Michael Stipe attends Apple TV's "Shrinking" special FYC event at Quality Italian on May 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images)
Michael Stipe fans have been patiently waiting for his long-in-the works solo album, and it appears as though he’s giving them a preview of what's to come.
The R.E.M. frontman has just debuted a new song, “Hum Desiderata,” on the sound exhibition platform Joyfully Waiting.
According to the description, the song “combines Stipe’s recitation of the poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann from his installation at ICA Milan" with an instrumental track by Stipe and Andy LeMaster. It also features additional vocals from artist Elizabeth Hatmaker.
Stipe talked about his solo album during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in April, sharing that it is finally set to be released at the end of 2026. He also debuted a song from the record, "The Rest of Ever,” backed by the Colbert house band, Louis Cato and The Great Big Joy Machine.
Stipe also released the song "I Played the Fool," which he recorded with producer Andrew Watt, in March. It's the theme to the HBO series Rooster.
Singers Kiki Dee and Elton John perform at the Dr Pepper Music Festival at Central Park, New York City, 2nd August 1977 (Bettmann / Contributor)
Fifty years ago Friday, Elton John's duet with Kiki Dee, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," became his first #1 hit in his native U.K., and it stayed on top for six weeks. To mark the occasion, Elton's Rocket fan club has posted to YouTube for the first time a performance of Elton and Kiki performing the song back in November 1977.
The performance was filmed at the Empire Pool, Wembley, England. Elton says in the video, "We weren't gonna do this number. [But] we found out that a certain person was in the country, so we panicked and we said, 'Well, we must do it.' So she has agreed to come on and sing it. It's Kiki Dee, ladies and gentlemen."
The crowd goes crazy as the two perform the hit, which Elton and Bernie Taupin wrote under the fake names Ann Orson and Carte Blanche. It also spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Over the years, Elton and Kiki have sung the song together live more than 10 times, including at his final U.S. tour stop at LA's Dodger Stadium in November 2022. Over the years, Elton has also sung the song with Miss Piggy, RuPaul, Minnie Mouse, the Spice Girls and Ed Sheeran.
U2 landed their third #1 album with their eighth studio release, Zooropa.
The album, inspired by the band’s Zoo TV Tour, had the Irish rockers experimenting with alternative rock and electronic dance music.
Zooropa spent two weeks on top of the chart, despite a lack of hit singles. Three tracks were released from the album — "Numb," featuring spoken word verses by guitarist The Edge, "Lemon" and "Stay (Faraway, So Close!).” Only “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)” hit the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #61.
The album would go on to win the Grammy for best alternative music album.
: David Lee Roth performs in concert at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on April 29, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images)/Sammy Hagar at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction/ (Disney/Michael Le Brecht II)
David Lee Roth has appeared to cancel all but one of the remaining dates on his Don’t Love Me, Rent Me Tour.
Although there’s been no official announcement, the only show still listed on Roth’s website is his Aug. 7 concert at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota.
News of the cancellation quickly spread on social media, which prompted a response from Roth’s Van Halen replacement, Sammy Hagar.
“Hey Dave, Sammy here. I just got a call from Michael Anthony ... about your tour getting canceled. And I want to say from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry," Hagar said in a video posted to social media. “I hope you’re well. I hope there’s not a physical problem.”
“Honestly, Mike and I love the fact that you’ve been out there doing it, supporting the greatest band in the world that we were both part of ... supporting what we did in this band to keep this music alive,” he added.
Hagar also invited Roth to join him at his The Best of All Worlds residency in Las Vegas in September.
“Sing a couple songs, emcee the damn show, come out and just do what the f*** you do, which is pretty damn entertaining,” he said.
In the caption to the post, Hagar wrote that he hoped the news of the tour cancellation wasn't AI, noting, "if it is, my post is still coming from my heart and soul.”
“It is so important that this music carry on especially with the AI music out there. those of us that can still go out and play. should do it as long as they can physically and emotionally carry that torch,” he added. “@vanhalen was, should be, and hopefully always will be real live music, not just for our fans, but for the future fans of real rock music.”
Dutch DJ/producer Martin Garrix and U2 have teamed up for a brand-new song.
The artists have just released the track "Fireflies," which Garrix debuted July 17 at the Tomorrowland in Belgium festival, with U2’s The Edge making a surprise appearance.
While Bono and The Edge previously teamed with Garrix for “We Are the People,” the official song for UEFA Euro 2020, “Fireflies” marks the first time all four members of the band have appeared on a Garrix track.
“’Fireflies’ has a very unique mood and it’s a special song we started working on six summers ago,” says Garrix. “I’ve worked with Bono and Edge before, but working with the whole band I got to get a glimpse of their chemistry and why U2 are who they are. They are incredible friends and collaborators, and it has been an absolute honor to work with them again.”
“We go back a long way with Martin, and there’s always a sense of adventure whenever we get together,” says The Edge. “Playing 'Fireflies' for the first time at Tomorrowland, in front of one of the most passionate festival crowds anywhere, was such a rush ... in fact I might have enjoyed it a bit too much. It reminded me of why I love playing outdoors. I like it better when there’s no ceiling.”
This isn't the first new music we've gotten from U2. Earlier in July the band released “Street of Dreams,” the first single off their upcoming new album, which so far does not have a release date.
Goo Goo Dolls perform on ABC's 'New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026' (Disney/Chris Willard)
Goo Goo Dolls kick off a summer tour with Neon Trees Friday in Lincoln, California. Also on Friday, they'll release a 20th anniversary edition of their 2006 album Let Love In. As for new music, it's not clear if fans will get to hear any on this tour.
Frontman John Rzeznik told ABC Audio that they've got something in the works, but he hasn't decided if they'll debut any of the new material on the road.
"You know what? I got a couple of new songs, but nothing's released, so I'm not sure whether to do it or not," he said. "I mean, I wanna finish the record that I'm working on now."
But the tour comes at a very good time for Goo Goo Dolls: They're more popular than ever, thanks to the continued success of their signature song, "Iris." Credit in part to the recent "What were you like in the '90s?" trend, the song's racked up over 6 billion streams and counting worldwide. John says he can see that reflected in their audiences.
"Definitely, I've noticed more people at the shows, y'know? And younger people too," he told ABC Audio. "So it's cool."
What's also cool is the reaction the band gets every night when they kick into "Iris."
"I love it," John says. "I love it, and when the crowd rises up a little bit, it's an amazing feeling. I don't get tired of it and I have to make sure that I'm grateful about it."
"So I'm always grateful for that song because it's like, I'm going to be able to send my kid to college because of that!"
The tour wraps up Sept. 6 in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Jon Bon Jovi performs onstage during Bon Jovi's Forever Tour at Madison Square Garden on July 21, 2026 in New York City. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Bon Jovi)
Music star Jon Bon Jovi abruptly ended a concert at New York's Madison Square Garden early Thursday night, telling concertgoers he had to "cool it."
"Don't throw away your ticket stubs ... I'm going to figure out how to reschedule," the frontman for his namesake band, Bon Jovi, was seen saying in videos shared on social media. "I'm gonna have to cool it for a night."
The rock star ended the show around 90 minutes into his performance due to a sinus infection, a spokesperson for the band confirmed to ABC News.
"Jon Bon Jovi spoke from stage and told fans he has been battling a sinus infection which led to the show’s early ending," the spokesperson said in a statement. "As part of the Bon Jovi residency at Madison Square Garden, Jon has said numerous times that it has been a joy to return to live shows for the band. Updated information will be available shortly."
The band was performing its eighth of nine shows at Madison Square Garden as part of its Forever Tour, which launched on July 7.
Bon Jovi is still scheduled to perform Sunday at Madison Square Garden. The band is then scheduled to wrap up the tour with five shows in the United Kingdom in August and September.
The Forever Tour marks Jon Bon Jovi's first return to touring since undergoing vocal cord surgery in 2022.
The singer spoke about the injury and his recovery from it in 2024's Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, a four-part docuseries about the rock band.
"One of my vocal cords was literally atrophied," he said in the Hulu docuseries. "Your vocal cords are supposed to look parallel, or let's pretend that they are as thick as a thumb -- one of mine was as thick as a thumb and the other one was as thick as a pinky. So, the strong one was pushing the weak one aside, and I wasn't singing well."
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of Hulu and ABC News.
Foreigner is out with a new live album, In the Eye of the Storm, featuring songs recorded during their 50th anniversary concert on New York’s Ellis Island and at Brooklyn’s DUMBO House.
While you may think this is just another live album, Foreigner’s Jeff Pilson tells ABC Audio there’s something particularly special about the release.
According to Pilson, not only does the album feature “the great songs that Foreigner has in our catalog,” but they are performed by “three different generations of singers, which is really cool.”
The album features original frontman Lou Gramm on some songs, along with former frontman of 20 years Kelly Hansen and current frontman Luis Maldonado. Performances include hit tracks "Feels Like the First Time," "Double Vision" and "Hot Blooded."
“What we love about it is that it's a brotherhood,” Pilson says. “Foreigner is more than just a band, it's a family that's all about the music.”
Foreigner’s Ellis Island show happened back in September and was hit with torrential rain, thunder and lightning that almost threatened the show. Despite the weather conditions, Pilson says things cleared up enough for them to perform five songs on the island, including “I Want To Know What Love Is” with a choir.
“Somehow we came in under the wire, delivered a performance,” Pilson says. “It was magical. It was fantastic.”
The album also includes an acoustic performance of the Simon & Garfunkel classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water” from DUMBO House.
“It's soulful. It's beautiful,” Pilson says of Maldonado’s performance, noting one of the reasons they wanted to cover the track was because “the message of that song, boy, do we need that today.”
“I feel a thousand percent behind our version,” he adds. “I would play it for Paul Simon in a heartbeat.”
In the Eye of the Storm is the soundtrack to Foreigner’s 50th anniversary concert film, which is expected to be released sometime this fall.
Foreigner just kicked off their Double Trouble Double Vision tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd. They play Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday. A complete list of dates can be found at Foreigneronline.com.
Steve Cropper's 'Watching the Tide' (Provogue/Artone Label Group)
Music fans are getting another preview of the upcoming posthumous album from the late Booker T. and the M.G.’s guitarist Steve Cropper, who passed away in December.
Watching the Tide, the album Cropper and his band The Midnight Hour were working on prior to his death, will be released on Aug. 28. A new track, “Tandoori Chicken,” is out now via digital outlets.
“Tandoori Chicken” is the third track released from Watching the Tide, following "Ticket First," featuring Eric Clapton, and "Until Now," featuring The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood.
Watching the Tide, the title a nod to the Otis Redding classic "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay," which Cropper co-wrote, is the follow-up to 2024’s Friendlytown. In addition to Clapton and Wood, it features guest appearances by Queen’s Brian May and ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons.
Portrait Of The Ramones Portrait of the Ramones, left to right, Joey Ramone (1951 - 2001), Dee Dee Ramone (1951 - 2002), Johnny Ramone (1948 - 2004) and Marky Ramone of the Ramones at the Metro in Chicago, Illinois, May 13, 1980. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Legendary punk rockers the Ramones are set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of the Los Angeles landmark's 2027 class.
"The Walk of Fame Selection Committee is proud to welcome the Class of 2027 to one of the most enduring symbols of achievement in entertainment," says Walk of Fame selection chairman Peter Roth in a statement. "These extraordinary individuals have each made a lasting impact on audiences around the world through their talent, creativity, and dedication to their craft."
Roth adds, "We are honored to recognize their remarkable contributions and look forward to celebrating them as they take their place in Hollywood history."
The dates for the star ceremonies have yet to be announced. Recipients have up to two years after the selection date to schedule their star unveiling.
Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A.' (Sony Music)
A new official lyric video for Bruce Springsteen’s classic Born in the U.S.A. track "I’m on Fire" has just been released.
The video features photos and grainy footage from the original music video for the song, with the lyrics in red.
The original video, which was directed by filmmaker John Sayles, was Springsteen’s first non-performance music video, with The Boss playing an auto mechanic contemplating an affair with a rich married customer.
"I’m on Fire" was the fourth single off the #1 hit Born in the U.S.A. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, one of a record seven top-10 hits from the album. The others were the title track, "Dancing in the Dark," "Cover Me," "Glory Days," "I’m Goin’ Down" and "My Hometown."
"I'm on Fire" went on to be certified double Platinum by the RIAA.
Mike Love of The Beach Boys performs onstage during the 2025 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Marriott Marquis Times Square on June 12, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
Mike Love of The Beach Boys has announced the postponement of several dates on their current tour.
Love shared the news in a post on Instagram, with a beach picture that reads “Gone Surfin.”
“Playing for you is the highlight of our summer every year—especially as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States while saluting the 60th Anniversary of Pet Sounds,” Love said, referring to the band's iconic album. “We’ve been having a blast out there, and to keep the good vibrations going strong, we’ll be taking a short break to recharge before getting back on the road in September.”
Postponed shows run from July 23 through Sept. 3, with tickets for the original shows good for the rescheduled dates.
The band is set to return to the road starting Sept. 24 in Springfield, Massachusetts, with 2026 dates running through Nov. 13 in Bristol, Virginia.
“Thanks for your love—we can’t wait to see you back out there for a September to Remember,” Love added.
ZZ Top The Big One! tour admat/(courtesy of ZZ Top)
ZZ Top has rescheduled some dates on their current The Big One! Tour, which began in early spring and runs through November.
The band has moved two shows in order for frontman Billy F Gibbons to take part in Eric Clapton’s upcoming Crossroads Guitar Festival in Austin Texas, which is happening Sept. 26-27.
The Texas rockers' Sept. 26 show in Nashville has now moved to Oct. 8, while their Sept. 27 show in Port Wentworth, Georgia, will now take place Oct. 9.
“We’ve learned over the years that you need to be flexible to accommodate opportunities that present themselves along the way,” Gibbons says. “Thanks to everybody for understanding that we’re always ready to rock but fine tuning of schedules is inevitable.”
ZZ Top is currently in Spain where they’ll play a show in Murcia on Thursday. The Big One! Tour returns to the U.S. on Aug. 4 in Chula Vista, California, with the tour wrapping Nov. 24 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
A complete list of dates can be found at ZZTop.com.
'George Michael: The Faith Tour' (Universal Pictures Content Group/Crosswalk/Michael Putland)
If you weren't around to see George Michael live in concert during his lifetime, now you'll be able to see him at his peak.
George Michael: The Faith Tour is a concert film that will be coming to theaters worldwide in late 2026 in premium formats, including IMAX. Filmed over two nights in Paris in 1988 during the European leg of George's Faith Tour, it includes never-before-seen footage of the star, who died in 2016.
The movie will screen with an original short called Finding Faith, featuring a voice-over from George from a previously unheard interview. It's paired with unseen images by the legendary photographer Herb Ritts and behind-the-scenes footage of George's iconic "Faith" music video.
George's Faith Tour was his first solo outing, supporting his multi-Platinum debut solo album of the same name. Choreographed by Paula Abdul, it featured George performing hits like "Father Figure," "One More Try," "I Want Your Sex" and "Monkey"; WHAM! hits such as "Careless Whisper" and "I'm Your Man"; and covers like Stevie Wonder's "Love's in Need of Love Today" and "Lady Marmalade."
The Faith Tour, an 18-track live album of previously unreleased recordings, will be released alongside the movie.
The 20th anniversary of Bob Seger’s 16th studio album, Face the Promise, is being celebrated with an expanded release.
Dropping Sept. 18, the expanded edition will include a newly remastered edition of the original album, along with four bonus tracks: "Time," "Little Jane," "Red Eye to Memphis" and "Let Me Try."
The expanded album will be released on CD and as a two-LP black vinyl set, the latter of which will come with a 12-page LP-sized booklet, complete with lyrics, photos and more. The album's also being released to streaming services for the very first time.
Released on Sept. 12, 2006, Face the Promise was Seger’s first album since 1995’s It’s a Mystery. It was also the first studio album since 1975’s Beautiful Loser where he was not credited as Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band.
The album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Ringo Starr launched his first tour since his days with The Beatles, backed by an All-Starr Band that included Billy Preston, the Eagles’ Joe Walsh and E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons.
Starr has continued to tour with a similar setup, with members of the All-Starr Band revolving over the years.
Each show features Ringo performing both solo and Beatles songs, along with All-Starr Band members performing selections of their hits.
Over the years, All-Starr Band members included such artists as E Street Band’s Nils Lofgren, Todd Rundgren, Bad Company's Simon Kirke, Peter Frampton, Levon Helm and Randy Bachman.
The next leg of Ringo’s tour with his latest All-Starr Band kicks off Sept. 24 in Easton, Pennsylvania, and wraps Oct. 7 in Albany, New York. It includes an Oct. 1 show at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York, the same venue where The Beatles headlined two nights in August 1964.
The current All-Starr Band lineup includes Toto’s Steve Lukather, Men At Work’s Colin Hay, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart, Gregg Bissonette and Buck Johnson.
Poster for ‘If These Walls Could Rock’ (Credit: Sean Pierce)
Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and Dave Grohl are among the musicians featured in a new film about Los Angeles' iconic Sunset Marquee Hotel.
If These Walls Could Rock, directed by Tyler Measom and Craig A. Williams, tells the story of the Sunset Strip hotel using archival footage, animation and interviews. According to a press release, the film will give fans insight into a hotel that “became more than a place to stay while on tour.”
“It became a creative sanctuary where songs were written, debauchery was shared, and music history unfolded behind closed doors,” the description adds.
It also tells the tale of the hotel's founder, George Rosenthal, and his son Mark Rosenthal, who turned a one-time motel into "one of the most iconic destinations in music history."
The film also features contributions from The Who's Roger Daltrey, Guns N' Roses' Slash, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Heart’s Nancy Wilson, E Street Band guitarist Stevie Van Zandt, Cyndi Lauper, Sheryl Crow, Morrissey, Billy Bob Thornton, KISS' Gene Simmons, Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon and more.
If These Walls Could Rock is set to open Aug. 14 at the Landmark Theatres Sunset in Los Angeles, and will debut on Apple TV and Amazon on the same day. The LA screening will be followed by a Q&A with the directors and guests.
Gerry Beckley “Norwegian Wood’ cover art (Blue Élan Records)
America co-founder Gerry Beckley has released another preview of his upcoming solo album, Merciful.
The latest is a cover of of The Beatles’ "Norwegian Wood," featuring a guest appearance by two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Graham Nash.
"I've always loved the song," Beckley says. "Graham's one of my true heroes going back to his days with the Hollies. When this recording came together, I knew he would bring something special to it."
This is the second track Beckley has released from Merciful, following "Get it Right." The album, the follow-up to Beckley's 2024 self-titled solo album, is due out Aug. 28. It features a combination of previously unfinished material with newly written songs.
Queen’s 1981 Greatest Hits compilation has been named the biggest album of all time by the U.K. Official Charts, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary.
Greatest Hits, which features such Queen classics as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions," has sold 7.8 million album units to date.
Coming in at #2 is ABBA’s Gold – Greatest Hits, with Oasis’ What’s the Story Morning Glory, Adele’s 21 and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band rounding out the top five.
Several other classic albums have landed in the top 10: Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours at #6, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon at #7, Michael Jackson’s Thriller at #8, Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Legend at #9 and Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms at #10.
Melissa Etheridge and country music legend Wynonna Judd have done the "impossible": They've spent the summer sharing a stage on their joint Raised on Radio Tour.
"They don't know how hard it is to coordinate two artists to get together and do something. It's almost impossible," Melissa told ABC News' Ashan Singh in an interview that aired Tuesday on Nightline. "Where we're at in our life right now, this is something we want to come out and do."
"We were all raised on radio," Wynonna added. "I remember hearing my song for the first time on the radio. Everybody has a memory. And everybody in the audience, when I sing '80s and '90s, they go nuts."
And Melissa, who came out publicly in 1993, loves hearing about their fans' memories during that time.
"Thirty-three years later, I still have people telling me that in high school it meant so much that there was someone who was out," she said. "You can't take that away from me."
Wynonna and Melissa have both experienced devastating lost. Wynonna's mother and musical partner, Naomi Judd, died by suicide in 2022. Melissa's son Beckett Cypher died in 2020 at age 21 from causes related to opioid addiction.
"Losing a child is devastating. There's not even a word for it in the English language," Melissa said. "The best thing you can do for your child, or for the memory of that child, is to take care of yourself, to find your joy, because they're out of pain now."
And for Melissa, finding her joy means making music.
"Music is never over. I don't understand how people say they retire, because I don't think that's a word," she said. "That's like saying I'm going to stop using my right arm. And you don't. We'll just make music till we can't."
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises, please call or text 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org or dial the current toll-free number 800-273-8255 [TALK].
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