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“Magic”: the best singer Nikki Sixx ever witnessed
Nikki Sixx, the Mötley Crüe bassist and chief songwriter who helped drive the 1980s hair metal boom, has named Cheap Trick's Robin Zander as the best singer he has ever seen. Speaking to Classic Rock in 2023, Sixx praised Zander's effortless melodic control and stage presence, describing his voice as producing "magic" that Sixx could not quite explain despite touring with the band and working alongside Zander in the studio on several occasions.
Cheap Trick, formed in Rockford, Illinois, blended power pop, proto-punk swagger and Beatles-influenced songcraft, with Zander serving as the band's charismatic frontman alongside guitarist Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson. Sixx has also credited the band, and Nielsen's songwriting in particular, with shaping his own craft during his pre-Mötley Crüe days in Hollywood, saying that while Aerosmith was his favourite band, it was Cheap Trick that taught him how to write songs.
In short
- Nikki Sixx names Robin Zander of Cheap Trick his favourite ever singer.
- Sixx praised Zander's effortless vocal "magic" during 2023 Classic Rock interview.
- Sixx says Cheap Trick, not Aerosmith, taught him songwriting.
Explained simply
Mötley Crüe are an American rock band who became prominent during the 1980s, when hard rock acts with flamboyant looks and big choruses were often grouped under the label “hair metal”. Nikki Sixx played bass and wrote many of the band’s songs.
Cheap Trick formed in Rockford, Illinois, in the 1970s. Singer Robin Zander fronts the band, whose music draws on pop melodies, punk energy and the Beatles; guitarist Rick Nielsen is a key songwriter.
Sixx has said Cheap Trick influenced his songwriting before Mötley Crüe began, particularly through Nielsen’s work. His praise for Zander reflects a connection between the bands that spans touring, studio work and musical influence.