10 Classic Rock Artists That NEVER Sold Out
6. Thin Lizzy
It was pretty much impossible to not get at least a little bit of star power if you were in a hard rock band in the late '70s. As opposed to the more love and peace centric stuff coming out of the previous decade, the entire rock sphere was firmly settled into its hard groove, with riffs that were as muscly as they were anthemic. On the other hand, there was always one band that flew just below the radar of your average rock fan.
Whereas people may have been singing the praises of acts like Queen and Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy stuck to their guns with their unmistakable brand of hard rock and roll. As opposed to the more lofty expectations of other outfits, the real strength of these guys always came from Phil Lynott's lyrics, which turned him into the pure hard rock answer to someone like Bob Dylan.
Combine that with the twin leads of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, and you've got the basic blueprint of every hard rock band going forward, whether it be the guys in Def Leppard or the members of Metallica. Instead of trying to roll with the changes, Lizzy always continued with their heart on their sleeve, creating some of the most tried, true, and uniquely Irish approach to their craft. Thin Lizzy might not get the recognition they deserve, but this is the kind of pure memory you get when a band refuses to compromise.