There are some things in music that never change, like John Farnham’s commitment to the comeback and Pharrell’s age. There are, however, some things that never stay the same. They’re always changing, transforming and setting trends: our musical heroes’ hairstyles. Here are my favourite hair-dos in history. Cue soundtrack and scroll:
So outlandish and flamboyant for its time, it’s now considered one of the most iconic styles in history. Within months of Ziggy’s creation people were walking the streets of London, even in Bowie’s own working class neighborhood, with eye makeup and mullets. This, and Aladdin Sane, were Bowie’s best incarnations. Notable mention has to go to Lou Reed’s Transformer style of the same year. Together they began the feminization of men in popular culture.
Photo via Tumblr
QUESTLOVE, THE ROOTS
King of the Fro Comb. This man needs his own range of the forever-stuck-in-your-hair brushes; it’s his signature style and if you Google ‘afro comb’ he’ll inevitably come up among the first result. That’s a hair achievement in itself.
Photo: Jason Merritt via Getty
ROD STEWART
A gift from the gods to the women of earth, Rod Stewart’s hairstyles and general sex appeal couldn’t be ignored when he broke out as a solo artist. The symmetry of his hairline was remarkable. It was as if a classy, rich brown pom pom with the faintest blonde strands running through it was placed on his head. Boy, did he shake that thing on stage too.
Photo via Rod Stewart on Facebook
BUSTA RHYMES
Busta Rhymes’s dreads were all time. He was always styling them differently and for years he rocked this look. Unlike Weezy’s ratty dreadlocks, Busta got really creative with them too. Although he’s not sporting this hair-do nowadays, you can see him cut off his tentacles here.
Photo: Lucy Nicholson via Getty
GWEN STEFANI
Photo via Tumblr
CYNDI LAUPER
When it comes to female 80s artists, you can’t go past Cyndi Lauper’s hairstyle. The side ponytail, the single strand hair extensions, the colourful scrunchies all teased up into a beautiful a mess, solidified by enough hairspray to put a hole back in the ozone layer.
Photo: Parade via Getty
BOY GEORGE
In some ways Boy George’s style was similar to Lauper’s, with an added hat and way more paraphernalia hanging from his roots. It was weird yet respectfully bold. His array of different hats also needs to be acknowledged – no one to this day has donned hats like Boy George and gotten away with it.
Photo via Tumblr
BRITNEY SPEARS
I still can’t believe she did this, but muchos respectos to her. After being admitted to a mental hospital and on the verge of losing her kids to Kevin Federline, Britney felt it necessary to cut it all off and this was the result. It wasn’t flattering to say the least, but I think it’s a poignant moment in popular culture where a music icon fell from grace and shaved off whatever ties she once had to her ‘girl next door image’; although her manager later claimed she shaved her head so there would be no trace of her drug use at the time. Whatever the reason, she still managed to come out with Blackout and this single in the same year. That’s Britney bitch!
Photo via CNN
RIHANNA
Ahh, the ever-changing hairstyles of Rihanna! It was difficult to just choose one but it’s worth pointing out that the pop star doesn’t rock one style for more than six months and each transformation is a banger. Even when she rocks bangs…
Photo: Patrick Kovarik
EMINEM
Epitomising the white trash image, Shady’s peroxide blonde two shave is as iconic as it is gross. It’s better than JT’s two-minute noodle cut but still managed to spell ‘trailer trash’ in bold letters. I can’t deny that it worked for him though. As referenced in his song ‘Stan’, every white kid and Dennis Rodman started bleaching their hair.
Photo: Paul Sancya via Getty
JON BON JOVI
One of the best mullet manes in the game. This is the closest I get to including Glam Metal hair styles. That’s an era and potential influence I’d rather not reminisce on. But, since we’re on the subject, if this style ever comes back in – you better believe I’ll be growing my hair out!
MATISYAHU
The only man you’d describing use the words ‘earlocks’ and ‘gangster’ in the same sentence.
Photo: Mark Metcalfe
PRINCE
Prince’s best mop to date. His wavy curls and short sides made for a killer combination. It bordered on Mullet and Mohawk in the same arrangement. Many have tried to imitate (myself included); very few have succeeded. Besides Dave Chappelle.
Photo via Purple Rain, duh.
BOB DYLAN
This is my favourite Bob Dylan period (1960s), when he was rocking the tight, wispy fro and he was beginning to not give a fuck. His classic, angular armed, Ray-Ban Wayfarers accentuated his curly silhouette and it oozed cool.
Photo via Blogspot
MICHAEL JACKSON
I’ve never been able to decide whose hairstyle I like the most in Thriller – Michael Jackson’s or his love interest’s. MJ’s short mullet and tight curls were his best look. Then came all the bleach and plastic surgery and the incident that made me never drink Pepsi ever again.
Photo via Thriller, duh.
That’s my list. It’s not definitive but it’s a start on some of the best styles in music history. The fact that a rockstar can change their hair and influence a generation is enough to know that hair matters. The way you wear it, colour it or even walk around without it, is a statement that sends hairdressers round the world scrambling for a different tool each time.
Let’s face it, if you don’t have a good hairdo in the music business, you just won’t cut it.
You can follow the evolution of Marty’s hair on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
