Pulse – Rock Music News

Metallica's 1991 classic, "Enter Sandman" has been streamed over one billion times on Spotify. The "Black Album" favorite is the 28th song to pass the billion download mark.

Loudwire posted, "Metallica now joins the ranks AC/DC ('Highway To Hell,' 'Back In Black,' 'Thunderstruck'), Arctic Monkeys ('Do I Wanna Know?'), Bon Jovi ('Livin' On A Prayer'), Fleetwood Mac ('Dreams'), Journey ('Don't Stop Believin''), Linkin Park ('In The End' and 'Numb'), Lynyrd Skynyrd ('Sweet Home Alabama'), Maneskin ('Beggin''), Nirvana ('Smells Like Teen Spirit'), Oasis ('Wonderwall'), Panic! at the Disco ('High Hopes'), Queen ('Bohemian Rhapsody,' 'Don't Stop Me Now,' 'Another One Bites the Dust' and 'Under Pressure'), Radiohead ('Creep'), Red Hot Chili Peppers ('Under The Bridge' and 'Californication'), the Killers ('Mr. Brightside'), the Police ('Every Breath You Take'), the White Stripes ('Seven Nation Army'), and Twenty One Pilots ('Stressed Out,' 'Ride' and 'Heathens')."

"Enter Sandman" was the lead single pulled from Metallica's self-titled fifth album, known as the "Black Album," and has gone to become a staple of the band's concerts as well as rock and classic rock radio. Former bassist Jason Newsted admitted to us he wasn't sure about the song at first: "To me, it didn't register until we played it in front of people, really. I mean, I knew the radio liked it and all that kind of thing, but until you're right there and the crowd is louder than the PA, doing that thing, that's how you find out, is by everybody clapping along to it and singing along to it. That's how you get to know you've succeeded."

Iggy Pop revealed he was offered the frontman gig in AC/DC following the 1980 death of the band's lead singer, Bon Scott. Pop told The New York Times, "They had a manager many years ago, when I hadn't reformed the Stooges, I hadn't moved to England. And this guy said, 'Are you interested in joining AC/DC?' They were looking for a singer."

Pop revealed that he felt that although he was into the band, he couldn't see him and the band gelling creatively: "I listened to their record. I thought, I can't fit that bill. I wasn't, like, 'Ugh, I don't like them.' It was quite well made. They do careful work, but I'm not what they needed."

Iggy Pop recalled meeting Bon Scott once in 1977 at L.A.'s Whisky A Go Go: "I had some wonderful encounter with Bon somewhere, and we were both drunk and stoned. I see pictures sometimes. I go, I don't remember, but that's me with Bon. I loved what he did."

Over the decades, Iggy Pop has garnered his fair share of good and bad press. Ultimately, he told us he's happy with any positive feedback he gets for his music, regardless of where it comes from: "It's always good when you hear from somebody that they like your stuff and they've got a little gleam in their eye, and frankly, it doesn't really matter too much whether it's the guy at the gas station or the guy in the (Red Hot) Chili Peppers."

Iggy Pop releases his latest album, Every Loser, produced by Andrew Watt, on Friday (January 6th).

BillieEilish is officially in the "PPC."

While appearing on the latest episode of the Office Ladies podcast, the "Bad Guy" singer recreated "the first-ever party planning committee" scene from season one of The Office with cast members Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fisher.

Eilish took on the role of Phyllis and nailed the delivery, causing Fisher to exclaim, "You're officially in the PPC (party planning committee!"

It was 56 years ago today (January 4th, 1967) that the Doors released its groundbreaking and iconic self-titled debut album. The album, which hit Number Two on the Billboard 200 albums chart, featured such instant classics as "Break On Through (To The Other Side)," "Soul Kitchen" "The Crystal Ship, "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)," "The End" -- and the band's first of two chart-toppers, "Light My Fire."

On July 29th, 1967, "Light My Fire" began its three-week run at Number One, launching the Southern Californian Doors internationally and immortalizing the band's iconic frontman, Jim Morrison. Although the 2:52 single version of the track, which was edited from the 7:02 album version, was created specifically for the AM market -- many stations decided to spin the full version with keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger's sprawling solos. Upon its initial release, the Doors' "Light My Fire" sold over a million copies and scored Elektra Records its first Number One single.

When the group performed "Light My Fire" on The Ed Sullivan Show on September 17th, 1967, they were asked to change the line "girl we couldn't get much higher." The band agreed, but when they went onstage, Morrison went ahead and sang the line anyway. In 2017, in commemoration of its 50th anniversary, a new 45 r.p.m. single was reissued with the song's original B-side, "The Crystal Ship."

The song, which ended the Association's month-long dominance of the Billboard Hot 100 with the soft pop of "Windy," was ultimately knocked out of the top spot by the Beatles' own classic "Summer Of Love" anthem, "All You Need Is Love."

Robby Krieger recalled how the band-credited "Light My Fire" came to be composed, telling Billboard's Fred Bronson, "Ray had the idea for the opening, part, which was the real hook. Jim helped me out on some of the lyrics. . . and the beat was John (Densmore's) idea."

"Light My Fire" was is ranked Number 35 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 1968, newcomer Jose Feliciano's ballad version of the song topped out at Number Three and snagged him the 1969 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and helped earn him the award for Best New Artist.

2016 saw the release of The Doors: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition. The collection is packaged in a 12-inch by 12-inch hardcover book, along with a newly remastered version of the album's original stereo mix -- and for the first time on CD -- the album's original mono mix.

In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked The Doors 42nd on the magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. To date, the album has sold over four million copies in the U.S. alone.

In 2015, the Library of Congress announced The Doors would be included in its National Recording Registry.

We asked drummer John Densmore to recall the earliest days of the Doors before he, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and the legendary Jim Morrison had become household names: "Ray and I were listening really carefully to each other, 'cause his left hand was the bass. So, Ray and I kind of laid down the bed for Jim and Robby to float on top of. And then we get a record deal and that's another stage; but really, I would say, when we started playing small concert halls, second bill, or something -- out of the clubs -- I thought, 'Oh my God. . . I'm gonna make a living and this is gonna. . . this train is leavin' the station!' That's really almost more exciting as playing Madison Square Garden, because it's this dream coming true, y'know?"

Guitarist Robby Krieger says that looking back, the Doors' short time together was relatively free of ego problems or star trips: "It was really, like, the perfect group, y'know, as far as working together and stuff. There was no ego problems, y'know, and petty jealousies and stuff like that that a lot of groups go through."

Shortly before his death in 2013, Ray Manzarek told us that whether they liked it or not, the Doors ended up being spokesmen for their generation: "There was a war in Vietnam and, y'know, that had to be stopped, and we were gonna try to clean up the environment, and do all those good things that hippies were trying to do. And everyone was angry, man, so, y'know, we tried to make the music as hard and as powerful and as exciting as possible. And when you got Jim Morrison as your lead singer, well, y'know, that's an extra plus. So that's what it was all about."

In 1968, while the Doors were on tour in Europe, Jim Morrison spoke about the type of music he'd like to see the band tackle: "I'd like to do a song, or a piece of music that's just a pure expression of joy. Like, a celebration of existence. Y'know, the coming of spring, or, like, the sun rising, or something like that. Just pure unbounded joy, y'know? I don't really think we've done that yet."

Courtney Love maintains that by not allowing Brad Pitt to star in a Kurt Cobain biopic, it cost her a role in Fight Club. Love shared the details during her recent appearance on Marc Maron's WTF podcast, explaining how she was originally slated to portray the female lead in David Fincher's 1999 classic.

Love claims she was fired from the movie after a fight with Pitt, who wanted to portray Cobain in Gus Van Zant's movie Lost Days, the 2005 Cobain biopic which Love, the Cobain estate -- and ultimately, Brad Pitt -- were not involved in.

Courtney Love took to Instagram to speak out further on the incident, writing:

Hi. Regarding a story I told on the Marc Maron WTF podcast. A story I was never going to tell. Brad pushed me a bridge too far. I don't like the way he does business or wields his power. It's a simple fact, and it started during the production of Fight Club.
 
I understand how much a game of roulette casting is. I am not here 22 years later bitching about losing a part playing someone's side piece in a movie. On the podcast, I recount the day Brad & Gus Van Sant called me for lunch and tried to blackmail me over my role, for the rights to a film about Kurt. I lost my s*** on them, and by 7pm I was fired from Fight Club.

Every word of this is factual. This was always a secret I was fine keeping. It's a movie. Indeed, I passed on better roles than that. Who cares? The point is Brad kept on stalking me about Kurt.

Love went on to post that as recently as 2020, she and Brad Pitt had another discussion about a Kurt Cobain film:

It's because I'm in recovery. And resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. I was over being mad about it. Plus, I heard Pitt was dealing with the same demons. So, we might both have changed our spiritual world views. Not to be.
     
It's not just the Zoom I had with Brad in 2020 where I said no to @planbfilms & Brad producing it. It's that I said NO on the Zoom and that was not enough, and I was not heard. I was ignored. I had no plans to bring it up with Marc Maron but it came up. I told the story because I felt Pitt would not stop pursuing Kurt - unless I said it in public.

An unamed source told The Hollywood Reporter, that Courtney Love only auditioned for Fight Club -- and was never hired to act in the movie, claiming it was, "A role she was never offered at any point. . . You cannot be fired for a job you didn’t get. It’s common knowledge that roles are not decided by other actors but by the director."

Brett Morgen, who directed the 2015 Kurt Cobain documentary Montage Of Heck -- which was made with the cooperation of the Cobain family -- told us he has no patience for the Cobain murder theorists ["It's basically criminal, what they've done. It's made it very difficult for the family to grieve, and this is really just a couple of people who've gotten their seeds onto young, impressionable folks and it's pathetic. I mean, it really is. And if anyone out there thinks they're a Kurt Cobain fan and participates with these people, they are s***ting on Kurt's family, particularly his daughter."] SOUNDCUE (:22 OC: . . . particularly his daughter)

Twenty One Pilots’ Scaled and Icy era is over.  

The band’s 2021 record was “created and born in a time of uncertainty,” when touring was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Frontman Tyler Joseph wrote on Instagram, “we always wrote songs for the show, never the other way around. but i always wondered what it would be like to write a record that never existed in a concert setting. then we had no choice but to write that kind of record. so that’s what we tried.” 

The “Heathens” singer added, “71 shows and 14 countries later, scaled and icy became something different. the lyrics meant something different, something more, the colors found their purpose, the chords rubbed together differently. the record came to life. it was confirmed: this band and these specific songs needed live music.” 

After thanking the band’s crew, Joseph announced, “and that concludes ψ (Scaled and Icy trident symbol.)”

Fall Out Boy sent out a cryptic letter to fans, teasing their return with new music. In an email entitled "A Homeboy's Life," the band revealed “We spent the last year jamming ideas in a tiny room [and] can’t wait to share them with you." 

The band added, “Thanks for always sticking around. Thanks for working the beat. Spoiler alert: we got more than a gold watch coming for you next year.”

Back in November, the band took out an ad in the Chicago Tribune newspaper, featuring the words “FOB 8” followed by the phrase “If you build it, they will come” all against a black background.

Slipknot's unreleased "Look Outside Your Window" album may be coming out this year. Shawn "Clown" Crahan revealed in a new interview that the band's contract with Roadrunner Records will be up this year and they may release the record afterwards.

He told Upset Magazine, "The good news is that, six months from now, April Fool’s Day 2023, we’re off the label. There are no plans to immediately release something, and we haven’t talked about it, but I would imagine it’ll probably come very soon afterwards. There’s nothing else to do, and it’s ready to go. It’ll be worth the wait."

'80s rock icon Billy Idol will be honored with the first star of 2023 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this Thursday, January 5th at 11: 30 a.m. PST. Guest speakers will include Henry Rollins and artist and skateboarder Shepard Fairey. The event will take place at 6212 Hollywood Boulevard -- in front of Amoeba Records -- and will be streamed live exclusively at walkoffame.com.

According to the announcement, Idol, whose star is the 2,743rd on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, will be awarded his star in the category of "Recording."

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has hosted the famed Hollywood Walk of Fame since 1960, with the honorees selected by a committee of their peers. Sponsors fund the star, the ceremony and the maintenance of the legendary attraction. The Walk of Fame is free to all. To learn more and find your favorite stars, visit walkoffame.com.

Billy Idol told us that his live show is specifically built to be a fan pleaser: ["It's a lot of fun and I mean, we've got a lot of up-tempo music. I mean, people know a lot of the songs well -- 'Rebel Yell,' 'Dancing With Myself,' 'White Wedding.' But we've also got the other side of things, which are 'Flesh For Fantasy's,' or the 'Eyes Without A Face's' and a lot of the known songs that people know and love."] SOUNDCUE (:19 OC: . . . know and love)

Billy Idol will next perform on March 30th in Scottsdale, Arizona at The Rock Yard during Arizona Bike Week.

Steven Tyler is facing a lawsuit in Los Angeles accusing the Aerosmith frontman of "sexual assault, coercion of an abortion and involuntary infamy in the 1970s when (the plaintiff) was a minor and he was in his mid-20's." Julia Misley, formerly known as Julia Holcomb, filed the suit on December 27th under the California Child Victims Act, "which allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil cases." The three-year "lookback" window for the cases ended this past December 31st.

In a statement she said, quote, "I want this action to expose an industry that protects celebrity offenders, to cleanse and hold accountable an industry that both exploited and allowed me to be exploited for years, along with so many other naïve and vulnerable kids and adults."

CNN reported, "The lawsuit alleges that (in 1973) Tyler, now 74, took Misley to his hotel room and 'performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct upon her that night. . . Tyler purchased a plane ticket for Misley to join him in Seattle for the band’s next show. The lawsuit alleges Misley was also abused after that show. . . According to the lawsuit, in 1974, Tyler convinced Misley’s mother to 'sign over the guardianship of her daughter to him.' Tyler made promises to the mother that he would enroll her in school, help support her and help provide her with better medical care than her mother could provide, according to the lawsuit. . . Defendant Doe 1 did not meaningfully follow through on these promises and instead continued to travel with, assault and provide alcohol and drugs to plaintiff."

In addition to the alleged assault, Misley's lawsuit claims that Tyler has "intentionally publicized the acts he perpetrated" in multiple publications that detailed the assaults, including Tyler's 2011 memoir, Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?, in which he wrote about being so enamored with an underage lover he 'almost took a teen bride,' whom the singer does not specifically name."

In the book, Tyler wrote: "I went and slept at her parents’ house for a couple of nights and her parents fell in love with me, signed papers over for me to have custody, so I wouldn’t get arrested if I took her out of state. I took her on tour with me."

In her statement, Misley claimed, "The publications re-traumatized her and her family" adding, "I am grateful for this new opportunity to take action and be heard." Steven Tyler has yet to publicly comment on the lawsuit.

Foo Fighters have issued a statement on what the future holds for them without Taylor Hawkins. They posted via social media, "As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us."

The band continued, "Foo Fighters were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life. And for the past 27 years our fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that has helped us all get through the darkest of times together. A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join in a chorus of life together through music. Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were—and without Taylor, we know that we're going to be a different band going forward.

The band added, "We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know that when we see you again—and we will soon—he'll be there in spirit with all of us every night."

David Lee Roth took time out to salute his partner, the late, great Eddie Van Halen. During the most recent episode of his The Roth Show podcast, "Diamond Dave" spoke frankly and lovingly about the creative partnership that drove Van Halen for its first decade: ["My dear departed Ed. Boy, I miss him. I had a ball with Ed. Walt Disney once said, 'Y'know what? My love affair with Mickey Mouse was better than any love affair with a woman I ever had.' And, he was true blue -- he was not a philanderer, or whatever. I've gotta tell ya, playing with Ed, writing songs with Ed, presenting those songs with Ed was better than any love affair I ever had. And some of those songs, I think, might last forever -- or until 'the last syllable of time,' like Shakespeare said. They became anthems."] SOUNDCUE (:29 OC: . . . they became anthems)

Regarding Eddie Van Halen composing the synthesizer riff for "Jump" -- Van Halen's sole chart-topper and signature song, David Lee Roth admitted he couldn't see how the lick could fit within Van Halen's musical makeup: ["Where are they playing 'Jump' right now? I remember when he played it on the keyboard downstairs. I said, 'No.' (Laughter) We reflect the time and the times at that times (sic) was guitars, guitars, guitars -- and 'Jump' was one of those hybrids. It's like the first time Volkswagen shows up -- 'Is it cool?' Today, nothing could possibly be more cool than that lowered '66 VW bug out in my garage right now."] SOUNDCUE (:25 OC: . . . garage right now)

In a recent interview posted by Blabbermouth, Sammy Hagar, who has become a successful entrepreneur, says he would never go into non-music business with bandmate, Michael Anthony.

The 75-year-old rocker said, "it could possibly ruin our relationship, (as well as) what we do as entertainers, as artists and recording artists." The two are bandmates in Van Halen and The Circle.

Hagar, who founded the Cabo Wabo Tequila brand and restaurant chain, as well as Sammy's Beach Bar Rum, explained: "As much as I love family members, and I say the only people I can trust in the world a hundred percent is family, the business world can get ugly. There's a power game to business that some people thrive on. And I hate it."

When it comes down to it, Hagar says they have such a great relationship on stage he wouldn't want to risk it. Referring to their music, he said, "We're in business already."

TL;DR:

• Hagar said "it could possibly ruin our relationship, and what we do as entertainers, as artists and recording artists."

Machine Gun Kelly spent Christmas Eve at the home of friends Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian and he definitely dressed like he was at a Kardashian party.

In a group photo shared on (social media star) Mikey Tua's Instagram, he's seen rocking a leopard-print jacket. The pants had a similar print and were tight and shiny. He even had his long blonde hair styled back in a way that looked like the mane of a lion.

Barker's son, Landon is also in the photo.

Machine Gun Kelly seemingly attended the star-studded event without his fiancée Megan Fox.

TL;DR:

• Machine Gun Kelly spent Christmas Eve at the home of friends Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian
• He wore a leopard-print outfit..
• His fiancée Megan Fox was not there.

Former Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss underwent surgery for a torn meniscus and is recovering from the procedure. Her Twitter page shows her smiling, sitting in a wheelchair with her leg elevated.

She's also the in-house guitarist for the Los Angeles Rams. About that she posted: "Surgery went as well as it could have! Super grateful for the steady hands of the Rams doctor Dr. Banffey and the great staff at the surgery center."

Strauss suffered the injury earlier this year while on tour with Alice Cooper.

TL;DR:

• Former Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss underwent surgery for a torn meniscus and is recovering from the procedure.

Finneas is not letting anyone talk down about his sister's relationship online. He defended Billie Eilish from an attack on her relationship with Jesse Rutherford, who's 10 years old than her.

A TikTok user commented to him, "Oh yeah? Well, your sister's dating a 31 year old man and your music is s***ty." Finneas whipped back, "I want my sister to be happy and safe and she is a 21-year-old adult perfectly entitled to make her own life decisions."

The Grammy-winning producer expressed a similar sentiment regarding Eilish's relationship and said, "Listen, as long as she's happy, I'm happy."

TL;DR:

Rob Halford of Judas Priest has recorded a message sharing his well-wishes with Ukrainian "heavy metal maniacs." In the clip, he's wearing a Santa hat, with the letters MG, for Metal God, embroidered across it.

While sharing positive vibes to people being attacked by Russia, he said: "I'm sending you all of my love, all of my strength, all of my power, to each and every one of you. I love you so much."

Then, while speaking in their language, he said "Slava Ukraini," meaning "Glory to Ukraine."

He ended the video with: "Stay strong, stay heavy, stay metal!"

Halford previously voiced his support for Ukraine on stage at Mystic Festival in Poland. While performing "Blood Red Skies." he kept repeating the phrase "Free Ukraine!"

TL;DR:

• Rob Halford of Judas Priest has recorded a message sharing his well-wishes with Ukrainian "heavy metal maniacs
• "I'm sending you all of my love, all of my strength, all of my power, to each and every one of you. I love you so much."

Now that Weezer has released the final EP in their SZNZ (pronounced Seasons) series, frontman Rivers Cuomo says it's left him with some depression.

He said, "This always happens after we finish working on an album. It really occupied most of my time for the last couple of years."

He described working on the band's music as "an incredible joy" but then afterwards he goes through a phase where, as he put it, "I don't know who I am or what I'm supposed to be doing."

As for the next project, Cuomo announced recently that Weezer is part of an upcoming television special that will honor The Beach Boys. Plus they'll be announcing a big tour soon.

TL;DR:

• Rivers Cuomo says now that Weezer's EP is out, it has left him depressed.
• "This always happens after we finish working on an album. It really occupied most of my time for the last couple of years."

David Lee Roth has shared a new solo version of the Van Halen classic, "Everybody Wants Some!!". This comes four months after he released an unheard, 2007 solo version.

The new recording, like the previously released "You Really Got Me," "Dance The Night Away," "Panama," and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," was recorded in May during a session in Hollywood. A total of 14 songs were recorded in just two hours and the music and the vocals were tracked live with "no samples" and without the pitch-correction technology.

TL;DR:

• David Lee Roth has shared a new solo version of the Van Halen classic, "Everybody Wants Some!!".
• This comes four months after he released an unheard, 2007 solo version.

Miley Cyrus has asked to be taken off of Morrissey's upcoming album called Bonfire Of Teenagers. She recorded backing vocals for one of the unreleased songs almost two years ago. This happened as Morrissey announced on social media that he would be leaving Capitol Records.

There were several big artists that lent their talents for the record, including Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith and Flea, as well as Iggy Pop.

Morrissey's new album was originally due for release in February. Now the date is unknown.

TL;DR:

• Miley Cyrus has asked to be taken off of Morrissey's upcoming album.
• She recorded backing vocals almost two years ago.
• This happened as Morrissey announced that he would be leaving Capitol Records.

Pink Floyd leaned on social media to post gratitude to their fans. So far, they've helped raise "half a million pounds for charity. In U.S. dollars that's around $650,000. It's all from sales of their single, "Hey, Hey, Rise Up" of which they donated all the proceeds to Ukraine Humanitarian Relief. He posted that the funds would "help alleviate the suffering of the Ukrainian people."

This is the first original music they've recorded together as a band since 1994's The Division Bell. The song was initially released digitally in April and became #1 in 27 countries.

TL;DR:

• So far, Pink Floyd fans have helped raise "half a million pounds for charity. In U.S. dollars that's around $650,000. It's all from sales of their single, "Hey, Hey, Rise Up."
• Proceeds go to Ukraine Humanitarian Relief.