Kim Kardashian is responding to fans after receiving backlash for posting a bikini lake picture with her sister, Khloé Kardashian, after her grandmother’s death. In the comment section of the latest Instagram post, social media users questioned the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star, asking her whether it was appropriate to share the carousel of images while her family was grieving, to which she replied, clearing the air.
Kim shared a series of snaps yesterday, July 16, featuring her and her sister, Khloé, looking stunning in bikinis while on the lake.
Other pics in the slideshow showed Kim appearing to take a shot of alcohol, wakeboarding, riding dirt bikes, and eating.
The post came at a peculiar time, though, given that news of her grandmother, Mary Jo ‘MJ’ Shannon’s death had just been shared publicly.
“Kim there’s people that are dying,” someone wrote, while another said, “Didn’t your grandmother just pass? This couldn’t wait [until] the weekend?”
Another wrote, “Didn’t MJ just die and you’re posting this? WOW,” and a fourth added, “Girl, what about your grandma!?”
It didn’t take long for Kim, mother of four, to respond to the backlash, clarifying what actually happened. According to the “All’s Fair” actress, the slideshow of pictures was actually a prescheduled post and was not meant to overshadow the news about her grandmother.
“This post was scheduled a few days ago before we lost MJ, so its timing came right alongside her passing. I’ve been by my mom and grandma’s side this past week, and my heart is completely with my family right now. We love and miss her so deeply, and in the days ahead, we’ll be focusing on celebrating her beautiful life,” she wrote.
The comment has garnered over 120,000 likes and more than 700 replies.
This isn’t the first time that netizens have blasted the Kardashian family for social media blunders. According to Paper Magazine, Khloé faced heat of her own in April 2022 when she revealed that she took her daughter, True, to Disneyland for the “first time.”
Loyal Kardashian followers, though, called her out and pointed to a 2021 Instagram post from Kim that showed her daughter, Chicago, with True at Disney. Fans at the time suggested that True appeared to have been photoshopped into the pictures, and following Khloé’s April post, it was confirmed.
“Welllppp I f-cked this one up,” Khloé wrote on X. “Anyways….. let’s focus on something else. Our show airs in a few days.”
An hour after her lake post, Kim posted a heartfelt tribute to her late grandmother, who died at age 91.
“My sweet Grandma MJ, my best friend, my gossip buddy, my forever twin…” Kim captioned the slideshow of images. “You taught all of us the importance of family, and those values are something we’ll carry with us forever!!!!! You were the woman who showed me what it meant to be a hardworking businesswoman.”
Kim, 45, continued, “You gave me my very first job at your store in San Diego and taught me lessons about work ethic, strength, and confidence that I’ve carried with me ever since. You always believed in me, championed me, and were my safe place. You truly were the matriarch of our family, and your love is woven into all of us. I know you’re at peace now.”
Kris also posted her own tribute for her late mother, who died less than two weeks before her 92nd birthday.
“There are no words that could ever capture what she has meant to me or the heartbreak of having to say goodbye. My mom was the heart of our family. She taught me everything that truly matters … to love your family fiercely, to be kind, to show up for the people you love, and to never take a single moment together for granted. She taught us that family is everything,” Kris wrote.
She went on to say that MJ, who appeared on “KUWTK” and Hulu’s “The Kardashians” several times over the years, modeled “unconditional” love for their entire family and showed them how to find happiness in every moment.
“Our hearts are broken, but we find comfort knowing that love like yours never truly leaves us. Your love will live on in our family, in our traditions, in every moment we are together, and in every life you touched,” she added.
Lana Del Rey opted to attend a fan’s birthday celebration rather than join the long list of high-profile stars at Taylor Swift‘s wedding.
The high-profile event coincided with YouTuber Oli Abbas’ birthday, and Del Rey chose to celebrate with the content creator, whom she has been friends with for years. Abbas later shared photos and videos from the gathering online, along with a heartfelt message thanking the singer for making the occasion even more special.
While some of the biggest names in film and music gathered at Madison Square Garden to celebrate Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated marriage to Travis Kelce, Lana Del Rey opted for a more intimate setting, spending the day with Abbas instead.
The YouTuber later shared several videos of himself with the “Summertime Sadness” singer on social media, including one alongside a heartfelt message thanking her for being part of his special day.
“My birthday was such an amazing day surrounded by my favorite people,” he shared on his Instagram page. “So thankful for @mrsremiashten for hosting and [Del Rey and Grant] for having us as well.”
In one of the videos shared online, Lana Del Rey was seen sitting beside Abbas as everyone sang “Happy Birthday” before he blew out the candles on his cake.
Seeing the close bond between the YouTuber and the singer left many fans in awe of their friendship.
“Lana Del Rey casually sitting next to him like it’s a regular birthday party,” one person wrote, while another commented, “Lana being at the party is soooo iconic.”
“You being friends with Lana is so f-cking crazy, but I love that for you,” another fan added.
Elsewhere online, fans also praised Del Rey for choosing to show up for Abbas rather than attend Taylor Swift’s wedding.
“The fact that she missed Taylor’s wedding to stay in LA for her friend’s birthday speaks volumes about how holy flipping amazing she is,” one fan wrote.
Del Rey first met Abbas at the 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards, where she surprised him by revealing that she watched his YouTube channel every day.
During her acceptance speech, she also gave Abbas a special shoutout, saying he was one of the vloggers who helped her through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abbas later took to Instagram to tell his followers he was left speechless after meeting the singer, whom he had admired for years.
“You guys, I can’t believe I met my favorite artist in the world @honeymoon, and she watches my vlogs,” he wrote. “I always thought of a speech I’d say if I was so lucky to cross paths, but I couldn’t even say anything because I was so shocked! Thank you for your poise, beauty and ethereal grace.”
Abbas later reflected on the encounter during an appearance on the “Pretty Basic” podcast, making up for being too overwhelmed to tell Del Rey everything he had wanted to say.
He called her his “number one favorite artist” and explained that her music had helped him through some of the darkest periods of his life. Abbas also praised every aspect of her artistry, from her songwriting to her cinematography, describing the opportunity to meet her as a surreal experience.
According to Abbas, Del Rey’s decision to publicly acknowledge him during one of the biggest moments of her career made him feel “seen” and “validated.” He added that it reflected her genuine appreciation for both her fans and fellow creators.
More than a year after that first meeting, Del Rey and Abbas’ friendship has continued to grow, as evidenced by her appearance at his recent birthday celebration.
In 2025, the pair also attended the wedding of Remi Ashten, a vlogger Del Rey mentioned in her Billboard Women in Music acceptance speech and a close friend of Abbas.
Del Rey was photographed spending time with Abbas and other members of the YouTube friendship circle during the Santa Barbara celebration. She later shared photos from the wedding and reportedly described it as one of the most enjoyable gatherings she had attended in a long time.
Bella Hadid appears to be embracing a quieter chapter in her personal life following the reported end of her romance with cowboy and professional equestrian Adan Banuelos.
While the supermodel has kept any new relationship firmly under wraps, recent sightings have fueled fresh speculation about the man now spending time by her side.
What has surprised many, however, isn’t just his identity, but the background he comes from and the low-key approach Hadid seems determined to maintain.
Bella Hadid isn’t rushing to define her love life, but that hasn’t stopped speculation from growing.
Months after her reported breakup with Banuelos, the model has been linked to Nathan Lacy, a Colorado native whose identity remained a mystery when the pair were first spotted together in Milan in February.
Photos of the supermodel walking alongside a man in a Stetson hat immediately caught fans’ attention, but only recently was he identified as the 38-year-old project manager with a passion for horses.
Insiders say Lacy comes from a family that has long been established in Crested Butte, Colorado. His relatives reportedly own a construction business that has served the area for generations and also maintain property in Texas.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, one source described the family as “very Catholic, very conservative and very red,” a background that stands in contrast to Hadid’s public support for causes including Palestinian rights and the transgender community.
Those close to Bella Hadid say she has no interest in diving headfirst into another serious relationship.
Although rumors circulated earlier this year that she and Banuelos were attempting to reconcile after they were seen together, insiders now claim the 29-year-old has instead been spending time in Crested Butte, where Lacy lives.
Even so, sources insist the relationship is still in its early stages.
“She does have someone she’s hanging out with, but he’s just someone she’s getting to know,” one insider explained, adding, “So don’t get too excited about it. I think she’s just trying to have a companion, she’s not trying to get married, she’s not trying to make this more than it is.”
According to the same source, Hadid was deeply affected by the end of her relationship with Banuelos and had even told friends she planned to avoid dating for at least a year after the breakup.
“The Adan thing took a lot out of her, she really loved him, he loved her, it didn’t work. She was hurt and it took some time for her to get past it,” the insider added.
Despite the growing attention surrounding Lacy, insiders say Hadid is refusing to get carried away.
“He makes her happy for now, but she’s not talking about him every minute,” one source noted, further adding, “She’s not acting like this is anything more than a very good friend who she is getting to know.”
Even with a new companion in the picture, insiders say the fashion model’s priorities haven’t changed.
According to one source, Hadid still gravitates toward men who live the same rugged lifestyle she has embraced since moving to Texas.
“She does have a type – the rugged handsome cowboy, outdoors, not impressed with fashion or style. Just a guy,” the insider said, adding, “That’s what she always says, ‘I want a guy.’ She wants someone who seems blue collar. She wants him to look the part and to have a strong work ethic.”
Although Bella Hadid fully embraced the cowboy lifestyle during her relationship with Banuelos, insiders claim the former couple ultimately discovered that sharing a love of horses wasn’t enough to overcome their very different worlds.
According to Page Six, Banuelos struggled to adapt to the demands that came with dating one of fashion’s biggest stars.
“She tried to put him in her life and it’s all cute, but he is in a very insular world of rodeos. He tried, but it’s too much,” one source said.
The insider also pointed to their vastly different upbringings, noting, “She’s the daughter of Mohamed and Yolanda Hadid. It’s such a different way of growing up.”
They added that Hadid’s frequent travel, including flying on private jets because of her chronic Lyme disease, was very different from Banuelos’ quieter rodeo-centered lifestyle.
Despite their emotional connection and shared passion for horses, sources claimed those differences eventually became impossible to ignore.
While Hadid’s love life has generated plenty of headlines in recent months, her reported romance wasn’t the only deeply personal chapter she shared with fans this year.
In June, the star made headlines when she revealed she was battling another painful Lyme disease flare-up, offering a heartbreaking glimpse into the health struggles she has faced for more than a decade.
Posting a tearful selfie on her Instagram Stories, Hadid wrote per The Blast, “Haven’t been able to shake off this flare up. Slept 11 hours. Again… Took every protocol from any and every doctor I’ve ever seen. Still nothing helping.”
She later explained just how debilitating the episode had become, adding, “And no I didn’t go on a walk because I was out of breath walking to the kitchen,” before celebrating the small victory of managing to shower without fainting.
Despite the setback, Hadid reassured followers that she remained hopeful while continuing treatment for her chronic illness.
The Western genre continues to prove popular across many of the top streaming platforms. On Netflix, viewers can’t get enough of Little House on the Prairie, showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine‘s (The Housemaid) new adaptation, based on the popular work of the same name by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Being whisked away on a heartfelt trip to a farm in late 19th-century Midwestern America has been the order of the past week for Netflix subscribers, but what should you watch now? To help you decide, here’s a list of three shows you should binge-watch on Netflix.
For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix.
Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.
We are now just a couple of weeks away from the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Netflix has an unlikely yet perfect option to help get you in the mood. Based on the comic book of the same name, and originally airing on Fox between 2001 and 2002, The Tick stars Patrick Warburton as the 7-foot, 400-pound superhero, as he uses super strength, speed, and satire to fight all manner of evil.
Warburton’s Tick, alongside David Burke as his trusty sidekick Arthur, makes for a neat realization of this clever original comic book, sprinkling a strange sense of reality into a wild and otherworldly story. Sadly, just nine episodes are available in this series, although that does make it perfect for a one-weekend binge-watch. If you’re looking for a more up-to-date version of this story, a 2016 reboot starring Peter Serafinowicz has also recently arrived on Netflix.
Following in the recent footsteps of Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 and Jason Sudeikis‘ Ted Lasso, Will Ferrell‘s first TV comedy as creator, executive producer, and star sees him walk into the often hilarious and uplifting world of sport. In The Hawk, Ferrell portrays Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins, a former world No. 1 golfer who peaked in 2004. Convinced he has one more shot at glory, is he delusional, a genius, or both?
Of course, any chance to work on a Ferrell comedy should be snapped up, with The Hawk boasting an impressive cast that includes Molly Shannon, Jimmy Tatro, Fortune Feimster, Luke Wilson, and Chris Parnell. Co-created by Ferrell, Harper Steele, and Chris Henchy, this big-budget, easy-to-watch comedy is a perfect antidote to the high stress from this year’s summer of sports.
From a tick, to a hawk, and now a rabbit. One of the most underrated miniseries currently on Netflix, Black Rabbit, created by Zach Baylin and Kate Susman, stars Jason Bateman and Jude Law as a restaurant owner and his troubled brother who become wrapped up in a world of chaos in New York City.
Also starring the likes of Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road), Cleopatra Coleman, Amaka Okafor, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, and Troy Kotsur, it is Bateman who stands out most in Black Rabbit, with the Arrested Development star recently surprising many by earning himself an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Add this award success to a strong critical reception and a gripping central story, and you have a perfect weekend binge.
2025 – 2025
Netflix
Sarah Gubbins
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Following the news that production on Amazon’s God of War series had come to a halt due to Ryan Hurst suffering a torn bicep, it’s now been reported that Prime Video will recast the role of Kratos so that production can resume quicker.
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Meghan Trainor has nothing but praise for Hilary Duff and the “best people” in their mom group.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, July 16, Trainor, 32, shared a carousel of photos featuring the friendship group who were out in force as Duff, 38, performed on The Lucky Me Tour this month.
“@hilaryduff thank u for the best concert with the best people💗,” Trainor gushed in the post’s caption.
The photos and video were captured at night two of the Los Angeles leg of the tour. Mom group member, What’s Gaby Cooking author Gaby Dalkin, also shared posts of the night out earlier this month.
Meghan Trainor is reacting once again after being pulled into the “toxic” mom group drama sweeping the internet. In a Monday, January 12, TikTok video, Trainor filmed herself lip-synching along to an audio clip from Stranger Things season 5, in which young Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) tries to convince her peers that their pal Mr. […]
“Stage mom-ing so hard!!!” Dalkin captioned a group photo of Duff’s longtime mom crew via her Instagram Story on July 9. “We love you @hilaryduff.”
The group snap featured Trainor, Dalkin, Mandy Moore, hairstylist Barb Thompson, artist Amanda (Kaplan) Lillywhite, Muu by Better Babies, Inc. founder Janice Gott, makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan Fisher and beauty and skincare guru Whitney Wagner Hartley.
The mom group’s outing comes after a spotlight was placed on Trainor and Duff’s respective friendship dynamics in January when Ashley Tisdale French wrote a personal essay for The Cut as well as a Substack post.
In the piece, the High School Musical star, 41, blasted a “toxic” mom group she was forced to walk away from after feeling ostracized.
While she didn’t name any of the other moms involved in the group, many of her fans believed it to be the group she shared with other celebrity moms, such as Trainor, Duff and Moore. (Tisdale French’s representative denied this at the time.)
“I remember being left out of a couple of group hangs, and I knew about them because Instagram made sure it fed me every single photo and Instagram Story,” Tisdale French wrote. “I was starting to feel frozen out of the group, noticing every way that they seemed to exclude me. … I told myself it was all in my head, and it wasn’t a big deal. And yet, I could sense a growing distance between me and the other members of the group, who seemed to not even care that I wasn’t around much.”
Tisdale French described texting the group and telling them she was leaving because the group felt “too high school for me, and I don’t want to take part in it anymore.”
Duff weighed in the following month during an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
The Lizzie McGuire alum claimed people didn’t have to “connect very many dots” to figure out which mom group Tisdale French was referring to.
“I felt really sad. I honestly felt really sad. I was pretty, pretty taken aback and felt just sad,” Duff, said of Tisdale French’s comments. “I have so many groups of friends. I’m so lucky.”
She added, “It sucks to read something that’s not true, and it sucks on behalf of six women and all of their lives.”
Meanwhile, Trainor distanced herself from the drama, insisting on social media she wasn’t involved.
In April, the singer exclusively told Us Weekly that there was no bad blood between her and Tisdale French after the saga made headlines.
“I felt bad for Ashley,” Trainor told Us at the time. “I felt bad that she was ever that sad, and I think it was just a lot of miscommunication and confusion. I don’t know what happened, but I wish them all the best.”
The Grammy winner also detailed the text exchange between her and Tisdale French after the drama blew up.
“I texted all of them,” Trainor recalled to Us. “Ashley texted me like, ‘I’m sorry, your name got dragged in.’ And I was like, ‘It’s all right, girl, like, the world’s a silly, crazy place, and they just want something to talk about.’”
Before sitting down to watch The Odyssey, moviegoers started streaming this two-decade-old historical fantasy film in preparation to go back to the era of gods and warriors. Zack Snyder directed the film in question, and it was one of his early works, 10 years before he entered the DCU, plus it features the talents of Gerard Butler, who played an iconic Greek historical figure.
The film in question is 300, which first premiered in 2006 but entered U.S. theaters in 2007. Based on the 1998 graphic novel of the same name, it recounts the Battle of Thermopylae, in which King Leonidas (Butler) led an army of 300 men against Persian King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro). 300 was a box office success, generating over $468 million worldwide and becoming the 10th-highest-grossing film of 2007. It won Best Action, Adventure, or Thriller Film and Best Director at the Saturn Awards. Two decades later, the feature found a new audience as they prepare to return to Ancient Greece once more for Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming adaptation of Homer‘s Odyssey.
Recently, 300 landed at #5 on Vudu’s Top 10 Movies in the United States, sitting between Cast Away and Jurassic Park. Since its release, 300 has been praised by fans and critics alike, earning a 61% critics’ score and an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 3.4 score on Letterboxd. Critics described 300 as a “muscle fantasy”; some called it boring, and one called it “Greek Myth meets Looney Tunes“. Meanwhile, audiences claimed it was “empowering” and filled with adrenaline.
If you’re excited to watch The Odyssey, have finished streaming 300, and want to watch other content based on Greek mythology, there are other titles worth watching that will bring you back to that era. The first that comes to mind is Percy Jackson and the Olympians, both the Disney+ series and the films. Based on Rick Riordan‘s book series of the same name, this is a modern telling of Greek myths, as it follows Percy Jackson, who discovers he’s not just a demigod but also a forbidden child, as he’s the son of Poseidon. Each film/season has Percy and his friends embarking on a brand-new quest, and the Disney+ series will release Season 3 this year.
There’s also Disney’s Hercules, the 1997 animated musical fantasy starring Tate Donovan as the strong demigod, Hercules, Danny DeVito as Philoctetes, James Woods as Hades, and Susan Egan as Megara. The film is loosely based on the Greek mythology of Hercules, a god known for his superhuman strength, who completed a series of tasks called the Twelve Labors.
But if you are after something close to The Odyssey, then 2004’s Troy is worth watching, and features a star-studded cast, like Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, and Brian Cox, to name a few. The feature is based on Homer’s Greek epic, the Iliad, which tells the story of the Trojan War.
300 is available to stream on Vudu. Follow Collider for more updates.
March 9, 2007
117 minutes
Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Michael B. Gordon
Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed
Summary
The finale of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is very much in line with the rest of the season in that it is completely unexpected. David J. Rosen‘s comedic thriller, which follows Tatiana Maslany‘s Paula, a newly single mom in the middle of a custody battle who also gets sucked into a deadly blackmail plot, is an Apple TV hidden gem. For 10 episodes, the electric series navigates annoying coworkers, online sex workers, and, of course, murder. But within that chaos is another form of chaos: a custody battle.
Serving as its own story within the broader narrative is Paula’s relationship with her ex Karl, played by Jake Johnson. Karl is inherently positioned as the antagonist in the series simply because he is the ex of the lead we are all rooting for. However, from his perspective, he’s really not doing anything wrong. He just wants what’s best for his daughter, Hazel (Nola Wallace), which he happens to think means moving to Boise with his new wife, Mallory (Jessy Hodges).
During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Jake Johnson dissects why he was surprised that Karl lost the custody battle in the finale, why Karl and Paula’s marriage collapsed, and how unfairly positioned Karl is in the story. Plus, he digs into The Dink, his upcoming Apple TV movie about pickleball, set for a July 24 release that was designed to be a joke-filled blast bursting with cameos.
COLLIDER: The last time we spoke, we talked about how this show is all about perspective, and I feel bad for Karl just because I really don’t think he’s doing anything wrong.
JAKE JOHNSON: You are part of the 1%, Emily. [Laughs]
Because I was really analyzing all of his actions and, especially in the finale, I was like, he really doesn’t do anything to be a jerk. (For the most part.) He’s really just trying to be a good dad.
JOHNSON: It’s funny you say that. The reaction from the audience has been really interesting for me. Obviously, I’m not any of the characters I play, so I don’t get my feelings involved, but I do find it intellectually interesting because I don’t think Karl’s doing anything wrong. If you look at Paula’s behavior from Karl’s point of view, he doesn’t watch the show. [Laughs] He doesn’t see everything. She’s probably murdered Caleb in Portland. She was involved in another murder. That’s all he knows. He has a child. [Laughs]
He just wants her to go skiing in Boise.
JOHNSON: [Laughs] Yeah! He’s willing to bring his ex who murdered a man.
So what has been the overwhelming response? Anti-Karl?
JOHNSON: As an actor, you only get to play the parts that are offered to you, so it’s nice to play somebody like Karl, who’s pretty “off type” for me. But those opportunities just don’t come very often. It’s been really funny to hear people’s responses and getting so angry at somebody who — when I read the scripts and I play him, I get why Paula doesn’t like him — but the anger from the audience has been interesting. They’re on Paula’s ride. It’s her show, so I get that, but I don’t think what he’s doing is all that bad. I think he’s doing what he thinks is best for his child.
And I feel like he does try to loosen the rope with Paula.
JOHNSON: I think he’s trying. I think he thinks she’s really irrational and really crazy.
How did you feel about his arc from the first episode to the finale? Did your relationship with Karl change at all? Did you see him differently by the end?
JOHNSON: Yeah, I felt like he was pretty sure-footed in all his decisions and who he was, and then somewhere in the middle, obviously, Karl and Mallory’s arc is quieter from Episode 6 to 8, around there. But it felt like all of a sudden it was shifting and Mallory was driving the train more. He kind of got lost in the sauce of making the decisions. By the end, Karl really was just trying to win, but he had stopped making all the decisions himself.
Do you think he was surprised at Mallory’s behavior? Because as soon as she switched out the files —
JOHNSON: Yes. I think from Karl’s point of view, he thinks he should have won by merit, and he’s not looking to fuck over his ex-wife and destroy his family. He does think she’s a great mom. I think he started to realize that his new partner was playing by a different set of rules. Where Karl, in my opinion, becomes more of a bad guy is that he didn’t know how to handle it when things went sideways. What he’s doing for his daughter, I think, is what he believes is in her best interest. But the decisions they make as a couple and what happens during the court case in trial… I think that all got away from Karl.
Do you think that after Paula gives that powerful speech that he changed his mind at all about anything?
JOHNSON: No. I think everything he said about Hazel is true. But they could also do that in Boise. [Laughs] It doesn’t mean she’s less of a mom. She’s part of you. She could be part of you elsewhere, too, in a more stable situation without murderers chasing you around. [Laughs]
Now I want a Karl spin-off. What’s his day-to-day like?
JOHNSON: Boring. Boring. It’s not a good TV show. He’s just a guy who’s married with kids in Boise.
A lot of potatoes, maybe.
The whole Portland storyline is really interesting to me because it really starts to weave in during that bottle episode where we get a new perspective on how their marriage fell apart. Do you have any of your own theories of what happened? Are you truly in the dark?
JOHNSON: As an actor, I always try to write a whole fake novel of backstory. I’ve gotten past that era of my acting career. I’ve aged out of it. But I still need to know at least what I think is reality. It’s why it’s easy for me to defend Karl because I’ve created what I believe to be the reality from his point of view.
If you watch those scenes from Karl’s point of view, Caleb isn’t a disgusting-looking bad guy. He’s a handsome dude with hipster tattoos who’s making a snarly face. If I’m Karl, and he’s doing this level of intensity, and the way Paula keeps looking at him, you’re like, “What’s going on here? Y’all good?” [Laughs] So, I think from Karl’s point of view, he’s pretty sure something is going on with Caleb and his wife. What that something is, he’s not sure of, but there is something happening between those two, whether it’s a relationship or whatever. But Karl’s not part of whatever’s happening between Paula and Caleb. But what’s happening between Paula and Caleb is something. But Karl, with his job and with his kid, he just doesn’t want to think about it.
Then when the car accident happens and Caleb is dead, the math isn’t mathing. And he’s like, “You were pulling into the driveway and then slammed into him?” And then Paula does what she does, where she just starts yelling. Just because you’re yelling… I’m not hearing more answers. I think deep down, he thinks, “Oh my God, she definitely killed him, probably on purpose, with my daughter in the back seat.” And, because she was drinking at the party, she is going to jail.
Then Mallory saves it for them with quick thinking decisions. I don’t think Karl was having an affair with Mallory yet. I think he goes, “This is a better decision for my daughter and for me.” So I think Portland solidified it, and there was no turning back.
I feel like him trying to piece together what’s going on with them, probably gave him more permission in his head.
JOHNSON: Yeah. And then I think that when that night occurred, he thought, “When the shit hits the fan, it’s Mallory helping me save my family, as Paula is creating the mess. What’s the best move going forward?”
Were you surprised at the verdict in the courtroom?
JOHNSON: I was.
I was really surprised.
JOHNSON: Yes. So, we obviously get the scripts first, because we have to memorize them. Couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe it. And then I was the only one. Most of the crew, everybody was like, “Yeah, asshole, Paula’s going to win.” I was floored. I kept going to David Rosen like, “What? She’s a murderer.” Then that courtroom sequence, all the actors were so good. It was such a fun thing to do, but I could not believe that Karl lost. I think it’s an injustice.
That scene when you’re giving Hazel’s bag back, the roles are completely reversed. You’re now in the mess trying to figure out your life. It’s a short scene, but how was it filming that back and forth with Tatiana? It was like an energy shift.
JOHNSON: I love acting with Tatiana. I think she is such a talented actress and she is so exciting to do scene work with.
Sometimes, truthfully, acting gets really boring and you’re working with somebody who’s not totally present and they’re thinking about the lines or they’re thinking about how it’s going to be in the end. You almost become producers in the scene together. And it’s fine. There’s a lot of ways to skin it in this game, but there’s nothing about it that’s creatively fulfilling. You’re just like, “You’re on your mark, I’m on mine, and we’re saying all the words. Who cares?”
Tatiana is the opposite. She is a live wire, and if you’re not paying attention, you’re going to get electrocuted. That scene and all the scenes, everything you prepared besides the memorization… throw it out the window, because she is going to do it differently than expected. What’s really exciting is she helps you as an actor get into character really fast because you’re now reacting to her, to Paula.
That scene for me was tricky because, even the reason Karl is mad at her in the pilot is not because she’s trying to do scheduling. It’s because a junkie called his phone and talked to his daughter and scared her. [Laughs] It’s not about the “eight minutes late.” It’s about that. Somebody called who clearly seemed to be on drugs.
In the end, she flips it on Karl because he’s saying, “Shall we get together and make a calendar?” [Laughs] I know the audience is going to cheer for Paula and say Karl really deserves it. But it’s just another example to me of like, all right, we live in upside-down world. I’m not understanding what’s happening. All he’s trying to do is say “Congratulations, you won.” He apologizes. He goes, “It was handled poorly on our end. I didn’t know what was going to happen.” And that is the truth. Karl has to deal with that mistake. That’s on him. He allowed that to happen. That’s a big fuck up.
Then he goes, “Okay, so you’re the winner. I’m the loser. How are we going to schedule our daughter’s life now?” And she goes, “Tighten your shit up.” I’m like, okay, this woman’s impossible. [Laughs] But I know Karl is a minority and the audience is going to go, “Yay, fuck him.” [Laughs] So, God bless, man.
That’s what makes him such an interesting character, because I feel like it could have easily… there could have been ways to make him come off as a jerk.
JOHNSON: I don’t think he’s a villain and I don’t care if everybody else does. As an actor playing him, I get that Paula thinks he’s a villain, but I personally think you can watch something and like a protagonist and see all sides. I might watch things differently than others. Mind you, she’s great, the show is great. For me, I’m like, “Let’s just look at the facts.” This is way more gray than black and white, guys. [Laughs]
I hope there’s a Season 2. What would you like to see explored in Karl? Where do you want his storyline to go? I want you to interact with more of the cast.
JOHNSON: I’ll be perfectly honest, for this specific job, it films in New York, and I’m LA-based. I was only out of LA for very minimal days. It’s one of the reasons why Karl’s character is small and kind of isolated. If it was an LA show, I would probably have more pitches.
But I don’t know. I love David Rosen’s writing. I love working with Jessy Hodges, who plays Mallory. I think she is so good and brought so much reality to the relationship in the world. I think she’s such a unique kind of step-mom vibe where that character for sure should have been the villain. But she never thought of herself as a villain. Even when she was doing villainous things, and I’d be like, “You’re the bad guy.” We would battle, where she’s like, “I think Karl might be the bad guy.” I’m like, “You’re the bad guy. You are for sure.” And so working with her was such a joy.
Working with Tatiana was so great. So anything for Season 2, if we got one, working with them again. But I don’t know what the storyline would be. I have no guesses. I’m not a “thriller” thinker. My spec scripts would never be thrillers. I don’t think that way. I was really sad when Dennis was killed because Murray Bartlett’s such a good actor. He’s excellent. I wish David Gordon Green did more. I liked working with him so much.
So, my big hopes for Season 2 would be David Gordon Green, more David Rosen, more Tatiana, more Jessy Hodges, and then whatever they come up with. Great writing staff.
It’s such a fun, unpredictable show right until the very last frame. Let’s talk about The Dink. Do you actually play pickleball?
JOHNSON: No. The way it actually came to me was the writer, Sean Clements. He’s an old friend and one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met. We did Allen Gregory back in 2011 together — an animated show with Jonah Hill — and he’s so funny that we just kind of kept track of each other. We were in a poker game hosted by our friend, Jeff Baena, for years.
Then he and I were getting lunch and he said, “What are you looking to do?” And my guess was — this was probably two years ago at this point — our country was going to be in a weird point. And so I was like, “You know what I’d like to do? Something big with comedic set pieces. That was just fun. That wasn’t teaching anything, that didn’t have any big lesson, that was just 90 minutes of fun.”
And he goes, “Well, what do you think about pickleball?” And I go, “Literally nothing.” And he goes, “Then I got the movie for you.” [Laughs] He pitched me the story and what hooked me was that it was loosely based off his real life, where he’s an old tennis player who got hurt, wanted to come back, but his back kept getting fucked up, so he went to a Beverly Hills pickleball court and played with three women in their 70s. Because it’s pickleball, before you get really good… it’s all angles and shots, and it’s not a lot of athleticism. He’s like, “They were beating me and my ego was getting out of control, and they were talking shit.” Then I went and played, and I got beat by like two 70-year-old Asian ladies. One of them was being so mean about it.
This subculture is so funny and the script is really great. Ben Stiller produced it, so we got to pick his brain. Josh Greenbaum, one of my favorite directors and friends, came on board, and it was just a joy from start to finish. I think the movie’s great.
There are those who love pickleball and hate pickleball, so it’s funny already. It’s so funny how many opinions people have on pickleball. [Laughs.] This is a goofy game people are playing, and the people who are playing it are loving it. Because I played with a bunch of pros, too, you’ve got to be so good to be good. It’s not an easy game. It’s so hard. If you want to get good at it, there are levels to the game. People are like, “It’s so easy.” I’m like, “Yeah, it is, if you’re playing your grandparents, you goober, but if you’re playing some pros, they’re going to kill you.” [Laughs]
I forgot it was the Ben Stiller connection, because my head went to Dodgeball.
JOHNSON: Yes. So tonally, it is very different from Dodgeball. I think people are making that comparison and that is a mistake.
[Laughs] Good to know.
JOHNSON: It’s a way sweeter, more “Apple” movie. Mary Steenburgen plays a big part. Her character and my character have a great arc in it. It’s way more about friendship and growing up, with great laughs in it and great set pieces. Then it becomes a full on sports movie. Andy Roddick’s in it. It’s just, honest to God, it’s atype of movie that I love to make and that I love that’s out there. I do think it’s important that entertainment at times is just like ’70s music, and you could just go like, “That feels nice. Throw on the Doobie Brothers.” I love Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, but that shit ain’t Yacht Rock! [Laughs] There are so many funny people from Patton Oswalt to Aaron Chen, Lennon Parham, pop in with just laughs. Then you get Ed Harris being funny. Ed Harris was so funny and watching Ed Harris be funny, I was like, “Man, this just reminds me of movies in a way that I love movies.” I really hope people check it out. I think they’re going to love it.
I love when actors come in and destroy the scene and leave.
JOHNSON: That’s exactly right. Our movie is just packed. My character is moving the story along, and then throughout it… We have Fortune Feimster and Steve Berg — Steve Berg’s from the podcast We’re Here to Help — They come in and play either lovers or twins. They just play. There’s a five-minute sequence that’s just all for laughs. We tested and everybody just laughs the whole time. Then it ends and you’re moving on. That was literally just for fun.
Was there a lot of riffing on set?
JOHNSON: Yes. Tons of improv, Josh [Greenbaum] and Sean [Clements] are also pitching stuff. Stiller’s in scenes, too, so we were able to work with him and get his take on all the comedy, too. It was just so many great, funny people. Josh would give everybody freedom and then we’d have conversations. Chloe Fineman comes in, plays the ex, one of the funniest people I’ve ever been around. It was just kind of hitter after hitter. Everybody just kind of came in, crushed, and left. We all finished being like, “I don’t know how a movie could be more fun to make than that one.”
I hope there’s a director’s cut because I’m sure there is a lot of stuff that you had to cut. Kill your darlings.
JOHNSON: To such a crazy degree. We had a whole storyline in the middle that we had to cut. Like a good 20 minute sequence where Chloe and Dan Stevens are having sex in the back of a car while I’m driving. This scene was one of the funniest scenes I’d ever been part of. It’s one of those movies.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is on Apple TV. The Dink premieres on Apple TV July 24.
Ariana Grande has a way of dropping subtle hints that quickly send fans into detective mode, and her latest concert moment may have been her biggest clue yet.
A small but noticeable change to the lyrics of “Thank U, Next” reignited speculation that the pop star has reunited with former boyfriend Ricky Alvarez.
While concertgoers initially treated the switch as a playful surprise, new reports suggest it may have reflected a relationship that had already been quietly blossoming away from the spotlight.
As The Blast reported, fans packed into Ariana Grande’s New York City concert on Monday were caught off guard when the singer put a fresh spin on one of the most recognizable lines from “Thank U, Next.”
Instead of singing, “Wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh,” Grande changed the lyric to, “We always find our way back.”
The unexpected alteration immediately fueled speculation that the Grammy winner had rekindled her romance with former boyfriend Ricky Alvarez, especially after the pair had recently been spotted together multiple times.
According to the Daily Mail, the lyric wasn’t simply a playful moment for the audience. Sources claimed it showed what has reportedly been happening behind the scenes.
Insiders alleged that Grande and Alvarez are “dating again” nearly ten years after ending their relationship in 2016.
Although the romance may seem sudden to fans, sources insist the pair’s reunion developed gradually.
According to insiders, Ariana Grande remained loosely connected to Alvarez even while she was dating her “Wicked” co-star, Ethan Slater, because they continued to share mutual friends.
One source emphasized that Alvarez “never crossed the line while she was with Ethan,” explaining that maintaining occasional contact felt natural given their longtime friendship.
As Grande’s relationship with Slater reportedly came to an end, that friendship slowly evolved into something more.
“As her relationship was ending with Ethan, she chose to reach out to Ricky more… then hang out with him more with mutual friends… and then they started hanging out alone,” the insider claimed.
Another source said Alvarez has welcomed the second chance, describing him as “very happy being back in her life and is looking for this second chance to be what he wanted the first time around.”
The romance rumors intensified long before Grande’s latest concert. Last month, Alvarez joined the “God Is A Woman” singer in Austin as she celebrated her birthday during the Eternal Sunshine tour.
During that performance, Grande also appeared to reference him by changing another lyric to, “I know he still got my back.”
Just weeks later, the pair were photographed leaving a Whole Foods in Boca Raton, Florida, over the Fourth of July holiday while carrying grocery bags together, further fueling speculation that they had become more than friends.
Sources close to the singer claimed those outings made it clear that the relationship had already become serious.
“Ariana and Ricky are fully back in each other’s lives and are together,” one insider alleged. According to the source, the two aren’t trying to relive their previous romance. Instead, they’re approaching it with greater honesty and maturity.
“They’re revisiting the relationship with a different perspective, openly talking about what went wrong before and making a conscious effort to avoid repeating those mistakes,” the insider said, adding that they now share “a clearer understanding of each other.”
While fans analyzed Ariana Grande’s performances for clues, sources claim Slater found out about the reported romance in a very different way.
According to one insider, the former Nickelodeon star did not personally tell her ex that she had reunited with Alvarez. Instead, mutual friends allegedly informed him that the pair were dating again.
“Ariana hasn’t told Ethan specifically, but mutual friends have told him that she is now dating Ricky again,” the source claimed.
The reported reunion has led some fans to wonder whether reconnecting with Alvarez was simply a rebound after Grande’s breakup with Slater, and online discussion has also resurfaced around her recent weight loss.
However, insiders rejected that theory, insisting the renewed romance has been years in the making.
“This doesn’t appear to be a rebound,” one source said, adding, “Ariana and Ricky have a long history and a level of familiarity. Their reconnection seems to have grown naturally rather than being an impulsive reaction to the end of her previous relationship.”
When reports of Grande and Ethan Slater’s breakup surfaced on June 8, many fans assumed the split had just happened.
However, multiple outlets revealed the former couple had actually gone their separate ways “several months” earlier.
According to PEOPLE, the split was handled privately and without public drama, with an insider describing it as a carefully considered decision rather than a sudden breakup.
“It’s amicable, they gave lots of time and careful consideration and decided to go their separate ways. They are still friends and very supportive of one another. They have been quietly broken up for several months,” the source said.
Insiders also said Grande has been focused on her Eternal Sunshine tour and upcoming album “Petal,” while remaining on good terms with Slater.
The word “remake” doesn’t have to be a derogatory one, as there are many examples of redoing the same film and finding success. John Carpenter’s The Thing is a horror classic that supersedes the original 1951 film, Ocean’s Eleven from Steven Soderbergh was a far classier take on a “Rat Pack” star vehicle, the Coen brothers’ version of True Grit was actually close to the novel, and Martin Scorsese’s The Departed significantly adjusted the themes of Infernal Affairs to create an instant classic in the gangster genre that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
A remake should exist if it has the opportunity to significantly improve upon or change something about the original film, but it shouldn’t occur purely to bait nostalgia. Unfortuantely, many remakes are made just to cash in on a popular name, and don’t have a legacy of their own.
Robocop is one of the most rewatchable films of the ‘80s, and its a lot smarter than it is often given credit for. Paul Verhoeven satirized American media and consumerism with his ruthless analysis of corporate culture, and infused some Biblical themes into the story of how the police officer Alex Murphy (Frank Weller) is resurrected into a cyborg hero.
The Robocop remake cuts out all of the satire for the sake of making a bland dystopian film, and it doesn’t do enough to flesh out what Murphy goes through, even if Joel Kinnaman is trying his best with the material. Worst of all, the Robocop remake is PG-13; there’s no point in making a film in the franchise if it can’t include the ultra-violence that is inherent to the themes, as even the bad Robocop sequels were able to pull that off.
Total Recall is another Verhoeven classic that was compeely neutered when it was remade because Len Wiseman didn’t have the same creative eye for action and worldbuilding. The original Total Recall is a genuinely thought-provoking psychological thriller that questions the nature of reality and says something about projections of escapist fantasies; it’s one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best performances, and the remake sadly wasted the talents of Colin Farrell by giving him one of the most boring character arcs imaginable.
In addition to being PG-13, the Total Recall remake felt less imaginative because it didn’t even go to Mars, and simply felt like just another totalitarian sci-fi thriller. Given that the film has almost no interest in looking beyond the surface of anything that Verhoeven had done with the original, it might as well have not even been called Total Recall.
Ghostbusters lit a fire within Internet discourse in 2016 when online trolls rejected the idea of an all-female reboot of the 1984 classic from Ivan Reitman, but the unfortunate reality is that Paul Feig’s reimagining had very little to say. Despite the presence of four talented actresses in the cast, 2016’s Ghostbusters is virtually a beat-for-beat remake of the original film, only with more fart jokes, product placement, and terrible improv.
2016’s Ghostbusters looked ridiculously cheap, as the film’s terrible CGI was nowhere near as effective as the practical makeup and effects that had been used in 1984. Worst of all, it tried to bring back original cast members Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd for pointless cameos that broke the canon of the series; while the most recent Ghostbusters sequels have been criticized for being too dour, they at least tried to do something new.
Point Break is one of the most influential action films of the ‘90s, and struck a very unique tonal balance between irony and sincerity; ironically, it took a female director in Kathryn Bigelow to make one of the most profound action films ever that tackled the pressures of masculinity. The Point Break remake had none of this attention-to-detail, as it decided to revamp the fun world of surfing with a bland exploration of extreme sports, which already felt dated in 2015.
The biggest issue with the new Point Break is the lack of chemistry between the two leads. The dynamic between Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze in the original was so strong that Luke Bracey and Edgar Ramirez paled in comparison in the remake; Bracey and Ramirez are both good actors, but they were not given the opportunity to flesh out their roles.
Clash of the Titans is a remake that theoretically should have worked, as the original film from 1981 has not aged very well. However, the 2010 reimagining somehow managed to take the enormity of Greek mythology and make it bland, as the conflict between Zeus (Liam Neeson) and Perseus (Sam Worthington) felt uninspired.
Clash of the Titans immediately dated itself with terrible use of 3D, which was created using a post-production conversion effect that didn’t feel fluid. This was a time in which studios were desperate to cash in on the success of Avatar, which had become the highest-grossing film of all-time, but Clash of the Titans didn’t have James Cameron’s attention-to-detail when it came to worldbuilding. Despite the fact that Greek mythology inspired much of modern storytelling, it wasn’t until Christopher Nolan made The Odyssey that there was a genuinely great film about Greek myths.
The Lion King is among the most cynical remakes ever made because it does absolutely nothing to distinguish itself from the 1994 classic, as it is virtually a shot-for-shot recreation. While Disney has shown that it can make good remakes like Pete’s Dragon that do something inventive and new, The Lion King’s only additions are bad songs and morose visuals.
The Lion King can’t be described as “live-action” because there are no human characters, and the effect of seeing photorealistic animals talking and singing is downright creepy. It was the stylization and color within the 1994 classic that was critical to the storytelling, and the remake sucks out all of that energy with its attempt to have the same grounded realism of an episode of Animal Planet. Its success is among the most dispiriting box office stories of the 21st century.
Wuthering Heights is a novel that has never been perfectly adapted, as even the Best Picture-nominated 1939 classic was only based on half of Emily Bronte’s novel. Instead of taking the opportunity to make a more thorough adaption, Emerald Fennell reduced the material even further by cutting out major characters and inserting more raunchiness; this is a complete misreading of the source material, as it is the unfulfilled longing between Catherine Earnshaw (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) that is supposed to heighten the sexual tension.
Fennell’s film casts actors who are far too old to realistically be playing their characters and uses shock value to visualize Catherine’s sexual awakening; the result is a film that feels made by someone who had only skimmed the novel and didn’t understand what it was actually trying to say about loss and love.
Going in Style had the potential to be a great remake because the original 1979 film is a classic, but also a product of its time that isn’t as well-remembered as some of the other comedies of its era. The casting of Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Alan Arkin was spot-on, but the issue with the new Going in Style was its director, Zach Braff.
Braff didn’t have the same sensitivity and earnestness that had made Martin Brest’s take on the same story such a thoughtful exploration of aging and moving past one’s prime. The 2017 version is rife with slapstick gags and ridiculous heist movie shenanigans, as it basically revolves around most characters being idiots in order to be logical in the slightest. It’s a true shame that three all-time great actors couldn’t redeem this massively disappointing new take.
Lilo and Stitch is another completely cynical endevour from Disney becaue it catered to nostlagia without having anything new to say about the beloved 2002 film. As is the case with most of Disney’s live-action versions of their animated classics, the Lilo & Stitch remake is devoid of color and filmmaking skill.
The film was originally planned to be a Disney+ release, and it’s obvious because of the low production values and poor acting; it feels like a made-for-television film, and frankly looks less cinematic than many of the shows that air on HBO today. It’s confusing why Disney decided to hire a new creative team for the remake when the first film’s director, Chris Sanders, is still putting out great work; Sanders recently directed the Oscar-nominated animated masterpiece The Wild Robot, which is far more emotional and moving than the Lilo & Stitch remake.
The Mummy is among the most embarrassing failures in contemporary Hollywood history because Universal tried to launch its own cinematic universe to rival Marvel with the “Dark Universe,” which was promptly cancelled after the first installment in the series failed. Rarely has a film been so blatantly made purely to set up sequels and spinoffs; there’s almost lore to the actual Egyptian mythology in The Mummy, as it is mostly focused on setting up characters like Dr. Henry Jekyll (played by Russell Crowe in a hilariously bad performance) who were planned to recur.
Tom Cruise gives one of the very few genuinely terrible performances of his entire career, even if he can’t be totally blamed for the film’s failings, given that there are few writer/directors working today who have had track records as disastrous as that of Alex Kurtzman.
June 9, 2017
110 minutes
Alex Kurtzman
Christopher McQuarrie, David Koepp, Dylan Kussman
Music that sticks with you means its impact is enduring. Maybe it’s nostalgic or brings you back to a specific time. When a song comes on, it transports you right to that first time you heard it. It’s why classic rock’s authentic human connection has become so timeless. Maybe it’s the soaring orchestrations or the lyrics that emotionally resonate with its listeners. Whatever it is, classic rock was the time when albums ruled supreme. Some artists have a song or two per album that reach masterpiece status. Then there are some, where, from start to finish, every song is a masterpiece. Not every song has the same longevity as its bigger album siblings, but they’re still quite brilliant.
Trimming this list was a near-impossible feat. There are certainly many albums and artists who could be on here, but these ten represent a strong representation of the genre. We have some ground rules. First, only one album per artist, otherwise we might only have a list filled with three bands! Second, we are listing artists alphabetically. There are certainly other options, so let’s celebrate them kindly in the comments! Let’s rock and roll and dive back through ten iconic albums that have influenced music through every track.
It’s hard to imagine classic rock without hearing the bluesy hard rock of Aerosmith and Steven Tyler’s signature acrobatic vocals, Joe Perry‘s gritty guitar riffs, and a career that’s reinvented itself over the decades. Perhaps their defining album is 1975’s Toys in the Attic. The masterpiece album fused gritty American hard rock with infectious, bluesy funk. Propelled by massive hits like “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion,” Toys in the Attic established the band as global superstars and remains their bestselling studio album in the US. Unlike many 1970s hard rock albums, the bass work by Tom Hamilton is incredibly prominent and rhythmic, laying the perfect, funky foundations. Of course, “Walk This Way” established itself as a power player in pop culture. On one hand, it inspired an iconic line in Mel Brooks’ hit comedy Young Frankenstein. On the other hand, it surged on the charts via their ‘80s collaboration with Run-D.M.C.
Beyond the titular track and the big two, the album’s deep cuts are quite strong. “Adam’s Apple” saw Tyler compose a song solo that offered a cheeky look at Adam and Eve. “Uncle Salty” offered a gritty storytelling track rich with thematic lyricism. The album is a wall-to-wall success story thanks to producer Jack Douglas’s studio wizardry. The band had road-tested their sound, which allowed them to refine their unity even with a genre-blending set. You can hear jazzy syncopation in “Big Ten Inch Record,” and the classic power balladry on “You See Me Crying,” which defined their later prowess in the style. Toys in the Attic was a pioneering album for Aerosmith that’s worth a full listen-through.
There are many albums that use a title as a theme. Others use their biggest hit. That’s what Bruce Springsteen did with his third studio album, Born to Run. Springsteen is celebrated as a cinematic musician who can paint a portrait through song. As a masterful storyteller, he transports his listeners to gritty socio-economic realities with soaring, hopeful melodies. In Born to Run, his lyrics are on full display as he depicts working-class hopes and the desire for escape, serving as a thrilling, cohesive journey from the hopeful optimism of “Thunder Road” to the sprawling, gritty epic of “Jungleland”. And, of course, with that titular song in the middle, Born to Run was crafted to emulate a “Wall of Sound” like “Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan, produced by Phil Spector,” and it worked.
Springsteen and his team spent months heavily layering the instruments to craft a dense, grand, and theatrical experience where saxophone solos and piano interludes united. Through its original “four corners” approach, it gave the album a beautiful structure. Side A opens with the liberating, hopeful “Thunder Road” and ends with the bitter, melancholic loss of “Backstreets”. Side B goes from the anthem that is “Born to Run” before concluding with the tragic, operatic “Jungleland.” And throughout this journey, the lyrical storytelling is unmatched. He offers a glimpse of American youth desperately seeking a chance to break out of sleepy, dead-end towns. At just eight tracks and 39 minutes, every song operates as a self-contained story, blending rock energy with Broadway-style narratives. It’s a great album that we could easily return to rank the songs themselves.
There’s arguably no greater songwriter than Carole King. A giant in classic rock and pop music, King pioneered the singer-songwriter movement with the masterful Tapestry. Released in 1971, this landmark solo album spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the charts for 313 weeks. From top to bottom, Tapestry is celebrated because of its unprecedented personal intimacy. By blending catchy melodies with vulnerable, conversational lyrics, King took the spotlight for a truly universal and relatable album. Songs like “You’ve Got a Friend” and “So Far Away” tackle core human experiences of friendship, longing, and domesticity with an open, honest vulnerability. Rather than an overproduced radio album, producer Lou Adler stripped the arrangements to allow King’s warm vocals, dynamic piano playing, and a tight backing band featuring musicians like James Taylor to feel like a live production.
The record reflected the changing societal roles of women, serving as a voice piece for female empowerment and the collective desire to focus on essential, everyday human connections. To pinpoint the “best” track on the album is simply impossible. “It’s Too Late” reflects on the end of a relationship. “You’ve Got a Friend” is a masterpiece of comfort and reassurance. “I Feel the Earth Move” gives King the pop punch with an energetic, driving piano line. For an introspective ballad, King brings “So Far Away” to a peaceful place. “Beautiful” is a wonderful anthem of optimism. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” gives a stunning acoustic reimagining of The Shirelles’ classic. And then there is “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” which proves that it’s not just a great powerhouse vocal for Aretha Franklin, but a genuine lyrical wonder. After years of writing hits for other artists, King proved she’s got a way about her.
There’s genuinely never been an artist quite like David Bowie. A fearless innovator who constantly reinvented his sound, style, and visual identity, David Bowie pioneered glam rock, embraced electronic and avant-garde music, and effortlessly bridged theatrical performance, making him a cultural and musical chameleon. Though every album provides a distinct version of the artist, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars is his very best from beginning to end. The album is a loose rock opera about an androgynous, bisexual alien rock star named Ziggy Stardust who arrives on Earth to save humanity from an impending apocalypse. Through this story, he explored themes of fame, decay, and humanism with a glamorous, theatrical flair.
The record is jam-packed with infectious hooks, soaring choruses, and richly emotional words. Tracks like “Starman” and “Moonage Daydream” deliver space-age swagger, while “Suffragette City” provides primordial punk energy. Meanwhile, the opener “Five Years” and the closer “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” infuse grand stage drama into the realm of rock and roll. It’s the breakout hit “Starman” that emerged as the most captivating, as it married an acoustic with glam rock for a truly unique sound. And then, of course, there’s the titular character brought to life in “Ziggy Stardust.” It’s truly a masterclass in storytelling. Beginning with an instantly recognizable opening guitar riff, the song perfectly captures the seductive highs and tragic, ego-driven collapse of rock superstardom. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars is a tightly woven concept album that one day deserves the stage treatment.
There are very few storied bands with a richer history than Fleetwood Mac. Their iconic, multi-vocalist lineup—Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and Christine McVie—featured three distinct songwriters who created a masterclass in pop-rock harmony. They made music as a unit, but their personal plights became the source of a masterpiece album: Rumours. The career-defining album perfectly balances raw emotional pain with flawless pop-rock craftsmanship. Born from severe intraband turmoil, including the real-time breakups of two couples—Buckingham and Nicks and Christine and John McVie—the album twists heartbreak into resonant, catchy anthems backed by stellar vocal harmonies and a timeless, polished production. Rumours is a true work of art. The studio production is wondrous. From John McVie’s deep basslines and Mick Fleetwood‘s crisp drumming to Buckingham’s crystalline guitar tones, the mix is masterful. Then, the songwriting reflected the songwriters’ anger, grief, and confusion directly into the music, resulting in a masterclass of lyricism.
There is zero filler on Rumours. By far the most universally beloved, thanks to its composition and craftsmanship, is “The Chain.” It’s the only track credited to all five band members, acting as the ultimate statement of resilience. “Dreams” brings out a mesmerizing, melancholic Nicks ballad. Perhaps the most powerful musical moment comes from the Buckingham-penned “Go Your Own Way,” which offers the rawest and most intense emotional storytelling on the record. Even with a peppy pop, “I Don’t Want to Know” pairs Nicks’ defiant lyrics with an infectious, upbeat energy. Though songs like the stripped-down piano ballad “Songbird” and the album’s haunting closer “Gold Dust Woman” may not be the mainstream hits, they’re simply sensational. And then perhaps Christine McVie’s greatest contribution is “Don’t Stop,” the pop-rock anthem of infectious optimism that brilliantly contrasted the band’s intense personal turmoil with a message of hope.
To put it bluntly, the titan of classic rock is Led Zeppelin. Through a seamless transition from acoustic folk to stadium rock, Led Zeppelin combined supreme instrumental virtuosity, groundbreaking blues-rock grandeur, and mystical songwriting that served as a blueprint for modern rock. The lineup of Jimmy Page on guitar, Robert Plant with the vocals, John Paul Jones on bass and keyboards, and John Bonham on drums proved that technical talent and outstanding artistry are a recipe for success. Their crowning achievement is their untitled fourth studio album, better known as Led Zeppelin IV. The album brilliantly blended a bevy of sounds and styles, setting the tone from the very start. Every single track serves a distinct purpose, flowing with ferocity. From the mind-bending opening riffs of “Black Dog” to the epic closer in “When the Levee Breaks,” Led Zeppelin IV is flawless. The album represents the very best from each band member. What they bring allows the album to soar. Even with the blend of genres, with heavy rock songs sat next to delicate acoustic tracks, they bridge a complete journey across the eight tracks.
Of course, the reason this album soars to the top is the centerpiece of the album: “Stairway to Heaven.” A groundbreaking 8-minute opus that builds from soft acoustic folk into a roaring hard-rock thriller, “Stairway to Heaven” remains one of the most influential and greatest classic rock songs of all time. There’s truly not a song out of place that doesn’t evoke something from the listener because each track is intricately crafted. A cappella in rock is a risk, but “Black Dog” made it epic. Being played in a tricky time signature makes it a musical feat. “The Battle of Evermore” is a mystical acoustic wonder, with Sandy Denny‘s guest vocals weaving their sound effortlessly into the mix. “When the Levee Breaks” has become a heavily sampled song because of its recognizable drum beats. “Rock and Roll’ pays homage to the explosive sounds of the ’50s rock-and-roll era with Bonham’s thunderous drumming and Page’s electrifying riffs. Led Zeppelin IV defines the band like no other album in their repertoire.
The English band Pink Floyd did a lot for rock and roll. They helped usher in and pioneer progressive and psychedelic rock by transforming the listening experience through thematic concept albums, innovative production, and immersive live shows that elevated rock from mere radio hits to a profound cinematic art form. Perhaps their most notorious album is their eighth, The Dark Side of the Moon. Legend has it that if you play the album with the Hollywood classic The Wizard of Oz, there is a synchronicity. Though they have denied the connection, it helped push the album to new ears. And with that, it allowed The Dark Side of the Moon to reach great heights. The album was conceived as a concept album that blended profound philosophical lyrics with innovative sound engineering by Alan Parsons and seamless musical transitions. While they are not meant to be standalone songs, together they provide an immersive journey that explores the pressures and strains of modern life.
Because each song serves a purpose, they must be excellent. And they are. Perhaps the greatest achievement from the album is “Money.” Known for its outrageously iconic 7/4 time signature and cash register tape-loop opening, “Money” got even grander with the eviscerating saxophone and guitar solos. “Breathe (In the Air)” makes way for a richly atmospheric, mellow track that sets the meditative, oceanic mood at the top of the album, following the instrumental “Speak to Me.” “The Great Gig in the Sky” features a brilliant wordless vocal improvisation from Clare Torry that brings out one of the more emotional performances. By the time you reach the climactic conclusion of “Brain Damage” and “Eclipse,” the album ends with a poignant meditation on mental illness that culminates in a soaring, philosophical finale. Perhaps the reason why The Dark Side of the Moon works is that they worked it on the road before recording it. This allowed for perfection to arrive prior to the studio. Though we are a society of music lovers who enjoy a good vinyl, The Dark Side of the Moon is the ultimate headphone album.
I’ll admit it now: Queen is my favorite band of all time. This list could have featured many of their albums, but none impacted rock and roll and the band themselves quite like A Night at the Opera. The legendary band is known for its flair for the dramatics, theatricality, and genre-defying experimentation, as well as unmatched musicianship. Surely we could debate that Freddie Mercury has the greatest and most unique voice in music history. Queen’s music prowess was on full display on this timeless classic. A Night at the Opera is a complete and utter masterpiece for its genre-blending sound, featuring a songwriting contribution from every member of the band. A Night at the Opera was unafraid to be bold; name another band that infused hard rock, opera, folk, and ragtime into one seamless, monumental album.
There are quite a few musical moments that make A Night at the Opera so uniquely perfect. The record flawlessly leaps across genres. In one sitting, you get the vaudeville camp of “Seaside Rendezvous,” the jolly 1920s music of “Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon,” the acoustic sci-fi folk of ’39, and the heavy, progressive rock in “The Prophet’s Song.” And guess what, we haven’t even reached the mainstream masterpieces. Bassist John Deacon penned the breezy, universally beloved “You’re My Best Friend,” which was the band’s first No. 1 U.S. hit. Roger Taylor delivered the swagger in “I’m in Love with My Car.” Brian May‘s greatest guitar moments are heard on every single track, capturing the essence of the genre of each song. Perhaps the most personal track, and the one that gets dedicated to Mercury at every concert, is the hauntingly beautiful “Love of My Life.” But wait, we still need to talk about the track that defined the band as the revolutionary artists that they are: “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
There has never been a song that single-handedly redefined what a pop or rock single could be. In the nearly six-minute track, “Bohemian Rhapsody” combined a cappella, operatic multi-track harmonies, and hard-rock riffs in a genre-defying suite where each member of the band shone. Namely, the vocal acrobatics of Mercury. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is not only the crown jewel of the album but also their pièce de résistance. It’s a musical opus that appeals to everyone. It’s a song that continues to be celebrated today, whether through professional cover or at karaoke; everyone has taken a stab at the sensational track. The production on the track is simply unheard of. Mercury, May, and Taylor layered their voices to create a massive symphonic choir for an estimated 180 overdubbed vocal tracks. There will never ever be another band quite like Queen.
There may not be another band that has influenced music and pop culture as much as The Beatles have. And their last impression lingers still. Revered as foundational classic rock icons, The Beatles were known for profound and unprecedented evolution, songwriting mastery, and studio innovation. Within just an eight-year recording span, The Beatles pioneered modern self-contained rock bands by writing their own hits, transforming popular music into high art. There are certainly many albums that fulfill the brief of this list, but if we must choose only one, the slot must go to Abbey Road. Regarded as one of the greatest albums ever made, Abbey Road fantastically flows with peak songwriting from all four members. Using state-of-the-art solid-state mixing consoles, Abbey Road sounded uniquely crisp. Producer George Martin and the band utilized advanced multitracking and the Moog synthesizer to create a lush soundscape. Unlike other albums dominated by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Abbey Road is perhaps George Harrison‘s greatest triumph while a member of the band. It also happens to feature some of the best instrumental performances, namely from Ringo Starr. And now, to the songs.
Abbey Road is packed front-to-back without a single track out of place. What makes the record so unique is how it’s split. Side One is all about standalone classics that are perhaps some of the greatest of all time. Side Two features an ambitious 16-minute continuous suite that weaves several shorter song fragments into a single piece. It all begins with “Here Comes the Sun,” which perfectly captures a mood of pure optimism and relief. You can’t help but hear and feel lighter. Of course, the standouts there are the beautifully lush and theatrical dual sequence of “Golden Slumbers” and “Carry That Weight.” When the song segues into that powerful group sing-along, you know how special the album truly is. Now, back to the Side One tracks. The album kicks off with one of the most perfect Beatles tracks, “Come Together.” Bolstering a funky groove, slinky bassline, and mystifying lyrics, “Come Together” remains a shining moment for the band. It then slows down with Harrison’s best, “Something.” Is it one of the greatest love songs ever written? It might be. The Beatles moved back to pay homage to ’50s doo-wop with “Oh! Darling,” which features McCartney’s boldest vocal performance. Abbey Road remains one of the most important rock albums, ushering in the end of an era. It was the last album they recorded as a full band.
The fact that The Rolling Stones are still kicking all these decades later should come as no surprise. They remain as one of the most significant bands of all time. They pioneered gritty, blues-based rock, establishing a template for other classic rock bands of the time. Their musical longevity, coupled with Mick Jagger‘s charisma on stage and Keith Richards‘ mindblowing guitar riffs, have made them a cornerstone in musical history. There’s a great debate in regard to what might be the greatest Rolling Stones album, but when it comes to top-to-bottom masterpieces, that honor is given to Let It Bleed. The 1969 album captures the era’s dark, apocalyptic tension through a unique mix of blues, gospel, and country rock. Almost every single song has become a staple in the band’s canon.
A tone must be set, and it was perfectly set with “Gimme Shelter.” Through its apocalyptic atmosphere and the staggering vocal performance by Merry Clayton, “Gimme Shelter” sets a dark, forbidding mood that mirrors the end of the ’60s. Things go country with “Country Honk,” which was the country version of “Honky Tonk Women.” The harmonicas are heavy in the sinister blues groove in “Midnight Rambler,” which escalates into a chaotic jam session. “Monkey Man” sets the stage for a surreal, druggy party atmosphere with a razor-sharp guitar. Richards gets to play lead vocalist on the entirety of “You Got the Silver.” What makes Let It Bleed a significant musical moment is how the band captures that same apocalyptic feeling with a completely different sound by the end. It’s all thanks to the popular anthem “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Starting with a beautifully haunting choir, a brilliant French horn intro, and a divine vocal performance from Jagger on some of the most profound lyrics, Let It Bleed ends perfectly. By trading ’60s pop psychedelia for gloomy doom and blues, The Rolling Stones further evolved their sound into a thrillingly cohesive product.
Who’s Your Perfect Classic Rock Band?
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