BY MIKEY MIGO
This week I want to get a bit more specific and a bit more personal. I've come to the conclusion that when I see a "Top Ten" list it's usually what the writer thinks the reader wants to read. You get the basic and stereotypical picks OR you get the obscure picks so the writer can show how "cool" they are. What's the fun in that? I'm going to have a few obvious picks, some personal picks, and some that I had to think about. I assure you a pretentious free Top Ten. Then again, this is the internet and maybe I'm being naïve.
There are a lot more then these ten glam rockers so sit back, read my picks, think of your own, and send them in….
10.) Little Richard
The 411: When many people think of "glam rockstars" they probably don't think of my tenth favorite glam rocker of all time. Little Richard, in my opinion, is the grandfather of glam. His flamboyant and over the top image was the predecessor for what glam would later become in the early 70's and even now.
9.) Dee Snider
The 411: Look at that picture. If that hair, make up, and wardrobe isn't glam then I'm writing the wrong column this week. And to think, that picture is one of the more conservative of what I came across. With the whole "Parental Advisory" issues from years back, Snider proved he wasn't just a "freak" with his intelligent view on music's ever-sucking standards and practices. Unlike many stars of the 80's, Dee Snider has evolved and is still putting out music and hosting a weekly radio show.
8.) Steven Tyler
The 411: Again, with one look at Steven Tyler you'd think he was either a glam rocker or just a weirdo. While both thoughts would be true, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler has been a favorite of mine for years. Mainly because outside of the great music they've supplied us, Tyler has always been a top notch showman and pushes the style envelope a little farther every time I see him.
7.) Marc Bolen
The 411: I didn't know much about T. Rex until a friend pushed him on me. It didn't take much of a push because I instantly became a fan. Many consider Marc Bolen of T. Rex, the first to use the glam image in the early 70's. His talent aside, the whole raunchiness, glam, and slight cheese of glam are credited to him and that's enough for me to put him on this list.
6.) Nikki Sixx
The 411: One of the first concerts I went to growing up was Motley Crue. I remember little about the show except that Nikki Sixx rocked. He's got a firm grip on the "sleaze glam" that was born on the Sunset Strip in the 80's. The whole "sleaze glam" look has made a comeback with bands like Buckcherry, Avenged Sevenfold, and others adopting the style. The stories, the comeback, and just the overall image of Nikki could easily put him in the top running for being our generation's Keith Richards (with Slash respectively).
5.) Marilyn Manson
The 411: After rising to fame with a commercialized gothic image, Marilyn Manson then took a page from David Bowie's book. Manson created a glam persona in his character "Omega". The whole rubber suit with breasts and ambiguous sexuality all mixed together with glam is what the final result was. For me, despite it being a blatant rip off of Ziggy Stardust, it was probably my second favorite Manson album released.
4.) David Lee Roth
The 411: For the past few years I've kept an ongoing joke moving forward with my love for D.L.R. I can careless about anything Van Halen put out without Roth. Without him behind the mic it lacks the enthusiasm and excitement he brought to the table. Growing up I was fond of him and I can still see why. Like a wise man once said, "It's not if you win or lose, it's how good you look while playing the game."
3.) Prince
The 411: Since Prince wasn't a part of any glam specific genre like classic glam, glam metal, or even new wave he is often omitted from these discussions. Isn't glam about being over the top, flashy, and having that confidence to just put it all out there? If you're saying "yes" like I am, you'll completely agree that Prince not only defines those items, but also makes them his bitch. His name was legally a SYMBOL for a few years. Even the symbol was glam!
2.) Freddie Mercury
The 411: Freddie Mercury and Queen managed to take glam rock to the arenas. Queen is often considered one of the best rock bands of all time and with good reason. You must give a good portion of that acclaim to their lead man Freddie Mercury. While others on the list are great glam icons, Mercury's voice was glam in itself. His voice screams confidence and the larger than life persona that was the very theatrical Freddie Mercury.
1.) David Bowie
The 411: Often imitated, never ever ever duplicated. David Bowie's picture should be next to the word "glam" in the dictionary. Bowie was already flamboyant and larger than life when he created the monster that was "Ziggy Stardust". There are many who have come after Bowie that has tried to recreate his work, but it's just not going to happen. David Bowie, while being one of the most influential rockers of all time, can put out an album tomorrow that will still be more cutting edge and original than thousands of bands half his age.
|
