Again, the top of the list is easy, the bottom of the list near impossible. I had even more names to pick from. Lots of members of famous bands are still around, but I didn’t think they had the personal recognition. Almost all the top disco stars have died, OTOH. Punks? They had a tendency to die young. Stevie Wonder had hits in the 60s but his biggest albums were from the 70s. Same with Neil Young. Tina Turner didn’t become a superstar until the 1980s, and neither did Lionel Richie.
Same caveats. The list is who would make the biggest splash in the news and social media in America in 2023, not my personal preferences or who is most influential. I’d love to hear top tens from other countries. I probably forgot somebody important. Have at me.
Springsteen and Elton John are likely to generate the most overall media and public reaction.
Stevie Wonder and Ozzy Osbourne are in the next tier; Osbourne’s public visibility in the last 20 years, due to TV, is at least as big a factor as his role as a heavy metal singer.
Well now, let’s not leave out the boys from Led Zeppelin. My first thought was to single out Bob for honor of “biggest splash” of those remaining, but I think all three would make a splash.
Is there a reason the 60’s query was concerned with rock stars, while the newer 70’s thread is about pop stars?
Outside America, the remaining active members of Queen, namely Brian May and Roger Taylor, would be on the list. Queen has become second only to the Beatles (and arguably ABBA) in recognition out of the boomer era music among the younger folk.
That being said, any member of ABBA would make the (non-U:S) list, as well.
Elton John may well be the biggest splashee - way, way above Billy Joel outside America.
Led Zeppelin must be in the running.
Stevie Wonder will be big, Ozzy bigger, Springsteen bigger than either. Neil Young huge, as well.
Roger Waters and David Gilmour will make a big splash.
I don’t see Olivia Newton-John, Stevie Nicks or Linda Ronstadt making a splash outside the U.S.
I’m sure I knew that because I didn’t have her on my final list, but then I saw a reference to her name and just threw her on. Honestly, mostly because I wanted the John/John pairing.
I may be wrong about group members. My feeling is that a Robert Plant would get a burst of news rather than a lengthy farewell. You don’t get much bigger than Zeppelin, but in the U.S. it was the band rather than the individuals which was the star name.
Without rock group stars I felt the 70s were more about pop than rock. Another personal judgement.
Maybe Kate Bush because of her recent resurgence. Thanks to TV, there will also be a big nostalgia tug at the hearts of many when Donny or Marie pass away. I think the death of Elvis Costello will have the same impact as Tom Petty’s did.
