Billy Corgan
Former Smashing Pumpkins bassist D’Arcy Wretzky has spoken about the difficult relationship she had with frontman Billy Corgan back in the 90s.
She revealed that Corgan would give her a tape of his songs, “at least 50 songs”, and then "wouldn’t let me play anyways."
Morrissey
There is perhaps no other musician, or human being, on planet Earth who is as self-obsessed and self-effacing as Morrissey.
The former Smiths frontman and provocateur has gotten himself into heaps of trouble over the decades thanks to his inflated ego.
Kanye West
Kanye West's public persona has descended into such chaos that it's hard to tell what he truly believes in and what he's just saying for a reaction.
One thing is for certain: Kanye West has an ego too big to fit into his Yeezy's and oversized suits.
Lou Reed
The sadly missed Lou Reed was not your average rockstar, never playing the media, never pretending to like those he didn't.
In his notorious 2003 interview with Guardian journalist Simon Hattenstone, he was so offhand and mean that Hattenstone went home and cried.
M.I.A
When you combine politics and music you open yourself up to mockery and criticism, neither of which sits too well with M.I.A.
In 2010, she tweeted "F*** the New York Times", after the newspaper published an article that "portrayed the musician as politically naive and hypocritical."
Axl Rose
Does Axl Rose still not get it? It seems like Axl Rose still hasn't gotten it. "It" being the fact he's known as an egomaniac.
Most people love Guns N' Roses for guitar hero Slash. The singer thinks people love Guns N' Roses for him. Big mistake.
Justin Bieber
You throw a million dollars at any 14-year-old and call them the next Michael Jackson and they're inevitably going to develop an ego.
These days, Biebs seems to have mellowed out, but we'll never forget those interrogation tapes, and the sheer smugness of his replies.
Henry Rollins
If Henry Rollins finished every thought he had about society and the people within it by saying, "But what do I know?" we wouldn't have a problem with him.
But he doesn't. Henry Rollins make statements, bold ones, as if it is only he who can see through the cracks of humanity.
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is most commonly known for his usage of face paint and having a long tongue. But let's not forget about the ego.
KISS are one of music's biggest punchlines. And that's because they (mainly Gene) make out as if they contributed anything to the industry other than a tired gimmick.
Madonna
This is an obvious one. We know Madonna has an ego. For thousands of her fans, this is precisely her appeal.
The SEX coffee table book. The grills. The butt implants. Madge is terrible at hiding her massive ego. Truly a material girl!
Adam Levine
Levine was once slated for an unenthusiastic performance at Chile's Vina del Mar International Song Festival - an event he was heard dismissing as "a TV show. Not a concert."
"Well, if you want to do my job, go ahead," he told the audience as they sang along to She Will Be Loved.
Noel Gallagher
Just because you put yourself out there as a proud egomaniac doesn't negate the fact you still are one, and that it's insufferable to witness.
There are more accounts of guitarist and singer-songwriter Noel Gallagher belittling and bullying other musicians than there are Oasis songs. A real sour puss.
Beyonce
In 2018, Beyonce and hubby Jay-Z chose to close down the Louvre in Paris so they could shoot a music video.
Beyonce is seen posing next to the Mona Lisa, various sculptures, and an Egyptian sphinx, the point being that there is no difference in influence and relevance. Bold!
Damon Albarn
Gorillaz and Blur frontman Damon Albarn has burned bridges with plenty of other musicians, including but not limited to the infamous 90s rivalry with Oasis.
In more recent years Albarn's ego has also saw him butt heads with fellow Brits Lily Allen and Adele. "He said I was insecure," Adele said of their failed collaboration.
Christina Aquilera
Word on the street is Christina Aquilera, four fave, is actually a horrible person behind closed doors. According to an insider, anyway.
In 2016, a source told OK! magazine that Aguilera is "incredibly rude and demanding" and "treats her household staff terribly", keeping her team on a tight "24/7" schedule.
Nicki Minaj
Minaj's brittle ego was put on blast by freelance writer Wanna Thompson when she wrote: "You know how dope it would be if Nicki put out mature content? No silly s**t."
Minaj shot back at Thompson, calling her "ugly" and a "h**. To her credit, she stepped in to stop her fans attacking Thompson, but the damage was already done.
Mariah Carey
Fork found in kitchen! Sadly enough, dyed-in-the-wool diva Mariah Carey is an egomaniac. She always has been and doesn't go to great lengths to disguise the fact.
Carey's former colleague Cedric Yarbrough described the singer as "unprofessional and borderline abusive" on a Facebook post that has since been deleted.
Ariana Grande
Giuliana Rancic of E! once claimed that Grande once nudged her out of the way at the American Music Awards so that cameras could capture her good side.
YouTuber and makeup artist James Charles also called her flat-out rude in an interview. When it comes to Ariana, we say: "Thank U, Next"! Right?
Justin Timberlake
When Janet Jackson's nipple was accidentally exposed during the 2004 SuperBowl halftime show, Justin Timberlake didn't do much to help, focusing on his own performance.
Jackson later Oprah Winfrey that she felt JT had left her hanging "to a certain degree," which hurt because they had been "friends."
Celine Dion
Celine Dion's heart will go on, but only if you adhere to every specific rule she lays out for you.
When Celine's in town, all rooms must be 73 degrees Fahrenheit, and her vast entourage must be catered to as well.
Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent may give it the big one when it comes to being old school and tough and manly but he's just as much as a egotist diva as the rest.
One time, when Nugent was suffering from a cold, he asked for “man-sized Kleenex." When it comes to travelling, he won't step foot anywhere without peanut butter or tuna.
Ringo Starr
We should allow ego passes for the Beatles, even Ringo, though he does push his luck sometimes (all the time).
In 2008, the drummer announced he wasn't replying to any more fan mail as he couldn't be bothered. Humble king!
Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee made a name for himself in the legendary glam metal outfit Motley Crue, and then as a keen collaborator.
His special move was drumming while spinning, suspended high in the air. Somebody wants to be a front man don't they!
Sebastian Bach
One time, the Skid Row lead singer returned to his hometown and hit up a few bars. In one, there was a band playing.
Bach, egotist, wanted a piece of the action but the venue wouldn't let him. He then threw a tantrum and bit the security guard who removed him.
Kid Rock
In-your-face dude rock is Kid's whole brand so it's not too much of a shock to hear that he has an ego.
Trouble is, it can often lead to explosive outbursts. In 2007, he even became embroiled in a fight with Tommy Lee at an awards show.
Prince
The late, great Prince changed so many lives with his music. It's a shame he couldn't change his own ego-maniacal life by the sounds of it.
Director Kevin Smith once revealed that Prince requested a camel be brought to his house in Minnesota at 3am, then couldn't understand why he couldn't get one.
Courtney Love
As the widow of Kurt Cobain, Ol' Court has been through the ringer and that has definitely played a part in the public persona she's known for.
The Hole singer-songwriter is known to run her mouth wherever she can. At the 1995 VMAs, she crashed Madonna's interview and made it all about her.
Thom Yorke
Radiohead are that band. And Thom York is that guy. They're always going to come under scrutiny by people who don't "get" it.
That being said, Yorke could ease his foot off the ego pedal. He's known to grunt at fans wanting autographs and pictures.
Jason McCrea
If you haven't heard of John McCrea (strong possibility that you haven't), count yourself lucky. This guy is a precious piece of work.
The front man of alt-rock band Cake is known for his temper tantrums on stage, ordering the audience to sing along with him.
Grace Jones
These days, Grace Jones is a bit of a recluse and probably for good reason. When she does appear in public, it can go very wrong.
In 1981, Jones began slapping Russell Harty on a television talk show because he was speaking to another guest. Big red flag!
John Mayer
We've contributed to John Mayer's ego by just allowing him to say anything he wants and get away with it, no matter how silly.
There was the admission of racism - don't worry, he does it in a "blasé way" - then there was the bragging about his "conquests" in the dating world.
Pete Wentz
Pete Wentz has a big ego and it often shows in temper tantrums. One fan claimed the Fall Out Boy bassist smashed her phone then threatened to punch her.
Another fan said Wents poured beer all over them when they asked him for an autograph. This was very much a scene.
Chad Kroeger
Chad Kroeger doesn't seem to know he's Chad Kroeger. That's the big problem here. The frontman of the widely reviled Nickelback apparently thinks he's God.
He once claimed Stone Sour was trying to sound like Nickelback and then compared himself to Queen. Come on Chad.
Ryan Adams
During a 2002 Ryan Adams concert, a crowd member yelled out a request for Summer of '69, by the singer-songwriter's near-namesake Bryan Adams.
Furious, Ryan gave the guy $30 for his ticket and threw him out, refusing to play until the guy was gone.
Katy Perry
Before the cameras, Katy Perry is all smiles and hugs and kisses. Away from them, the mask drops a slight tad.
One Reddit user described how she did a “support the troops” show but refused to shake hands with anyone there. This post was backed up by a few Marines.
Deadmau5
Deadmau5, or Josh Zimmerman, is an EDM DJ with a bitter reputation thanks to a decade of insulting fans and musicians alike.
Zimmerman has criticized fellow DJs Diplo, Skrillex, and Jack Ü, and shown no concern for their feelings or opinions. Grow up, dude.
50 Cent
Fiddy has the blinkers on he's so egotistical. He can't fathom a world outside of his immediate vicinity and even that can prove tough.
In May 2016 at Cincinnati airport, he harassed and insulted a janitor, accusing him of being under the influence. The teen janitor was hearing impaired and autistic.
Mike Love
Mike Love, arguably the least talented of all the Beach Boys, walks around like he's the most talented. He's known for his inflated sense of self-importance and short temper.
He has been accused of bullying his band mate Brian Wilson, the genius songwriter who has struggled with severe mental health problems.
David Crosby
Before passing away in 2023, singer-songwriter David Crosby had managed to alienate just about everyone, including his former bandmates in The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Whilst preaching peace, love and understanding in his songs, Crosby was by all accounts a self-important bully and a sexist.
Charlie Rich
A the 1975 Country Music Awards, country singer Charlie Rich had to announce the award for Entertainer of the Year.
When it came to announcing John Denver’s name, a crossover artist, Rich set the envelope on fire right there and then.
Dee Snider
To those born after 1990, Twisted Sister was a rock band throughout the '70s and '80s, fronted by egomaniac Dee Snider.
For a man whose legacy is flailing in a crowded pool full of forgettable '70s rockstars with silly haircuts, Snider's opinion of himself far exceeds his cultural importance.
Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz was another mediocre talent that made it big, which ultimately sent his ego into overdrive and made him widely disliked by many who worked underneath him.
It's hard to justify his sense of self-importance when there is arguably very little substance to excavate from his work.
John Lennon
John Lennon's often-inflated ego was partly down to his immense success, but also down to a deep insecurity that had plagued him since youth.
He claimed in a 1970 Rolling Stone interview that he had worked out that he was a genius by the age of 12. Was he wrong?
Simon Le Bon
Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon is a man known to take himself pretty seriously, possessing an amount of confidence that could only be considered abnormal.
Le Bon was known to make grand exclamations about his band's future success from their very first gig. Thankfully for him, he was proven right.
Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne has diamond-encrusted teeth and raps with a ferocity that defies his miniature stature, spouting mumbled nonsense over tacky beats.
He's the self-professed "greatest rapper alive", despite no longer being considered anywhere close to that by rap enthusiasts.
Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher's ego has tamed slightly in recent years after he took up early-morning running and got engaged to his fiancé.
Despite turning the tide and becoming the more likable Gallagher brother, Liam's ego is still larger than most, although fans say it's part of his charm.
Ian Brown
Ian Brown and the rest of The Stone Roses left a large cultural imprint on the UK after the release of their self-titled debut album in 1989. The problem is, Brown knows it.
His ego hit a new high in September 2022, as he believed that he could go on tour without a backing band, standing on stage with a microphone like a professional karaoke singer.
Art Garfunkel
Art Garfunkel is a strangely self-confident man. Yes, he was born with an angelic voice, but it would likely have never made it out of Greenwich Village had it not been for Paul Simon's genius.
It is often said that Art's ever-growing ego broke up Simon & Garfunkel, often making public jibes about Paul Simon's height, despite not being able to write a hit song of his own.
Richard Ashcroft
The Verve's Richard Ashcroft is not afraid to wear sunglasses indoors and speak in over-inflated phrases as though he is some sort of prophet.
While he was a decent singer and lyricist in his time, he's nowhere near the levels he often claims to be at in interviews and is - to be frank - bordering on irrelevancy.
Steve Albini
Rumor has it that producer Steve Albini spends hours yapping away to himself at his studio in Chicago, lamenting the state of modern music and how it's just not punk enough.
He has played a part in creating some great albums for great artists, from Nirvana to PJ Harvey, but has seemingly nothing good to say about anybody he's worked with.
Simon Cowell
For someone without any musical talent or taste, Simon Cowell has managed to sustain a career in the music industry for far too long.
He kept himself in the public eye by acting like some sort of Godfather figure on TV talent shows, giving wannabe pop stars awful recording contracts and dropping them without notice.
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson is the reason why parents warn their children against going through a goth phase, as nobody wants to see their child fall into a pit of creepy egomania.
Manson believes he is some sort of god, above the others around him and, most importantly, above the law.
Labi Siffre
Labi Siffre, the singer most known for his song (Something Inside) So Strong, went through a period where his ego inflated to near-bursting point.
He had a habit of treating the staff he deemed inferior to him with contempt and blunt rudeness during his years with EMI.
David Byrne
David Byrne, for all his genius and extraordinary qualities, has been notoriously difficult to work with over the years.
Tina Weymouth, Talking Heads' bassist, has made a handful of jibes at Byrne in the years since the band split, claiming that, "he will use you until he has no use for you".
Michael Jackson
As characters go, Michael Jackson was a strange one. From owning a pet monkey to living in a theme park, it's safe to say that Jackson wasn't a resident of the real world.
His egomania was on full display at the 1996 BRIT Awards, where he sang Earth Song while pretending to be Jesus, a performance which Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker spectacularly derailed.
Lana Del Rey
For someone who has fluked a career by singing the same monotonous songs over and over again, singer Lana Del Rey has a huge ego.
In 2023, she seemed to think that she was above the institution that is Glastonbury Festival, turning up 30 minutes late to her set because she was getting her hair done.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga has had to maintain her larger-than-average ego to justify a variety of questionable publicity stunts over the years.
After all, not everyone could wear a dress made out of raw meat to an awards show and still have a career by the end of it.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven had a notably big ego, often challenging people to piano duels after aristocratic dinner parties, just to show off his genius.
This ego undoubtedly fuelled his genius, and his compositions are still beloved two centuries after his death, so it's difficult to be too hard on him for it.
Anthony Kiedis
Watch Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis perform once and you'll gather a pretty good stack of evidence that he rates himself quite highly.
This is further accentuated with quotes such as, "it's not easy to become one of the greatest songwriters of all time." Sure, Anthony.
Justin Hawkins
During glam rockers The Darkness' prime years in the 2000s, Justin Hawkins' ego, fuelled by substances, had smashed through the ceiling.
He lived the rockstar life and lived it well, but has seemingly mellowed ever since he arrived on stage atop a giant pair of breasts in 2007.
Mike Kerr
The 28th of May 2023, gave the music press a story that they duly lapped up, as Mike Kerr, frontman of the pop band Royal Blood had an egoistical meltdown on stage.
He lambasted the crowd for not knowing who his band was, claiming they were unaware of the 'rock music' unfolding on stage. Pure drama.
Robin Gibb
Robin Gibb had the most interesting voice of the three Bee Gees, which he saw as being the strongest voice, prompting his attempt to overthrow Barry as the band's leader.
This resulted in the temporary fracturing of the brothers' relationship in the late '60s, which had many in the music press believing that the band would be finished for good.
Elvis Presley
Elvis never had it easy. There were no others he could look to that could relate to his astronomical fame; the fame that led to his premature death.
The sad fact of the matter is that Elvis spent a lot of his later-life terrified. He was terrified that he would lose his status as the top dog in music, and would no longer be loved by everyone.
Zayn Malik
Zayn Malik was the first to jump ship from One Direction after supposed opportunities for a solo career and not having to share royalties with four others, came about.
He has since distanced himself from his boyband past, seemingly believing he would have been talented enough to make a career out of music in his own right, a view which most would dismiss as nonsense.
Phil Spector
Famed and called a genius for his Wall of Sound production approach in the '60s, Phil Spector let his enormous success get to his head.
He was dismissive of most people he deemed to be beneath him, and was prone to erratic behaviour, always carrying a loaded pistol around with him. You know the rest...
Sting
You have to have some sort of ego to be openly going by the name Sting as a grown adult.
He was undoubtedly the major brains behind The Police's success, and he knew it, becoming more petulant the more successful the band became.
Roger Waters
Roger Waters' ego has officially spiraled out of control, as he now sees himself as some sort of messiah, who sees something nobody else in the world does.
It's easy to see why the likes of David Gilmour no longer want anything to do with him, as he continuously embarks on self-righteous tirades in the public eye.
Elton John
By all accounts, Elton John is a lovely guy to be around these days, and why wouldn't he be after the triumphant closing of his live career at Glastonbury 2023.
He has been on the antagonistic side of some egomaniacal horrors throughout the earlier stages of his career, mainly due to the pressures and strains of fame and substance abuse.
Jack White
Unfortunately for Jack White, he just so happened to come up with one of the catchiest riffs of all time, overshadowing his long, successful career.
That's why his jibes against other artists, most notably The Black Keys, come across as petty and ego-fueled, with most unfairly regarding him as a one-hit-wonder.
Mick Jagger
It must be said, there'd be few people that wouldn't have huge egos if they were the good-looking, charismatic frontman of one of the most successful bands to exist.
So, it's tough to be too harsh on Mick Jagger, even if he has, on occasion, requested that one should not look him in the eye when talking to him.