10 Greatest Hard Rock Frontmen Of All Time

The entire concept of the hard rock frontman had almost been completely neutered by the end of the '80s. Despite some of the more interesting material coming out of the thrash metal world, the sounds of the Sunset Strip were so manufactured that it almost felt like you were listening to the discount version of your favorite singer every time a new act emerged. Even though Guns N Roses came out of the same scene, Axl Rose was the force of nature that the rock world needed.

Instead of the usual swaggering banter from the likes of Motley Crue, Rose was every bit the wild man you would expect, with many shows being a practical outlet for his antics. From one song to the next, you were never quite sure if it would end in a mental breakdown or just a great tune, but you could never quite look away regardless.

However, with all of that craziness came a lot of pitfalls as well, as Rose developed one of the biggest egos in the business, causing Guns to run crazy late for shows and sometimes inciting riots due to their lack of performance. While Rose may be a headache and a half to deal with at the best of times, there's no disputing the absolute war he waged with the audience in the early days.