13 Biggest Heavy Music Stars That Don’t Have Tattoos (and Why)

Despite tattoos being a major part of rock and metal culture, some of the biggest heavy music stars don’t have any tattoos of their own.

Tattooing goes all the way back to ancient times. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Egyptians are known to have been the first to tattoo ink on themselves because of markings that have been found on mummies.

The origins of how tattoos became a part of rock ‘n’ roll culture aren’t quite clear, although Janis Joplin was one of the first musicians in the genre to have a visible tattoo. In the ’70s, permanent ink became more prominent as other artists such as Bon Scott of AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne donned tattoos as well.

The Prince of Darkness even tattooed “OZZY” across his own fingers with a sewing needle when he was a teenager, as noted by Inked Mag.

As music got heavier and the rebellious biker aesthetic became more popular in the early 1980s, tattoos became a bigger part of the rock ‘n’ roll look. Bands such as Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses sported them on their arms, and ink became more widely associated with the rock star image.

READ MORE: Rock + Metal Musicians Who Are Also Tattoo Artists

Tattoos have become so normalized in the decades since then that having visible ink has become much more accepted in the workplace than it used to be. Of course, some industries may still be stricter about having a “clean” appearance, but overall, tattoos are notably less taboo than they once were.

There are still a handful of iconic musicians within the heavy music scene that never got tattoos, though, proving that ink isn’t a requirement to be seen as “metal.”

Check out some of the biggest artists in heavy music that never had tattoos — and why — below.

For more tattoo culture, see rock stars that have tattoos of other musicians and bands below: