Robert Forster of The Go-Betweens: Ten Rules of Rock And Roll.

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"Sometimes I play a game in my head: name the five best American rock bands of the ’60s. My list goes: The Velvet Underground, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Doors, and then I stall on the fifth. Creedence? The Band – although they’re mostly Canadian. Simon and Garfunkel? Jefferson Airplane? The Lovin’ Spoonful? But I plump for The Monkees."—Robert Forster


Robert Forster tried his hand at rock criticism for the Australian magazine The Monthly and won the Pascall Prize for Critical Writing in 2006. His book 10 Rules came out in 2009 but I know how much 1001Songs readers like lists so here we go:


1. Never follow an artist who describes his or her work as "dark".
2. The second-last song on every album is weakest.
3. Great bands tend to look alike.

4. Being a rock star is a 24-hours-a-day job.
5. The band with the most tattoos has the worst songs.

6. No band does anything new on stage after the first 20 minutes.
7. The guitarist who changes guitars on stage after every third number is showing you his guitar collection.
8. Every great artist hides behind their manager.

9. Great bands don't have members making solo albums.
10. The three-piece band is the purest form of rock and roll expression.