When you listen to your favorite rock songs that defined your youth, or marked certain epic moments of your life, you probably picture the singer as he or she was at the time the song made an impression on you. For me, Bruce Springsteen is forever wearing a white t-shirt, jeans, and a bandana, Steven Tyler is still the Aerosmith singer from the “Crazy” video starring Alicia Silverstone and his daughter Liv Tyler. But believe it or not, even rock stars age.
The crazy thing (see what I did there?) is that not all rock stars peter out and disappear into the night. Some hang on to their stardom, their legends, their rock and roll personas, and continue to play and perform when other aging adults would be moving down to sunny Florida to golf and sit in air conditioning all day.
Here are some of the most legendary, bad-ass rock stars who still seriously rock, well into their 60s and 70s. Have you seen any of them perform recently? Tell us what you thought in the comments!
10. Brian May – July 19, 1947 (age 71)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxIklEemuv8
If you watched the Oscars this year, then you absolutely saw Brian May perform with Queen (and Adam Lambert on vocals). And he smashed it. Aside from some gray hair, he hasn’t changed much, and he still has the guitar chops that he had when he was playing with Freddie Mercury decades ago.
9. Stevie Wonder – May 13, 1950 (age 69)
The man has still got it. In the video above, he is rocking out in Paris in 2018, and you’d never know that he’s pushing 70! The voice, the piano playing, the stage presence – they’re as good as they were when the world first discovered Mr. Wonder in the 1970s.
8. Elton John – March 25, 1947 (age 72)
Here in concert in December 2018, Sir Elton John still puts on an incredible show. Never one to be dull or boring, he continues to dazzle the crowd not just with his incredible piano playing and solid hit after hit, but also (always) with his glittery outfits and crazy glasses. The stage is where this man belongs, no matter how old he is.
7. Steven Tyler – March 26, 1948 (age 71)
Steven Tyler still has the moves, the voice, and of course the hair. Performing with Aerosmith in February 2019 in the video above, you would never know that this was a septuagenarian on lead vocals. He basically defines the term “rock star.”
6. Keith Richards – December 18, 1943 (age 75)
There are plenty of jokes out there about how Keith Richards hasn’t died yet. Sure, he looks like he has lived hard (and he absolutely has, as a member of The Rolling Stones.) But the man is still a rocker to his core. You can see him perform here in all his glory in a show at the Apollo Theater in 2015.
5. Mick Jagger – July 26, 1943 (age 75)
Speaking of The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger is surely not one to be one-upped by his lead guitarist. Just check out the first few seconds of this concert in Italy in 2017. Look at those dance moves! He’s 75!!
4. Rod Stewart – January 10, 1945 (age 74)
Rod Stewart, seen here live in concert 2018, looks exactly as he did in 1985. He even still pulls out some moves throughout the concert. Maybe he was onto something—embracing his graying hair early, so that he never really appeared to change.
3. Bruce Springsteen – September 23, 1949 (age 69)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2QLUrtULA4
Springsteen has pretty much never stopped going. If you’ve seen him in concert, the man has the endurance of a teenager. He plays and sings and runs around the stage for over 3 hours at a time, and NEVER TAKES A BREAK. In the last couple of years, he’s been appearing in his own Broadway show every night.
2. Paul McCartney – June 18, 1942 (age 76)
Sir Paul is perhaps the biggest legend on this list, and he lives up to that title in every way. Here you can see him live in concert in 2018. The man was 75 years old and played for nearly 3 hours!
1. Billy Joel – May 9, 1949 (age 69)
Mr. Joel has been playing a monthly show at Madison Square Garden (to a sold-out house) for a few years. He rocks from beginning to end (and plays all the crowd’s favorite hits in the process.) He sings and plays his heart out every. single. performance.
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