Rolling Stone Readers Pick the Best Lead Singers of All Time (what, no Kip Winger?)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Rolling Stone Readers Pick the Best Lead Singers of All Time

10. Kurt Cobain
9. Chris Cornell
8. John Lennon
7. Eddie Vedder
6. Roger Daltrey
5. Jim Morrison
4. Mick Jagger
3. Bono
2. Freddie Mercury
1. Robert Plant

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/photos/rolling-stone-readers-pick-the-best-lead-singers-of-all-time-20110412

[LynneSin]

1. TWO THUMBS UP FROM ME

Doesn't get any better than Robert Plant :D

[mikeytherat]

2. As a bassist, I'd say Kip is a good...wait, he sucks worse than Jack Blades.

mikey_the_rat

[RebelOne]

3. The only singer I would pick as best is Freddie Mercury. n/t

[Tikki]

11. Freddie....best from that list.

I agree that John was a better singer than Paul...but neither would make my best lead singer list.



Tikki

[lunamagica]

26. I think Paul was a MUCH better siinger than Lennon

Golden Slumbers sung by the same man that sang Here, there and everywhere?

His range was amazing (and is still pretty good)

[Ishoutandscream2]

34. I love John, but you're right, Paul was the better singer

And yes, more talented than John as a singer and musician.

[charlie and algernon]

4. Dammit, no GEDDY LEE??

I'd like to see Chris Cornell or Robert Plant try to sing, play Bass AND play Keyboard at the SAME TIME!
:grr:

[TZ]

7. +1

Anyone who thinks Kurt Cobain is a better singer must be deaf. Sorry. The guy was a great songwriter. Singer? If you like screeching I suppose.

[Bake]

17. He's in a category all to him(?)self.

It's called Lead Singers With Incredibly Annoying Voices.

:hi:

Bake

[TZ]

19. I"ll tell him you said so

When I'm sitting 16 rows back from him next week in Baltimore..:*

[Bake]

20. Oh, would you???

That'd be great! Thanks ever so much!

:hug:

Bake

[Dr. Strange]

25. Well, that's Rolling Stone.

Rolling, as in, "circulating". And Stone, as in, "a big pile of shit".

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. No Janis Joplin? No Grace Slick? move over guys

Chicks Rule

[Amerigo Vespucci]

10. They do admit...reluctantly...that the Top Ten consists of "white males."

...For my female Top Ten, there'd be Grace and Janis for sure, but also Tina Turner, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector...and that's just for starters.

:toast:

[geardaddy]

14. Exactly.

No Patti Smith, no Chrissie Hynde?

[hifiguy]

36. Mmmm... Ronnie Spector

Me likey :loveya:

[KamaAina]

39. Or Diana Ross?

Sheesh.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

45. or Deborah Harry

half of rock's women since 1977 have been imitating her.

and Chris Cornell, who descended into utter mediocrity after Soundgarden's one good album has no business on that list.

Lennon should be higher. And Plant should be below Freddie and Bono.

and where's Johnny Rotten?

[progressoid]

53. Absolutely, Janis should have been in that list.

[dawg]

6. As much as I love Robert Plant ...

He ain't no Freddie Mercury. That man could sing.

[we can do it]

65. I'm With You - Love Them Both, Freddie Most Was Awesome Ever

[HopeHoops]

8. Kurt Cobain made the list and Peter Gabriel didn't?

:wtf:

[hifiguy]

9. No Jon Anderson?

He'd be in the bottom half of the top 10, but still....

[kid shelleen]

12. As Usual....

Rolling $ellout couldn't buy a clue.

[CBGLuthier]

13. In this regard, what the hell can the word best even mean

I think instead of best they mean favorite.

Half these guys have lousy or mediocre voices. Limited ranges for most of them. Exactly what makes them best?

Personally I would rather listen to George Harrison than Lennon. In terms of a quality voice at least.

[P. Galore]

15. A silly list. All men. All white. nt

[Bake]

16. The dude from the Temptations (Eddie Kendrick?). And the Four Tops.

Those guys could SING.

Bake

[Amerigo Vespucci]

22. Eddie Kendrick AND David Ruffin...both from the Temps' glory days

Then there's also Smokey Robinson.

And...

:toast:

[P. Galore]

30. I adore the Temps and, oddly enough, didn't recognize this name. nt

[Bake]

18. Seriously, no ANN WILSON????

Best female voice in R&R (tied with Janis Joplin, who no longer performs).

Bake

[txwhitedove]

24. Agree totally with you, Bake.

[Faygo Kid]

21. Frankie Valli? Teddy Pendergrass? Burton Cummings? Bob Seger? Little Anthony?

The Four Seasons, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, The Guess Who, The Silver Bullet Band, The Imperials, respectively.

Give me 5 minutes and you will get 10 more.

[Bake]

23. Agree on all of 'em except Frankie Valli

He's going in the category with Geddy Lee -- most annoying voices!

Bake

[NoGOPZone]

35. Valli's falsetto was deliberate, though. His normal voice is different. Lee doesn't MEAN to sound

like nails on a chalkboard, he simply can't help it.

[Bake]

38. Good point!

Bake

[AtomicKitten]

27. Freddie Mercury by a mile!!!

[AtomicKitten]

28. not on the list -- Roy Orbison

[Lindsey]

29. Other than the fact that no women are on the list....I have to say I

agree w/ most listed.

[hifiguy]

37. Good catch

Orbison was amazing and still gives me chills.

[RebelOne]

42. Yes, another one of my favorites. n/t

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

46. they probably view him as a solo artist, rather than a band leader

but, whatever the case, probably one of, if not the best, voice of all time

[WinkyDink]

54. Technically, the Big Roy O wasn't a "lead" singer; he was a soloist.

[Blue_Tires]

31. I know this was a reader-submitted poll, but holy damn...

[NoGOPZone]

32. It's funny how the lists the magazine puts together itself always get trashed, but it reader polls

are usually several times worse. Although I did like their poll of the Most Underrated Guitarists.

[RT Atlanta]

33. Chris Robinson, Black Crowes

Always a favorite of mine who is great on stage....

http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Chris+Robinson+Black+Crowes+Concert+qrAm3xmyspal.jpg

[KamaAina]

40. Who's Chris Cornell?

:shrug:

[Arugula Latte]

47. I had to look that one up, too. Apparently he's the lead singer for Soundgarden.

Who knew? :shrug:

[Kat45]

50. I must add that Chris Cornell has a terrific voice.

I would definitely put him on a list of best singers.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

57. Temple of The Dog - Hunger Strike

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcaQeHZyHPM

For a taste (pardon the pun) of Chris Cornell with Eddie Vedder.

[geardaddy]

41. No James Brown?

[sunnybrook]

63. too much talent

These people don't have the first clue about music.

[sunnybrook]

64. Roger Daltry

truly sucks

[Zorra]

43. Not a big Judas Priest fan, but Rob Halford had a 6 octave range

back in the day.

He should be in the top ten I think.

The list is pretty good though, IMO.

[Skittles]

71. absolutely

and I AM a fan :D

[bluesbassman]

44. I humbly submit Mr. Steve Marriott

While I admire the singers listed, Marriot had more soul in his little finger than any of those guys.

Consider this:

I Can't Stand The Rain
http://youtu.be/nix2gFt-bZc

Hot 'N' Nasty
http://youtu.be/uvwcnsydkks

Stone Cold Fever - Performance Rockin' The Fillmore
http://youtu.be/c9OkE6ArvUU

Road Runner
http://youtu.be/PZR-sRmAuHE

Black Coffee
http://youtu.be/LqsMKvkzdwc

[Iggo]

48. #1.

[Bennyboy]

49. Van Morrison?

God does Kurt Coban have to be on every single Best of list by RS? The guys career lasted a nano second.

[Kat45]

51. Most of the list is good, but Kurt Cobain?

Best singer does not come to mind when I think of him. Don't think I'd include John Lennon on that list either. The other singers listed are excellent, but I think there are probably a couple of others who belong on the list--unfortunately, I'm tired and it's past my bedtime so they're not coming to ind now.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

68. Rolling Stone sees Kurt Cobain as all things to everyone

I don't know if I'm 100% convinced that Nirvana's limited output painted a picture of an artist who could have sustained a career over decades.

I do believe that "Nevermind" and "In Utero" were albums that demanded attention, as did Cobain himself.

But in strict terms of "best singers," probably not.

[cemaphonic]

76. yeah, he always seems to show up in their best guitarist polls too

And his guitar playing is even more limited than his singing.

Good songwriter, but Nirvana was always musically better than the sum of its parts.

[pintobean]

52. About 25 years ago, I got a year subscription to RS

as a gift. It was superficial crap then and it appears it hasn't changed. The Lounge has come up with a much better list.

[WinkyDink]

55. Steve Perry.

[Iggo]

60. Hard to beat for power and pitch.

:thumbsup:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

66. Well, Journey felt the need to clone him twice...

...the Jeff Scott Soto years never made it onto CD so I don't know how much of a copycat he was, but Steve Augeri and Arnel Pineda will never be anything more than Steve Perry wannabes.

I really resented Journey back in the day, even though there was no getting away from their music, because it was a band run like a business...they wanted hit records and made no bones about it.

Some of the stuff still sounds a little saccharine to me, but for the most part, they put out a quality product in return for the $$$. i do wonder sometimes what they might have accomplished if the sole focus weren't on money, though.

[kwassa]

56. I still think Robert Plant is a lousy singer.

Mick Jagger is obvious choice for #1, certainly had the most impact as a singer and personality in rock.

Dalty has no voice, either, just poses as a lead singer. Townsend and the others carried him.

Morrison had the best singing voice in rock.

Mercury was a Broadway singer, not a rock singer, to me.

Lennon a great songwriter; singer, not so much. He was serviceable.

Bono is very good, and an essential part of U2s unique sound.

I've never heard Cornell.

[NoGOPZone]

72. At the very least, he's a lousy blues singer. nt

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

58. Danny Joe Brown

The original voice of Molly Hatchet. Rest his soul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wxAMa3Prhk

[mulsh]

59. what no Screaming Lord Sutch?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRM3LO2ZCac

[mzteris]

61. Steve Perry??

Maurice White????

helloooo?? WTH?

[underpants]

62. Gimme Mick!

Jagger is the best frontman of the major bands. Daltrey is a close second.

Stipe just from his voice should be in the top ten.

[marmar]

67. Purely from a vocal abilities standpoint......

Freddie Mercury was a lot better than Kurt Cobain.

[Divameow77]

69. Where's Chad Kroeger?

:hide:

[Skittles]

70. WTF - Ronnie James Dio should be in the Top 10

hell, the top FIVE

and as much as I love Robert Plant, Freddy Mercury will always be number one to me

[Bluzmann57]

73. Steve Marriot and David Lee Roth

Two tremendous lead singers. Oh well, these lists are designed to stimulate discussion so here is a discussion.

[bluesbassman]

74. Got to add Paul Rodgers to this list.

Muddy Water Blues
http://youtu.be/014Huz_VZZQ

[BronxBoy]

75. Wow

In the interest of accuracy, they should have structured the question "Who is the greatest white male rock lead singer of all time".

Reading this list, you wouldn't think female, black, Latin or other lead singers even existed.

Just saying.