The new issue of Classic Rock is on sale now

The new issue of Classic Rock celebrates 1977 in style

The brand new edition of Classic Rock is in stores now – and it’s dedicated to the year 1977, a seminal 12 months in the annals of rock.

Over 50 pages we and the stars who were there look back at 1977 – the year that ushered in rock’s brave new world.

The issue also comes with a fabulous FREE CD which, again, celebrates arguably the greatest single year in rock’n’roll history.

Some of 1977’s finest songs get covered all to heck and collected on to one shiny disc, including Europe doing UFO’s Love To Love, Anthrax doing Queen’s It’s Late, Glenn Hughes doing Aerosmith’s Kings And Queens, Rick Derringer doing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s You Got That Right and many, many more…

Here’s a detailed rundown of the contents of Classic Rock issue 173, on sale Wednesday, June 20:

Cover feature: The Real 1977 – Inside the most riotous year in rock, in the words of the people who were there. Featuring…

David Bowie – In 1977 he recorded four albums that would change popular music for the next 10 years. Not a bad year for a fading star.

Heart – They were riding the crest of a wave after their debut album was an unexpected hit. Then 1977 came along…

The Damned – They might have had the first ever punk rock release, but did they sacrifice quality for speed on Damned Damned Damned?

Events Of 1977 – Led Zep in trouble; Elvis, Bolan and members of Skynyrd are no more; Fleetwood Mac take the planet; Hotel California opens it doors and the world checks in; disco looms large…

Prog vs Punk – Punk scrapper JJ Burnel and prog titan Rick Wakeman come face to face – and find they’ve got a lot in common.

Pavlov’s Dog – How did a band so poised for stardom contrive to let all their promise slip away? They must have been – cough! – barking.

Journey – “Punk was so raw and had so much fuck-you in it. I really loved it,” says Steve Perry. Yes, Steve Perry.

Stiff’s Greatest Stiffs – In 1977 Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and others on the Stiff label’s roster toured together in a bus. Mayhem? You betcha.

Muddy Waters – With a little help from his friends, in 1977 the blues legend made a stunning return to form in the twilight of his career.

Cold Chisel – “There was alcohol, fighting… sometimes guns. That was just the women!” The now reunited Aussie rockers look back.

And also including… Meat Loaf, Aerosmith, Peter Gabriel, Scorpions, Tom Waits, Hawkwind, Rush, Queen, Ramones, Steely Dan and more on the year that was 1977.

Plus the following CR regulars…

Photo Pass: Red Hot Chili Peppers – “You put the key in, wind them up and they just went mad.” Phil Nicholls recalls photographing a young Chilis in 1988.

The Stories Behind The Songs: Pete Townshend – The Who guitarist talks about the writing of Jools And Jim – one of rock’s most hateful songs – and who it’s about.

Fly On The Wall: Killing Joke record in the Great Pyramid at Giza – “There was a point when it seemed like Jaz was levitating.” This and more strange goings-on in the mystical structure.

Buyer’s Guide: Mark Lanegan – His solo, Screaming Trees and QOTSA albums have marked him out as having one of rock’s great voices.

Heavy Load: Joe Bonamassa – The bluesman of the moment on work, whisky and Coke.

All this and more in the summer issue of Classic Rock, on sale now.

…And don’t forget You can get the new interactive Classic Rock on your iPad and iPhone here: http://goo.gl/z4Yhu (in the UK) or here http://goo.gl/YUnR9 (for the US).