There’s probably no musical genre more associated with hair than rock. From Elvis’s famous pompadour to Prince’s Jeri curls, to a whole genre called hair metal, artists’ hair has always been important to the art. But what about facial hair? Here, we’ve put together a list of what we think are the best sets of facial hair in the rock universe. They’re in no particular order because with facial hair this mighty, there’s no better or best – it’s all great.
- George Harrison
The Beatles might be best known for their signature matching bowl cuts, but the legendary guitarist grew an iconic beard after the band split. After being inspired by trips to Asia, George Harrison grew out his beard to epic proportions to match the freedom and love in his music.
- Jack Black
Most of you might be most familiar with Jack Black from his movie career, which includes hits like School of Rock and more recently the Jumanji films. But you might not be familiar with his work as one half of the hard-rocking comedy duo Tenacious D. Black, or Jables, as he’s more commonly known, has recently grown out a wild beard that’s the perfect symbol of how fun loving his style is and how even if you let your beard get a way from you a little bit, it can still rock.
- Kirk Hammett
The first non-bearded entry in our list – Kirk Hammett is the lead guitarist for Heavy Metal icons Metallica and is best known for his subtle goatee and mustache combination. Hammett has worn his look for decades and definitely proof that sometimes with beards, less can be more.
- Jerry Garcia
How many people can say that they have an ice cream flavor named after them? [LINK BEN AND JERRY’S] Jerry Garcia and his band, the Grateful Dead, helped define the sounds, thoughts, and the look of a whole generation. Garcia’s classic beards and shaggy hair were the blueprint for hippie looks for years and was a look he carried all the way through his death in 1995.
- Frank Zappa
Probably the most gifted musician on our list, Frank Zappa’s look is beyond iconic, it’s legendary. The virtuoso guitarist, composer, singer, and producer’s Arab heritage was on clear display with his unmistakable mustache and soul patch. Zappa quirky but efficient music style was on clear display with how clean and precise he kept his look.
- ZZ Top
It might be cheating to pick a whole band, but how are we supposed to choose between them? ZZ Top have taken their beards and turned them into parts of the band that are as important as the guitars, drums, and the fans.
- Lemmy
Who else? Lemmy Kilmister, the legendary bassist and front man of heavy metal icons Motor head owned a pair of the fullest, freshest, mutton chops to ever grace a stage. Borrowing his look from British and American history, Lemmy made his mutton chops a modern-day miracle that prove that if you own your look, it will be great.
