Everyone has slightly different musical taste and what you enjoy listening to may be completely different to your friends’ musical tastes. However, there are certain exceptional rock stars that delight millions of people all at once and span generations. While of course, musical taste is personal – we bet that some of your favorite rock stars feature on this list of the most famous rock stars of all time. Whether you’re a child of the 60s, grew up in the 70s, partied in the 80s or chilled out in the 90s, we’re sure you recognize some of, if not all of the names on this list – and if not, then why not download some of their music? You’ll soon understand why they’re the most famous rock stars of all!
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi isn’t just famed for his excellent contribution to modern music, but also for his timeless good looks sending teenager girls into a frenzy back in the early 1980s. What young woman didn’t want to run her hands through is luscious blond curls? Jon has earned his place in multiple halls of fame, starred in blockbuster movies, and appeared on many popular television shows. With a whopping 14 studio albums to his name and 130 million albums sold across the world, he deserves to be on this list, if not just because he played both the piano and guitar as well as boasting a voice to die for.
Elton John
A true legendary artist, Elton John’s musical career started in the 1970s and is still going strong today. Elton’s first song to hit the charts was Your Song in the 1970s (and still frequents radio play). A devotee to LGBT causes and a regular on the stage as well of the screen, is there nothing Elton can’t do?
Elvis Presley
Otherwise known as Elvis the Pelvis, Elvis Presley’s exceptionally deep and sultry voice delighted teenage girls with his grinding hips back in the 1960s (horrifying their mothers) and gave birth to music inspiring pop stars across the world. There was nothing quite like Elvis before he reached stardom (and no one like him since either). His crooning voice sounded just as good in a love ballad as in fast-paced rock ‘n’ roll. Elvis changed music forever, and his style and good looks made him into the icon that he still is today.
Prince
The purple man could be described as a pop star rather than a rock star but perhaps he falls somewhere in-between and that’s because his sound was truly original. An unbelievably talented vocalist and guitarist, he’s also responsible for creating numerous bands. One of his stand-out tunes has to be Purple Rain, which also featured as a movie soundtrack.
Bob Dylan
Responsible for moving music into a new direction, one of the most famous rock stars, Bob Dylan used an electric guitar in 1965 at the Newport Folk Festival and thus moved music on to completely different styles. His folk-style music became rock ‘n’ roll and he’s revered today as one of the most famous rock stars of all.
Janis Joplin
The first female artist on this list, Janis is as good as any male rock star, and some would argue even better! This iconic rock chick is one of the greatest names in female rock and she changed mainstream music back in the 1960s. Unfortunately, her untimely death meant there was no more Janis, yet her visionary music still lives on to this day.
Jimi Hendrix
A guitar hero, Jimi Hendrix could quite literally play the instrument upside down and inside out! His main era was throughout the 1960s, particularly famed for the iconic track, Voodoo Child which was released just after his untimely death, topping the charts for weeks on end. Since then, the track has played out on rock radio globally over 10 billion times so his legend lives on.
Paul McCartney
One of the Beatles, and later responsible for forming band Wings, a solo songwriter and musician, Paul McCartney is an iconic rock star. His music still lives on today and has continued its popularity through the generations since the 1960s. Did you know that Paul has written (and co-written) over 32 number one songs? His talent knows no bounds!