Classic rock is alive and well! Even if songs that fit right into the genre are being released in contemporary times. Indeed, while stars like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles continue to shine some 50 years after their work hit the mainstream, there are artists working today whose songs could easily pass for hits on classic rock radio stations.
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In fact, some of those standouts are the offspring of classic rock standouts. Here below, we wanted to explore three examples of that phenomenon. Three songs by the sons of classic rock stars that have enough sonic impact to blow you away just like the fathers once did. Indeed, these are three classic rock-style songs by the sons of classic rock stars you must hear now.
[RELATED: No Skips: 4 Classic Rock Albums You’ll Never Have to Fast-Forward]
“Pale Horse Rider” by The Allman Betts Band from Bless Your Heart (2020)
Led by Devon Allman (son of Gregg), Duane Betts (son of Dickey) and Berry Duane Oakley (son of Berry), The Allman Betts Band has been carrying on the legacy of their famous fathers and their group The Allman Brothers Band for years. The group released its debut LP Down to the River in 2019 and the followup Bless Your Heart a year later. And it’s on the latter that this song, “Pale Horse Rider,” arrived. A buzzy rock offering, the track thrives on electric guitars and organ and provides a big bravado that would make any rock fan happy.
“Epiphany” by Wolfgang Van Halen from Mammoth WVH (2021)
The son of legendary rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen, Wolfgang Van Halen has carved out a place for himself in modern music that would make many a music fan proud. He has even recorded on two records with his father’s namesake band. But in 2021, his band Mammoth WVH released its debut self-titled LP. Two years later, they released their sophomore LP Mammoth II. The first album includes the track “Epiphany,” a sweeping, epic number that fills ears, rooms, and hearts with classic rock riffs.
“Nothing But the Whole Wide World” by Jakob Dylan from Women + Country (2010)
Many music fans who grew up in the 1990s know Jakob Dylan (son of Bob) from his breakout rock group The Wallflowers, which released their breakout LP Bringing Down the Horse in 1996. That record featured songs like “One Headlight,” “The Difference,” and “6th Avenue Heartache.” Since then, Jakob has been releasing work as a solo artist, too, including the 2010 album Women + Country. That LP opens with the sticky acoustic-driven track “Nothing But the Whole Wide World,” which sounds like a tune fit for a wanderer going down a dusty trail. Fit also for any classic rock fan.
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