Take a band like KISS; when former drummer Peter Criss relinquished the rights to his signature makeup in 2014, with a tone of regret all he had to say was “That’s my cross that I bear”. Whether it's a working musician sifting through their best pics for a promo kit, or a fan trying to fit in the scene, music has an immense influence over how people look.
Styles Come, Go, and Come Again
It’s tough to say whether trends in music fashion really die out or not. With fashion born out of 80’s punk and hip-hop still being seen in today’s music scene, it’s difficult to tell whether fashion trends really die out or not. Considering how big nostalgia culture and vintage attire is, retro looks are making comebacks all the time - and they tend to stick around.
A Mark That’ll Last
Plenty of musicians have become iconic for their face alone. Depending when their career began, an artist could have a whole backlog of photos that have immortalized their young image, preserving a time before they got tattoos in the mix. Facial tattoos have been around in popular music for quite some time, with artists like Lil Wayne and Gucci Mane being instantly recognizable for their ink alone. Considered a rising trend, there seems to be little regret expressed by several high-profile musicians who’ve accessorized their image with now iconic tats.
Keeping it Real Through the Years
While not the most iconic singer out there, Tom Waits is a great example of a musician who’s never done much to look hip. Wearing either a classy hat or a wild bush of hair, Tom Waits has stuck to his guns with maintaining his signature disheveled Americana look. Though this does work well for his image as a musician, given his signature raspy Howlin’ Wolf style vocals. But, his look has never changed much or tried to keep with the times, proving you can be a good musician and not have to care about appearance.
Most of the time when listening to music, we can’t help but wonder what’s the look of the people making that awesome noise behind the speakers. Especially when we’re young, we try to copy the styles of our musical heroes, almost getting lost in an artist’s look instead of what they’re actually being played for - the music! While there’s no clear divide between music and image, what matters is the joy that either aspect can bring to music fans everywhere.
Blog by Sally Writes