Rod Smallwood 8th "Most Important Person in Rock"
According to a Kerrang poll due to be printed in this Wednesdays magazine [UK], Rod Smallwood has been rated the 8th Most important person in Rock. The founder of Sanctuary records and manager of Iron Maiden beat Lars Ulrich and Avril Lavigne into 8th place but fell some way short of Ozzy Osbourne manager and wife, Sharron Osbourne, who topped the poll beating Satan himself. According to Kerrang, “Sharon is the real power behind the Prince of Darkness’ throne, Even cancer knows not to mess with Sharon Osbourne.”The full list is as follows:
Kerrang! top 10:
1 Sharon Osbourne
2 Satan
3 Brian Becker (CEO of Clear Channel Entertainment)
4 Justin Hawkins
5 Rick Rubin (legendary rock producer)
6 Michael Moore
7 Kurt Cobain
8 Rod Smallwood (founder of Sanctuary)
9 Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
10 Avril Lavigne
The new issue of Kerrang! is out on Wednesday
21 Comments
Rock today, I hope, not rock history
Kurt Cobain........ mmh, the rights holder have some power, yeah. 
And Michael Moore ? Which one, the movie director ? I didn't know he was involved in rock, but there's surely another one.
Cheers
Avril Lavigne?! AVRIL LAVIGNE?! That's pitiful! How does someone who is this poser punk rocker get into a "Top Ten Most Important Persons in Rock" list!? 
She doesn't even qualify as an important person.
She doesn't even qualify as an important person.
This list seems very stupid.
Think about it Sharon Ozzbourne the most important and then the guy from The Darkness. How long has the darkness been relevant, not even for a year?
To me this list is pure bullshit!!
Let it be known: I have stolen RW's avatar to use on another board.
We are now aware you are a confessed thief. 
Cobain and Avril Lavigne?!?.
Who tha f*ck are these two??!!!?.
Man, every poll I find people (like these two) that should never even appear in.
I'm tired of this s*it. At least they weren't put higher than Rod, 'cause then I would get much pissed-off 
2 Satan
4 Justin Hawkins
10 Avril Lavigne
firstly, Sharon Osborne?
Shame Kerrang is a load of crap. oh well i dont buy it!Satan? A fictional character (arguably) . Anyway im sure he/she really didnt influence any of the really GREATEST music....
justin hawkings..... now i liked the Darkness when they first appeared, but i thought they were to be a little known band... i bought the album the day it came out unlike pretty much everyone else, who bought it for christmas! they've got too big in too short a time, and they should just carry on playing pubs..
avril lavigne!???
![lol[1].gif](style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/lol[1].gif)
From bbc.co.uk
Sharon Osbourne has topped an unusual poll of the most important people in rock for her part in guiding the career of husband Ozzy and her family.
Sharon Osbourne was the driving force behind reality TV show The Osbournes which earned the family $85m (£46m).
Satan occupied second place in the list, compiled by Kerrang! magazine, "because the devil has all the best tunes", it claimed.
Others on the list include Kurt Cobain and The Darkness' Justin Hawkins.
Controversial film-maker Michael Moore even makes an appearance, for "continuing to inspire and inform rock's anti-authoritarian bands".
Several people on the list would not be instantly familiar, including Brian Becker. Becker is the boss of Clear Channel Entertainment, the biggest owner of radio stations in the US.
Influence
Also included is Sanctuary Records founder Rod Smallwood, who was responsible for signing Iron Maiden, at number eight.
Kerrang! magazine said it had chosen Osbourne matriarch Sharon, who has recently undergone cancer treatment, because of her strong influence in steering the career of former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy.
"Sharon is the real power behind the Prince of Darkness' throne," Kerrang! said.
She has also had to contend with two of her children, Kelly and Jack, needing to seek treatment for drug addictions, and Ozzy's near-fatal quad bike accident last December.
Rounding off the chart at number 10 was teenage singer Avril Lavigne "for turning a new generation of pop fans into fans of all things loud and objectionable".
sorry for sweating but: AVRIL FU*KING LAVIGNE?! SHE IS BARELY ROCK, HER MUSIC IS PATHETIC, WHOEVER MADE THAT DECISION DESERVES A PAINFUL DEATH
9 Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
10 Avril Lavigne
This top 10 is eeeeeeeeevil.
Here's what Blabbermouth says:
Sharon Osbourne has topped a list of the most important people in rock compiled by Kerrang! magazine, according to Scotsman.com.
The 51-year-old wife/manager Ozzy Osbourne, who beat the likes of Kurt Cobain and Justin Hawkins from THE DARKNESS in the Kerrang! power list, was recently given the all-clear after being diagnosed with cancer.
"Sharon is the real power behind the Prince of Darkness' throne," Kerrang! said. "Even cancer knows not to mess with Sharon Osbourne."
Satan occupied second place in the list “because the Devil has all the best tunes," the magazine said.
Third was Brian Becker, boss of music giant Clear Channel Entertainment which owns most of America's rock radio stations.
THE DARKNESS frontman Justin Hawkins was fourth, described as "the man who has single-handedly put the fun back into rock 'n' roll."
Controversial film-maker Michael Moore made sixth place for "continuing to inspire and inform rock's anti-authoritarian bands."
Others who made the top 10 included late NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain, Avril Lavigne and Sanctuary founder Rod Smallwood, the man who signed IRON MAIDEN.
Lavigne made the top 10 "for turning a new generation of pop fans into fans of all things loud and objectionable."
The new issue of Kerrang! is out on Wednesday (June 23).
Kerrang! top 10 most important people in rock:
01. Sharon Osbourne
02. Satan
03. Brian Becker (CEO of Clear Channel Entertainment)
04. Justin Hawkins
05. Rick Rubin (legendary rock producer)
06. Michael Moore
07. Kurt Cobain
08. Rod Smallwood (founder of Sanctuary)
09. Lars Ulrich (METALLICA)
10. Avril Lavigne
Cheers
Nice copy and paste press release job they did there 
Ahem....
Cheers
Weeeelll...... I don't like the list. Even their explainations don't justify their choices. As for Avril, she's ok, I like some of her stuff but there are other bands/People who have done more to turn people to loub objectionable music and themes than she has. Also, she is not a poser nor a punk Rocker. She has said it herself. The Media catagorized her as punk rock.
Cheers
them not you
I know, but I could have checked before putting the same exact press release from Kerrang by another source
Cheers
Dont worry about it I'm sure we'll survive
Got to love copy and paste jounalism. Whenever I get a story like that I like to re-write it a bit with some more relevant info mind you I have time to do that Blabbermouth get a lot more news than I do
You think we'll survive? Don't be so sure! The world might collide with an asteroid this evening, and everyone who posts here might end up with having a piece of asteroid destroying their computer!
As for news, I usually edit the story, adding more info, links, taking away not so interesting parts and stuff... if I feel for it of course, otherwise I leave it to The Saint
I dont get a chance to leave it to the Saint. He's already found it before me usually
All right, everyone has said - quite correctly - what is wrong with this list. I'd like to point out what is right with it: Brian Becker is in fact one of the most powerful people in rock. He has the power to decide what songs do or don't get played on American radio stations. Sure, not all stations are under his control - only the biggest third, which cover about 80% of all listeners.
Remember, Clear Channel is a company who used 9/11 as an excuse to ban the entire Ozzy catalog from all their stations, claiming the flimsy excuse that the song "Flying High Again" would remind people of the tragedy.
In fact, #2 and #3 on the list (Brian Becker and Satan) may in fact be one and the same ... at least they seem to have the same goal of world domination (in a bad way, unlike Maiden who seek world domination in a good way).