Which 60s rock star's death would make the biggest splash?

Cafe Society
1

“I get up every morning and read the obituary column. If my name’s not there, I eat breakfast.” - Carl Reiner

Most the 60’s stars are getting up toward Reiner’s age. They’re all pre-Boomers. Most still tour, remarkably. Remember when the fad of rock was supposed to die after a year? But they’re old old.

So I wondered. We’re now expecting they’re going to die. Who would make the biggest splash, knock social media for a loop, dominate memories for the longest time? I found it much harder than I expected to make a top ten list. Their status today isn’t necessarily what it was then.

  1. Paul McCartney
  2. Bob Dylan
  3. Mick Jagger
  4. Ringo Starr
  5. Brian Wilson
  6. Cher
  7. Diana Ross
  8. Eric Clapton
  9. Paul Simon
  10. Frankie Valli

I know, I know. Frankie Valli? But here in America the musical Jersey Boys was a gigantic hit. He just got married again at the age of 89! The Four Seasons were definitely considered a rock group in the early 1960s, second only to The Beach Boys. 2023 culture is my criterion.

And I know who I’m leaving off. Neil Diamond, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Pete Townshend, Neil Young. Elton John would be high on the list but though he started in the 60s he was unknown until the 70s. Same with Bruce Springsteen and Ozzy Osbourne. I keep having the feeling I’m forgetting someone, too.

It’s also a very American list. I’m curious to hear from people elsewhere and who they would include.

2

Absolutely Dylan, 100%. Either Beatle would still leave one remaining Beatle, but there’s only one Dylan. And nobody else on that list comes close to his influence.

3

I’ll be shook when Jagger goes.

4

I hope to go before Bob.

5

Dylan and McCartney would make the biggest news. McCartney would be bigger, because there are also a lot of younger Beatles fans. Everyone knows them around the world. McCartney’s death will likely kick off another rount of Beatle nostalgia and global recognition, and maybe put their songs back on the charts.

I’m not sure young people care as much about Bob Dylan. and I’m not sure about his global influence.

6

The most ironic will be Roger Daltrey, who turns 80 next year, and sang “hope I die before I grow old” on The Who’s “My Generation”.

7

Stevie Wonder would be a Top 5, based on Exapno’s OP list. Yes, he’s younger than the others, but still 73. Plus he had several Top 10 hits in the US throughout the 1960s, including his first #1.

8

He doesn’t sniff a Nobel Prize without it.

9

My first thought is that McCartney and Dylan would probably be numbers one and two, as presented on the list, but maybe not in that order.

It’s possible that Grace Slick might edge out some of the others, although I wouldn’t put up a big argument for it. I’m not aware that she’s done much of anything in recent years to keep herself in the spotlight, but she was pretty iconic back in the day.

10

I think of those listed, Cher would be pretty huge as she is such an icon outside of rock music. Her fans might be the most dramatic of fans. Diana Ross is the only one on the list who I feel fits in the same cultural league as Cher.

11

Paul McCartney, hands down, with Ringo Starr second.

12

I’d put Keith Richards before Frankie Valli, though the reaction might be what took so long.

13

McCartney, Jagger, and Ross would be the top 3 from the OP’s list. Ringo should make as big of a splash as Paul, but drummers don’t rate up there with lead singers. Jagger’s death makes a good news story, it might mark the end of the hard Rock era. Diana Ross may have a larger fan base than the others, she’s been so well known for so long, the face of Motown, her pop songs play continuously.

If Paul goes first Ringo might get more notice when he finally goes.

14

Of those listed, I’m in the Dylan camp. That’s the end of a big era.

Personally, my world will be more dim when Robert Plant goes.

15

Jimmy Page
Barbra Streisand
Buddy Guy
John Mayall (ensuing discussion: who was his best guitarist, Clapton/Green/Taylor; and/or was his trio better/more influential than The Yardbirds, Clapton/Beck/Page)

Quincy Jones (admittedly, more of a producer/songwriter than “rock star”)

Yoko Ono (for certain definitions of “music”)
Sylvie Vartan

Mr. Richards actually died a number of years ago, but no one seems to have noticed.

16

Another factor would be that while Ringo has had a pretty successful career as a solo artist, it’s been nowhere near what McCarney has done post-Beatles.

17

Actually, I think this is a pretty good order. I’d bump Paul Simon up a few spots, put Ringo behind Dylan, and maybe move Cher and Clapton up one spot. Other than that, it seems like the right order of cultural significance.

18

For whatever it’s worth, Ringo is two years older than Paul. I don’t know about either one of their general states of health.

I think Ringo may get a bigger reaction than most drummers might. He’s got a sort of “loveable underdog” thing going for him.

19

No offense to Frankie Valli, but I really don’t see him up in that company. I don’t know a single person who has seen Jersey Boys, it wasn’t a big thing among my peer group. Now I know who he is, and he’s definitely up there in terms of respect – I just don’t see it popularly being as culturally big as others.

20

Dylan changed music. The Beatles changed the world. Culturally nothing compares to them. It’s been a 60-year love affair. Dylan is a crotchety old man who’s been hiding from the public for 60 years. The distance between them is huge.

Jagger’s an easy third. The rest of the list is much harder. I could toss names around like dice and justify any order. Brian Wilson is a problem. He’s an American icon but not a star-star. If I have second thoughts about anybody it’s him. But that makes Cher top five. This is hard.

Stevie Wonder is somebody I forgot about. I don’t think he’s top ten, but I definitely should have thought about him.

I also left out Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. I don’t care that they’re in the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame. Barbra Streisand sang a couple of rock songs, too (listen to her version of Laura Nyro’s “Stoney End”: it’s great). None of them are 60s rockers.