If you’ve ever blasted Phoenix’s indie-pop anthem Lisztomania and wondered what the title actually means, the answer goes back nearly 200 years.
The song is named after Franz Liszt, a Hungarian composer who became one of the biggest celebrities of the 1840s. And when we say “big,” we mean really big. In fact, many historians have called him the world’s first rock star.
Liszt’s fans were known for their over-the-top devotion. Stories from the time claim that admirers fought over his used handkerchiefs, collected keepsakes from his performances, and generally lost their composure whenever he appeared on stage. The frenzy became so intense that German writer and critic Heinrich Heine coined a term for it: “Lisztomania.”
Sound familiar? It’s not all that different from Beatlemania, Swifties, or the excitement surrounding today’s biggest music stars.
© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Ad Choices
