While the previous post may have been a bit juvenile compared to many artists from the days of yore consider it a tip of the hat to those psychedelic ramblers, carry oners, and story makers that epitomized the image and lifestyle  we know as rock n’ roll. The list goes on and on and the deeper you dig the further back they go and the more sordid they become. From Led Zeppelin, Motley Crue, and Guns n’ Roses all the way back to Robert Johnson, Hank Williams and John Coltrane the 20th century is riddled with alcohol and drug induced raconteurs that have for better or worse helped shape the current musical landscape. Wherever you morals reside drugs and alcohol and the erratic behavior they render have promoted an image in music that inspires a mysterious appeal and leaves most  in awe. In no particular order here is our top 10 infamous artists/stories in Rock n’ Roll.

1. Motley Crue- Just read their book “The Dirt.” From drugs to women the stories are endless. The bio chronicles the hard and fast times of the legendary group from birth to present times and reads as a how-to manual for any self respecting, wannabe reckless Rock n’ Roll group to follow.

2. Ozzy Osbourne- Well, when Motley Crue proclaims someone is heavier than they, that person must be a legitimate crazy man.  From biting the heads of birds off to snorting ants, according to Motley Crue for no other reason than the “need” to snort something the Black Sabbath front man without question makes our list.

3. Keith Richards- Throughout his history as the Stones axe man Richard’s has been tried on 5 accounts of drug related charges including a 1977 arrest where he was caught with 22 ounces of heroin. Oh yeah he also incited a riot in Blackpool England in 1964 that banned the group from the English beachside community  until this year when the ban was lifted.

4. Metallica- Otherwise known as Alcoholica. Several band members endured problems with alcohol that nearly destroyed the group.

5. Red Hot Chili Peppers- From young ages every band mate experienced the hard living Rock n’ Roll lifestyle, most notably front man Anthony Kiedis who has somehow survived a life riddled with cocaine and heroin use.

6. Jimi Hendrix- Hendrix was known as a hard drinker, pot smoker, amphetamine user, and as many musicians of the time were, a big user of LSD. Purple Haze, Are You Experienced, much of Hendrix’ music was politically inspired and often drug influenced.

7. Kurt Cobain- Notorious pill popper and heroin user who serves as the most recent, significant reminder of the dark side of fame, success, and drug use.

8. Led Zeppelin- Mud Shark incident? Destroyed hotel rooms? They were the predecessors to notorious rockers like G n’R and Crue.

9. Jim Morrison- Living the Libertine lifestyle and an adherent of off the path thinkers Rimbaud and Nietzsche Jim Morrison was a poster child for the counter culture movement who ingested his fair share of psychoactive drugs.

10.Guns n’ Roses- From a drunken, profanity laced acceptance speech at the AMA’s to hurling microphones at fans Axl Rose and his mates were without a doubt some of the crudest and most belligerent of the era.