Name  John 5

Best known for  I feel that I am best known for being a good musician. Any time I do an interview or read an article about myself, me being a good musician seems to be one of the key points the journalist talks about.  Ever since I was young, all I have ever wanted in life was to be known for just that.

More from Spin:

Big Names Set For Ozzy Osbourne Rock Hall Tribute

Silverbacks Know Who They Are – Do You?

Fastball’s Tony Scalzo Recalls the True, Tragic Tale That Inspired 1998’s “The Way”

Current city  I am currently on the road and tonight I am playing in Sioux Falls, SD at Bigs Bar. I live in Los Angeles, however.

Really want to be in  Believe it or not, I am EXACTLY where I want to be and doing what I always dreamed of as a kid. I have always tried to live my life that way. I wanted a house in a desert, I wanted to be on the road, playing unbelievable shows, and I wanted to be in Mötley Crüe. Life is good.

Excited about  I’m currently most excited about both the present and the future. I’m so happy on the road. I love being productive and busy. I’m excited for the future and I truly feel that is the meaning of life.

My current music collection has a lot of  A lot of vintage KISS vinyl. I own a little over 1,000 records from all over the world. For the most part, I have nothing past 1983.

And a little bit of  A little bit of KISS items past 1983.

Preferred format  In all honesty, streaming. Only because it’s so convenient. I know most will say vinyl and believe me…I so love vinyl. But in reality, it’s steaming. We don’t even realize how often we stream but it’s seriously constant. We literally have a Tower Records in the palm of our hands.

5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:

1

Aja, Steely Dan

I love this record so much because it contributes to my OCD. The perfection of this album is beyond perfection. It’s so incredible how they have multiple guitar players and multiple drummers on each song. I feel they were trying to reach this pinnacle and — my god — they did just that. To me, it is the perfect album.

2

Hotter than Hell, KISS

I have always been a huge KISS fan. And saying that is an understatement. This is my favorite album, but it was not my first. It’s my favorite because the songs are just so amazing and this album is so well written. I just love how primitive the album sounds. I have spoken to Paul Stanley about this album and read some interviews of him discussing this album and he does not love the way it sounds. In one interview, he gave it three stars because they were much heavier live. But it is just such a great album and was so primitive for the beginning of their career.

3

Fair Warning, Van Halen

I was a Van Halen fan when the first album came out. I was that kid that always bought the albums as soon as they arrived in the record store. However, when Fair Warning came along it was so different. It was a lot more gritty and aggressive. I love that album with all of my heart and I still listen to it all of the time.

4

The White Album, The Beatles

When I think of my favorite albums, a lot of these albums become a favorite because they take you back to how you felt when you were growing up. This album left a huge impression on me. My older sisters would always listen to this album and it being a double album, it took me on such a journey. “Revolution 9” used to scare me, since I was so little. But now, it’s one of my top 5 favorites of all time.

5

Honeysuckle Rose, Willie Nelson & Family

When I was little, I would sit in front of the TV all the time. I was 10 years old when the movie Honeysuckle Rose came out and I instantly fell in love with that movie and the soundtrack is even better! I think that is where it all started.  It gave me this fantasy of playing concerts and living on the road and dreaming of being a professional musician.

Mötley Crüe’s latest album, ‘Cancelled,’ releases on October 4.

Check out Nikki Sixx’s 5 Albums I Can’t Live Without feature.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.