A quick rundown.
As always with countdowns of ‘The Greatest’ you’re not going to be able to please every reader and it’s 100% impossible to incorporate everyone’s opinions but despite this, it’s the perfect way to build discussion and create debate so this month Kerrang Magazine have done there best to compile a list of ‘The 50 Greatest Rockstars In The World Today’
To start with the list only includes Rockstars who are alive today; hence the tag ‘In The World Today’ this already eliminates some real Rock Legends of recent history who have passed away such as Kurt Cobain or Jimi Hendrix, either of which would have been worthy of the No.1 spot. Perhaps making a list of ‘The 50 Greatest Rockstars Of All Time’ would have caused too much debate and alternatively however, even been too ‘predictable’
To create a list like this first you have to define the question, what makes a great Rockstar?
Is it there Lifestyle, Looks, Behavior, Beliefs, Musical Talent, Wealth, Tattoo’s, Record Sales or a combination that makes them great? Kerrang described the perfect Rockstar as the person who makes music that ‘Thunders forth with a deafening Kerrang!’ surely then this is a popularity contest?
We start the list at No.50 with Alexis Brown, the metalcore equivalent of Hayley Williams. She’s big, bold and the complete modern day representation of what a female Rockstar should look like. A long way behind Hayley on this occasion although it can clearly be put down to the mainstream success that Paramore has achieved. Metalcore has a long way to go before it ends up a frequent sound on our radios. Moving on to No. 44 and we have Enter Shikari front man Rou Reynolds. When it comes to passion on stage and appealing to the younger generation through music there’s none better than this Charismatic idealist, supported by an energetic band, there’s no stopping Rou’s rise as one of the greatest pioneers in the ‘Ravecore’ sound.
Skipping to No.40 and we realize that you don’t have to be the lead singer to gain plaudits as a Great Rockstar. Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘Flea’ proves that even a bassist can gain a reputation as a legend of our time, mixing the genres’ of Funk and Rock Michael ‘Flea’ Balzary has gained a reputation for providing infectious bass hooks and a talent matching up to Jimi Hendrix and many of the best. Dropping down to No. 39 and Chino Moreno, lead singer of the Deftones and alternative metal ‘figurehead’ he’s been described as a regular guy.. well as regular as u can be being a Rockstar and has his unique voice has been the penultimate reason why the shadowy music created by Deftones has helped them shake off their Nu Metal tag.
Moving on past Zack De La Rocha and we get to our first ‘rapper’ on the list, No.37 Hyro Da Hero, such is his impact this year he has been placed ahead of rock rap icon Mike Shinoda who surprisingly wasn’t included at all on the list. Described as the rapper who captured rock fans’ hearts Hyro has won over the rock community with his natural performing ability and desire to produce music that rocks! Respected by the likes of Chino Moreno and Sean Smith there’s no stopping this rappers rise to the top.
At No.32 we have Jacoby Shaddix; the Papa Roach front man has gone from zero to hero. From being a nu metal burn out to a modern rock pioneer he is the closest thing to a dictionary definition of rockstar as you could ask for. As we get closer to the top 20, Jared Leto slots in at No. 27. There’s not much the actor-come-singer hasn’t been able to achieve in the industry so far, from being included in People’s Magazine’s ‘List Of The 50 Most Beautiful People In The World’ to dating the likes of Cameron Diaz and Scarlet Johansson to currently being the frontman for the latest Hugo Boss ad campaign, Jared Leto is more than your typical rockstar. 30STM haven risen to become one of the most popular rock bands of recent history, songs like ‘Closer to edge’ ‘The Kill’ and ‘This is war’ have become stage anthems bringing the crowd to feel like they are really connected with the music.
Fred Durst has been excluded from this list possibly on the basis of chosen lifestyle but guitarist Wes Borland sneaks in at No.26 proving that Limp Bizkit has a place in the rock world today and it’s difficult to argue against it. Tunes such as ‘Break Stuff’ ‘My Generation’ target the younger generation and not many other bands can claim to have such an impact when they play their music live. Next up is No. 17 Ian Watkins, like Jacoby he’s got that ‘typical rockstar’ look. Black hair, Tattoo’s, and a dress sense that screams YEAHHHH! No doubt his placement on this list is represent-ant of Lostprophets mainstream success, creating sing-along anthems is a spatiality and insures that fans all ages will be singing the words “Everybody scream your heart out” for many years to come.
As we get closer to the top ten we find well known rockstars of previous years and current moguls of the industry, AC/DC’s Angus Young is at No.15, Matt Bellamy of Muse at no.14 and Gene Simmons from Kiss at 13. Bille Joe Armstrong, David Grohl and Corey Taylor complete 10, 9 and 8 leaving Hayley Williams as No.7. Known as the pop-punk princess Hayley is an icon for all female rockstar wannabe’s and a shining star in a male orientated industry (shown by her four male band mates) small of frame but a composed and self confident personality brings out the best in Hayley when she’s on stage.
Spaces 6, 5 and 4 are taken up by Lemmy from Motorhead, Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance and Frank Carter from the Gallows leaving us with the top 3..
And… it’s Lars Ulrich who nicks the 3rd spot. Famed for being the reason why thrash metal is around today his including on this list is less about his ‘talents’ as a drummer but more about the timeline of events that made Metallica the band they are today. It’s difficult to see how this justifies his high ranking on this list but nevertheless he is a key figure in the industry today.
New boy to the scene Oli Sykes hasn’t been around long but being placed at No.2 proves the impact his band Bring Me The Horizon have had since the release of their debut album. Covered in Tattoo’s from neck to foot and with an army of the new rock scene behind him Oli is the freshest breed of Rockstar. A risky move putting him so high on the list instead of proving rock icons but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him nicking the top spot next time.
NOW finally No. 1 and as soon as I turned the page I had no idea who he was, Jason Aalon Butler anyone? The lead singer of ‘Letlive’ and acrobatic rock band member is who Kerrang have picked as there ‘Greasiest Rock Star In The World Today’ you can do your own research on this guy as I have yet to do mine.
So that was a quick run through of the list Kerrang created and there are a few names that they haven’t included who many would expect to be on a list of this caliber. Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda were nowhere to be seen despite being in possibly the most well known rock band of the decade. Fred Durst was left out even though he has been a key figure on the scene since the rise of nu metal. Many other bands failed to get any members mentioned – Sum 41, Feeder, Korn, Blink 182, System of A Down, Tenacious D, A Day To Remember, Rise Against, Fall Out Boy and many more. I guess it all comes down to what makes a good Rockstar? And everyone has their own opinion about that.
By Matthew Trevett
A Journalists portfolio 