Who we cover & how

The Roster

We don't cover everything. We cover what matters. High-priority bands get full hubs and recurring coverage. Roster bands get the stories that count. And once in a while, when something big enough happens anywhere in music, we make an exception.

Tier 01 · High Priority

Full coverage

High Priority · Hub Live

The 1975

Manchester's shape-shifters, tracked era by era. Currently: two finished albums, a title called DOGS, and a rumor mill at full spin.

Enter the hub → High Priority · Hub Live

Blink-182

The reunited trio that made pop-punk a stadium sport. Currently: album ten in progress, per Travis Barker — confirmed Aug 2026.

Enter the hub →
Tier 02 · The Roster

Significant stories only

ColdplayStadium-scale melancholy turned technicolor joy.On our radar
Green DayBerkeley punks who grew into rock opera.On our radar
Fall Out BoyChicago hooks, wordy titles, arena emo.On our radar
Foo FightersThe last great American rock institution.On our radar
HAIMThree sisters, LA grooves, immaculate feel.On our radar
Kings of LeonSouthern fire with festival-sized choruses.On our radar
Linkin ParkGenre-fusing giants, reborn for a new decade.On our radar
MetallicaThe biggest metal band that ever was.On our radar
My Chemical RomanceTheatrical emo's dark royalty.On our radar
New Found GloryPop-punk's most reliable engine.On our radar
OasisBritpop's brawling royalty, back together.Hub live →
Pale WavesGoth-pop shimmer from Manchester.On our radar
ParamoreFrom Franklin basements to genre-defying icons.On our radar
Pearl JamSeattle's conscience, still burning.On our radar
The Smashing PumpkinsGrand ambitions, infinite sadness.On our radar
U2Four decades chasing the biggest sound on Earth.On our radar
The Vault · Story-first hubs

Covered for the catalog

Not on the news beat — on the shelf. These hubs exist because their records earned a Making Of deep dive, and they grow guide by guide.

Fleetwood MacFive people, four breakups, one perfect album. Guide: "Dreams."Hub live → NirvanaThree chords that ended the '80s. Guide: "Smells Like Teen Spirit."Hub live → Pink FloydThe biggest concept-album band in history. Guide: "Comfortably Numb."Hub live →
The exception rule

Some news is too big to skip

When something seismic happens beyond the roster, the kind of story every music fan will be talking about tomorrow, we cover it. Rarely, and only when it's earned.

Read the Wire