Album Review – Black Stone Cherry – Don’t You (Forget About Me)

Black Stone Cherry

CELEBRATE!

EDITOR’S NOTE: YES it says the EP title right there, but this is about the NEW single!!! Don’t You (Forget About Me)! The stunning cover Black Stone Cherry has done of the classic Simple Minds tune, that was featured in The Breakfast Club!

If you remember I’ve written about Black Stone Cherry before….. There were my reviews of their third and fourth albums, and then my review of their sixth album, plus when Karen and I got to see them live in 2018. You can check out my review of Family Tree HERE, and the Concert write up HERE! Plus the GCR/Music Talks episode I did with Terry Smith, listen to that HERE!

“We are a Destroy Your Ass Live Band is what we are.” – John Fred Young Black Stone Cherry

He’s not wrong at all. As I mentioned above Karen and I got to see BSC live in 2018, and they blew the roof off the place. It’s 2026, Karen unfortunately, and sadly passed away in 2021. It’s been a rough 5 years for me… HOWEVER when I get NEW Black Stone Cherry, I’m so ready and pumped. The FUNNY AND IRONIC thing about them releasing the cover of Don’t You (Forget About Me) is that on New Years Eve 2025 I released the Studio 2009 40th Anniversary episode of Steve Megatron and I discussing The Breakfast Club, you can listen to that right HERE! And in searching for that post I found the 30th Anniversary of the film episode 11 years ago that I did with Doug Abel from the Talkin’ Bout My Generation podcast. I linked that 30th anniversary episode in the 40th anniversary episode, just so it’s easier.

Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me)!

On January 9th we got the teaser for the new BSC single that would be on the Celebrate EP. Instantly everything in my life changed. I was happier, I was not worried about anything that I had to worry about. I was in the moment with BLACK STONE CHERRY FEATURING TYLER CONOLLY OF THEORY OF A DEADMAN SINGING DON’T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME)! It was ELECTRIC! From January 15th to 17th the BSC cover with Tyler from Theory is all I listened to. I didn’t listen to any of the podcast in my podcasts tab on Spotify, I didn’t listen to any other variety of my other music playlists. It was just this one song…

Here’s the thing with a BLACK STONE CHERRY COVER…. When these guys do covers, it’s just like when they do CONCERTS, or anything else…. they PUT THEIR ALL INTO IT, and they BLOW THE GODDAMN ROOF OFF THE PLACE!!!! Don’t You (Forget About Me) is no different! So yeah I am loving this single, it not only takes me back in time, it just makes me happy to hear my favorite band cover a song that is just so friggin’ cool. Between John Fred Young’s downright damning drumming, to Steve Jewel Jr and Ben Wells on the guitars they nail the tones the song has, but they elevate it to the BSC style!! Then you bring in Chris Robertson and his own guitar playing, plus his vocals… Damn that man can sing! Seriously Chris Robertson is by far one of my favorite singers in the last twenty years! That little bit of southern twang Chris has, but then he can belt out notes when he wants to. It all just comes together!

That’s what I love about Black Stone Cherry, everything just works with them… And then you add in THEORY OF A DEADMAN’S lead singer TYLER CONOLLY!!! I wasn’t sure that was gonna fit, but it does, because the song has a break right in between where BSC ends their set, and Tyler picks up his part! It’s just amazing!

CONCLUSION:

Even though this is just the third single off of the CELEBRATE EP, Black Stone Cherry ALWAYS bring the house down, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album on March 6, 2026!!! I hope everyone reading this will join Cherry Heads: The Official Black Stone Cherry Family group on Facebook! I love interacting with fellow BSC fans, and we are all family. I’m rating this track 5 Stars, you can read the GCRN GEEK METER HERE.