The Seven Ages Of A Rock Star

How does a rock star change over time? Is there an evolution that most go through, and what are some of the seven ages that they have to experience?


Keith Richards

Unfortunately, many rock stars don’t make it through all the ages, but those that do, which includes Keith Richards (and the rest of the Rolling Stones) stand as good examples for others to follow. How, then, can we view the seven ages of the rock star?

1 – The Dreamer

Keith Richards

This is the rock star as a young person, with a garage band or recording in their bedroom – a lot of teen rock stars don’t make it out of this stage of playing at home and at local gigs, and while not exactly innocent, are at least idealistic about music and what they can expect.

2 – The Worker

Keith Richards

The litmus test of the rock star, the working stage usually involves some of the hardest times of a musician – playing gig after gig, and trying to build up enough of a profile to get some attention and a record deal. While a deal is not perhaps as important as it once was, most emerging rock stars have to be on the road a lot during this period.

3 – The New Thing

Keith Richards

A rock star who has made it, and is suddenly appearing everywhere – on commercials, on the radio, and with millions of YouTube viewers. This is usually the time when a young rock star can still enjoy the credibility of not quite being in the mainstream, while still getting a lot of exposure in the media.

4 – The Established Star

Keith Richards

This is the rock star at the peak of their powers – the difficult second album syndrome has been avoided, and they’re playing sold out stadium tours with more money than sense. This is also usually the time for first marriages and having children with unusual, if not always sensible names.

5 – The Experimenter

Keith Richards

Or the rock star in something of a mid life crisis; suddenly they’re not as cutting edge and relevant as they were ten years ago, but they still have enough of an audience to tolerate their move into dubstep and ill advised vanity projects. Things are still generally working out, though, even if the need to actually do something different isn’t always appreciated by the loyal fans that just want the hits.

6 – The Icon

Keith Richards

A stage that very few rock stars actually achieve, being an icon is all about transcending past mistakes and becoming a fixture on tours and endless magazine retrospectives. Sure,  the music may not be quite so good anymore, and the lifestyle not as intensive, but a rock star ageing gracefully isn’t anything to be ashamed of.

7 – The Survivor

Keith Richards

Another rare breed, this is the age of the rock star when they’ve gone through the decades and survived everything from drugs, drink, and failed marriages. Perhaps better known as the Honorary Keith Richards/Rolling Stones award, this is the time for a rock star to hit pensioner age without anything to be ashamed of.

About the Author:

Rob James is a huge punk fan. Rob can be found blogging about being in a band, playing guitar and Metal and Punk Rock news. He wrote this article on behalf of LickLibrary.

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