Matt Pinfield Recovering From Stroke
Matt Pinfield is recovering from a stroke. The beloved radio veteran and television personality suffered a stroke in Los Angeles on January 6. He is "stabilized and resting," according to a report from Loudwire, and surrounded by family and loved ones while receiving care. Matt started in the alternative/rock radio world in the early '80s. He began hosting MTV's 120 Minutes in 1995 and regularly appeared as host and correspondent on MTV, MTV2, and VH1 through 1999. I spoke with Matt in the green room during my second of four auditions for a job at MTV News in 1999. We
LINKIN PARK, METALLICA, FALLING IN REVERSE, SHINEDOWN Among ‘iHeartRadio Music Awards’ Nominees
LINKIN PARK, METALLICA, FALLING IN REVERSE, GREEN DAY, PEARL JAM, and SHINEDOWN are among the rock artists nominated for the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards. The ceremony will take place on March 17 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Rock Nominations: Rock Artist of the Year: Green Day Linkin Park Metallica Pearl Jam Shinedown Rock Song of the Year: “A Symptom of Being Human” – Shinedown “All My Life” – Falling In Reverse and Jelly Roll “Dark Matter” – Pearl Jam “Screaming Suicide” – Metallica “The Emptiness Machine” – Linkin Park
Hot Hard Rock Songs Chart
This week's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. Launched by Billboard in 2020, the chart measures streaming, airplay, and sales. Linkin Park “The Emptiness Machine” Linkin Park “Heavy is the Crown” Breaking Benjamin “Awaken” Three Days Grace “Mayday” Falling In Reverse “Bad Guy” ft. Saraya Sleep Theory “Stuck In My Head” Falling In Reverse & Jelly Roll “All My Life” HARDY “PSYCHO” Linkin Park “Two Faced” Badflower “Detroit” Linkin Park “Over Each Other” FEVER 333 “Hellfire” Mike Shinoda & Emily Armstrong “Heavy is the Crown” Pop Evil “Wishful Thinking” NEW Catch Your Breath “Shame On Me” Dead Poet Society “Hurt” ft.
PIERCE THE VEIL Earn New Gold & Platinum Certifications
Pierce The Veil earned a slew of new RIAA certifications this week. “Bulls in the Bronx” (2012) is now platinum. “Circles” (2016) went gold, as did “Hell Above” (2012) and “Hold On Till May” (2012). Those 2012 tracks are from Collide with the Sky, certified gold in 2016. The band’s third studio album also boasts the double-platinum “King for a Day” and the platinum “A Match Into Water.” Its predecessor, Selfish Machines (2010), includes the platinum singles “Caraphernelia” and “Bulletproof Love.” The RIAA also recently gave a ton of new certifications to Disturbed and I Prevail.
Week of January 19, 2025
Rock birthday wishes to Thomas Gutches (Beartooth manager), Kim Schon (Grandview Music) (Jan 22); Denise Gonzales (Live Nation), Conor Hesse (ERRA) (Jan 23); Natalie Schanzer (Madame Mayhem), Kevin Mazur (photographer), Josh Bernstein (Z2 Comics) (Jan 24); Brandon Geist (Revolver Magazine), and Tue Madsen (producer) (Jan 25).
Join Rock Industry’s California Relief Efforts
Twenty-four people are confirmed dead from the fires in California, which burned more than 40k acres and destroyed 12k structures. 92k residents are under evacuation orders, and another 89k are in warning zones. Chris Shifflet (Foo Fighters), Gary Spivack (Danny Wimmer Presents), Marko DeSantis (Sugarcult), Ken Pittman (CO5 and #HAPPENS), and Alexandra Baker (High Rise PR) are among the names from our corner of the industry on this regularly updated Google doc, which includes links to GoFundMe pages and other ways to help. Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) and Larry LaLonde (Primus) lost their homes. “Stephanie and I have had to
Week of 01/13/2025
Birthday wishes to Ian Harrison (Hopeless Records), Alex Varkatzas (Dead Icarus) (Jan 17); Jen Appel (publicist), Andy Snape (Rise Records), Jackie Kajzer (10th Street) (Jan 18); and Erick Edwards (Earth Crisis) (Jan 19).
Chicago’s Rock 95.5 Debuts Morning Mosh Pit
ROCK 95.5 WCHI-FM Chicago debuted The Morning Mosh Pit with evening host Maria Palmer now joining Matt "Marris" Harris and Michael Mason.
RANDY HAWKE & LYNDSEY BISHOP Promoted at Mid-West Madison
Mid-West Family Madison, WI promoted Randy Hawke to General Manager and Lyndsey Bishop to Vice President of Business Development. Congratulations to both of them!
MANFRED SCHÜTZ, RIP
SPV founder Manfred Schütz passed away on January 3, 2025, at 74, after a long and serious illness. Manfred launched the rock and metal heavy SPV in 1984, once the largest indie distro in Europe. SPV sub-label Steamhammer released essential metal albums from Sodom and Destruction and licensed records by Metal Church and Trouble. In the nineties, SPV was home to legendary bands like Motörhead, Dio, Judas Priest, Saxon, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. In the 2000s, Steamhammer signed Whitesnake, Alice Cooper, Helloween, Kreator, and Gamma Ray. After leaving SPV, he started MIG Music, which will continue under the management of Tanja Michaelis and
