Since the early 1990s Cui has been portrayed in numerous Western media as China's indomitable political conscience. Although "from any end of the left-wing or

right-wing spectrum, Cui's presence is so striking that no power can ignore or incorporate him", In 2015, Cui said people view him more as "an old man" than a rebel, a familiar face on television but no longer influential. However, according to Japanese journalist , since the Xi Jinping era began, most singers and musicians have abandoned the pursuit of individuality and freedom to maintain their presence in the Chinese market, while Cui Jian, known for his "free-spirited" style, has regained prominence. A New York Times editorial pointed: His hairstyle became popular across China, empowering young men to grow long hair. With the release of Rock 'n' Roll on the New Long March, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan experienced a "Cui Jian Fever" (). His music "profoundly shook" the cultural and social conduct across these regions in the 1980s and 1990s, and changed the status of Chinese indie music. In Taiwan, although his album was censored by the Government Information Office shortly after its release for "being incompatible with current politics", he still exerted a profound influence on Taiwanese underground rock scene. According to a 1994 report from The Chosun Ilbo, Cui's "powerful rock sound and melody, uniquely hoarse voice, and rich vocal abilities" combine to fuel his rising popularity in Japan.

According to OhmyNews, Cui is revered as a top musician who exerted profound influence on Chinese popular culture. Music critic Huang Liaoyuan wrote that Cui was "the first person in contemporary China to modernize the subject matter of popular music". Chinese singer Cheng Lin stated that Cui is "a banner in the history of music". Gong Linna remarked that Cui pioneered a form of "Chinese rock" that "dug into the roots of Chinese culture". Mongolian singer Daichin Tana called him the "backbone and gall of this land", and described his music as the "hope and despair of this country". Music critic Jin Zhaojun believed that the immense cultural impact generated by Cui stemmed from his "fundamental questioning" of the Chinese people's way of existence.Cui exerted a lasting influence on the creative production of rock music in mainland China. The Beijing News and Sixth Tone have noted that in the 1980s, Cui represented elite culture's resistance against mainstream culture, the production model which led to the successors of Chinese rock music retreating into increasingly marginalized subcultural circles. Music critic Yan Jun wrote: "Ever since Cui Jian, Chinese rock has been seen as an alternative, outsider's and Underground sound."

Many musicians and bands were influenced by him, such as Chang Chen-yue, Xu Wei, Liang Long, Pu Shu, Wowkie Zhang, Tang Dynasty, Black Panther, Wang Leehom, Tan Weiwei, Liang Bo, Gao Xiaosong, Deserts Chang, Lin Sheng Xiang, Khalil Fong, Yaksa, Li Zhi, Tengger, Qiu Ye, Mao Amin, Gao Qi, Emil Chau, Again, Vajara, and Dantès Dailiang. Chinese newspaper National Business Daily reported that in numerous variety talent shows, contestants paying tribute by performing Cui Jian's songs has become a common occurrence. The song "The Lost Season" inspired Ning Hao's film Guns and Roses.

A tribute album Who Is Cui Jian!? was released in 2005 by Scream Records, featuring 11 bands covering Cui's songs. Jon Campbell from South China Morning Post reviewed that the album "leaving much mediocrity", although he thought Reflector's pop-punk take on "Rock 'N' Roll on the New Long March" and Pao Pao Tang's reinvention of "Piece of Red Cloth" are highlights.

Archives and recognition

Cui ranked 51rd on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2004. He graced the cover of the first Chinese edition of Rolling Stone in March 2006. In 2007, Cui was included in the China Power List by openDemocracy and Chatham House. In 2009, in an online poll by China Internet Information Center, Cui ranked as the 6th most influential singer in China since 1949 and the 12th most influential celebrity overall, with 160,000 votes. The Chinese edition of L'Officiel Hommes listed him as one of the fashion legends since the founding of the People's Republic of China. In September, he ranked fifth in the 1990s category of Sohu's idol vote across decades. In a 2010 survey of Chinese university students, Cui ranked second among the symbolic figures in the Chinese entertainment world. A wax figure of Cui has been unveiled at Madame Tussauds Beijing in May 2013. In the same year, according to a market survey by , 60-70% of middle-class and above males had varying degrees of affinity to him. A booklet of the Arezzo Wave calls him "protagonist of the Chinese pop-rock scene".

Discography

  • Returning Wanderer (1984)
  • Rock 'n' Roll on the New Long March (1989)
  • Solution (1991)
  • Balls Under the Red Flag (1994)
  • The Power of the Powerless (1998)
  • Show You Colour (2005)
  • Frozen Light (2015)
  • A Flying Dog (2021)

Filmography

  • 1993 – Beijing Bastards (北京杂种; Beijing Zazhong), directed by Zhang Yuan, as himself
  • 2003 – Roots and Branches (我的兄弟姐妹; Wo de xiongdi jiemei), directed by Yu Chung, as the father/music teacher
  • 2007 – The Sun Also Rises (太阳照常升起; Taiyang zhaochang shengqi), directed by Jiang Wen, as Tang's friend in Beijing
  • 2012 – Transcendence 3-D concert, directed by Bai Qiang
  • 2013 – Promise, directed and written by himself
  • 2013 – Blue Sky Bones

Books

Tours

  • Rock 'N' Roll on the New Long March Tour (1990; 1991-1992)
  • 1995 US tour (1995)
  • 1999 US tour (1999)
  • 2001 European tour (2001)
  • Live Vocals Movement Tour (2002–2005)
  • 2004 North American tour (2004)
  • 2009 Concert Tour (2009)
  • The Blue Bones Tour (2012–2015)
  • Rolling 30 Tour (2016–2018)
  • 2019 Australian tour (2019)
  • A Flying Dog Tour (2021–2023)
  • Keep Going Wild Tour (2024–2025)

Awards

Notes

References

  • Official website
  • Cui Jian on Douyin
  • Cui Jian's agent You You on Sina Weibo
  • Cui Jian on AllMusic
  • Cui Jian on Chinese Rock Database (in Japanese)
  • Cui Jian Sings for the Students on 4 June Memory & Human Rights Museum
  • Wei, S. Louisa (2006). "" (DV). Music documentary.