Poison's Rikki Rockett Says Taylor Swift Braver Than Most Rockers

Poison drummer Rikki Rockett has mused that Taylor Swift is "braver" than most rock bands these days, the rocker suggesting the pop star takes more chances than current rock artists.

The longtime Poison percussionist made the remarks on a new glam metal-themed episode of Totally '80s, the podcast hosted by Yahoo Entertainment's Lyndsey Parker that focuses on the music from the 1980s and its cultural impact.

Parker asked Rockett his thoughts about if rock is dead, and the drummer answered by putting it in context with today's biggest pop star.

"I think every great musical movement has been sort of a cultural, social movement," Rockett says. "Like punk rock was extremely social. And what we were doing was a social-cultural movement." (via Blabbermouth)

He continues, "I mean, you really had to commit to be into what we were doing. People would get thrown out of school and getting [in] fights with their parents, and 'We're not gonna take it' — all that stuff. It really set America and the world on fire in a lot of ways. And then I think that grunge had a social cultural movement."

Taylor Swift Braver Than Rock Bands?

Rockett says, "Now, I don't think rock has any social cultural movement, and that's the problem," the drummer continues. "Nobody stands for anything right now. Actually, Taylor Swift has more bravery than most rock bands these days — not afraid to open her mouth and go against the man. Rock bands play the game now."

He adds, "So I think that for rock to really come back on top, it has to have something behind it, just like any great art. You can't just do art just to do art. If there's something behind it, that's what really makes it great."

Undoubtedly, Taylor Swift's cultural impact on music and beyond has been profound. But is she really braver than most rock bands these days?

Listen to the episode below. Get Loudwire's newsletter and download the Loudwire app for more rock news.

**Poison Drummer Rikki Rockett on Totally 80s - Sept. 28, 2023**

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Recapping the rock and metal songs that have eclipsed one billion streams on Spotify.

NOT INCLUDED: The definition of rock is incredibly broad today and, in this list, we've elected not to include pop/rock acts such as Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5, Twenty One Pilots, 5 Seconds of Summer, Coldplay, Goo Goo Dolls, Gym Class heroes and Train.

Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita

Source: Poison’s Rikki Rockett Thinks Taylor Swift Has More Bravery Than Most Rock Bands

Filed Under: Poison, Taylor Swift, Rikki Rockett