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[[quoteright:192:[[Music/{{Queen}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1153789020_freddiemercury8-live_7013.jpg]]He will rock you.]]

When they were young, everyone dreamed of being a Rock Star. They're living idols that people look up to. They follow every RuleOfCool and wear lots of tight leather and make up. They're loud. They're fun. They're rolling in girls and money, have a CoolCar and a CoolHouse. They're larger than life and they're part of the jet set.

The Rock Star is often found around SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll, but on occasion this is subverted and they are found to actually be the character with their heads screwed on the best. If this character is an adventurer they tend to use ThePowerOfRock as their weapon; or, failing that, they will be a MusicalAssassin.

JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith RockStarSong, which is a song about being one of these. BritishRockstar is a specific subtrope that tends to focus on the less likable and/or glamorous tendencies of rockers.

RealLife examples of this trope would fall under {{Music|Tropes}}.

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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Advertising]]
* Advertising/LilSweet has all of the looks and mannerisms of a GlamRock sensation, to the point where most think he was inspired by Music/{{Prince}}. WordOfGod has {{Jossed}} that theory.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Creator/MarvelComics:
** ''ComicBook/{{Dazzler}}'' was originally a mutant who can change sound waves into light waves, and uses this as part of her disco stage show, making her one of the few not nigh-universally hated mutants in the 'verse.
** Longshot had all of the qualities of this trope without actually being a musician, though he did upstage Dazzler the one time he did sing on-panel. He was[[InvokedTrope deliberately produced]] as EstrogenBrigade Bait by Mojo for [[ShowWithinAShow shows in his dimension]].
* The comic ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Hits_(comics) Greatest Hits]]'' is about a Music/TheBeatles {{Expy}} rock group called The Mates who also have superpowers, but those powers are unrelated to their rockstarness.
* Todd Ingram, in both the ''Comicbook/ScottPilgrim'' graphic novels and [[Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld movie]], cites this as the reason why he's allowed to be a KarmaHoudini. [[spoiler:It fails miserably.]]
* ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'' had ''Comicbook/{{Zenith}}'', an 80s superhero who was also a [[NewWaveMusic New Wave]]/Glam popstar.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Sing}}'', Ash the punk rock porcupine fits this role within the theatre troupe. The sequel introduces rock legend Clay Calloway, one of Ash's idols who became a recluse after his wife died fifteen years prior.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/BubbleBoy'': Mark, Chloe's [[RomanticFalseLead boyfriend]], is said to be one. [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything But we never actually see him performing.]]
--> '''Jimmy:''' So, Chloe says you're a musician.
--> '''Mark:''' Well, I do ''rock!''
* Quite a few in ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' but Envy Adams takes the cake easily.
* In the film ''Film/RockStar'' an average guy suddenly becomes the lead singer of a highly successful HeavyMetal band, and he finds himself unprepared for the debauchery and hedonism of the rock star lifestyle.
* Dewey Cox from ''Film/WalkHardTheDeweyCoxStory'' is a vicious deconstruction.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/IDidNotGiveThatSpiderSuperhumanIntelligence'': He is a handsome villain with music-themed powers and has a thing for pirate rock concerts that many civilians are overjoyed to experience.
* Zal of the ''Literature/QuantumGravity'' series is an [[ElvishPresley elf rock star]], though one of the points he likes to make is that he does not limit himself to rock music, because every genre can be good. Incidentally, [[spoiler:becoming a rock star is all part of his plan to make "a lot of people free," as Malachi puts it. It's weird, but it works.]]
* Cole Saint Clair of ''Literature/WolvesOfMercyFallsSeries'', former lead singer of NARKOTIKA, an in universe popular rock band. He's loud and abrasive, and utterly charmed by himself. Flashbacks make it clear he had that "rolling in girls and money" thing down pat.
* Lestat of Creator/AnneRice's ''Literature/TheVampireChronicles'' becomes one of these in the nineteen-eighties, and is very pleased with himself about it. He uses it as a platform to try and [[TheUnmasquedWorld reveal vampires to mortals]], but he doesn't deny that he's also just enjoying the fame.
* Imp y Celyn ("Buddy") in ''Literature/SoulMusic'' is the Literature/{{Discworld}}'s first (and, despite the attempts of people like [[DreadfulMusician Crash]] to follow in his footsteps, only) Music with Rocks in star.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Charlie from ''Series/{{Lost}}'' was one of these.
* ''Series/QuantumLeap'': Sam leaps into a Glam-rocker, complete with face paint (''a la'' Music/{{KISS}}).
* Mason of ''Series/DeadLikeMe'' is sort of a wannabe version of this. Never really got the fame, but definitely fits the [[SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll promiscuity and extreme substance abuse]].
* One episode of the ''Series/WonderWoman'' series centered around a rock star, played by that crazy wildman Creator/MartinMull.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
Particularly famous Real Life examples who often inspire fictional ones:
* Music/ElvisPresley.
* Music/TheBeatles.
* Music/DavidBowie, whose exploration of this trope (i.e., ''Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars'') in TheSeventies paved the way for him to outright live it.
* Music/MichaelJackson.
* Music/AmyWinehouse.
* This is a bit of a stretch, but her lifestyle and personality fit: Music/LadyGaga.
* Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}}.
* The UrExample would be 19th-century violinist Niccolò Paganini. He reputedly [[DealWithTheDevil sold his soul to the devil for his abilities]] and learned his signature move of playing on one string in prison, where he was only allowed one string. He had long fiery-red hair (at the time a sure sign of demonic influence) and at a time when bright colours were the height of fashion dressed only in black. He was almost as well known for drinking, gambling and womanising as he was for playing the violin.
** For bonus points, it is said he can play the violin behind his back.
* Franz Liszt was inspired by Paganini to become a piano virtuoso. The term "Lisztomania" was coined in 1844 (therefore, [[OlderThanRadio older than]] Music/{{Phoenix}}) to describe the effects of his performances and his fame.
* Music/FreddieMercury, of the group Music/{{Queen}}.
* [[Music/TheDoors Jim Morrison]] is often said to be the TropeCodifier for this.
* Music/TheWho are real-life examples of four different garden-variety rock-star stereotypes: the sex symbol (Roger Daltrey), the hotel-wrecking, drug-running madman (Keith Moon), the tortured artist trying to keep his head and his band together (Pete Townshend), and TheQuietOne who's nevertheless NotSoAboveItAll (John Entwistle). It could be argued that any example of this trope will fall under one or more of these categories.
* Music/{{KISS}}
* Music/GunsNRoses
* Many of the HairMetal bands of TheEighties were these, with varying degrees of success. That arguably includes those that were trying too hard, too.
* For Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart, this was an UnbuiltTrope. He lived in relative luxury on a generous royal commission, but his lavish lifestyle and alcohol and drug use kept him in poverty, and he died young. While his music was well-known in his own time, much of it was considered incomprehensible by his benefactors and audiences alike.
* Music/MCHammer helped bring the rock star lifestyle into HipHop, arguably serving as the UrExample for GlamRap, an entire subgenre built around this trope. His living beyond his means infamously drove him into bankruptcy, causing him to mellow out considerably later in life; these days, he's a Pentecostal minister.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}''. The supplement ''Shadowbeat'' had rules for {{player character}}s to be musicians, including rock stars.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Cyberpunk}} 2020''. Player characters could be Rockerboys, with "Charismatic Leadership" that allowed control of other people by playing music.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theater]]
* ''The Masters Of The Universe Power Tour'', a live stage show from 1987, featured the new character Songster -- simply put, an Eternian rock star. The ''Power Tour'' was the only medium to ever feature the character... which is arguably for the best.
* The "Coming Out of Their Shells Tour" was a 1990 stage show which turned the Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles into this. Theoretically, anyway.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Nikki from ''VideoGame/ChronoCross''. One of his concerts is a plot event at one point in the game.
* Rockstar Cookie from ''VideoGame/CookieRun'' is about as apt an example as you can get. His jump and slide sounds are even guitar riffs!
* Due to the rockerboy/rockergirl subculture being a prominent part of ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' 's setting, you get to meet quite a few of them.
** [[BombThrowingAnarchist Johnny Silverhand]], the game's {{Deuteragonist}}, is arguably the face of the whole movement and the frontman of Samurai. Unfortunately for [[PlayerCharacter V]], this means that they're stuck with a narcissistic, angry and [[SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll hedonistic]] ghost in their head.
** Kerry Eurodyne, another member of Samurai, is still alive fifty years later and still creating new (solo) music. He's in a bit of a slump, but [[spoiler:Johnny and V can take him out of it, as a part of Johnny's questline]]. He's also a [[RomanceSidequest romance option for V]], despite his age. Then again, one can argue that having a young lover is a part of the lifestyle.
** Denny, Henry and Nancy, the other three members of Samurai are also still here and can be assembled for one last concert in a sidequest. Only Denny still works in the industry; Henry's been between rehabs and benders, and Nancy works as an accomplished journalist.
** One of the fixers, Dino, used to be a rockerboy. Other than his [[HellBentForLeather clothes]], he works as a fixer, setting up jobs for local mercenaries, and doesn't have much to do with music anymore.
* Lord Raptor from ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'', who's also a zombie. A cameo in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfSuperHeroes'' shows he plays alongside a self-playing guitar and his audience is made up of mohawk donning Skeletons.
* Despite taking place many years before rock was invented, the Jester of ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' has the personality, the power slide, and the solos of a rock star. With a lute instead of a guitar.
* In ''VideoGame/GrowingUp'', this is the career you get if you get an A or B in the SAT and specialize in music.
* The gym leader Roxie from ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2''. Interestingly, she's also a gym leader and her gym is also where she holds her concerts.
* ''VideoGame/TotalDistortion'' features three rock stars in the [[EldritchLocation Distortion Dimension]]. Two of them, Johnny Fang and [[Main/PunkRock Betty Pink]], appear in a stage you have to pay to watch, while the third, [[Main/GothRock Edgar Death]], shows up in a [[CreepyCemetery cemetery]]. Finding recorded footage of these characters in the game is the most valuable item you can get, since your main objective is to make [[SurrealMusicVideo music videos]] based in this dimension.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* Klavier Gavin in ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' is one of these in addition to being a prosecutor.
* Ibuki Mioda from ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' as the Ultimate Musician.
* The title character of ''VisualNovel/{{Melody}}'' [[spoiler:becomes this in the Perfect Ending.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Rock Zilla in ''WesternAnimation/MyDadTheRockStar'' prefers to act like a space case, but is actually classically trained and can keep up with his snooty, orchestrally trained father when he is of a mind to.
* ''WesternAnimation/HiHiPuffyAmiYumi'': The show centers around the escapades of two rock stars, Ami and Yumi, who are in the eponymous band. They perform at stadiums... when the plot doesn't get in the way.
* Sonic, Sonia, and Manic in ''WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground''.
* All five Dethklok members in ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}.''
* One episode of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'' cartoon sees the title character and Lydia trying to help their buddy Prince Vince become this, as he's inspired by an Music/ElvisPresley knockoff. It only works as long as it does because the people are willing to pretend that he's not a DreadfulMusician.
* Jagged Stone in ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' is a world-famous rock star who revels in the stereotypical rocker lifestyle, minus [[SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll the seedier aspects]] since it's a children's cartoon. Though it's likely that the reason he doesn't use drugs is [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} he doesn't need them to get high]].
* ''WesternAnimation/KipoAndTheAgeOfWonderbeasts'': Camille and her pack are this to a T. One of the reason why they bonded with Kipo was due to her being a musician. Helps that she is voiced by real-life rock star Joan Jett.
* Luna Loud from ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse''.
* ''WesternAnimation/WorkItOutWombats'': Duffy and Leiko used to be in a rock duo and still seek opportunities to whip out their electric guitars. For example, Duffy wanted to play an aggressive rock song for the baby fish in "Gift For a Fish" before Mr. E vetoed it.
[[/folder]]
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