10 rock stars with impressive college degrees

Brian May performing in 2020.Don Arnold/Getty Images

• For some rock stars, going to school and getting good grades just didn't click.
• Others, however, excelled both on stage and in the classroom.
• Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo both graduated from Harvard University.
• Some rockers have worked in both music and their chosen academic fields — James Williamson was a vice president of Sony before he rejoined The Stooges.

There's a common trope of escapism in all genres of music, but especially rock and roll, that if school isn't clicking, you can always drop out and try to make it as a rock star. And that's exactly what many famous musicians including Elton John, David Bowie, and Ozzy Osbourne did.

Others, however, excelled both on stage and in the classroom. These musicians weren't just good students in high school; a handful of rockers went on to attend Ivy League schools or earn PhDs.

To celebrate some of the rock world's brainiest stars, we compiled a list of 10 rock stars with impressive college degrees.