Ever since the 1950s, the world has been captivated by rock and roll. But rock and roll is more than a collection of cliches and familiar sonic tropes. It is what we feel is the sonic embodiment of a certain attitude, energy, and spirit. But that spirit has existed long before the 1950s. As far back as the late 1770s, some classical composers were pushing boundaries, rebelling, and inspiring the same awe as rock stars we know from rock and roll’s heyday. In this article, I’d like to talk about Ludwig van Beethoven and why he is often known as the first rock star.
How Beethoven Broke the Rules and Redefined Music Forever
Beethoven was a rule-breaker during an era when music was expected to follow rigid rules and guidelines. His music challenged those rules and broke new ground. Not only was his music rebellious, but he lived his everyday life on his own terms. His third symphony, the Eroica, was initially dedicated to Napoleon, but when Napoleon crowned himself emperor, Beethoven tore up the dedication. That act alone speaks volumes. Beethoven believed in music as a force for freedom, emotion, and truth—not flattery or politics.
Rock stars often have a presence about them, and Beethoven was no different. He was famously difficult, stubborn, and intense – certain scenes in Spinal Tap (the one regarding the meat and cheese tray) could easily have been attributed to Beethoven, as they could have been 80s hair metal bands. He was often described as rough around the edges, but undeniably brilliant.
When I read about Beethoven, the image of Robert Fripp keeps coming to mind for some reason. Some of the most brilliant rock stars of our time have also been described as being difficult to work with. To me, this isn’t so much a slight against those artists – to me, that artist is someone who has a clear vision of what they want and refuses to compromise their art for anyone. Artists like Frank Zappa, Brian Wilson, Lou Reed, and Prince have all been accused of walking the line between being challenging to work with and being an absolute genius.
Why Beethoven’s Music Still Hits Like a Power Chord
But through all the stories about his flair and natural magnetism, the thing that made him such a legend was his music. Pieces like the “Moonlight Sonata” or the “Fifth Symphony” still hit audiences hard today because they are timeless. You can feel the storm he was battling inside as he wrote those compositions. He was going deaf, isolated, misunderstood—yet he poured everything he had into the music. There’s something beautifully human in that struggle that we all connect to, even if we don’t necessarily know his backstory.
I recall the first time I heard the opening chords of his “Fifth Symphony,” I felt the same as I did when I listened to the first chords of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, and I heard Nirvana before I heard Beethoven. Beethoven wasn’t a trend chaser. He carved his own path through his career, and, like Kurt Cobain or Jim Morrison, he was seen as a tortured soul, but he channeled all that into his music and created some of the most iconic pieces in music history.
How Beethoven Became Music’s First Superstar
Rock stars are generally defined by their following, and Beethoven cultivated a massive following. His concerts were major events, and his name carried a kind of mythic weight – much like Led Zeppelin in their prime. He was revered as a celebrity, arguably one of the first musicians to achieve that status. His death at the age of 56 drew mourners who flooded the streets – something we might equate to the passing of Lemmy or any modern rock star.
What Can We Learn From Beethoven Today
So what lessons can we learn from such a figure? First, be authentic, be yourself, and refuse to compromise. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, pour everything into your music because it will remain long after you die as a lasting tribute to who you were. In a way, rock stars are immortal because their music still reaches people, in Beethoven’s case, hundreds of years later.
Beethoven, being the first rock star, is debatable; of course, Mozart came before Beethoven and lived fast, spent recklessly, and died young, a tragic cliché rock star trope. In my mind, Beethoven remains the first rock star because he used music to disrupt the status quo culture at the time, he rebelled against norms, and his music has such a raw emotional artistry to it that it seems to connect with so many rock artists who came later. His music and persona were akin to what we saw in the early days of rock and roll, punk, metal, and beyond.
Browse the almost 19,000 scores by Beethoven on MuseScore.
