A lot already mentioned see finally got a Morrison mention. Dude lived and died in Rockstar fashion

Agreed.

Sammy is still amazing live also. Unbelievable.

TP Ag '87 said:

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Even if you loathe "Van Hagar," I'd say Sammy. Having your name on a bar in Cabo, where you play a sold-out gig on your birthday every year,..smoking hot wife...very recognizable....

I think he checks the boxes.

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Qualifications: Lead singer for Van Halen for the second half of their career, starting with two successful 80's releases. Created a lifelong barroom debate about Roth vs Hagar.

He qualifies based on that alone, without even mentioning his pre VH success. He almost diminishes his own rock Star legacy by being so approachable, fun, and successful after the fact. It's better to burn out than fade away. No one told Sammy. He chose neither.

Philo B 93 said:

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TP Ag '87 said:

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Even if you loathe "Van Hagar," I'd say Sammy. Having your name on a bar in Cabo, where you play a sold-out gig on your birthday every year,..smoking hot wife...very recognizable....

I think he checks the boxes.

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Qualifications: Lead singer for Van Halen for the second half of their career, starting with two successful 80's releases. Created a lifelong barroom debate about Roth vs Hagar.

He qualifies based on that alone, without even mentioning his pre VH success. He almost diminishes his own rock Star legacy by being so approachable, fun, and successful after the fact. It's better to burn out than fade away. No one told Sammy. He chose neither.

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His band The Circle with Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham, and Vic Johnson is fun.

Their cover album Lockdown 2020 is fun!

And don't forget lead singer of Montrose.

The first generation of rock and roll stars in the 50s paved the way for the rock stars of the 60s/70s and on. Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Chuck Berry were the originals.
Someone that hasn't been mentioned is Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode. He's done the sex drugs and rock and roll life and come out the other side and still has arenas eating out of his hand.

Everything else aside, to me, a rock star is the person that can command the attention of 50k plus.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMey7LkXV/

I don't think y'all are giving enough attention to the "Star" part of the Rock Star title. A true Rock Star has to be a "Star" in the pop culture world in addition to being a great musician, otherwise they're just a rock musician.

There are lots of great actors in Hollywood, and not all of them are "Movie Stars". You have to achieve a level of celebrity that makes you a household name to be considered a Star and not just an actor, even if you are a great one. I think the same should be true of a "Rock Star".

62strat said:

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PatAg said:

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John Francis Donaghy said:

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Thread about instantly recognizable quintessential rock stars.

Texags lists 2 pages of obscure names most people have never heard before, and a handfup of frontmen from 40 years ago that are probably on Covid lockdown in their nursing homes right now.

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You think most people have never heard of Arctic Monkeys? You couldn't go anywhere without hearing Do I wanna Know or R U Mine for a few years. around 2013

They were also HUGE for about 8-10 years prior to that in Europe, and people who like that genre in the US knew as well.

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Hearing a song while doing your grocery shopping or mall shopping does not make the band members rock stars. The general public kinda has to know what they look like.

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Maybe most of the people on this thread are too old to know any younger rockstars

PatAg said:

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62strat said:

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PatAg said:

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John Francis Donaghy said:

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Thread about instantly recognizable quintessential rock stars.

Texags lists 2 pages of obscure names most people have never heard before, and a handfup of frontmen from 40 years ago that are probably on Covid lockdown in their nursing homes right now.

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You think most people have never heard of Arctic Monkeys? You couldn't go anywhere without hearing Do I wanna Know or R U Mine for a few years. around 2013

They were also HUGE for about 8-10 years prior to that in Europe, and people who like that genre in the US knew as well.

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Hearing a song while doing your grocery shopping or mall shopping does not make the band members rock stars. The general public kinda has to know what they look like.

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Maybe most of the people on this thread are too old to know any younger rockstars

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just for comparisons sake, people knew what Elvis, Beatles, rolling stones, Aerosmith, VH, gnr, etc all looked like, and all only because of TV.

Now an 'artist' has a half a dozen or more social media outlets, and while I certainly know a few arctic monkeys songs, I don't think I've ever seen them. And has there at least been one article written about any arctic monkey that involved getting arrested, drugs, or the like? That is kind of a requirement.

STAND UP AND SHOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!!!

62strat said:

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PatAg said:

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62strat said:

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PatAg said:

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John Francis Donaghy said:

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Thread about instantly recognizable quintessential rock stars.

Texags lists 2 pages of obscure names most people have never heard before, and a handfup of frontmen from 40 years ago that are probably on Covid lockdown in their nursing homes right now.

---

You think most people have never heard of Arctic Monkeys? You couldn't go anywhere without hearing Do I wanna Know or R U Mine for a few years. around 2013

They were also HUGE for about 8-10 years prior to that in Europe, and people who like that genre in the US knew as well.

---

Hearing a song while doing your grocery shopping or mall shopping does not make the band members rock stars. The general public kinda has to know what they look like.

---

Maybe most of the people on this thread are too old to know any younger rockstars

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just for comparisons sake, people knew what Elvis, Beatles, rolling stones, Aerosmith, VH, gnr, etc all looked like, and all only because of TV.

Now an 'artist' has a half a dozen or more social media outlets, and while I certainly know a few arctic monkeys songs, I don't think I've ever seen them. And has there at least been one article written about any arctic monkey that involved getting arrested, drugs, or the like? That is kind of a requirement.

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This. I actually have a couple arctic monkeys albums, but I couldn't tell you the name of anyone in the band or what they look like.

TXAG 05 said:

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62strat said:

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PatAg said:

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62strat said:

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PatAg said:

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John Francis Donaghy said:

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Thread about instantly recognizable quintessential rock stars.

Texags lists 2 pages of obscure names most people have never heard before, and a handfup of frontmen from 40 years ago that are probably on Covid lockdown in their nursing homes right now.

---

You think most people have never heard of Arctic Monkeys? You couldn't go anywhere without hearing Do I wanna Know or R U Mine for a few years. around 2013

They were also HUGE for about 8-10 years prior to that in Europe, and people who like that genre in the US knew as well.

---

Hearing a song while doing your grocery shopping or mall shopping does not make the band members rock stars. The general public kinda has to know what they look like.

---

Maybe most of the people on this thread are too old to know any younger rockstars

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just for comparisons sake, people knew what Elvis, Beatles, rolling stones, Aerosmith, VH, gnr, etc all looked like, and all only because of TV.

Now an 'artist' has a half a dozen or more social media outlets, and while I certainly know a few arctic monkeys songs, I don't think I've ever seen them. And has there at least been one article written about any arctic monkey that involved getting arrested, drugs, or the like? That is kind of a requirement.

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This. I actually have a couple arctic monkeys albums, but I couldn't tell you the name of anyone in the band or what they look like.

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same could be said for any number of post 2000 hard rock bands.. shinedown, three days grace, nickelback. Those bands all pumped out a huge number of rock hits (three days grace with a record number 1s, OVER Van Halen), but would your mother recognize the singer of three days grace? No. But she very very likely would recognize steven tyler, david lee roth, axl rose, possibly even kurt cobain.

It all goes down to the widespread proliferation of media.

I would say that the true rock stars today, don't play rock.
Justin Beiber, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift...everyone from a 6 year old to a 70 year old know who these 3 are.

There are very few true rock stars.

Look guys... said:

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It all goes down to the widespread proliferation of media.

I would say that the true rock stars today, don't play rock.
Justin Beiber, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift...everyone from a 6 year old to a 70 year old know who these 3 are.

There are very few true rock stars.

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but you've always had that.. madonna, michael jackson, cher, stevie wonder, elton john, billy joel, bee gees,

I mean i could go on and on, and yes some of those have rock in their catalogue. but you get what I'm saying. These pop artists existed alongside the van halens and led zeppelins of the world.

I asked my 23 year old daughter this question, and she brought up Justin Bieber immediately. I guess it shows that "rock" is less important now than "star"

There's a pretty simple test for who is a rock star.

Are there grainy old videos on youtube of what looks like a shirtless skeleton in leather pants coked out of its mind on stage in front of fifty thousand screaming fans? If the answer is no, it's not a rock star.

62strat said:

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Look guys... said:

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It all goes down to the widespread proliferation of media.

I would say that the true rock stars today, don't play rock.
Justin Beiber, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift...everyone from a 6 year old to a 70 year old know who these 3 are.

There are very few true rock stars.

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but you've always had that.. madonna, michael jackson, cher, stevie wonder, elton john, billy joel, bee gees,

I mean i could go on and on, and yes some of those have rock in their catalogue. but you get what I'm saying. These pop artists existed alongside the van halens and led zeppelins of the world.

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True, there are just no rockstars anymore.

Look guys... said:

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62strat said:

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Look guys... said:

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It all goes down to the widespread proliferation of media.

I would say that the true rock stars today, don't play rock.
Justin Beiber, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift...everyone from a 6 year old to a 70 year old know who these 3 are.

There are very few true rock stars.

---

but you've always had that.. madonna, michael jackson, cher, stevie wonder, elton john, billy joel, bee gees,

I mean i could go on and on, and yes some of those have rock in their catalogue. but you get what I'm saying. These pop artists existed alongside the van halens and led zeppelins of the world.

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True, there are just no rockstars anymore.

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this guy is close.

plays stadiums flying on private jet
was married to an actress
currently married to a smokin model/playmate


Just no drugs from what I can tell. I think that has maybe gone to the wayside. Your 90s guys had that, but I don't seem to see it as much anymore.

And again, how many people recognize him? He's more of a brit rock star, akin to the Gallagher brothers.

I think it's odd that drug use should be a prerequisite for being a rock star. I don't think that's true at all.

Bruce Almighty said:

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I think it's odd that drug use should be a prerequisite for being a rock star. I don't think that's true at all.

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I'm guessing it's because every person considered a rock star in the days or yore used to do drugs.


They mostly still do, but they all used to, too.

62strat said:

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Bruce Almighty said:

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It YI think it's odd that drug use should be a prerequisite for being a rock star. I don't think that's true at all.

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I'm guessing it's because every person considered a rock star in the days or yore used to do drugs.


They mostly still do, but they all used to, too.

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https://louderthanwar.com/non-druggy-musicians/

Eddie Van Halen

One thing that determines rock Star status is their dedication to a consistent and unique image. Look at Slash on stage anywhere from 1986 - 2021 and you know who it is.

Same for Keith Richards (minus the gray), Steven Tyler, Sammy Hagar, and a few others. They may be grayer and fatter, but they're recognizable.

Dibs on "Gray & Fat" for a band name.

Philo B 93 said:

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One thing that determines rock Star status is their dedication to a consistent and unique image. Look at Slash on stage anywhere from 1986 - 2021 and you know who it is.

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Confirmed

1987



2017

Philo B 93 said:

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One thing that determines rock Star status is their dedication to a consistent and unique image.

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But I'd argue it with Hetfield.

First 15 years, no tats, long hair.
Last 20 years, short hair, full sleeves.

Back then, you had to have long hair to be a rocker. Now you have to have tats and no one cares about hair length.

Look guys... said:

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Back then, you had to have long hair to be a rocker. Now you have to have tats and no one cares about hair length.

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amazingly, hetfield had no tats until late 90s.

62strat said:

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Look guys... said:

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Back then, you had to have long hair to be a rocker. Now you have to have tats and no one cares about hair length.

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amazingly, hetfield had no tats until late 90s.

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Those Hetfield pics are a little revealing about him. That dude is a legit king of rockers, yet he was following trends like a teenage girl. I love Metallica from their first album to their last, but it is what it is. He always looks respectable for the time, I guess.

I've thought about this thread way too much the last few days. I am a child of the 80's and continue to be a huge hard rock fan. It is really depressing how many amazing new hard rockstars are out there that the majority of fans just ignore or do not seek out. I understand there is a cultural shift away from hard rock since the early to mid 90's, but if you love the genre then just look for it and you will find it!

I would also like to toss some of the babe rockerstars into the mix. Lita Ford, Pat Benetar, Wilson sisters.

Here are some young rockstars that I enjoy.

And for me the title "Rockstar" implies a great talent and commanding presence. The self destructive lifestyle is just a footnote and not mandatory.

KidDoc said:

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And for me the title "Rockstar" implies a great talent and commanding presence. The self destructive lifestyle is just a footnote and not mandatory.

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Agreed. You don't have to die of an overdose or trash hotel rooms to be a rock star.

Rush is respected by so many musicians and has an incredibly loyal following, but I don't think of those guys as rock stars. They are freaking Allsome though!

Bret Michaels has 1/1000th the talent of anybody in Rush. He is definitely a rock star. For him it's not his musical ability, it's his stage presence and persona. And the fact that he uses a bandana and a cowboy hat to hide his baldness.

Joe Walsh's Maserati did 185

Salute The Marines said:

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All original members of KISS

Tom Morello said it best at the 5:50 mark of their Hall of fame Induction speech

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It certainly isn't cool to like KISS anymore, but growing up in the 70s and 80s it was.

Regardless of what anyone thinks of the band - that introduction by Tom Morello has got to be the best one ever. I remember watching it when it happened and it is still great to this day!

And, if you were never fortunate enough to see them live in an arena you missed out!