Highlights from the list of June 2016 new music releases include rare new music from familiar names, offbeat approaches to presenting older songs and a look back at one of rock's most storied projects.

Stranger to Stranger, Paul Simon's first studio album since 2011, uses sound as a theme, he said. "If people get that, I’ll be pleased," Simon noted. "A beautiful sound – well, that’s forever." It's taken Toto co-founder Steve Porcaro even longer – decades, in fact – to polish up Someday/Somehow. The earliest of this solo debut album's tracks dates all the way back to 1983. Longtime Toto associate Michael McDonald contributes vocals to a pair of songs, "Night of Our Own" and "Swing Street."

The Beach Boys mark the 50th anniversary of the classic Pet Sounds project with a new five-disc exploration of that era, complete with various mixes, outtakes, alternate versions and a Blu-ray audio disc featuring a 5.1 surround sound mix. Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones have given their own multi-disc overhaul to a 1995 acoustic live album on Totally Stripped. The expanded set collects three complete shows from the Paradiso in Amsterdam, L’Olympia in Paris and Brixton Academy in London.

Paul McCartney is issuing an updated solo career-spanning compilation – but with a twist. There are plenty of the expected hits on Pure McCartney, but also some notably offbeat deep cuts. Neil Young throws a curve ball too, offering a live set that combines new concert readings with the Promise of the Real band along with ambient elements like car horns, insects and animal sounds.

More information on these and other classic-rock releases can be found below. And remember to look at our updated list of 2016 New Music Releases for details on music issued throughout the year.

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    June 3

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    June 10

    Beach Boys, Pet Sounds: 50th Anniversary Collectors Edition
    Electric Light Orchestra, The Studio Albums 1973-1977
    John Mellencamp, American Fool, Uh-Huh, Scarecrow, The Lonesome Jubilee (vinyl reissues); The Vinyl Collection 1982-1989
    Paul McCartney, Pure McCartney
    Phil Collins, … But Seriously: Deluxe Edition, The Essential Going Back: Deluxe Edition (reissues)
    Motörhead, Clean Your Clock: Live in Munich 2015 (DVD/Blu-ray)
    The Monkees, Good Times
    Steve Porcaro (Toto), Someday / Somehow
    Van Morrison, It’s Too Late to Stop Now … Volumes II, III, IV & DVD

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    June 17

    Chicago, Chicago Quadio Box
    Neil Young, Earth
    Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Getaway
    The Who, Volume 4: The Polydor Singles 1975-2015

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    June 24

    Bun E. Carlos, Welcome to Bunezuela!
    Foghat, Under the Influence
    Jon Anderson, Invention of Knowledge (with Roine Stolt)
    Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes), Flux
    Steve Hackett, The Total Experience Live in Liverpool (CD/DVD)

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    Coming in July

    Survivor, The Definitive Collection
    The Tubes, Young and Rich / Now (reissue)
    Johnny Winter, Joe Jackson, Mitch Ryder, Ian Hunter, Stray Cats, UFO + others, Best of Rockpalast
    Jeff Beck, untitled new album
    Fleetwood Mac, Mirage (reissue)

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