Music

TONY IOMMI Teases New Solo Music; Official Announcement Expected On Wednesday

• Tony Iommi to announce new solo album details on 29 July.
• Reveal comes via YouTube livestream, with a video teaser released.
• Album has evolved from instrumental to featuring one singer.

Tony Iommi, the legendary Black Sabbath guitarist, is set to reveal the first details of his long-awaited new solo album this Wednesday, 29 July, via a YouTube livestream. The announcement will end years of anticipation over the project, which Iommi has discussed intermittently in interviews since at least…

Restored 4K footage of Queen’s 1986 Budapest concert returns to cinemas

• Queen's 1986 Budapest concert restored in 4K by Peter Jackson's team
• First major Western rock show behind the Iron Curtain
• Released in cinemas and on home video from 7 October

Queen's landmark 1986 Budapest concert has been given a full 4K restoration, overseen by Peter Jackson's team, and released worldwide in cinemas from 7 October to mark its 40th anniversary. Staged at Népstadion on 27 July 1986, the show was the first major Western stadium rock concert held…

Michael Jackson biopic heads to streaming after $1bn cinema haul

• "Michael" streams on Starz from 10 August after $1bn cinema run
• Jaafar Jackson, the singer's nephew, stars in the title role
• Film's success has sparked talk of a possible sequel

The Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" has completed its cinema run and will move to streaming on Starz from 10 August, capping a theatrical release that grossed more than $1 billion worldwide and made it one of 2026's biggest box office successes. The scale of that success has drawn…

Jay-Z Adds More Shows in London & Los Angeles to Continue His 30-Year Celebration

• Jay-Z adds second London and LA stadium dates for 30th anniversary tour
• London: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 4-5 September; LA: SoFi Stadium, 23-24 October
• Pre-sale starts 29 July, general sale 30 July via Live Nation

Jay-Z and Roc Nation have added second stadium dates in London and Los Angeles as part of a touring celebration marking 30 years since his debut album, Reasonable Doubt. The additional shows extend a run that follows his sold-out three-night stand at Yankee Stadium in New York, underlining…

3 Songwriters Paul Simon Thinks Are His Equals

• Paul Simon rates Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and John Lennon as his equals
• He ranks McCartney with Gershwin, Berlin and Hank Williams
• Simon admits he always feels he "comes in second" to Dylan

American Songwriter has compiled a list of three songwriters that Paul Simon himself has named as being on a par with his own talents. The piece draws on Simon's own public comments and lyrics over the years, offering an insight into which of his peers the folk-rock veteran…

On This Day in 1952, Hank Thompson Was at No. 1 With the Song That Inspired a History-Making Hit by Kitty Wells

• Hank Thompson's 1952 hit 'The Wild Side of Life' spent 15 weeks atop the country chart, establishing him as a major star
• Songwriter Jay Miller created a response song with an opposing narrative perspective that Kitty Wells recorded
• Wells's recording became the first number-one country hit by a solo female artist, launching her career as a genre pioneer

On 27 July 1952, Hank Thompson's "The Wild Side of Life" sat atop the American country music chart, a hit that would go on to spend 15 weeks at No. 1 and cement his status as one of the genre's biggest stars. Its lasting significance, however, lies in…

Gabe Simon on Working With Noah Kahan to Craft ‘The Great Divide’

• Noah Kahan's album 'The Great Divide' achieved platinum certification and debuted at #1 on Billboard 200 with 389,000 equivalent units
• Producer Gabe Simon prioritises Kahan's storytelling and emotional authenticity over technical production flourishes
• The album resulted from collaborative efforts with multiple producers supporting Kahan's artistic vision

Noah Kahan's latest album, The Great Divide, continues to perform strongly, with producer Gabe Simon speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about their collaboration on the record. Simon, who produced all but one track alongside The National's Aaron Dessner, said he had not anticipated the intensity of the public…

“I think people will get lost in it and forget they’re watching a film.” Queen Budapest, the film of the first Western stadium rock show to take place behind the Iron Curtain, to screen in cinemas worldwide

• Queen's historic 1986 Budapest concert—the first major Western stadium rock show staged behind the Iron Curtain—is returning to cinemas for a 40th anniversary screening
• The performance has been fully restored to 4K from archival 35mm film and features newly remixed audio from original recordings
• This marks the final concert performance by Freddie Mercury to be captured on film

A restored film of Queen's 27 July 1986 concert at Budapest's Népstadion, the first Western stadium rock show held behind the Iron Curtain, is to be screened in cinemas around the world to mark the gig's 40th anniversary. This is a significant release for fans as the footage…

Every Baby Boomer Alive Remembers These 4 Classic Rock Jams From 1964

An article from American Songwriter revisits four classic rock songs from 1964 that it says remain instantly recognisable to baby boomers today, showcasing a landmark year for the genre. The piece highlights how several of these hits were covers of earlier recordings, illustrating how artists of the era…