Rock music survives where other genres of music die. It accounts for a quarter of all music sold worldwide and provides the soundtrack for millions of lives all over the world - young and old, in clubs, bars, homes and stadiums. There's no doubting that rock music's loud, theatrical and excessive glory has contributed to its enduring appeal. But how does it capture the imagination, and who began the genre's deep-rooted celebration of excess? Rock has the wildest stories, the weirdest characters and a propensity to never take itself too seriously. Its history is rich, varied and well-documented; the great rock stories may make us squirm, but they also allow us to vicariously experience the rock-star lifestyle that we all secretly aspire to.