48 rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
From The Metal God to The Hottest Band in the World
Last updated 7th Jul 2023
From 'The Metal God' to 'The Prince of Darkness', and 'The Queen of Rock and Roll' to 'The Professor', some rock stars and bands have had such a momentous impact on the music world that they’ve been bestowed with honorific nicknames.
Planet Rock takes a look at 48 acts who have honorific monikers. From true rock legends through to cult icons, what these artists have in common is they have inspired countless other musicians.
Most on the list have been given their lofty names by their legions of fans or the media, while some honorific nicknames are derived from song titles.
However other acts with bigger egos have crowned themselves (ahem, KISS). Judas Priest’s Rob Halford has even trademarked his much-cherished nickname.
Some artists are so influential (David Bowie, Chuck Berry, Robert Johnson and Joan Jett) that they even have more than one honorific nickname.
The list discounts nicknames and stage names without an honorific edge, such as Slowhand (Eric Clapton), Bonzo (John Bonham), The Edge (Dave Evans) and Fingers (Don Felder).
48 rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames:
Ozzy Osbourne – The Prince of Darkness
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Chuck Schuldiner – The Godfather of Death Metal
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
KISS - The Hottest Band in the World
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Chuck Berry – The Father of Rock and Roll, The King of Rock and Roll
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Tina Turner – The Queen of Rock and Roll
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
David Bowie – The Chameleon of Rock, The Picasso of Pop
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Arthur Brown – The God of Hellfire
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Alice Cooper – The Godfather of Shock Rock
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Doro – The Metal Queen
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Eddie Van Halen – The Mozart of Rock Guitar
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
John Bonham – The Beast
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Rob Halford - The Metal God
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
John Lee Hooker – The King of the Blues
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Jim Morrison – The Lizard King
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
B.B. King – The King of the Blues, The Mayor of Bluesville
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Neil Peart – The Professor
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Iggy Pop – The Godfather of Punk
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Elvis Presley - The King of Rock and Roll
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Paul Rodgers – The Voice
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Ronnie James Dio – The Voice of Metal
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Jerry Lee Lewis – The Killer
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Carl Perkins – The King of Rockabilly
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Little Richard – The Architect of Rock and Roll
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Dave Lombardo - The Godfather of Double Bass
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Robert Johnson – The Grandfather of Rock and Roll, The First Rock and Roll Star
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Joan Jett – The Godmother of Punk, The Queen of Rock and Roll
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Roy Orbison - The Caruso of Rock
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
The Clash - The Only Band That Matters
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Bruce Springsteen – The Boss
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Sister Rosetta Tharpe – The Godmother of Rock and Roll
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Ritchie Valens - The King of Chicano Rock
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Paul Weller – The Modfather
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Aerosmith - America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Tony Iommi – The Godfather of Heavy Metal
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax – The Big Four of Thrash Metal
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
John Entwistle – Thunderfingers
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Rod Price - The Magician of Slide, Slide King of Rock and Roll
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
The Beatles – The Fab Four
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
The Rolling Stones - The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Guns N’ Roses - The Most Dangerous Band in the World
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Peter Murphy – The Godfather of Goth
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Fats Domino – The Real King of Rock and Roll
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Lonnie Donegan – The King of Skiffle
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Bryan Ferry – The King of Cool
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Janis Joplin – The Queen of Rock and Roll
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Joey Ramone – The Godfather of Punk
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Ron Asheton – The Godfather of Punk Guitar
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
Prince – The Artist
Rock stars and bands with honorific nicknames
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