Guitar Center surveyed store leadership nationwide to identify the most overplayed songs, creating an official list of riffs customers attempt most frequently. CEO Gabe Dalporto said the results were “really consistent” across locations and regions. Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” topped the ranking, followed by Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Both Metallica and Nirvana placed two songs each, with “Enter Sandman” and “Come As You Are” also making the cut. Surprising entries included Tool’s “Schism” and John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,” which Dalporto noted stands out on a list that “leans towards harder rock.” Notable absences were Jimi Hendrix songs and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” despite the latter’s reputation as the quintessential overplayed guitar shop song. Story URL
Foo Fighters altered their new album title after a conflict with the blockbuster musical sequel Wicked: For Good. “I wanted to call the record For Good because that song, ‘Your Favorite Toy,’ at first I called it ‘For Good,'” Dave Grohl explained to Radio X. The title referenced lyrics “Get back, hear that boy/Someone threw away your favorite toy for good.” However, when Wicked: For Good arrived in theaters last November, Grohl said “I was so pissed. So then I changed the title of the song, and then it just became the title of the album.” The Jon M. Chu film was the second half of his Broadway musical adaptation, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Foo Fighters released Your Favorite Toy last month and will perform at Welcome to Rockville festival in Daytona Beach on Friday. Story URL
Alex Ligertwood, the Scottish singer who served as Santana’s vocalist for 15 years, has died at age 79. His wife and agent Shawn Brogan confirmed he passed peacefully at his Santa Monica home with his dog Bobo beside him. No cause of death was disclosed. Ligertwood joined Santana in 1979 and remained until 1994, performing hits like “You Know That I Love You” and “Winning.” He co-wrote songs including “Somewhere in Heaven” and “Brightest Star.” Born in Glasgow in 1946, Ligertwood began in Scottish skiffle bands before working with Jeff Beck Group, Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express, and Average White Band during the 1970s. He also provided session vocals for Carly Simon and Ben E. King. Carlos Santana praised Ligertwood’s “great R&B voice” in his memoir, writing that he “can make you feel God in his singing.” Ligertwood performed his final show two weeks before his death. Story URL