For more than six decades, Rod Stewart has been a towering figure in British music. From the smoky folk and blues clubs of 1960s London to stadiums packed with fans around the world, “Rod the Mod” has lived a career few could dream of. He first made his mark with the Jeff Beck Group, then found wider fame with Faces, before soaring to solo superstardom. Along the way, he’s topped charts, headlined massive festivals — most recently Glastonbury 2025 — and embraced the full, lavish trappings of rock ‘n’ roll life.
Yet behind the champagne and sequins, Stewart has always kept at least one ear tuned to the music of younger generations. Even in the 1970s, when punk bands pushed back against the grandeur of his style, he showed curiosity toward fresh sounds.
One of his most surprising musical affections came in the 1980s, when he discovered County Durham’s Prefab Sprout — an art-pop group formed in 1978 whose refined, jazz-infused style set them apart from the era’s flashier, disposable pop trends. Their thoughtful songwriting and lush arrangements won Stewart over completely.
Speaking on BBC Radio 2, he singled out their 1988 single Cars and Girls as one of his all-time favorites, calling it “just gorgeous.” His admiration went beyond fandom — the two artists eventually crossed paths musically when Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon wrote Who Designed the Snowflake for Stewart’s 2018 album Blood Red Roses, which went on to top the UK charts.
“Although we never met, we e-mail each other all the time,” Stewart revealed. “This band, I’ll tell you, it’s just wonderful. He takes [his music] outside the rock and roll genre, it’s jazz almost. Long live Prefab Sprout!”
It’s an unexpected pairing — the raspy-voiced rocker and the sophisticated art-pop craftsmen — but it speaks volumes about Stewart’s genuine love of music. While most of his declared favorites still hail from the soul, R&B, and blues of the 1960s and ’70s, his embrace of Prefab Sprout proves that great songs can capture even the most seasoned artist’s heart, no matter the genre.
