Billy Corgan Explains His Definition of a Rock Star
Story by Charles Ken
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan thinks rock should take on pop
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan isn’t a fan of pop music. Speaking with Australia’s The Morning Show, Corgan explained his thoughts on pop music, stating that rock musicians should “be more aggressive in taking on pop music.”
“Particularly in America there’s a very cozy relationship between rock stars and pop stars, and I don’t think that’s a good relationship,” Corgan said. “I think everybody sort of belongs on their own side of the street for a good reason. By definition a rock star is supposed to be an independent individual who pursues a vision to an end — an Axl Rose, an Elton John. And a pop star is basically supposed to do whatever they can do to pray at some horrible idol of fame which is ubiquitous and fleeting.”
Corgan thinks the guy who could have stopped all these pop-rock relationships is late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.
“I think Kurt had an incredible level of integrity and I often have said that he would know what to do with the pop miasma we’re dealing with right now,” he said. “Rock needs to be free and independent, it doesn’t need to imitate pop to survive.”
The Smashing Pumpkins’ latest album, “Monuments to an Elegy,” arrived last year.
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