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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

61. Ben M -
John Lennon made a joke that uptight Catholics took the wrong way. Whoever wrote this article needs to examine the context of what he said. The Beatles were and will forever be the most defining band who ever walked the face of the planet Earth.

62. -
It's fun to randomly slag people who have worked hard and achieved great things. It's also easier than doing something of substance with your own life. This writer Shawn Amos is really on to something.

63. RobynV -
John didn't ever think he was bigger than jesus. He was making a sarcastic remark on how popular they had become.

64. JeffDordy -
The Gallagher brothers are the only people listed that I 100% agree about.

65. Chris -
Wow i still can't believe John Lennon is on the list. Yes he did say his band was bigger than Jesus and in all truthfulness it was at that time. He didn't mean that they were better in any way just that more people around the world not just in countries like the U.S which at the time was religious country where everything is taken out of concept which is just wrong. Ignorance really is bliss isn't it for those who do believe John should be on the list.

P.S.
Know that somebody going to contradict me so beforehand just going to say that i don't really care just had to say something about a inocent person being on the list and know that going to be forgive my slang blast for this but this was all because he said jesus if it was somebody else like buddha the writer of this article would not have included him
Food for thought thats it

66. Dude K -
Well one thing's for sure, the Catholics do hold grudges.

67. nicolej -
I think the person who wrote this article is a HATER!!!. I love Kanye and I'm sick to die of people hating on him. When you sell the most records in a year and don't get awarded for that then that is a shame. He brings the fun back to Hip Hop. Race shouldn't matter but it does. I think he gets negative attention because he is a successful Black male, that is not a thug. Let the man make his money and stop hating. The only people that hate his music are the ones that can't correctly dance to the beats.

68. Brian Davis -
Kanye West, Madonna,Terence TDA, are NOT ROCK !

69. Mario -
If John Lennon were still alive today do you think he would give a damn about the Vatican forgiving him?Hell no!

70. Grant W -
r u kidding 2 words: Roger Waters

71. Team HGH -
More to the list:

1. Mariah Carey
2. Gene Simmons
3. Scott Weiland
4. Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)
5. Yngwie Malmsteen

72. ChrisS -
Much as I love the Beatles, I do agree John Lennon had a MASSIVE ego. While I'm not at all religious, the "Bigger than Jesus" comment is kind of a stupid thing to say.

And while I'm a BIG fan of Prince, I have to admit the dude has a lot of ego. He's also got a lot of talent, though.

I think Axl has more ego than anyone who "formally" made the list.

73. Mickey M -
Krystal N, The Eagles and Michael Jackson's Thriller are constantly battling for the biggest selling album in history.

74. Will -
david lee roth and steven tyler should be at least mentioned in this list

75. MichaelC -
I think # 13 has it right on

76. Felicia -
Kanye West hasn't made a good song yet,he sucks,he has such a big ego,he'll never come close to Elvis.We need to all sign a petition to get rid of this jerk.

77. david -
kanye, axl, liam and noel---they're nothing. there all about "me me me, i, i,i" kanye proved that when he made his statement on bush during the katrina marathon,,,that event was for the people suffering in new orleans and he made a stupid statement that people already knew about and then claimed he was the voice of the people. people turned the sets off because they turned off by him and his ego/attitud. now bono--he's baddass!!! he's been a frontman for a band that has been selling out concerts all over the world for years and does great things with his voice and money for the underprivliged. they should all learn from him.

78. Chris -
Can't forget Barry " I Write the Songs that Make the Whole World Sing " Manilow.

79. Ryan -
kanye west sucks...horrible musician..and in regards to egos....it takes a big ego for you guys to even here about these people in the first place...so get over it or do something..

80. LiadC -
this is one of the dumbest blog posts i've ever read... totally taking lennon out of context... not an ounce of insight of creativity... for yahoo to link to this from their main page is embarrassing...
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