When we think back to the biggest news-makers of 2008, we recall happy stories, sad stories and tales of the truly bizarre. Here are the Top 10 most memorable rock stories of 2008, a series of snapshots from a crazy year.
10. Scars on Broadway Cancel Tour for Mysterious Reasons
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Mere weeks before launching their first U.S. tour, Scars on Broadway frontman Daron Malakian canceled all dates, stating that "his heart wasn't into touring at this time." Wild speculation started circulating immediately: Was Malakian's old band, System of a Down, reuniting? Was Malakian in rehab? Did he have cancer?
9. Led Zeppelin Reunion Inspires ... Creed Reunion?
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After the other members of Creed split with lead singer Scott Stapp in 2004, they formed Alter Bridge with new frontman Myles Kennedy. But when word spread that Kennedy was going to jump ship and take over for Robert Plant for next year's purported Led Zeppelin reunion tour, Creed fans started getting excited -- were the Florida rockers willing to bury the hatchet and get back on the road?
8. Deftones Bassist's Car Accident Lands Him in Coma
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images.
Deftones bassist Chi Cheng was involved in a serious car accident, which left him in a coma. The band members updated concerned fans on his condition through their website, asking for their prayers and good wishes. Naturally, the album Deftones had been working on suddenly became a very low priority.
7. Rage Against the Machine Rock the DNC and RNC
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2008 was an election year, and one politically-minded band that made their voice heard was Rage Against the Machine. Playing at both the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention, Rage mobilized fans to become involved in the electoral process, going so far as to take part in antiwar rallies. But the scene got a little scary outside the arena where Rage played in Minneapolis during the RNC, with over 100 protesters getting arrested.
6. It's Kid Rock's World - We Just Live in It
Photo: Monica Morgan/Getty Images.
Riding high on the continued success of Rock N' Roll Jesus, Kid Rock dominated headlines for different reasons. "All Summer Long" proved to be a hit across many different formats, but when he wasn't getting our attention through music, he was dealing with the fallout from a bizarre Waffle House altercation that led to his arrest.
5. Nickelback Sign With Live Nation, Record Labels Get Even More Depressed
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Concert promoter Live Nation made a major push to assert its dominance in the music industry by signing heavyweight talent to lucrative album-and-concert deals. After snagging Madonna, U2 and Jay-Z, the company landed Nickelback. The band's new album, Dark Horse, wasn't part of the Live Nation deal, but as labels' financial future hangs in the balance, the betting is that more superstar acts will abandon traditional record contracts for these new so-called "unified rights" deals.
4. Chris Cornell Makes an Album With Timbaland
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When you think of Chris Cornell, you think of Soundgarden. When you think of Timbaland, you think of Missy Elliott. How could these two come together to make a record? Well, it happened -- for his third solo album, Cornell teamed up with the hitmaking hip-hop producer. Was it a good idea or a terrible one? We'll find out when Scream hits stores next year.
3. Stone Temple Pilots Get Back Together for Beleaguered Summer Tour
Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images.
After exiting Velvet Revolver, Scott Weiland and the rest of Stone Temple Pilots announced that they would be reuniting for a tour -- their first in six years. But this triumphant return hardly went smoothly, and soon there were reports of screaming matches, erratic performances and a canceled date in Florida because of "inclement weather," even though there wasn't any inclement weather to blame. Scott Weiland ended the year releasing a solo album, "Happy" in Galoshes, and STP's future remains cloudy.
2. Nine Inch Nails Release 'The Slip' - for Free!
Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images.
After putting the finishing touches on his band's latest album, The Slip, Trent Reznor decided to make the record available on the Nine Inch Nails website to download for free. In the wake of similar online-distribution records like Radiohead's In Rainbows, The Slip's release was regarded as a possible sign of where artists might be headed in the future -- making their albums free as a way to generate interest in their subsequent tours.
1. 'Chinese Democracy' Finally Arrives
Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect.
For years, Chinese Democracy was the punch line to a running joke -- the title to the long-gestating Guns N' Roses album that would never, we assumed, see the light of day. Well, after years of false promises, Axl Rose delivered in 2008: Chinese Democracy was sold exclusively through Best Buy stores right before Thanksgiving. Opinions varied on the album's artistic achievement, but Democracy proved to be one of the year's strongest rock releases.
