The only “authentic” rock stars, according to Pete Townshend
The Who’s Pete Townshend has assembled a reputation for his ruthless tongue, aided by his tenacity to be a rock ‘n’ roll contrarian. Over the years, countless iconic figures have felt his wrath, and only a handful of artists are safe from being on the receiving end of Townshend’s infamous barbed opinion.
Whether it’s a cherished band such as Led Zeppelin or even his bandmates, almost nobody is off limits to Townshend. The main attribute he seeks from others is authenticity, and if they are a true artist without the pretence of fakery, they have Townshend’s respect.
However, since the advent of time, rock ‘n’ roll has always been attractive to pretenders. To some degree, every performer becomes an exaggerated version of themselves once they step on stage, and finding an artist who lives and breathes their persona is rare.
Nevertheless, in the mind of Townshend, five iconic figures in the rock world are the real deal and have authenticity seeping out of the pores of their entire body.
Although Townshend has established himself as a legendary figure in music over the last 50 years, he doesn’t classify himself as a paid-up member of the authentic elite. The guitarist may be harsh to others, but he’s also self-aware and unafraid to be scathing about himself.
The reason why Townshend feels as though he is not an authentic rock star is that he admits elements of the job don’t come naturally. An example is his signature on-stage guitar-smashing antics, which he stopped because it became too contrived and the antithesis of what it was initially supposed to be.
During an interview with the New York Times, Townshend made this candid reflection and shared a list of rock stars who have never had to worry about impostor syndrome. “I’ve always regarded the rock-star phenomenon with immense disdain,” he told the publication.
Townshend expanded: “I’ve had my moments, which have been gloriously recorded and exalted but brief when I’ve felt I’m going to try and do this job. I’m going to try to be a proper rock star. Then I would do it, and it wouldn’t work. I was counterfeit.”
Admitting he was “counterfeit” exhibits an admirable level of authenticity and suggests there’s nothing fake about him, despite his comments. This degree of self-analysis and lack of ego shown by Townshend is a rare characteristic among his contemporaries. While music is in his blood, and he’s dedicated his life to his craft, The Who guitarist believes he shouldn’t be mentioned alongside five icons who have only ever created uncompromisingly genuine art, even if it risks alienating fans.
Townshend said of rock’s most authentic figures: “There are very few people truly authentic to the cause: David Byrne. Mick Jagger. Neil Young. Joni Mitchell. Deborah Harry.”
All of the five choices are unquestionably authentic artists and have never tried to be something they’re not. While they have all had countless artists try to copy their schtick, nobody has ever matched the unique brilliance of the fabulous five.
Authenticity is a subjective word with an entirely different definition from one person to the next. For Townshend, he believes it to mean “authentic to the perceived, accepted ideal of a rock star.”
The decision by Townshend to include Jagger is unsurprising, considering The Who guitarist previously named The Rolling Stones as his favourite band of all time.
When he inducted The Stones into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, Townshend told those in attendance: “I can’t analyse what I feel about the Stones because I am a really absolute Stones fan, always have.”
Reflecting to his youth, he added: “Their early shows were just shocking. Absolutely riveting, stunning, and moving. They changed my life completely. The Beatles were fun, no doubt about that, and I’m talking about their live shows. I’m not demeaning them in any way, but the Stones were really what made me wake up.”
The energy of those early shows by The Rolling Stones remains unmatched for Townshend. Bringing the debate into the 21st century, Townshend explained to the New York Times how rock has evolved over the years, and while it’s no longer the same as it was in his teenage years, he believes it still exists. He added: “Now, online, you’ll see a throwaway statement – ‘rock is dead’ – which is something that we in our genre have been considering since the ’70s. But what is rock? Rock is hip-hop. Rock is probably Taylor Swift. Rock is, dare I say it, Adele and Ed Sheeran. They’ve dared to take on that mantle, and they have to deliver.”
The belief that there are only five authentic rock stars in the history of music is debatable, but there’s no doubting any of Townshend’s selections.
