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Rock's Biggest Egos

Posted Wed Nov 26, 2008 9:58pm PST by Shawn Amos in GetBack

It's time to admit the truth. You will never be a rock star. You care too much about what people think. Yeah, you make outlandish comments from time to time, but you do it under some pseudonym on a comment board to make it easy. You wouldn't go on national TV and say stuff like, "I'm the voice of this generation." That's the difference between your ego and a rock star ego. Your ego has a lowercase "e." People like Kanye West have E-G-O-S.
 
West claims he's the voice of his generation. He compares himself to Michael Jordan. He bitches loudly and publicly when he doesn't win awards. He's not afraid to use his real name. Whether or not he is his generation’s defining voice, it’s clear that he definitely has its biggest ego.
 

 

But should it be any other way? Of course not. Rock ’n’ roll is not about modesty. It's about being the loudest one in the room. If some stupid stuff gets said along the way, well, that's just the price of admission. Shoot the mouth off first, explain yourself later. Or don't. That's even better. Rock stars don't need to give any explanations.
 
Here are the five biggest egos in rock history. Why are they the biggest? Because I say so. I don't need to explain myself. I am the blogger of this generation.

 

 
The Top Five Biggest Egos:
 
BONO
Any dude who can meet with world leaders one weekend and then have two 19-year olds sit on his lap the next has a BIG ego. Bono's life is dedicated to bigness. He sings big anthems, not songs. He's out to save rock ’n’ roll and the world. He's not just a rock star; he’s a messiah, at least to himself. And, yes, I'm a little jealous.
 

 

 

 

JOHN LENNON
How huge was John Lennon's ego? He said his band was bigger than Jesus. What more proof do you need? Even Kanye hasn’t gone that far. By the way, this week the Vatican finally forgave Lennon for his 1966 dis. Those guys can hold a grudge.
 

 

 

 

 

 

NOEL & LIAM GALLAGHER
Oasis' brothers spent most of the '90s claiming they were the best band in the world and boasting how they saved British rock from ruin. They also spent a lot of time writing songs "inspired" by a lot of other British rock. It takes a big ego to remake Beatles songs and call them your own.
 

 

 

 

 

MADONNA
Madonna's ego is so big she believes that she can actually stop time. The Material Girl is on a never-ending quest to be forever twenty-something. Her bionic limbs are the first step toward immortality. Her insistence on pretending to be the teen pop star of the moment is the second step. The third? It probably will have something to do with her next boy toy.
 

 

 

 

 

 

TERENCE TRENT D'ARBY
You might not remember this late-'80s nouveau R&B artist. He made a debut album in 1987 that many thought was brilliant, especially him. D'Arby liked it so much he announced that he was going to be bigger than the Beatles. That's why you don't remember him. The Beatles saying they're bigger than Jesus? OK. Emerging R&B star saying he's bigger than the Beatles? Not OK.
 
 

 

 
Big Egos Honorable Mention:
 
ROBBIE WILLIAMS
He named his album The Ego Has Landed. In reality, Williams’ ego — and career — has landed everywhere but the U.S., where he remains largely a cult figure.
 
GENE SIMMONS
Is there anything Simmons won't slap a KISS logo on?
 
AXL ROSE
Two words: Chinese Democracy.
 
MICHAEL JACKSON
He dubbed himself "The King of Pop.” He made an album called Invincible. Both claims may still ring true in Bahrain, where Jacko recently lived. Go where the ego can stay big.

 

Check out these artists and more in our Biggest Egos in Rock FlipBook.

 

Drop by GetBack.com for your daily dose of pop culture pleasure -- music, movies, games, and more.     

2172 Comments

41. jamesk -
wheres axl rose?

42. Yahoo! Music User -
I hope Kanye is good at working a squeegie because that will be his next career. He is an arrogant, talentless monkey.

43. Damian -
Definetly forgot PRINCE and RICK JAMES though PRINCE was worst. MARIAH CAREY, WHITNEY HOUSTON AND DAVID RUFFIN from THE TEMPTATIONS had a huge ego (thats why they kicked him out). Speaking of motown, how can you forget the diva of all divas-DIANA MISS ROSS???

44. Yahoo! Music User -
Krystal N~
kwentitebit is correct: the largest selling album in the world is Jackson's 'Thriller.' The Eagles' 'Greatest Hits' album you mentioned is the highest selling album in the US (with Thriller close behind).

45. Michael -
who wrote this?? you have a rap star and an r&b singer on your "rock" list what the FRENCH toast? and lennon was stating that because people don't even "know" jesus anymore, or didn't know, for that time period.

46. Bob -
When you say "Rock" egos, that automatically rules out Kanye West, Madonna, and Terence. Kanye only speaks for his dumbass self, not a generation. His comments about wanting to be Elvis, well he was a pioneer. Kanye is just a sheep following the Rap/R&B herd.

47. This user has decided to set their profile to priv -
WOW. I WOULD HAVE 2 SAY MR.KANYE WEST. HE IS VERY SNOODY , JUST THINK OF IT THE S.O.B. PUNCHES REPORTERS AND THINKS THAT HE CAN GET A WAY

48. BUCKOLOOSE -
Beat Biter P. Dummy!

49. Yahoo! Music User -
I love Kanye West. He really has changed a lot of the music we hear today, as he produced a lot of it. I have thought that the award shows were a bit rigged, but I'm happy Kanye makes real music. His subject matter isn't just unilateral, he talks about a lot of different stuff. And the skits on his album? Priceless and true!

50. master bao luo -
I agree with Jerry B. this should be music's biggest egos! and Price ranks higher in ego than all of them.

51. VirgilA -
kanye west is a big scum he shouldn't even be famous he
has no talent or skill. he is just another another SCUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

52. Yahoo! Music User -
Did this guy write this article drunk at 3 in the morning? Bono has led the fight against world hunger, Lennon was misquoted and TT Darby? Kiss, David Lee Roth, pretty much any rapper who has a gold tooth is worse than half of these mentioned

53. Twilightedward -
Ne-yo has a big ego, I cant stand him. Confidence is great but having a big ego is just annoying and unattractive!! How about having some humility!

54. -
Lennon doesn't belong on this list. The King of Pop??? Pop the King!

55. Yahoo! Music User -
Sorry Krystal N to be the one to tell you that your information is wrong. Michael Jackson DOES hold the record for the most units sold. Thriller sold more than 100 million copies of Thriller while the Eagles sold a little more than 40 million.

56. morgan r -
Hmm..what about Elton john..there's an ego there...

57. jessica -
JIM MORRISON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!need i say more?

58. sandra r -
I love Kanya's attitude. But, I get so sick of the music world thinking the Beatles are the second coming. Motown era had more influence on the black community than the Beatles. I would take The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown any day over the Beatles. Actually in my opinion, the Rolling Stones were better than the Beatles.

59. "the closer" -
Noel and Liam were pretty arrogant, but keep in mind that they were genius. I mean Wonderwall Was voted best song by a british artist. Oasis did have ups and downs, just like the brothers so, not really tooooo sure why exactly they're on this...

60. MichelleJ -
I hardly think that some of these pop and rap artists are considered "rock". And this is a music blog? Sheesh...
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