Long Live Rock & Roll

Pete Townshend of The Who once wrote the lyric "Hope I die before I get old..." Then again, he probably didn't think he'd still be selling out stadiums and breaking guitars at age 63! In fact, Townshend's just one of many senior rock stars with a huge fan base willing to shell out money for concert tickets every time they're in town.

Thanks to the popularity of video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, these retirement-age rockers have stood the test of time and found a whole new generation of devoted fans -- many of whom could be their grandkids!

Are you ready to rock? Take a look at some of rock history's living (and still rocking!) legends…

The Who
Currently on a mini tour of the U.S. with only two of the band's original surviving members, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry, The Who brings down the house night after night. When they're not breaking guitars and drum sets, or shattering ear drums -- at one time, they were in the Guiness Book of World Records as the loudest band -- their music is seeping into your psyche. Their power anthems are used as theme songs for all three CSI shows.





Paul McCartney
"Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?" Decades ago when he was wearing a mop top haircut and was one of the Fab Four, Paul McCartney sang that lyric to legions of screaming fans. When it comes to Sir Paul's question, the world has answered with a resounding -- yes! Actually, he's 65 now, and since he's still playing sold out world tours and putting out original solo albums, he keeps The Beatles legacy, and his own, alive and rockin'. Of course, anyone who follows the tabloids knows that Paul has a pretty lively personal life, too, as the last couple of years he and Heather Mills went through a bitter divorce, and he's now dating socialite Nancy Shevell.



The Rolling Stones
Some believe Keith Richards has nine lives, but the same goes for the rest of his bad boy British band who first hit the scene in the 1960s. "What a drag it is getting old…" sings Mick Jaggar, but it's just not true for him and the rest of the band who still light up arenas and epitomize what it means to be rock gods. Yes, Mick, you can always get what you want.




Kiss
Perhaps one of the most recognizable bands in the world, Kiss took stage makeup and pyrotechnic stage performances to new heights back in the early 1970s -- and they're still doing it. With every "farewell" tour they have, the true fans -- known as the Kiss Army -- know they'll be back to "Rock and Roll All Night and Party Every Day." That is, between Gene Simmons' reality show appearances.




Aerosmith
These bad boys from Boston have their very own Guitar Hero game, meaning kids, teens, and those young at heart are jamming in their living rooms to the band's many classic rock hits. And it wasn't too long ago that they appealed to the younger crowd by appearing on Saturday Night Live and in the film "Wayne's World." Very hip considering lead singer Steven Tyler just made 60! He's also the proud grandpa of daughter Liv Tyler's son Milo.




AC/DC
Australian brothers Malcolm and Angus Young certainly have an appropriate last name, since they seem to never age. The hard rockers have been through a lot, including the death of their first lead singer, Bon Scott. But they've kept on producing new albums, including one just released this past fall entitled "Black Ice." And don't tell these rowdy guys they're too old to energize an audience -- especially Angus, who stills wears his signature schoolboy uniform during performances.



Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
"The Boss" isn't ready to retire just yet. Bruce Springsteen, who's turning 60 next year, put New Jersey rock on the map and will go down as one of the great American song writers of the past half century. If his 18 Grammys and Oscar win don't say enough about his musical influence, his political influence took the stage this year in concerts alongside Barack Obama on his campaign tour.



A Look Ahead to the Future Senior Rock Hall of Fame

The hottest names in rock music sure aren't getting any younger. Here's a quick look at who'll soon be joining the ranks of the aging rockers above within the next few years:

New Jersey's second favorite rockers, Bon Jovi, just wrapped up a massive U.S. tour and remain as popular as ever. Although the years have taken its toll on guitarist Richie Sambora, who did a stint in rehab last year, the 46-year-old lead singer Jon Bon Jovi looks and sounds better than ever.

James Hetfield, lead singer of Metallica, is 45 years old and on top… of the Billboard charts once again, that is. Their latest release, "Death Magnetic" debuted at number one in September 2008.

In an awesome display of the political power of music, Dublin, Ireland's U2 has remained a rebellious force since 1976, campaigning for social justice and human rights. Lead singer Bono, who's just two years shy of his 50th birthday, shows no signs of slowing down as plans for a 2009 album are underway.

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