Every year in rock is a ride, mun — full of gigs, chaos, and ear-bleeding riffs. But 2025 has also been a brutal reminder that even our loudest icons don’t get to play forever. This year, the Grim Reaper’s been stage-diving through the rock world, and we’ve had to say goodbye to some proper giants.
So grab a pint, raise it to the sky, and let’s honour those legends whose riffs, screams, and harmonies will echo forever. 🍻
🕯️ Ozzy Osbourne (1948–2025) – The Prince of Darkness 👑🦇
22 July 2025 stopped the rock world in its tracks. Ozzy Osbourne, the Brummie madman who helped invent heavy metal, left us at 76.
From Black Sabbath’s crushing doom riffs to the wild solo years of Crazy Train and No More Tears, Ozzy wasn’t just a singer — he was a cultural hurricane. The man bit bats, turned TV reality into chaos (The Osbournes), and stood as a working-class hero until the very end.
He had just played one last triumphant Sabbath send-off in Birmingham weeks earlier. Only in Wales, mun, you could hear the tears and the chants of “Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!” from Cardiff to Caerphilly. 🏴
👉 Essential spin: Paranoid (Black Sabbath), Blizzard of Ozz (solo).
🎹 Garth Hudson (1937–2025) – The Secret Weapon of The Band
On 21 January 2025, we lost Garth Hudson, aged 87 — the quiet genius behind The Band’s sound.
While Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm got the spotlight, it was Hudson’s swirling organ and saxophone that gave classics like The Weight and Chest Fever their magic. Without him, Americana and roots rock might never have had their timeless vibe.
👉 Essential spin: Music from Big Pink (The Band).
🎤 Sly Stone (1942–2025) – Funk Rock Pioneer
When news broke that Sly Stone had passed in 2025, fans cried, “Thank you for lettin’ us be ourselves again.” He was 82.
Leader of Sly & the Family Stone, Sly mixed rock, funk, gospel, and psychedelia into something nobody had ever heard before. He broke racial and gender barriers with his band, crafting anthems like Everyday People and Dance to the Music.
Without Sly, there’d be no Red Hot Chili Peppers, no Prince, and no funk-rock fusion to fuel festival dance pits.
👉 Essential spin: Stand! (1969).
💄 David Johansen (1950–2025) – Glam Punk’s Wild Child
On 1 March 2025, David Johansen — frontman of the New York Dolls — left us at 75.
Before the Sex Pistols spat at audiences and before glam had glitter cannons, the Dolls strutted in heels and ripped leather, kicking down the doors for punk and hard rock alike.
Johansen later morphed into Buster Poindexter (yes, the “Hot Hot Hot” guy), but to us, he’ll always be the sneering, lipstick-smeared prophet of chaos.
👉 Essential spin: New York Dolls (1973).
🌹 Marianne Faithfull (1946–2025) – The Velvet Rebel
Marianne Faithfull’s passing in 2025 hit like a sigh across the rock world. From the 1960s Swinging London days (As Tears Go By) to her raw 1979 comeback Broken English, she lived a life tangled in love, loss, addiction, and art.
Faithfull wasn’t just a muse — she was a survivor, a poet, and a voice that cracked with truth. She embodied rock’s darker, more fragile soul.
👉 Essential spin: Broken English (1979).
🏄 Brian Wilson (1942–2025) – The Troubled Genius of The Beach Boys
The harmonies of summer dimmed in 2025 as Brian Wilson left this world.
A visionary whose mind was both his gift and torment, Wilson’s work with The Beach Boys (Pet Sounds, Smile) changed pop and rock forever. He painted soundscapes of innocence, heartbreak, and acid-trip weirdness, influencing everyone from The Beatles to Tame Impala.
Though his demons haunted him, Wilson kept performing and inspiring right to the end.
👉 Essential spin: Pet Sounds (1966).
🎹 Rick Davies (1944–2025) – The Voice of Supertramp
Rick Davies, the co-founder, pianist, and singer of Supertramp, died in early September 2025 at 81.
If you’ve ever shouted “Goodbye stranger, it’s been nice…” in a pub, you’ve sung his words. His jazzy, prog-tinged piano anchored one of the most unique bands of the 1970s. Together with Roger Hodgson, he created Breakfast in America, one of the most enduring albums of all time.
👉 Essential spin: Crime of the Century (1974).
🎙️ Chris Youlden (1943–2025) – Blues Rock Storyteller
On 4 April 2025, Chris Youlden of Savoy Brown passed at 82.
His deep, smoky voice and songwriting chops carried the British blues boom, influencing bands from Fleetwood Mac to Led Zeppelin. If you’ve ever sunk into a bluesy riff in a pub basement, chances are you were hearing echoes of Youlden’s style.
👉 Essential spin: Blue Matter (1969).
🎸 Johan Slager (1946–2025) – Kayak’s Prog Rock Guitarist
Dutch guitarist Johan Slager, co-founder of prog legends Kayak, died 22 January 2025 at 78.
He helped shape the European prog/art rock sound — lush melodies, soaring solos, and a touch of theatrical flair that fit right in with Yes and Genesis.
👉 Essential spin: See See the Sun (1973).
🥁 Jim Kimball (1966–2025) – Underground Punk Power
Jim Kimball, drummer with Laughing Hyenas and other post-punk/noise rock bands, died 27 August 2025 at just 59.
He wasn’t a stadium name, but in underground circles, he was a legend. His raw energy behind the kit helped fuel America’s noisy alternative scene of the ’80s and ’90s.
👉 Essential spin: Laughing Hyenas – Life of Crime (1986).
⚡ Final Encore
2025 has been a year of brutal goodbyes — but rock and roll doesn’t die, it multiplies. These legends might have left the stage, but their riffs, lyrics, and madness still roar in every gig, every dive bar, every dodgy student union cover band.
As we raise our horns 🖤🤘, let’s keep them alive the only way we know how: by playing it louder than ever.
Diolch, legends. Proper job. 🏴🔥
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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