2026 in rock music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article summarizes the events related to rock music for the year 2026.
Notable events
January
- Alter Bridge releases their self-titled eighth studio album.[1] It debuts in the top 4 of four separate national album charts.
- German thrash metal band Kreator releases their 16th studio album, Krushers of the World.[2] It debuts in the top 8 of four separate national album charts, including at number 2 in the German album charts.
- Megadeth releases their self-titled 17th and final studio album. It concludes with a newly recorded version of the song "Ride the Lightning", which Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine originally co-written and released as a Metallica song when he was a member of the band. The gesture was meant to represent how his career had come full circle.[3] It debuts in the top 5 of 15 separate national album charts and becomes their first album in their 40 years career to reach number one on the US Billboard 200, moving 73,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.[4] It also tops the Australian albums chart for the first time in their career.[5]
February
- The 68th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 1, 2026. Turnstile wins Best Rock Album for Never Enough, and Best Metal Performance for their song "Birds". English rock band The Cure wins Best Alternative Music Album for Songs of a Lost World, and Best Alternative Music Performance for "Alone". Nine Inch Nails wins Best Rock Song for "As Alive as You Need Me to Be" and English musician Yungblud wins Best Rock Performance for his cover of "Changes" by Black Sabbath.[6]
- Australian progressive rock band Karnivool releases their fourth studio album, In Verses. It is their first studio album in almost 13 years. Production on the album began as early as 2016, but had progressed slowly due to the band members becoming physically separate from each other. The album tops the Australian all-format ARIA chart upon its release. It is their second consecutive album to top the chart, after Asymmetry (2013).[7][8][9]
- Green Day performs at the Super Bowl LX pre-game show. During it, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong gives an anti-ICE speech.[10]
April
- Look Outside Your Window, an album featuring members of Slipknot, was released on April 18.[11] It was recorded by four of the band's members in 2008, during the band's lengthy All Hope Is Gone sessions. The album has a more experimental and melodic rock sound as opposed to their traditional metal sound.[12] The band once aimed to release it in 2023, once band members were scheduled from their record label contract.[13] It was delayed to 2024, due to Corey Taylor's commitment to his second solo album CMF2 in the second half of 2023, and then again to 2025 and then 2026.[14][15][16]
May
- Social Distortion releases their eighth studio album, Born to Kill.[17] The band's follow-up to 2011's Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes was originally set for release in 2023, but frontman Mike Ness' diagnosis with stage one tonsil cancer delayed the album's release by three years.[18] It debuts in the top 6 of 4 separate national album charts.
- English musician, and former Beatle, Paul McCartney releases his 19th solo studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. In production for nearly five years, the successor to 2020's McCartney III includes new tracks and reworked compositions that had previously never been recorded or released.[19][20] It debuts at the top of 5 separate national album charts.
- Shinedown releases their eighth studio album, Eight. The band had previously spent 2025 releasing singles from it, including "Three Six Five", "Dance, Kid, Dance", "Killing Fields", and "Searchlight".[21] It debuts in the top 8 of 4 separate national album charts.
June
- Sublime releases their fourth and final album, Until the Sun Explodes.[22] It is the only album to feature vocals by Jakob Nowell, son of original vocalist, Bradley Nowell, who died in 1996, and had previously effectively ended the band's career outside of separate project Sublime with Rome.[23]
- Butthole Surfers release their first studio album in twenty-five years, After the Astronaut. It was originally intended for release in 1998 as the successor to Electriclarryland (1996), but following record label politics, it was initially canceled and portions of the album were re-recorded in favor of Weird Revolution (2001).[24]
Albums released
January
| Day | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Alter Bridge | Alter Bridge |
| The Cribs | Selling a Vibe | |
| 16 | Kid Kapichi | Fearless Nature |
| Kreator | Krushers of the World | |
| 23 | The Damned | Not Like Everybody Else |
| Goldfinger | Nine Lives | |
| Megadeth | Megadeth | |
| Poppy | Empty Hands | |
| 30 | Buzzcocks | Attitude Adjustment |
| Joyce Manor | I Used to Go to This Bar | |
| Trash Boat | Even If I Never Get There (EP) | |
February
| Day | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Karnivool | In Verses |
| Puscifer | Normal Isn't | |
| 13 | Story of the Year | A.R.S.O.N. |
| 18 | U2 | Days of Ash (EP) |
| 20 | New Found Glory | Listen Up! |
| 27 | Rob Zombie | The Great Satan |
March
April
May
| Day | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Black Keys | Peaches! |
| Sevendust | One | |
| Toadies | The Charmer | |
| 8 | Black Veil Brides | Vindicate |
| Neil Diamond | Wild at Heart | |
| Social Distortion | Born to Kill | |
| 15 | Peter Frampton | Carry the Light |
| 22 | Ed O'Brien | Blue Morpho |
| 29 | Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts | As Time Explodes (live album) |
| Paul McCartney | The Boys of Dungeon Lane | |
| Shinedown | Eight | |
| The Who | Live at Eden Project (live album) |
June
| Day | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Evanescence | Sanctuary |
| 12 | Dirty Heads | 7 Seas |
| Sleeping with Sirens | An Ending in Itself | |
| Sublime | Until the Sun Explodes | |
| Yes | Aurora | |
| 26 | Butthole Surfers | After the Astronaut |
| Muse | The Wow! Signal | |
| The Pretty Reckless | Dear God | |
| Switchfoot | Forever Now |
July
| Day | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Deep Purple | Splat! |
Future releases
- July 10
- Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante will release a box set, In a Box. It is a collection of his works under the alias Trickfinger, including both Trickfinger (2015) and Trickfinger II (2017), a new album titled Rotation, and a physical copy of Renoise Tracks 2009–2011 (also 2015), retitled High Low.[25]
- English rock band The Rolling Stones are set to release their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues.[26] The band started working on it in 2025, as the successor to Hackney Diamonds (2023).[27][28]
- July 17
- Foreigner is set to release the album In the Eye of the Storm, a soundtrack to the band's 50th anniversary concert film captured at Ellis Island and Brooklyn's Dumbo House.[29]
- Motionless in White is set to release their seventh studio album, Decades, their first since 2022.[30]
- Quicksand is set to release their fifth studio album, Bring on the Physics. It will be their first studio album in five years.[31][32]
- Tesla is set to release their twelfth studio album Homage, their first album in seven years and their first covers album in nineteen years.[33]
- July 24
- The Strokes are set to release their seventh studio album, Reality Awaits.[34] It was recorded in Costa Rica with producer Rick Rubin.[35]
- July 31
- Five Finger Death Punch are set to release their tenth studio album, Legacy. It will be their first album in 4 years.[36]
- August 14
- Carly Simon is set to release her twenty-fourth studio album, Comes in Waves. It will be her first studio album in eighteen years.[37][38]
- Marilyn Manson is set to release their thirteenth studio album, One Assassination Under God – Chapter 2.[39]
- Saliva is set to release their twelfth studio album, Breaking Through.[40]
- August 21
- Weezer is set to release to release their sixteenth studio album, Weezer (Gold Album), their first in five years following 2021's Van Weezer.[41] The album's lead single "Shine Again" was released on April 1, 2026.[42]
- August 28
- Although defunct since 2024, NOFX is set to release 40 Years of Fuckin' Up: Soundtrack + Score. It will be released as the official soundtrack and score companion to the band's upcoming documentary film 40 Years of Fuckin' Up.[43]
- Mexican rock band The Warning is set to release their fifth studio album Everything's Falling.[44]
- September 18
- Anthrax is set to release their twelfth studio album, Cursum Perficio.[45] It will be their first studio album in a decade, since For All Kings in 2016.[46] Bassist Frank Bello said this album will be "heavier than ever".[47]
- Nonpoint is set to release their eleventh studio album, The Last Word. It will be their first studio album in 8 years.[48]
- September 25
Unknown dates
- Slayer guitarist Kerry King is set to release his second studio album this year. He started working on it after his first headlining tour.[50]
- The Ataris are scheduled to release their sixth studio album, Revolution Summer, this year; it will be their first full-length album since Welcome the Night (2007). It was intended for release in March or April 2026,[51] but was delayed due to manufacturing issues.[52]
- Blondie is set to release their twelfth studio album, High Noon, in 2026. It will be the band's final album to feature its former drummer Clem Burke, who died in April 2025.[53]
- English musician, and former Genesis frontman, Peter Gabriel is set to release his eleventh solo album, and ninth of original material, O\I. Like its predecessor I/O (2023), this album sees Gabriel release a new song every full moon as singles before releasing it at the end of the year.[54][55]
- Papa Roach is scheduled to release their twelfth studio album. Both singles released in advance of the album in 2025, "Even If It Kills Me", and "Braindead", topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.[56][57][58]
- Bruce Springsteen is scheduled to release a solo album in 2026.[59]
- Marillion is set to release their 21st studio album, their first since An Hour Before It's Dark (2022).[60]
- Alice in Chains is scheduled to release their seventh studio album, their first in eight years following Rainier Fog in 2018. The band had originally hoped to be more active in 2025, but plans were put on hold due to undisclosed health issues of drummer Sean Kinney.[61]
- Courtney Love is set to release a solo album in 2026, her first since America's Sweetheart in 2004.[62]
- French heavy metal band Gojira is set to release their eighth studio album. It will be their first studio album since Fortitude in 2021, and since their live performance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[63]
- Steel Panther is set to release their seventh studio album, their first since On the Prowl in 2023. They began working on it in early 2025.[64]
- Korn plans to release their fifteenth studio album. Members have stated that they aim to meld their "vintage" sound with a "modern twist", and that it would go into a heavier direction. The band concurrently plans on celebrating the 30th anniversary of their 1994 self-titled first album. It will also be their first album without original bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, who left the band in 2021.[65]
- Limp Bizkit is working on their seventh studio album, they started working on new material in 2024, during their touring schedules.[66] It will also be their first studio album since the death of original bassist Sam Rivers, who died in October 2025.[67]
- Former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello is set to release his debut solo studio album.[68] It is his first album after the band abruptly disbanded in early January 2024.[69]
- Breaking Benjamin is scheduled to release their seventh studio album, their first since Ember (2018). Recording for the album began in the early 2020s.[70]
- Incubus completed their ninth studio album in 2025, and is scheduled to release it sometime during 2026.[71]
- Everclear is set to release their tenth studio album, their first in eleven years following Black Is the New Black in 2015.[72]
- New York hardcore pioneers the Cro-Mags are set to release their seventh studio album, their first in six years following In the Beginning in 2020. It will also be their first studio album with drummer Pete Hines since Best Wishes in 1989, following his return to the band in September 2025.[73][74]
- Murphy's Law is set to release their sixth studio album, their first in 25 years since The Party's Over in 2001.[75] "Go, Jimmy, Go" was the first single released in advance of the album's release in October 2025.[76][77]
- Soundgarden plans to release their seventh and final studio album, which will include the final recordings of frontman Chris Cornell, who died in 2017. The development of the album had faced multiple delays (including a dispute between the band and Cornell's estate handled by his wife Vicky, which was settled in 2023) before the surviving members began restarting work on it in 2025 with producer Terry Date.[78][79][80]
- Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is set to release a new solo album, which will be his first in 21 years following 2005's Fused.[81]
- Candlebox is set to release their ninth studio album, their first in three years and their first since the band retired from touring in 2024.[82][83]
- Ministry is set to release their eighteenth studio album, which, according to frontman Al Jourgensen, will be the band's last. The album will also feature Jourgensen's reunion with Paul Barker for the first time in over 20 years.[84]
Tours and festivals
- Innings Festival was held from February 20 to February 22, 2026. It was headlined by Blink-182, Twenty One Pilots, and Mumford & Sons.[85]
- Triumph's reunion tour, the Rock & Roll Machine Reloaded tour, began on April 10, 2026.[86] It marked their first major tour with the original lineup of Mike Levine, Gil Moore and Rik Emmett together since the latter's departure from the band in 1988.[87]
- Sick New World was held on April 25, 2026. It was headlined by System of a Down and Korn.[88]
- Welcome to Rockville was held from May 7 to May 10, 2026. It was headlined by My Chemical Romance, and Bring Me the Horizon.[89]
- Sonic Temple was held from May 14 until May 17, 2026. It was headlined by Tool, My Chemical Romance, Shinedown, and Bring Me the Horizon.[90]
- Rush's reunion tour, the Fifty Something Tour, began on June 7, 2026 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California. It marked their first major tour in eleven years, and their first with drummer Anika Nilles filling in for the band's longtime drummer Neil Peart, who died in 2020, and Loren Gold as their keyboardist.[91][92][93]
- Warped Tour is set to be held in June, July, August, September, and November.[94]
- Louder Than Life is set to be held from September 17 to September 20, 2026. It will be headlined by Iron Maiden, and My Chemical Romance.[95]
Band breakups
- The Eagles are set to disband after completing their "Long Goodbye" farewell tour.[96][97][98]
- English post-hardcore band Svalbard is set to disband after completing their farewell tour. The band also plans on releasing one final song before disbanding.[99]
- Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura is set to disband after completing their 40th anniversary farewell tour, and the release of their final EP, The Cloud of Unknowing, which was released on April 24, 2026.[100] Their final show is set to take place in at the Pacaembu Stadium in São Paulo, Brazil on November 7, 2026.[101]
Deaths
- January 10 – Bob Weir, 78, American rock guitarist and singer-songwriter (Grateful Dead)[102]
- January 20 – Rob Hirst, 71, Australian rock drummer (Midnight Oil)[103]
- January 22 – Francis Buchholz, 71, German hard rock and heavy metal bassist (Scorpions)[104]
- January 28
- Sly Dunbar, 73, Jamaican drummer (Sly and Robbie, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones)[105]
- Billy Bass Nelson, 74, American bassist (Parliament-Funkadelic)[106]
- February 2 – Chuck Negron, 83, American rock singer-songwriter (Three Dog Night)[107]
- February 5 – Fred Smith, 77, American rock bassist (Television)[108]
- February 7
- Brad Arnold, 47, American rock singer-songwriter (3 Doors Down)[109]
- Greg Brown, 56, American rock guitarist (Cake)[110]
- February 14 – Tim Very, 42, American indie rock drummer (Manchester Orchestra)[111]
- February 17 – Shinya Yamada, 56, Japanese rock drummer (Luna Sea)[112]
- February 27 – Neil Sedaka, 86, American singer-songwriter[113]
- March 2 – Mike Vernon, 81, English producer and record label owner (David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers)[114]
- March 7 – Country Joe McDonald, 84, American psychedelic rock singer-songwriter (Country Joe and the Fish)[115]
- March 9 – Tommy DeCarlo, 60, American rock singer (Boston)[116]
- March 13 – Phil Campbell, 64, Welsh rock guitarist (Motörhead, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons)[117]
- March 16 – Wayne Perkins, 74, American rock session guitarist (The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Joni Mitchell)[118]
- March 23 – Shinichiro Sato, 61, Japanese rock drummer (The Pillows)[119]
- March 25 – Dash Crofts, 87, American soft rock singer and guitarist (Seals & Crofts)[120]
- March 26 – Ross the Boss, 72, American punk rock and heavy metal guitarist (Manowar, The Dictators)[121]
- April 1 – Suki Lahav, 74, Israeli violinist (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band)[122]
- April 19 – Dave Mason, 79, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (Traffic, Fleetwood Mac)[123]
- May 11 – Jack Douglas, 80, American rock music producer (Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Patti Smith, New York Dolls, John Lennon)[124]
- May 17 – Ike Willis, 70, American guitarist and vocalist (Frank Zappa)[125]
- May 22 – Dick Parry, 83, English saxophonist (Pink Floyd)[126]
- June 14 – Oliver Tree, 32, American alternative rock musician[127]
- June 17 – Walter Parazaider, 81, American woodwind musician (Chicago)[128]
- June 22 – Clive Davis, 94, American record executive and producer[129]