<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar Player in Music ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:22:04 +0000 en <![CDATA[ Win tickets to an all-star tribute to David Lindley led by Papa Mali and Wally Ingram in New Orleans ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/win-tickets-to-an-all-star-tribute-to-david-lindley itZj7cQXTEWQQrZBXRfJJo Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:22:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It reminds us that music can still be dangerous, it can still be sacred, and it can still be free.” Bruce Springsteen celebrates the Doors, the E Street Band, Patti Smith and others at the American Music Honors ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/it-reminds-us-that-music-can-still-be-dangerous-it-can-still-be-sacred-and-it-can-still-be-free-bruce-springsteen-celebrates-the-doors-the-e-street-band-patti-smith-and-others-at-the-american-music-honors krBsNqXi9jDostSQCTKgSB Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:59:58 +0000 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:31:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He could hardly stand, but he said ‘I’ll f***ing do it, darling!’” Brian May on Freddie Mercury’s most defiant recording ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/he-went-ill-f-ing-do-it-darling-brian-may-says-freddie-mercury-was-too-weak-to-stand-but-insisted-on-singing-the-show-must-go-on fiZ78RCaKaZqtifuFZsiq8 Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:32:29 +0000 Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:54:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It was a really sh*tty one.” Samantha Fish doesn’t like her first live album — that’s why she did it right with her latest, ‘Paper Doll Live’ ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/a-really-sh-tty-one-i-did-it-myself-samantha-fish-reflects-on-her-first-live-album-and-why-shes-excited-by-her-new-one-paper-doll-live xM9Fd9MHBE5YSaEK8zKuZE Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:55:57 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He said, ‘My dear, I just wrote this in the bath.’” Brian May on the chart-topping Queen hit Freddie Mercury composed while getting ready one morning ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/he-said-my-dear-i-just-wrote-this-in-the-bath-brian-may-on-the-chart-topping-queen-hit-freddie-mercury-composed-while-getting-ready-one-morning aLsGEGFT88YSWVpnARkvF6 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My least favorite Beatles song.” Elvis Presley inspired it. John Lennon hated it. Behind the song he wanted to keep off the Beatles’ first psychedelic record ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/the-elvis-presley-inspired-it-john-lennon-hated-it-behind-the-song-he-wanted-to-keep-off-the-beatles-first-psychedelic-record FcZNVTrebaWAoTPvoxQNeH Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:14:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I thought it was just a little bit too simple.” Tom Petty almost gave away his biggest hit — five years after he wrote it ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/tom-petty-almost-gave-away-his-biggest-hit-dont-do-me-like-that Wj7aiovF5R6TRcgKpubaaj Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I was feeling like I had so much s*** to hurl at the tape.” How Sheryl Crow broke up her hit-making band with just two words ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/sheryl-crow-the-tuesday-night-music-club-and-leaving-las-vegas j4Nb5n8JmZRhBV5oPeymje Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:04:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We had to go to 50 radio stations and explain that it wasn’t ‘douche.’” Bruce Springsteen hated Manfred Mann’s “Blinded by the Light,” says singer Chris Thompson ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/bruce-springsteen-hated-manfred-manns-blinded-by-the-light-says-singer-chris-thompson nuedRHu6eeJicMAGzP4Bte Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:31:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You might be wrong.” Roger Daltrey said the record business Is “a joke.” Now Pete Townshend is talking about making another Who album ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/you-might-be-wrong-roger-daltrey-said-the-record-business-is-a-joke-now-pete-townshend-is-talking-about-making-another-who-album j6ABcqEc8Ch7P2d4PmfGq6 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:42:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I haven’t got a clue where it’s in the film.” How Elvis Costello and a Whitney Houston movie turned a failed song into a million-dollar payday ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/how-elvis-costello-and-a-whitney-houston-movie-turned-nick-lowe-s-failed-song-into-a-million-dollar-payday XoXR7NfsPesR3RLGvhND3B Sun, 08 Mar 2026 17:02:06 +0000 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 17:22:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Oh my God, hold up — are you OK?” Machine Gun Kelly stops the show after a female fan falls through a hole in the stage ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/oh-my-god-hold-up-are-you-ok-machine-gun-kelly-stops-the-show-after-a-female-fan-falls-through-a-hole-in-the-stage NG4w5fzETJtzSX7peUQmsc Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:21:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Barbra washolding a long note. Our eyes met and it was electricity.” Barbra Streisand recorded over 30 takes of “The Way We Were.” Nothing worked. Then the bassist tried something different ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/barbra-streisand-recorded-over-30-takes-of-the-way-we-were-nothing-worked-then-the-bassist-tried-something-different pMux2ZPN3B5VVM5AEruZqa Sat, 07 Mar 2026 14:28:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ “About two weeks later he sent me a cassette.” Chris Cornell wrote “Black Hole Sun” after one producer told him to stop writing for fans ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/albums-singles/michael-beinhorn-on-soundgardens-black-hole-sun yyAbT9hb2JGxjgDoTdosDc Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:41:14 +0000 Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:56:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We smoked a lot of pot together, so that was really helpful.” How Neil Diamond, a bag of weed and a twice-rejected song turned a pair of struggling young guitarists into global stars ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/how-neil-diamond-turned-down-let-your-love-flow-and-gave-the-bellamy-brothers-their-first-hit pr3sBybKVY2pgyV8L4iDUk Fri, 20 Feb 2026 22:08:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We were all looking for something that would sell. Then along came Elvis.” Scotty Moore on the night Elvis Presley walked into Sun Records — and the session that launched the King’s career ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/i-said-the-guy-sings-good-he-doesnt-really-knock-me-out-but-scotty-moore-on-the-night-elvis-presley-walked-into-sun-records-and-the-session-that-launched-the-kings-career Jcy6buYNatyUpeLYkgt7Vh Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The radio interference was so significant. There was nothing we could do.” Julian Lage says noise from cellphone towers made recording his guitars impossible. Just by luck, he had a fix ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/julian-lage-on-his-latest-album-scenes-from-above 82JRJzcP4dv9pwaND8erQD Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:46:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ “As soon as he saw ABBA, all in matching white fur coats, he went running over. Then he vomited.” John Lydon on the Sex Pistols’ obsession with Sweden’s purveyors of pop ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/how-abba-influenced-the-sex-pistols YnsvTQLGyp4fjNbH5pKhob Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:04:04 +0000 Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:43:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The engineer got really excited. He was like, ‘Wow, what’re you guys doing?!” Bernie Leadon dissects the Eagles’ biggest album of all time ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/the-engineer-got-really-excited-he-was-like-wow-whatre-you-guys-doing-bernie-leadon-dissects-the-eagles-biggest-album-of-all-time NFhUBkY5pwQjWbeQDkoGGD Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +0000 Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:44:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ “People started to boo. It taught us you can’t pander to other styles.” Al Jardine on the Beach Boys’ “lost album” and Brian Wilson’s strangest comeback ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/al-jardine-on-brian-wilson-and-the-beach-boy-s-we-gotta-groove-boxset J5w3GrteyiY9yFgimXnF9C Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:05:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I thought, What would be the worst thing a criminal could do?” Johnny Cash on the true story behind his infamous signature song ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/johnny-cash-on-the-true-story-behind-folsom-prison-blues 5Nz5HXo6aBgVFzhfZcPiP8 Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:56:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ Win tickets to see Warren Haynes perform on his “Winter of Warren” solo tour at Guitar Player Presents ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/warren-haynes-performs-at-guitar-player-presents Jth6Ea5F8jSZGxjBxQ9kgb Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:05:08 +0000 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:16:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Dylan loved it. It didn’t get better than that.” Alice Cooper on his teen-rebellion anthem that won Bob Dylan’s stamp of approval ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/generation-landslide-the-alice-cooper-song-bob-dylan-praised H55yCgAiQ82C4NiwMrnLiH Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:46:41 +0000 Thu, 05 Feb 2026 18:28:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The pressure was on. I got really lucky.” Jorma Kaukonen on how he forged the sound of psychedelic rock on Jefferson Airplane’s groundbreaking hit ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/jorma-kaukonen-on-crafting-the-perfect-psychedelic-guitar-solo-on-jefferson-airplanes-groundbreaking-hit tqJcZ4GAriD4mpSKgDngBe Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:37:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I wanted Eric for a bit of moral support. I think it was the same reason he asked me to play on that session.” George Harrison on the time Eric Clapton asked for a little help from his friend ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/i-wanted-eric-for-a-bit-of-moral-support-i-think-it-was-the-same-reason-he-asked-me-to-play-on-that-session-george-harrison-on-the-time-eric-clapton-asked-for-a-little-help-from-his-friend BdmL2P2rKpZRMGeedt8Fzm Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:26:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When I did it, it sounded like a bunch of cats fighting.” Johnny Rzeznik on his number-one regret about the Goo Goo Dolls’ biggest hit song ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/when-i-did-it-it-sounded-like-a-bunch-of-cats-fighting-johnny-rzeznik-on-his-number-one-regret-about-the-goo-goo-dolls-biggest-hit-song SXChG28QWCaTMJP5r2nx7e Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:04:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ “She wasn’t feeling very good those days. The longer it went on, the worse it got.” The long road to Lucinda Williams’ breakthrough album — and the creative partnership that didn’t survive it. ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/she-wasnt-feeling-very-good-those-days-the-longer-it-went-on-the-worse-it-got-the-long-road-to-lucinda-williams-breakthrough-album-and-the-creative-partnership-that-didnt-survive-it WhQhH3iFFacFWNp38VmfpU Sat, 31 Jan 2026 16:05:34 +0000 Sat, 31 Jan 2026 16:09:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He locked us in the kitchen with some food and a couple of guitars. We couldn’t come out until we’d written a song.” Keith Richards on forcing out his and Mick Jagger’s first hit ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/he-locked-us-in-the-kitchen-with-some-food-and-a-couple-of-guitars-we-couldnt-come-out-until-wed-written-a-song-keith-richards-on-forcing-out-his-and-mick-jaggers-first-hit XhuzEGNbhLm9C7G8UDaRY8 Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:59:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I said, ‘Bob, this is a folk song.’ He said, ‘No, listen to the lyrics.’”How Alice Cooper spun a 1960s ballad into his own glam-rock anthem ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/how-alice-cooper-spun-hello-hooray-into-his-billion-dollar-babies-anthem C4GJWLQVcUB8xmxvHSBM3F Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:42:13 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Our initial sense was that it was very big-headed. We all looked at Fred and said, ‘Really?’”Brian May on Freddie Mercury and the mega-hit that changed Queen’s relationship with their audience ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/brian-may-on-freddie-mercury-and-we-are-the-champions 6hapUJCzjNQ6H843swcE9X Sat, 10 Jan 2026 16:19:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It will be the greatest album of all time.” How a Kiss guitar legend decided to charge fans more than $4,000 to buy his new record ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/how-a-kiss-guitar-legend-decided-to-charge-fans-more-than-usd4-000-to-buy-his-new-record Pfj6yNmYR6SF7XANf8JrZA Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:39:05 +0000 Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:45:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ Win tickets to see Matteo Mancuso perform at Guitar Player Presents in Southern California after NAMM 2026 ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/win-tickets-to-see-matteo-mancuso-perform-at-guitar-player-presents-in-southern-california-after-namm-2026 H5XWieCTLKcfVCxL4jkuvg Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:27:41 +0000 Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:57:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We were just flabbergasted.” The secret sound that has David Bowie’s “‘Heroes’” surging on the charts following its ‘Stranger Things’ appearance ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/david-bowie-and-stranger-things-the-sound-behind-heroes JR3L4s67ASRTfAaUHKW6Jg Tue, 06 Jan 2026 13:40:08 +0000 Tue, 06 Jan 2026 17:27:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He said, ‘Yeah, what are you gonna do about it? You’re a girl. You don’t have the money to fight this.’” Rita Coolidge says Eric Clapton owes her a writing credit for one of the most celebrated songs in rock ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/rita-coolidge-says-eric-clapton-owes-her-a-writing-credit-for-layla 8ighTyMSYGdjR7PRL8MkjQ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 14:31:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I cried for two years. I blamed myself.” Don McLean on the “unspeakable” death that haunted the writing of his iconic acoustic hit “American Pie” ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/don-mclean-on-his-iconic-acoustic-hit-american-pie VeA5QkiFiNzxWoHe6v8wxR Sun, 28 Dec 2025 13:41:13 +0000 <![CDATA[ “They said, ‘Play something dumb!’” The Journey single that became “the Biggest Song of All Time” thanks to TV, baseballand Bachman-Turner Overdrive ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/albums-singles/journey-biggest-song-of-all-time-owes-debt-to-bachman-turner-overdrive qwpjr95nSAKbepsoy9EfCG Sat, 27 Dec 2025 12:58:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “That’s the foundation all of us guitar players learned from.” Joe Walsh names the “12 best all-time-forever” guitar solos by Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and nine other six-string icons ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/joe-walsh-names-the-12-best-all-time-forever-guitar-solos ButsTSruWXMQamqjkgo223 Tue, 23 Dec 2025 21:21:02 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It was a spiritual download that just flowed through me.” John Lennon played it on repeat. Frank Sinatra called it the best song of the 1970s. How a simple C9 chord inspired a timeless top-10 hit ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/lessons/it-was-a-spiritual-download-that-just-flowed-through-me-john-lennon-played-it-on-repeat-frank-sinatra-called-it-the-best-song-of-the-1970s-how-a-simple-c9-chord-inspired-a-timeless-pop-tune 8cTPUYYKWnTJKdetRT5eBo Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:12:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Finally, no Sam versus Dave debates.” A new Van Halen album features Eddie, Alex and Wolfgang Van Halen playing classic tracks without a vocalist ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/new-van-halen-recordings-without-vocals-released uzCpCERvfqpJUpPCRUEnt8 Sat, 20 Dec 2025 15:33:39 +0000 Sun, 21 Dec 2025 03:45:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Instead of using a bass drum, I had an ax and a large log of wood.” Nick Mason on Pink Floyd’s “lost album” following their smash hit ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/pink-floyd-s-nick-mason-on-wish-you-were-here-sessions 3ban8CtrqfJvvKSswMZVu6 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:20:02 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:26:02 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Walter Becker or Donald Fagen panicked and thought, Wait a minute…Nobody knows what Steely Dan is!” Jeff “Skunk” Baxter on the “life-altering” impact of the Dan’s smash breakthrough ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/walter-becker-or-donald-fagen-panicked-and-thought-wait-a-minute-nobody-knows-what-steely-dan-is-jeff-skunk-baxter-on-the-life-altering-impact-of-the-dans-smash-breakthrough AoMGeumaf3JxAeNysciJzM Fri, 12 Dec 2025 23:09:42 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:28:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He said, ‘The problem with you guys is that you never do ballads.’ I said, ‘I’ll give him a ballad.’” Jimmy Page on the Beatle who inspired Led Zeppelin’s most beautiful song — and why it owes a debt to James Taylor ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/the-beatle-who-inspired-jimmy-page-to-write-led-zeppelins-most-beautiful-song-and-why-it-owes-a-debt-to-james-taylor DHD4cQjZ8DK32UhxJfNEHF Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:18:19 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:28:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I was packing up to leave when Dylan asked, ‘Where’s he going?’ and I wound up playing on the whole album.” The guitarist Bob Dylan insisted he had to have for his country music breakthrough ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/the-guitarist-bob-dylan-insisted-on-for-nashville-skyline 6v4fNMUGX75BGECG8yrzvV Sat, 06 Dec 2025 15:37:20 +0000 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:28:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I wouldn't be at all surprised if we weren't lost at that point in the song.” The Cream track Eric Clapton doesn’t like — even though it’s the key to his legend as a guitar virtuoso ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/the-cream-song-eric-clapton-doesnt-like-though-some-call-it-the-greatest-of-all ioDc8xqcQCMsaAsSMmewYM Mon, 01 Dec 2025 14:06:12 +0000 Mon, 01 Dec 2025 14:06:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I just plain stole it.” The group that pinched an iconic riff from the Who to make two of the 1970s’ greatest power-pop hits ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/the-stolen-pete-townshend-riff-behind-two-of-cheap-trick-s-greatest-hits uev7nxwsw2TFX54zbBFBeS Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:01:54 +0000 Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:38:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ "It was a bit of a macho song.” John Lennon said it was the worst. George Harrison called it one of his favorites. How a “throwaway” Beatles song made it onto 'Rubber Soul' ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/john-lennon-hated-this-beatles-song PnfsqeQXsJcoCcCsqEDiY4 Mon, 24 Nov 2025 20:06:10 +0000 Fri, 28 Nov 2025 16:01:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ “This has to be the last Beatles song.” Here’s what’s in the new Beatles Anthology episode — and Giles Martin tells what happened behind the scenes of the Fab Four's final single ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/albums-singles/whats-in-the-new-beatles-anthology-episode ktGUznQAN3AwiMLRGioNRk Fri, 21 Nov 2025 15:50:35 +0000 Fri, 28 Nov 2025 15:53:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He said, ‘God, when I asked for a song, I didn’t expect this!’” Tom Petty and Mike Campbell on the song they couldn’t give Stevie Nicks — and the one they did that became a hit ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/albums-singles/he-said-god-when-i-asked-for-a-song-i-didnt-expect-this-tom-petty-and-mike-campbell-on-the-song-they-couldnt-give-stevie-nicks-and-the-one-they-did-that-became-a-hit 87yoCTy2kUNhQoY8D9zkVB Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:01:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I stumbled upon that one by accident.” David Gilmour on the genesis of a Pink Floyd classic now receiving a historic reissue ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/albums-singles/shine-on-you-crazy-diamond-2025-reissue cxf7NcjCrUrwgok2JVy6ZT Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:00:35 +0000 Fri, 28 Nov 2025 16:01:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Somebody would tell me how they loved a song, and I’d kind of feel a little bit like a fool.” Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty on the victory that he says was “an instant esteem booster" ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/albums-singles/creedence-clearwater-revival-s-john-fogerty-on-the-victory-that-was-an-instant-esteem-booster cZAE3dVFt2gw2BFZQ9mnVE Tue, 18 Nov 2025 13:01:39 +0000 Fri, 28 Nov 2025 16:02:35 +0000