When’s the last time you put some music on, sat down, and just listened? Disqualify yourself if you: read a magazine/book, turned on the television, played a video game, checked your email, texted somebody. I bet it’s been a while, eh?

David Bowie’s long-awaited single “Where Are We Now,” in a roundabout way, helped inspire the name of Eric Clapton’s new album Old Sock, which the guitarist reveals originally had a far different working title.

David Bowie and Eric Clapton return with albums that recall their glory years, while Shooter Jennings — both as a solo artist and as a producer with Fifth on the Floor — makes two appearances on our list.

A first-call bassist boasting appearances on more than 500 albums, Tony Levin is giving nothing away to age, even as he approaches his 67th birthday.

Straight to it: Over the years, David Bowie’s continual shifting and remaking of his persona struck many as a case of someone trying too hard to convince the world that he was not simply a pop star, but was actually some kind of artiste.

David Bowie’s great contribution to rock hasn’t been his voice, which can be as thin as his own translucent visage. It’s in his ability to remove one mask only to reveal another — his ability to surprise. Same here.

You knew that if David Bowie ever ended his premature retirement, it would be like this — completely out of nowhere. One of rock’s most mercurial figures, he has returned as suddenly as he left.

Dan Wooding, author of 45 books, was the first journalist to ever write a story about the young Rick Wakeman. That gives him a unique perspective on the legendary keyboardist’s work

If you always wondered what the Red Hot Chili Peppers would sound like covering their fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees — both the expected (the Ramones, Iggy Pop) and the decidedly less so (Dion, the Beach Boys) — here’s your chance.

With all the media attention surrounding Axl Rose thumbing his nose at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week, it’s been a little sad to see the induction of 2012 fellow honoree Donovan Leitch become swallowed up in the hoopla.