There have been many famous and infamous music interviews over the years.
While it is hard to pinpoint the ones that are the “best,” many fans tend to agree that the ones that explore the art and brains of the musician are the greatest.
With interviews across many popular music genres, these are only a handful that fans, aficionados, and music experts agree are some of the best of all time.
Elton John & Rolling Stone
In 1976, attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community were very different. When music legend Elton John effortlessly came out as gay to Rolling Stone, it started the ball rolling for the changes we see today. It was brave, confident, and something that had a lasting effect years after the interview came out.
Nardwuar & Snoop Dogg
Nardwuar is famous for his interviewing style and research, hence why he features a few times on this list. His interview with Snoop Dogg was more than just the rapper being his usual self, with the two diving into other genres, Snoop’s movie-making career, as well as providing viewers with a fresh perspective of the rap legend.
Keith Richards & The Beatles
Considering the fact that many regarded the Beatles as music gods, it was almost refreshing to hear Stones guitarist Keith Richards bring them back down to earth. He tore apart their Sgt. Pepper’s album, and even made many Beatles fans second-guess how good they were.
John Lennon
Easily one of the most famous interview quotes of all time, John Lennon stating that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus now” will live on forever. The interview was strange, insightful, and had many points that started discussions around religion and its part in society.
David Bowie & BBC
David Bowie had a way with words and more ways to mess with interviewers who didn’t understand him. His 1999 interview with the BBC took viewers on a whirlwind trip, with Bowie using his incredible wit, humor, and intelligence to talk about almost everything he could. It showed his human, as well as his artistic genius and flare for the weird and wacky.
Nardwuar & N.E.R.D
Pharell Williams himself proclaimed his interview with Nardwuar to be the best he had ever had. Nardwuar was his usual, weird self, offering questions and statements that blew everyone’s mind. While it is a few years old now, it is still well worth the watch.
Flying Lotus
Experimental musicians often try too hard to explain their motives and art, but Flying Lotus broke that mold. He was straightforward, and honest and explained his sound in a way that many could not only understand but also appreciate even more.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan was often referred to as the “voice of the 60s”, yet in most of his interviews, he would disagree and go on to show that he was level-headed, engaged, intelligent, and unique. While you can’t pick one interview of his, listening to him speak should be a must for any music, rock, or folk fan.
Early 90s Madonna
Madonna has been an icon for years, with her peak being in the early 90s. Reporters and interviewers would often try to discredit and attack her, but she fought back in the best way possible. She was loud and strange, yet still logical and intelligent. Her interviews from this time showed her playing into the hands of this narrative and then expertly proving her critics wrong over and over again.
Lou Reed
Lou Reed’s 1974 interview is the epitome of rockstars not caring about what a conservative audience thinks. He is calm but calculating, keeping the interviewers on a hook and making them dance around like puppets. At some points, you almost feel bad that he is making the interviewers look terrible at their jobs.
Nardwuar & A$AP Rocky
A$AP Rocky is a unique individual in the rap scene. He loves fashion and art and has a history of experimenting with both. His interview with Nardwuar shows a very different side to him, proving he is far more than just another rapper. He is more of a Renaissance man of sorts that can do far more than we think.
