Roger Waters, the iconic bass guitarist and vocalist of Pink Floyd, is known for his outspoken opinions on fellow musicians. From The Sex Pistols to U2 to The Weeknd, Waters has not held back in expressing his disdain for certain artists.
One of Waters’ most notable feuds was with The Sex Pistols, whom he accused of being contrived and solely focused on making noise. He even went as far as to mention the death of Sid Vicious as a way to highlight the band’s lack of authenticity.
His distaste for U2 stemmed from a public spat where Waters felt disrespected by the band’s dismissal of Pink Floyd’s work. He criticized U2 for copying his theatrical style and going commercial as soon as they had the chance.
Even modern-day artists like The Weeknd have not escaped Waters’ criticism. In a Vanity Fair interview, he asserted his own importance in the music industry compared to newer artists, claiming that he is far more significant than any of them will ever be.
And of course, no discussion of Roger Waters’ opinions would be complete without mentioning his tumultuous relationship with his own band, Pink Floyd. After leaving the band in 1985, Waters believed that Pink Floyd would disband without him and took legal action against the remaining members for using the band’s name.
Despite the controversies and feuds, Roger Waters remains unapologetically himself, never shying away from speaking his mind about the music industry and his fellow musicians. Love him or hate him, one thing is for sure – Roger Waters will always be unapologetically Roger Waters.