Top 10 Rock Music Myths

Webster’s Dictionary states that the word “myth” is an, “unusually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief or natural phenomenon.”

In other words, the word “myth” essentially means that people make things up to try to explain the unexplainable. And myths typically grow bigger through folklore before they’re debunked and claimed as what they are: a false statement.

The world of rock has thousands of myths. There’s the one that Michael Jackson owns the rights to all The Beatles’ songs. Then there’s also the one about Roy Orbison being blind and another one about the plane that crashed and killed rockers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper being named the “American Pie.”

About.com put together a list of the top 10 Rock Music Myths of all-time, including the ones about Elvis Presley and Jim Morrison being alive and Mama Cass dieing from choking on a ham sandwich.

About.com’s Top 10 Rock Music Myths:

1. Paul McCartney, Lou Reed and Ginger Baker are dead
Myths:
McCartney died in an auto accident in 1966 and was replaced by an impersonator. Reed and Baker died of drug overdoses.
Facts:
The McCartney and Reed myths started with what looked like legitimate wire service reports being fed to radio stations. The fact that it took McCartney a while to deny the rumour added fuel to it. The Reed hoax came shortly after the death of fellow punk rocker Joey Ramone, which gave it an additional touch of plausibility.
Baker was addicted to heroin throughout most of the ’60s and ’70s. After Cream disbanded in 1968, he dropped out of public view, leading some to believe that he had died a drug-related death. He kicked the habit in the early ’80s and is quite alive, as are McCartney and Reed.

2. Elvis Presley and Jim Morrison are alive
Myths:
Elvis didn’t die in 1977 but used that as a cover to go into seclusion and get out of the public spotlight. Jim Morrison is alive and someone else’s body is in his grave.
Facts:
In spite of extensive and largely irrefutable evidence to the contrary, there are still those who believe that Elvis is alive and is periodically spotted in convenience stores, restaurants and trailer parks all over the world.
Some people still don’t believe that Morrison’s body is the one buried in his grave in a Paris cemetery. The official cause of Morrison’s was listed as a heart attack — believed by many to have been drug related — in 1971. One enterprising gentleman has even produced a video (for $24.95 plus shipping) that he claims is Morrison living the life of a cowboy in the Pacific Northwest. People who have seen the video say the man in it bears no resemblance whatsoever to Morrison, and other than the fact that many of his song lyrics had mystical themes, there is no evidence to suggest that his death was faked.

3. Cass Elliot choked to death on a ham sandwich
Myth:
Mama Cass died when she choked on the sandwich she was eating, the uneaten remains of which were found near her body.
Fact:
There may have been a partially eaten sandwich somewhere in the vicinity, but she died of heart failure brought on by the effects of obesity and crash dieting. The coroner found no evidence of anything, ham sandwich or otherwise, blocking her windpipe.

4. Grace Slick named her daughter “god”
Myth:
Shortly after her baby was born, Slick told a hospital attendant that the baby would be named god, with a small “g” out of respect for the religious significance.
Fact:
Slick admits that she made the remark to a nurse who was wearing a crucifix, but says she meant it as a joke. Given her well known drug use and her prominent role in the pioneering Psychedelic Rock group Jefferson Airplane, it wasn’t hard to believe that she was serious. Slick’s daughter’s name is and always has been China Kantner (her father being Jefferson Airplane guitarist/vocalist Paul Kantner.)

5. Mr. Greenjeans was Frank Zappa’s father
Myth:
The gentle, kindly character on the children’s TV show, Captain Kangaroo was the father of Frank Zappa, who specialized in absurd humor and not-so-gentle social satire in his many song lyrics.
Fact:
Zappa was the son of a Sicilian immigrant named Francis Zappa, who lived in Baltimore. The fact that among Zappa’s many songs were two titled “Mr. Green Genes” and “Son of Mr. Green Genes” no doubt served as the basis of the myth. Coupled with the fact that Zappa’s persona was such that you could easily believe most anything about him, it isn’t hard to see how this myth started and lasted.

6. The Beatles smoked dope in Buckingham Palace
Myth:
Prior to the ceremony in which they received Member of the British Empire (MBE) awards, the Beatles smoked a joint in one of the Palace’s bathrooms.
Fact:
It was actually John Lennon who made this claim, saying that the band’s members were nervous and smoked a joint to calm down. Paul McCartney later refuted this as a joke, with its probable basis being in the fact that the boys did share a cigarette of the tobacco variety to calm their nerves before meeting the queen.

7. Keith Richards had his blood replaced
Myth:
Prior to a European tour in 1973, the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards went to Switzerland to have his blood removed and replaced with a supply that was devoid of drugs and alcohol.
Fact:
He did undergo a procedure that removes impurities from the blood, but it was a far cry from having his entire blood supply replaced. Richards eventually admitted that he got tired of answering questions about the procedure and made up the story himself.

8. Robert Johnson made a deal with Satan
Myth:
Robert Johnson, a mediocre blues guitarist, sold his soul to the devil in exchange for being able to master the instrument.
Fact:
Johnson had a profound influence on artists like Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Bob Dylan. True, he didn’t start recording until three years before he died, and he recorded songs with titles like “Hellhound On My Trail” and “Me and the Devil Blues.” A vast improvement in his playing was accomplished by incessant practice, not a pact with Lucifer.

9. Gene Simmons had a tongue transplant from a cow
Myth:
KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, famous for wagging his considerable tongue as part of his onstage antics, had a cow’s tongue surgically attached to his own.
Fact:
Simmons’ tongue is abnormally long, and he has learned to use it in ways that draw abnormal attention to it. The fact is that ’70s medical technology didn’t extend to successfully attaching animal parts to humans, and a cow’s tongue looks nothing like Simmons’ or any other human’s.

10. Ozzy Osbourne bit the heads off of live bats on stage
Myth:
Osbourne routinely bit the heads off of live bats as part of his outrageous live performance antics.
Fact:
Given his trailblazing efforts in achieving a high shock value with his live concert shenanigans, this myth isn’t too hard to swallow. The fact is, Oz did bite a live bat onstage – once, and by accident. He thought it was a prop made of rubber. The fact that the bat bit back, requiring Osbourne to undergo rabies treatments, kept him from ever attempting it on purpose.

Soundgarden

Along with fellow American rock bands Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Alice In Chains, Soundgarden was a key figure in the creation of the music genre “grunge,” which is also a style of alternative rock that developed in Seattle.

Soundgarden was the first band of the grunge era to sign to a major label, although Pearl Jam and Nirvana reached more commercial success. Soundgarden – comprised of Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd – didn’t mind Pearl Jam and Nirvana’s success, however, because the genre became immensely popular in the early 1990s.

Soundgarden was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by lead singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil and bassists Hiro Yamamoto, although Matt Cameron eventually became the band’s permanent drummer in 1986 while bassist Ben Shepherd replaced Yamamoto in 1990.

Soundgarden achieved incredibly success with their 1994 album entitled, Superunknown. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and singles “Black Hole Sun” (Best hard Rock Performance) and “Spoonman” (Best Metal Performance) yielded the band Granny Awards. The band also won a MTV Video Music Award for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video on “Black Hole Sun,” as well as a Clio Award for Best Alternative Music Video for “Black Hole Sun.”

Although they broke up because of an internal conflict over the creative direction of the band, Soundgarden has sold an estimated 20 million albums worldwide, including eight million records in the United States alone.

Lead singer Chris Cornell eventually went on to have a solo career before joining the remaining members of former rock band Rage Against the Machine (minus lead singer Zach de la Rocha) to form Audioslave – an American hard rock supergroup, which included the vocals of Cornell and lead guitarist Tom Morello. Audioslave sold more than eight million records worldwide, received three Grammy nominations and was the first Ameican rock band to ever perform an open-air concert in Cuba, but the band broke up in 2007 after releasing only three albums.

“Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman” can still be heard on radio airwaves today. And Soundgarden continues to be one of the more popular bands of the 1990s and its influence on the grunge scene makes them American rock legends.

Aerosmith

Aerosmith, comprised of guitarist Joe Perry, bassist Tom Hamilton, lead singer Steven Tyler, drummer Joey Kramer and guitarist Brad Whitford, is one of the most successful hard rock bands of all time. They’re often referred to as “The Bad Boys from Boston” and “America’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band.”

Aerosmith’s first single, “Sweet Emotion” was released in 1975 and climbed all the way to No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. The band went on to have 21 singles chart in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1976, Aerosmith’s second major single, “Dream On” climbed all the way to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. And in 1988, the band reached No. 3 on the list with the release of “Angel.” The band’s most successful single was “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, which reached the No. 1 spot in 1998 – Aerosmith’s only No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100.

To date, Aerosmith’s most successful studio album was Toys in the Attic, which was released April 8, 1975. The album peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 list and went Platinum eight times. The band’s next two most successful studio albums were the 1993 release Get a Grip and the 1997 release, Nine Lives. Both peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 list and went Platinum seven times.

Aerosmith won their first Grammy Award in 1990 for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. They went on to win four more Grammy awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for their singles “Janie’s Got a Gun”, “Livin’ on the Edge”, “Crazy”, and “Pink. Aerosmith trails only U2 for most Grammy awards won in that category.

Aerosmith has collected five American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two People’s Choice Awards and 16 Boston Music Awards. Aerosmith also ranks fourth all-time at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) with ten wins to date. The band is the all-time leader in Best Rock Video awards with four, as well as Viewer’s Choice awards with three.

In 2001, Aerosmith achieved one of the greatest honors in rock music by being inducated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They also hold the second highest number of No. 1 singles on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for a group with nine. Aerosmith also holds the most gold and multi-platinum albums by an American group.

Aerosmith’s Studio Albums:

1973: Aerosmith
1974: Get Your Wings
1975: Toys in the Attic
1976: Rocks
1977: Draw the Line
1979: Night in the Ruts
1982: Rock in a Hard Place
1985: Done with Mirrors
1987: Permanent Vacation
1989: Pump
1993: Get a Grip
1997: Nine Lives
2001: Just Push Play
2004: Honkin’ on Bobo

Aerosmith is a true hard rock legend.

Metallica

How could you not think of the band Metallica when you think of heavy metal rock?  

Current drummer Lars Ulrich formed Metallica in 1981 in Los Angeles, California. The band’s original line-up was comprised of Ulrich, vocalist and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield, lead guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney. But Mustaine and McGovney were later booted from the group, causing a rift between Ulrich and Mustaine, the later eventually founded the rock group Megadeth. Taking the place of McGovney and Mustaine were Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett, respectively.  

Tragically in September 1986, the band’s tour bus lost control and flipped, crushing Burton and killing him. Jason Newsted eventually replaced Burton two months later, but he left the band in 2001 and Robert Trujillo in 2003. 

Metallica’s early work consisted of fast-tempo trash metal. The band carried this sound for four albums: Kill ‘Em All (1983), Ride the Lightning (1984), Master of Puppets (1986) and …And Justice for All (1988).  

Metallica’s 1991 album release “Metallica” (also known as “The Black Album”), brought the band mainstream attention. The album peaked at number on the Billboard 200 and has been certified 15 times platinum in the U.S., which makes it the 25th highest-selling album in the country.  

Metallica took on a lot of criticism for their next album, Load, because the band changed its music from trash metal to a more mainstream sound. Fans accused the band of “going alternative” and “selling out.” Fans also didn’t appreciate that the members of the group cut their hair and was the headliner for the alternative rock festival Lollapalooza. Their next two albums, ReLoad and Garage Inc., also faced similar criticisms. 

Despite all of their criticism, Metallica is one of the most influential heavy metal rock bands of all time. They’re known as one of the “big four” of thrash metal, along with Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeath, and have sold more than 90 million records worldwide.  

Metallica has also won seven Grammy Awards: 

1990: Best Metal Performance – “One”

1991: Best Metal Performance – “Stone Cold Crazy”

1992: Best Metal Performance With Vocal – Metallica

1999: Best Metal Performance – “Better than You”

2000: Best Hard Rock Performance – “Whiskey in the Jar”

2001: Best Rock Instrumental Performance – “The Call of Ktulu” with Michael Kamen and the San Francisco Symphony

2004: Best Metal Performance – “St. Anger”   

Metallica’s discography: 

1983: Kill ‘Em All

1984: Ride the Lighting

1986: Master of Puppets

1988: …And Justice for All

1991: Metallica

1996: Load

1997: ReLoad

2003: St. Anger

2008: Death Magnetic

Led Zeppelin

Any band that sold more than 300 million albums worldwide will always be referred to as music legends.

Led Zeppelin is often known as the first heavy metal bands due to their guitar-heavy sound. But the band was more than just heavy metal, as they also incorporated reggae, soul, blues, folk, rockabilly, classical, funk, Indian, Arabic, pop, country, Latin and Celtic.

The English rock band was comprised of four members: lead guitarist Jimmy Page, vocalist Robert Plant, bass guitarist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. The band sold 111.5 million albums in the United States alone and had all of their non-compilation studio albums reach the U.S. Billboard Top 10.
Ask anyone what song most symbolizes Led Zeppelin’s work and more than likely, the answer will be “Stairway to Heaven.” It was on the band’s fourth studio album, Led Zeppelin IV, and was voted No. 3 in 2000 by VH1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Rock Songs of all-time.

What’s most impressive about the song is its legacy. “Stairway” continues to top radio lists of greatest rock songs and its been broadcasted over three million times. It’s also the biggest-selling singles of sheet music, averaging more than 15,000 copies a year. Over one million copies have been sold.

Among some of Led Zeppelin’s most popular songs are: Achilles Last Stand, Kashmir, Over the Hills and Far Away, Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You, Whole Lotta Love, The Ocean, The Rain Song, Going to California and Immigrant Song.

Led Zeppelin’s Discography includes:

-         Led Zeppelin (1969)

-         Led Zeppelin II (1969)

-         Led Zeppelin III (1970)

-         Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

-         Houses of the Holy (1973)

-         Physical Graffiti (1975)

-         Presence (1976)

-         In Through the Out Door (1970)

-         Coda (1982)

Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980 following John Bonham’s death. The band was ranked No. 1 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and Rolling Stone magazine once described the group as “the heaviest band of all time” and “the biggest band of the 1970s.”

One of the more remarkable feats of Led Zeppelin is how their fan base continues to grow despite the band not producing new music. Other bands, including more popular ones, have a tendency to fade as decades pass. But Led Zeppelin’s legacy continues to grow despite the ever-growing generation gap.

 

The Beatles

The Beatles are the most successful band that has ever been. The band’s principal members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

In the United Kingdom, The Beatles released more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one. This commercial success was repeated in many other countries; their record company, EMI, estimated that by 1985 they had sold over one billion records worldwide. The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Beatles #1 on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. According to that same magazine, their innovative music and cultural impact helped define the 1960s and their influence on pop culture is still evident today.

John Lennon says Elvis was his main inspiration, as the Beatles formed under many different names with multiple different members from 1957-1960.

On February 9th, 1964, The Beatles would play on the Ed Sullivan show in an infamous performance that would pave the way for Beatlemania.

In June 1965, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II appointed the four Beatles Members of the Order of the British Empire, MBE. Some conservative MBE members returned their insignias in protest of the Beatles being granted these titles. On 25 June 1967, The Beatles became the first band globally transmitted on television, before an estimated 400 million people worldwide. The band appeared in a segment within the first-ever worldwide television satellite hook-up, a show titled Our World. The Beatles were transmitted live from Abbey Road Studios, and their new song “All You Need Is Love” was recorded live during the show, albeit to the accompaniment of a backing track they had spent five days recording and mixing in the studio prior to the broadcast.

The Beatles continued to record and play until finally breaking up in 1975. In 1988, The Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a group during their first year of eligibility.[99] On the night of their induction, Harrison and Starr appeared to accept their award along with Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono and his two sons. McCartney stayed away, issuing a press release citing “unresolved difficulties” with Harrison, Starr, and Lennon’s estate. Solo Beatles later inducted were Lennon in 1994, McCartney in 1999 and Harrison in 2004.

• The Beatles are the best-selling musical group of all time, estimated by EMI to have over one billion discs and tapes sold worldwide.
• The Beatles have notched up the most multi-platinum selling albums for any artist or musical group (thirteen in the U.S. alone).
• The Beatles have a record six diamond-selling albums (10 million copies): Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles, Abbey Road, The Beatles: 1962-1966, The Beatles: 1967-1970, and The Beatles 1.
• The Beatles have had more number one albums than any other group (19 in the U.S. and 15 in the United Kingdom).
• The Beatles spent the highest number of weeks at number one in the albums chart (174 in the UK and 132 in the U.S.).
• The most successful first week of sales for a double album (The Beatles Anthology Volume 1, which sold 855,473 copies in the U.S. from 21 November to 28 November 1995).
• The Beatles have the fastest selling CD of all time with 1. It sold over 13 million copies in four weeks.