There are few recording industry icons with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and fewer Classic Rock stars. What is a classic rock star? Generally, it is considered that the classic rock genre started in 1965 and lasted through 1992. Yet there are exceptions, and classic rock stations play some music from Guns and Roses as an example.

Classic rock does not take away from awesome performers like the king of Rock, Elvis Presley, or Smokey Robinson or Everly Brothers, but the musicianship generally was better in the classic rock era. Certainly no single classic rocker ever exceeded the dynamic entertainment power of Elvis. And there were no groups ever more talented than Smokey Robinson and the Miracles or the Everly Brothers.

On the Walk of Fame there are many other legitimate music stars, with large followings, like Britney Spears, and Bobby Darin and B.B. King. But perhaps no single group of performers ever had a more lasting effect in terms of sheer music sales and popularity as did the classic rock bands who are and who are not on the Walk of Fame. This site will give due to the few that have their Hollywood Star as a point of historical interest. I have seen five of these groups and wish I had seen the rest. But certainly they are all deserving. I hope you enjoy the videos and comments!

Classic Rock Hollywood Walk of Fame Honor Roll:

Fleetwood Mac, Journey, Carlos Santana, Peter Frampton, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Miller Band, Elton John, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Queen, Chicago, Beatles, Crosby Stills and Nash

Without question, Fleetwood Mac is my favorite Classic Rock band. All are talented, but clearly, the addition of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, two California kids, in 1974, propelled the English blues band to iconic status. Stevie was a beauty, and yet she was a genius song writer as well. Lindsey was a masterful guitar player, and is greatly underrated according to Howard Stern. Fleetwood Mac is enshrined in the Rock Hall of Fame as well.

Fleetwood Mac's most famous album, Rumours, was in part an anthem to the failed relationship between Stevie and Lindsey, and was a grammy winner in 1978 for albums created in 1977. An even more beautiful album but with fewer hits came along in 1979. Tusk was overpriced, but brilliant. It was very personal about the second disintegration of this on again off again relationship.

Stevie was not able to keep true to Lindsey, yet her heart ended up breaking as much or more as Lindsey's. You can hear it in her songs. And her real emotion was what forever set her apart in the music industry.

Stevie Nicks limited her fame, if that were possible, because she did not feel that films were real, and she wanted to be a sincere singer. There is no question that her legion of fans get it, and trust her genuine performances. You can see more Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac Video at 70's Divas.

Steve Perry, lead singer of Journey in their heyday, grew up in the next town over from my hometown. Lemoore played Coalinga High in sports. And Steve Perry was exactly my age, which is amusing when you consider that my daughter had a crush on him with that long hair, at least until she found out the guy was the same age as her dad! Her favorite songs are Lights, and Faithfully.

Steve Perry had the perfect rock and roll voice, and their band was solid, with a great lead guitar. They also had the best na na since the Beatles. You cannot watch a video that has Faithfully or some of the other great songs on it without knowing that this was one of the most spectacular and great rock bands of all time.

Without question, the most talented and exciting band in person was Santana. It wasn't just Carlos, though certainly his lead guitar was amazing. But what set Santana apart were the drums. The band played with an uncanny ability to be together as a unit. Just as the Everly Brothers had an uncanny ability to sing harmony because of a genetic similarity, Santana had a unity of performance, a rhythm that was mesmerizing. I saw them twice in college. Both times the crowd could not sit down. The spontaneous acceptance of this band was without peer. They were simply the best live rock band on the planet.

Do you feel like we do? Talented guitar player/singer Peter Frampton's live album was the number one selling live album in the history of recorded music. I heard him in later years and he didn't miss a beat. His songwriting was not extensive, but it was superb. He propelled that one awesome album into a long term career, and deservedly so.

I want you to show me the way is a lyric with awesome music and the crowd went wild when Peter performed. People did not tire of his songs because they were special. He was a great guitar player, songwriter and lead singer. He had it all.

I am quite sure that even Slash of Guns and Roses would be impressed sitting and listening to perhaps the greatest guitar genius of all time. Unfortunately, his life was snuffed out at such a young age. Music has less to offer because Jimi didn't stick around.

Certainly his hit popular songs do not begin to show his guitar genius, so I have picked a video that does begin to do so. Like water from a river, Jimi Hendrix guitar was like a river of spontaneity.

Jimi was born in Seattle but started his road to fame in Nashville, and that city adopted him. The cream of the musical crop always went to his shows in Europe, where his fame grew.

Dancing and Romance. Space Cowboy and Gangster of Love. Wow, what great lyrics. Steve Miller band was about fun and good times. And they had a loyal following that craved the good times. Can you blame them?

We certainly have economic strife now and need some bands to come along to lift our spirits. America is close to an explosion of dancin' in the streets and what better band to lead them than Steve Miller!        

Elton John was to Classic Rock and Roll what Liberace was to Las Vegas. This means Sir Elton brought to music a mixture of formal training on piano and showmanship. From a string of rock and roll hits, to the score of Lion King, to the moving music and lyrics at Princess Dianna's funeral, Sir Elton has distinguished himself with great talent and rock star enthusiasm.

Elton John has been for so many years a relentless and seemingly tireless performer, I am not sure anyone enjoyed being in the spotlight more than Elton. It has been a pleasure over the years to listen to great music. It is a privilege to experience great songwriting and great piano expertise being applied to Classic Rock.

Perhaps Tom Petty is more famous after the Super Bowl performance than he ever was before. But his songs hit a nerve in American music and he really has cool buses to travel around in. I think he ran down that dream!

He wrote Stevie Nick's greatest non Fleetwood Mac hit, Stop Draggin' My Heart Around which has been covered by Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 with more than one female singer.

And Free Fallin' was a roadmap to the San Fernando Valley and brought great goodwill toward the Los Angeles area. The Heartbreakers were a great band and backup for Tom. Free Fallin' was covered very successfully by John Mayer.

What can you say about Bob Seger? This guy had some great songs. I love Bob Seger's greatest hits because they were stirring anthems of Classic Rock and Roll. He had a great band and his songs will not die easily. Certainly he gave his all in performing them.

Of course Against the Wind was immortalized in the movie Forrest Gump, but that was not his only anthem. He had lots of them. What a deserving member of the Hollywood Walk of Fame is Bob Seger.

Queen brought the genius of Freddie Mercury and a rockin' accomplished band to establish Classic Rock on seemingly another level of musical accomplishment.

Sports anthems exist because of Queen, and Freddie Mercury's immense talent is certainly missed. Talk about filling stadiums, this great classic rock band could do it with regularity.

Chicago was a famous rock band, and then Peter Cetera reeled off hit after hit, and pop music history was made. Starting off with Classic Rock they moved more to pop with Cetera. But I have a real rockin' video that shows what this band really had in them. 

Chicago was not afraid to improvise and if you didn't think that they could rock out you are very mistaken. 

Without question the Beatles were the most popular rock and pop group in the history of recorded music. Seems to me that they had 10 of the top 10 songs at one time. When they hit the shores of America in 1964, I was in Jr High. The Beatles had the girl fans and the boys all wanted to be like them.

They had a following even greater than New Kids on the Block in the early years, yet they had a plan to become the greatest selling group ever. The Beatles evolved into the premier Classic Rock Band of all time, with creativity that became the lifeblood of orchestras and cover bands the world over. America had never fallen in love with the music of one group or person since Elvis. Then the Beatles came along and made music history. 

There are not words to express the lasting popularity of this greatest of rock bands, the Beatles!

These legends of classic rock were a joy to hear. They were energetic, enthusiastic, and not afraid to speak their minds. Brought together by Mamma Cass Elliot of the Mammas and Papas, these three, and later with Neal Young, became the most prominant anti establishment voices. Wonder what they think about scamming international bankers and liar loans happening now?

Crosby Stills and Nash are legends of rock and roll and deserving of a star on the Walk of Fame.