Why Do Women Prefer Rock Stars? Science Figured it Out

By: Scott Christian


Why women love rockstars.
Why women love rockstars.

For most of human history, men have been divided into two camps-the haves and the have-nots, or, more precisely, musicians who get all of the women, and the rest of us. Yes, it's no secret that rock stars, even low rent ones who still "crash" in their mother's basement, fair significantly better the rest of us non-musical mortals in the romantic arts. And just in case you thought this might be a myth of perception, science has come along to burst your bubble. According to a new study by researchers at the University of Sussex, women, at least those in their most fertile phase of life, really are more attracted to men who can produce music.

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First The Bad News:
Keith Richards may be 100-years-old and resemble something straight out of Tales From the Crypt, but he will still attract more women than you. And it's not just because he is one of the coolest dudes alive. It turns out that women believe men who have strong musical abilities carry better genes than those who don't. And the more complex the musical composition, the more likely they will be attracted to the composer. In other words, an axe-wielding virtuoso like Muse's Matt Bellamy would fair better with the ladies than, say, Johnny Ramone banging out three power chords for two minutes a pop.

And it's definitely just musicians that score with the chicks. According to Benjamin Charlton, the author of the research paper, the same trend did not emerge when the women were asked about visual artists.

As for the women in the study, the average age was 28, and they couldn't be breastfeeding, pregnant, or using hormonal contraception at the time-i.e. they were the young attractive women that you would most want to be attracted to you.

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And Now For The Good News:
Those preening rock stars won't be getting in your way for very long. In each case, the women in the study were asked whether they would prefer the musician as a short-term sexual partner or a long-term one. According to the results, they only wanted them for the short-term.

Which is where the rest of us non-musical men come in-just hang in there until all of those eligible ladies come looking for marriage material. Trust us, eventually a furnished house and a steady paycheck to maintain it will look a hell of a lot more appealing than a beer-soaked corner of a tour bus. And so what if she comes with a rock star progeny or two? With such high-caliber musical licks kicking around those genes, consider that kid your future retirement.

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