band that was huge in the US thanks to a hit by a band that was huge in the UK. in 1983, Quiet Riot released Metal Health and, thanks to success of the Slade cover Cum On Feel The Noize, became the first heavy metal album to hit #1 on the Billboard charts. The song hadn't been a hit for Slade in the US but was huge in the UK and Europe. Quiet Riot may have risen to great heights in the US but didn't make much of a dent in the UK. Beyond the big ..read more

It's hard to believe it's been 40 years since U2 released War in early 1983. Though U2 had been gaining ground on their first two albums Boy and October, it was War that set them on the path to superstardom. Buoyed by the big hits New Years Day and Sunday Bloody Sunday, U2 had really found their footing with the help of producer Steve Lillywhite. The Edge was creating amazing melodies and textures through his guitar and piano, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. were honing themselves into a foundational and funky rhythm section while Bono was really finding his voice as a singer and songwriter ..read more

Iron Maiden are one of the biggest bands in the world, touring the planet in their own customized 747 flown by lead singer Bruce Dickinson. But in 1983, Maiden were still forging their way, trying to solidify their lineup and making their name through relentless touring. After the success of Number of the Beast, the band wanted to take things to the next level and with the addition of Nicko McBrain on drums they finally had their classic lineup set which is still intact today. Thanks to Nicko on the skins, the confidence and power of vocalist Bruce Dickinson, the sci-fi lyrics and extraordinar ..read more

David Bowie achieved a cult following and critical acclaim in the 1970s for his glam-rock, gender bending image and style. He was a huge influence to artists all around the world and is the 9th best selling artist in the UK. However, huge commercial success eluded him, especially in the US. And following the murder of John Lennon in 1980, Bowie decided not to tour and became a bit of a recluse at his home in Switzerland. After singing a big record contract with EMI in America, he decided to team up with legendary producer Nile Rodgers to create his 1983 release Let's Dance. With the help of Ro ..read more