Rock is one of the most versatile music genres, and so are the musicians that make it iconic.
This music genre developed around the 1960s in the US but gained the most popularity towards the 80s and 90s. Rock music was influenced by jazz and blues and is signified by a band that uses electric instruments such as the electric guitar, bass guitar, organ, and piano.
A musician’s looks are an essential selling point when it comes to selling music, and we’ve all heard about the appeal of someone tall, dark, and handsome.
So who are the tallest rock stars? Let’s find out.
What is Rock Music?
Rock is signified mainly by its fast, intense, and strong beat. It originated in the US as “rock and roll” and later spread out in most states and the UK. This genre focuses on romantic messages, although it has been used to cover political and social messages over the years.
From the 1960s, classic rock diversified and brought up several subgenres, including blues-rock, country-rock, jazz-rock, southern rock, and southern rock, which further influenced the development of psychedelic rock.
Rock Genres
Classic Rock
This is the most fundamental rock category, It was popular around the 1950s, stemming from other genres such as blues, classical music, jazz, and the boogie-woogie. During the 50s, rock and roll were more like an R&B subcategory.
Musicians such as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, among others, signify the beginning of this revolution. We call it a revolution because this music broke the standard of the social norm of that era. It included public displays of dancing that would be considered inappropriate during that time.
Blues Rock
Blues-rock became popular around the 1960s mainly because American and British musicians started making their own faster renditions of Chicago-style blues. You can easily identify this genre by the instruments used (electric and bass guitar, drums, harmonica, and keyboard).
Musicians such as Freddie King, Jimmy Page, and Elmore James are pioneers of this genre. Blues-rock led to the birth of other genres, including hard rock, southern rock, and heavy metal.
Folk Rock
From the 1940s, both Americans and the British were into folk music, and in the 1960s, rock bands such as the Animals and rock stars like Bob Dylan started borrowing inspiration from folk music.
Folk-rock music is mainly signified by its emphasis on the lyrics, the addition of five-drum kits to the electric instruments, and the folk-like undertones.
Progressive Rock
Progressive rock is primarily concentrated in the UK and is all about experimentation. This subgenre consists of complex compositions, drawing inspiration from literature, history, and poetry. Progressive rock is highly influenced by jazz and classical music.
Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock originated from San Francisco and is considered a controversial subgenre of rock because composers used hallucinogens such as LSD. This genre consists of long guitar solos and incredible sound effects such as reverb, distortion, phasing, and reversed sound. Rock bands like Grateful Dead and the Doors are famous for producing psychedelic rock.
10 Tallest Rock Stars
1. Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Arjen Lucassen’s love for music started when he was 15. He is 6’7″ (2.02 meters) tall and started his career as a guitarist. The multi-talented Dutch musician is also a songwriter, record producer, and instrumentalist musician and is the brain behind Ayreon and Ambeon.
He has doubled in progressive rock, heavy metal, psychedelic rock, classical music, and folk-rock. He first joined Bodine, a rock band, in 1980, and then Vengeance in 1984 before deciding to go solo.
He has been featured in albums such as Bold as Brass (1982) and Three Times Running (1983) for Bodine, and Pools of Sorrow and Waves of Joy under his nickname “Anthony” when he went solo.
2. Kirst Anthony Novoselic
Kirst Novoselic is an American-born Croatian bassist and founder of the rock band “Nirvana.” He was born in 1965 in Los Angeles, California and now stands at 6’7″ (2.01 meters).
Nirvana lost its frontman, Kurt Cobain, in 1994, and they had to disband the band. Kirst founded Sweet 75 in 1995 and Eyes Adrift in 2002. He also played for “Flipper,” a punk rock band and Foo fighters. He’s also an avid accordion player.
3. Oliver Riedel
Oliver Riedel is a 6’7″ (2 meters) tall German bassist. He was born on 11th April 1971 and started his music career when he was 19 as a classical guitarist before branching into folk and punk.
He was the bassist for Rammstein, Inchtabokatables, Herzeleid and Sehnsucht consecutively during the 1990s. Aside from being the tallest member of his current band Rammstein, Riedel easily ranks among the ten tallest rock musicians.
4. Jim Root
James Donald Root is an American guitarist and songwriter born in October 1971. The musician, also known as #4, was the lead guitarist for the rock band Stone Sour and is currently a guitarist for Slipknot, a rock band that produces heavy metal. Jim Root is 6’6″ (1.98 meters) tall.
He has written the lead guitar parts for the band’s albums such as All Hope is Gone and 5: The Gray Chapter.
5. Mick Fleetwood
Michael John Kells Fleetwood is a British self-taught drummer and actor. He and his friends, bassist John McVie and Peter Green, a drummer, founded their rock band “Fleetwood Mac.”
He started his music career at 15 and has managed to keep his band alive even amidst member changes. He has also doubled as an actor, written his biography, and produced music as a solo musician. Mick Fleetwood is 6’6″ (1.98 meters) tall.
6. Adrian Vandenberg
Adrian Vandenberg is a Dutch rock guitarist and the brains behind Vandenberg and Vandenberg’s Moonkings. The musician is an excellent songwriter and bandleader. He is also known for his role in Whitesnake, where he co-wrote songs in the album “Whitesnake.” Adrian was born on 31st January 1954 in The Hague and is about 6’5″ (1.98 meters) in height.
7. Danny Carey
Danny Carey is an American songwriter and drummer. The musician began his career as a teenager and slowly progressed through live sets before joining Tool, a rock band. He was born on 10th May 1961 and is 6’5″ (1.96 meters) tall. Known for his album “Cereal Killer”, he was ranked the 26th greatest drummer by Rolling Stone Magazine.
8. Chris Holmes
Chris Holmes is an American guitarist. He was born on 23rd June 1958 and is 6’5″ (1.96 meters) tall. Until 2001, the musician was the lead guitarist for WASP. He has also joined rock bands such as “Where Angels Suffer” and has featured in solos such as “Nothing to Lose” and “Shitting Bricks.” He is also the main character of “Mean Man: The Story of Chris Holmes”.
9. Blackie Lawless
Blackie Lawless was born Steven Edward Durren on 4th September 1956. He is an American singer, bassist, and songwriter. According to the musician, his brother’s love for music led him to enter the music business.
Blackie Lawless began his career by joining rock bands like Black Rabbit and Orfax Rainbow. He was then able to co-found Killer Kane, a short-term wonder that led him to create other bands such as Sister and Circus Circus. His most profound role was in the heavy metal band WASP, where he was a bassist. Lawless is 6’3” (1.93 meters) tall.
10. Billy Corgan
Known as William Patrick Corgan, he is a multi-talented guitarist, songwriter, lead vocalist, poet, and producer. The musician was part of two rock bands, including “The Smashing Pumpkins” and Zwane.
Billy Corgan has also enjoyed a lucrative solo career from the early 2000s. Aside from playing the guitar, he also creates masterpieces for movies and TV series. Corgan helped produce albums such as “Adore” and “Machina” under “Smashing Pumpkins.” He is about 6’3″ (1.9 meters) tall.
Conclusion
You now know some of the tallest rock stars of all time. Because of how diverse rock music is, the musicians in your favorite genre may not have made this list. Our tallest rock stars range from 6’8 to 6’3, and some of these musicians are pretty old, which may be the reason why you probably haven’t heard about them.
To bridge this gap, our list also includes tidbits on who these musicians are, what music they specialize in, and the rock bands they have been a part of. Do any of them interest you? Find out more about them and their music, and you may end up liking a newer genre than what you’re currently used to.
Being tall can quickly become part of one’s personality, and some of these musicians’ websites introduce them as tall musicians for reference. We hope you’ve found all the information you need about them, their music and all the different projects they have taken on.
