Shock news: one in five people would like to be a rock star

People from all walks of life end up in the music business.
People from all walks of life end up in the music business.

To be honest, it didn't really need a survey to tell us that quite a few people would happily trade in their regular job for a life as a rock star, but that's one of the revelations of a new poll conducted by O2's undiscovered music programme.

What is slightly surprising is that only 20% of people surveyed said that a career in the music business would be preferable to their current job - MusicRadar would have predicted a much higher figure.

Apparently, it's builders who would be most keen to down tools and pick up a guitar - maybe the construction worker from The Village People is an inspiration - while many doctors fancy themselves as rock stars too (and not just those whose surname is Hook).

On a more serious note, O2's poll also reveals that 75% of people who took part weren't encouraged to pursue a music career by their parents or school, and 50% felt that their school didn't give them enough information about careers in the music industry.

However, this might simply be because the people in question were dreadful musicians.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.