Bob Rock

Bob Rock
Robert Jens Rock (born April 19, 1954) is a Canadian record producer, sound engineer and musician, best known for producing rock bands and music artists such as Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, the Tragically Hip, the Cult, 311, Our Lady Peace, Bryan Adams, the Offspring, Michael Bublé, Black Veil Brides, David Lee Roth, and Ron Sexsmith.
Payolas and Rock and Hyde
Rock began his music career in Langford, British Columbia (a suburb of Victoria), as a guitarist playing with friends William Alexander and Paul Hyde in the former's household basement. After high school graduation, Rock left Victoria and became the co-founder of the Payolas, who became well known with the success of their 1980s hit, "Eyes of a Stranger", which was used as part of the soundtrack of the movie Valley Girl starring Nicolas Cage.
In 1983, the Payolas won the Juno Award for Single of the Year. Rock also worked as an assistant engineer at Little Mountain Sound in Vancouver. In 1987, the band (who had by then changed their name to Paul Hyde and the Payolas) again changed their name to Rock and Hyde and had two hit singles in Canada with the song "Dirty Water" (#20), which also charted on Billboard's Hot 100, and "I Will (#40). In 2007, the Payolas became briefly active once more as a touring and recording act, releasing the EP Langford Part One.
Production career
Rock is well known as a producer for heavy metal bands such as Metallica and Mötley Crüe. He has also worked with Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Blue Murder, the Moffatts, Cher, the Cult, David Lee Roth, Skid Row, Veruca Salt, Nina Gordon, the Offspring, 311, Our Lady Peace, the Tragically Hip, the Tea Party, Lostprophets, American Hi-Fi, Simple Plan, Tonic, Nelly Furtado, Jann Arden, and Ron Sexsmith.
Rock briefly returned to performing, forming the band Rockhead with ex-Payolas drummer Chris Taylor. The band released one self-titled album and two singles before splitting up. Rock produced the five finalist songs of CBC Sports's Hockey Night in Canada Anthem Challenge in late 2008.
Metallica
In 1990, Rock was chosen to produce Metallica's Diamond-certified (16× Platinum) self-titled album (commonly referred to as The Black Album). He would subsequently produce Load (1996), ReLoad (1997), the new material for the band's cover album, Garage Inc. (1998), and St. Anger (2003).
Rock also wrote and played all of the bass guitar parts on St. Anger, as Jason Newsted left Metallica in January 2001, and was the bassist for the band's few live performances until Robert Trujillo joined the band in February 2003. Rock was featured prominently in the 2004 documentary film Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, which dealt with Metallica's internal strife and their struggles with the creative process during the recording of St. Anger.
In February 2006, Metallica chose producer Rick Rubin to produce their next album, ending the band's long-time relationship with Rock, being 13 years. At Metallica's 30th Anniversary Concert on December 10, 2011, Rock joined Metallica onstage, and performed bass alongside Trujillo on the songs "Dirty Window" and "Frantic".
Awards
Rock's career both as a producer and musician was recognized at the 2007 Juno Awards ceremony in Saskatoon for his lifetime contribution to popular music. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). "Bob is a musical craftsman whose wide range of talents show no signs of slowing," said Melanie Berry, CARAS President. "He has helped to define rock as we know it today, and we are very proud to recognize him in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame."
Rock has received 4x multi-platinum for "Wanted Dead or Alive" and 2x multi-platinum for "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi.
Rock confirmed his acceptance of the award: "It is an honour to join great producers like Bob Ezrin, Bruce Fairbairn, Daniel Lanois, Jack Richardson, and David Foster in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame" said Rock. "They are all giants of the industry, and to be recognized, means that I had to have worked with truly great artists. I thank them for their confidence and inspiration."
Rock has received nominations for 17 Juno Awards in various categories, including "Producer of the Year", "Recording Engineer of the Year", "Composer of the Year", and "Entertainer of the Year". He has won on numerous occasions for both his production work and his work with Payola$ and Rock and Hyde.
Rock last won Producer of the Year in 2005 for Simple Plan's "Welcome to My Life". He was nominated for 2007 Producer of the Year for his work on The Tragically Hip's album World Container. In 2014, Rock won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his work on Michael Bublé's album To Be Loved. In 2023, he won a Grammy Award for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album” for his work on Bublé's album Higher.
Discography
Musician
Payolas In a Place Like This (1981)
Payolas No Stranger to Danger (1982)
Strange Advance Worlds Away (1982)
Payolas Hammer on a Drum (1983)
Paul Hyde & The Payolas Here's the World for Ya (1985)
Zappacosta A to Z (1986)
Rock and Hyde Under the Volcano (1987)
Mötley Crüe Dr. Feelgood (1989)
Rockhead Rockhead (1992)
Metallica St. Anger (2003)
Gord Downie, Lustre Parfait (2023)
Producer
1979 Young Canadians Hawaii (EP)
1979 The Subhumans Death Was Too Kind (EP)
1980 Pointed Sticks Perfect Youth
1981 Payolas In a Place Like This
1984 Servant Light Maneuvers
1986 Zappacosta A to Z
1986 The Cheer Shot with Our Own Guns
1987 Rock and Hyde Under the Volcano
1988 Kingdom Come Kingdom Come
1988 Colin James
1989 The Cult Sonic Temple
1989 Blue Murder Blue Murder
1989 Mötley Crüe Dr. Feelgood
1989 Loverboy Big Ones (new material)
1990 Little Caesar Little Caesar
1990 Electric Boys Funk 'o Metal Carpet Ride
1991 David Lee Roth A Little Ain't Enough
1991 Metallica Metallica (The Black Album)
1991 Mötley Crüe Decade of Decadence (new material)
1992 Cher Love Hurts
1992 Bon Jovi Keep the Faith
1992 Rockhead Rockhead
1993 Quireboys Bitter Sweet & Twisted
1994 Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe
1994 The Cult The Cult
1995 Skid Row Subhuman Race
1996 Metallica Load
1997 Metallica Reload
1997 Veruca Salt Eight Arms to Hold You
1998 Metallica Garage Inc. (Disc 1)
1998 Bryan Adams On a Day Like Today
1998 Mötley Crüe Greatest Hits (new material)
1999 Tal Bachman
1999 Metallica S&M
2000 Sins of the Fallen Son The Raven
2000 Nina Gordon Tonight and the Rest of My Life
2000 Paul Hyde Living off the Radar
2000 Metallica I Disappear
2000 The Moffatts Submodalities
2001 American Hi-Fi American Hi-Fi
2001 Antifreez The Sunshine Daisies
2001 The Cult Beyond Good and Evil
2001 Econoline Crush Brand New History
2002 Our Lady Peace Gravity
2003 Tonic Head on Straight
2003 Metallica St. Anger
2004 The Tea Party Seven Circles
2004 Simple Plan Still Not Getting Any...
2005 Mötley Crüe Red, White & Crüe (new material)
2005 Our Lady Peace Healthy in Paranoid Times
2006 Nina Gordon Bleeding Heart Graffiti
2006 Lostprophets Liberation Transmission
2006 Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Sinner
2006 The Tragically Hip World Container
2007 Payolas Langford Part 1
2007 Michael Bublé Call Me Irresponsible
2008 Gavin Rossdale Wanderlust
2008 The Offspring Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
2008 The Sessions The Sessions Is Listed as In a Relationship
2008 D.O.A Northern Avenger
2009 The Tragically Hip We Are the Same
2009 311 Uplifter
2009 Art Bergmann Lost Art Bergmann
2009 Michael Bublé Crazy Love
2010 Michael Bublé Crazy Love (Hollywood Edition)
2010 American Bang American Bang
2011 Sins of the Fallen Son End Time
2011 311 Universal Pulse
2011 Bush The Sea of Memories
2011 Jann Arden Uncover Me 2
2011 Michael Bublé Christmas
2011 Ron Sexsmith Long Player Late Bloomer
2012 The Cult Choice of Weapon
2012 Loverboy Rock 'n' Roll Revival
2012 The Offspring Days Go By
2012 Nelly Furtado The Spirit Indestructible
2013 Michael Bublé To Be Loved
2014 Black Veil Brides Black Veil Brides IV
2014 Sarah McLachlan Shine On
2014 Jann Arden Everything Almost
2014 Bryan Adams Tracks of My Years
2015 The Offspring Coming for You (Single)
2016 The Cult Hidden City
2017 Bush Black and White Rainbows
2018 Jann Arden These Are the Days
2018 RSO (Richie Sambora and Orianthi) Radio Free America
2019 Bryan Adams Shine a Light
2019 Mötley Crüe The Dirt
2021 The Damn Truth This Is Who We Are Now
2021 The Offspring Let the Bad Times Roll
Engineer/mixer
1979 Prism Armageddon
1979 Survivor Survivor
1979 Servant Shallow Water
1980 Private Lines Trouble in School assistant engineer
1980 Prism Young and Restless
1980 Loverboy Loverboy
1980 Modernettes Teen City
1981 Servant Rockin' Revival
1981 Loverboy Get Lucky
1982 Strange Advance Worlds Away
1982 Payolas No Stranger to Danger
1983 Loverboy Keep it Up
1983 Payolas Hammer on a Drum
1984 Krokus The Blitz
1984 Sins of the Fallen Son The Raven
1984 Chilliwack Look in Look Out
1985 Paul Hyde and the Payolas Here's the World for Ya
1985 Northern Lights "Tears Are Not Enough"
1985 Black 'n Blue Without Love
1986 Zappacosta A to Z
1986 Honeymoon Suite The Big Prize
1986 Paul Janz Electricity
1986 Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet
1987 Rock and Hyde Under the Volcano
1987 Loverboy Wildside
1987 Aerosmith Permanent Vacation
1988 Bon Jovi New Jersey
1989 Paul Dean Hard Core
2022 Kirk HammettPortals
See also
Music of Canada
Canadian Music Hall of Fame
References
External links
Entry at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
1954 births
Living people
Canadian audio engineers
Canadian record producers
Canadian rock guitarists
Canadian male guitarists
Canadian new wave musicians
Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award winners
Juno Award for Recording Engineer of the Year winners
Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year winners
Metallica members
Musicians from British Columbia
Musicians from Winnipeg
People from the Capital Regional District
Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees