NFT: Best rock vocalist

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Followed by Plant and Daltry.

On Dickenson and Geoff Tate.

Eddie Vedder and Al Jorgensen are really really good live too.

My favorite is Jon Anderson.

RIP

You really have to hear him live. Dude can deliver chills.

Of the classic arena rock bands, Freddie Mercury, Plant in his prime are kings - raw talent among the top selling rock acts - Ann Wilson from Heart is my favorite in that category for sure, just a beautiful voice with oodles of power, killer range, clarity and accuracy, and a sweet, sexy stage presence.

But getting away from big or second tier album/arena bands?

Personal favorite rock vocalist (my wife aside) is Patty Griffin. A country singer by trade, she put out an album years ago "Flaming Red", that blew me away. She's married to Robert Plant now, I believe.


Tony - ( New Window )

Back in 04', on a night that featured Springsteen, John Fogerty, Jackson Browne - Eddie Vedder blew all 3 of em' out the door and down the street. His voice was markedly better than the other 3 - all of which I'm fans of.

I really was blown away that night. Gained a new respect for him.

Hard to leave our Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops, too.

Jack Bruce, David Bowie and Ann Wilson also have to be in the discussion.

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In comment 12968096 Bobby Humphrey's Earpad said:

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is at the top of any such list.

This^^^^^

R&B or soul? If so, Marvin Gay and Otis Redding have to be at the top of my list. If not, I'd go with Steve Winwood, John Fogerty, Annie Lennox, or Don Henley.

I'm assuming the harder music and not pop. If it was pop music then I would include guys like Elvis and Frankie Valli.

For rock I've always liked Ian Gillan and James Hetfield.

PAUL RODGERS !!! Bad Co & etc

weren't hard rock. Linked is a history of hard rock and metal. The first group that was close to hard rock was probably the Kinks.

Before 1964, there was mostly r and b-tinged rock (including race music), doo-wop, surfing-type music, rockabilly-tinged rock, whites covers and copies of race music, and things like that.

So, in their days, Elvis, The 4 Seasons and The Beach Boys, as well as groups like the Platters, were considered rock, not pop, although the exact same performances 15 years later would have been pop. So, early Elvis and Frankie Vali qualify.

One of the underrated early rock singers, btw, was Johnny
Maestro, who doesn't even make Billboard's list of the top 100 male singers. That's just dumb.
Link - ( New Window )

was Marilyn McCoo of the Fifth Dimension. Almost no one could outsing her.

Did I miss one? Did we all! Best dirty rock n'roll voice.

In a landslide IMO. Great vocals.


McCartney, Plant, Jagger and Orbison all get honorable mention. And although certainly not a classic front man I personally love Neil Young.

belongs on any list.

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Everyone else is fighting for second.

Partly because they weren't even the biggest grunge band. I personally think he was the best of the lot of Cobain, Cornell and Vedder. Not as good as many mentioned here, but good for what he was.

of course it's so subjective and there are many supremely talented singers..

Could belt them out

Great writer and horrendous singer. And I have tickets for Tanglewood in July. He's on my see 'em before they die list.

Pat Benetar is incredible, didn't see her mentioned yet...

In comment 12968451 speedywheels said:

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Pat Benetar is incredible, didn't see her mentioned yet...

Pat Benatar and Ann Wilson are both great female rockers.

Taylor

On this year. Eddie still has it. Sounds incredible.

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Which is different then great singers made me think of one's that were distinctive but not the first go to suspects ( Plant, Perry, Mercury, Jagger, Daltrey, Orbison). This is a list of who to not forget:

Johnny Cash
Brian Ferry
Sam Cooke
Otis Redding
Wilson Picket
Sam and Dave and Solomon Burke
Levi....don't care if he was a subset of "rock" He was great.
David Ruffin
Dion
Warren Zevon ( hard to think of someone else doing those songs)
Lou Reed ( we said distinctive)
Ray Davies
Ann Wilson
Emmylou Harris
Peter Wolf
Anne Haslam
Chrisse Hynde
Joan Jett
Dusty Springfield

In comment 12968500 Bill2 said:

Quote:

Which is different then great singers made me think of one's that were distinctive but not the first go to suspects ( Plant, Perry, Mercury, Jagger, Daltrey, Orbison). This is a list of who to not forget: Johnny Cash Brian Ferry Sam Cooke Otis Redding Wilson Picket Sam and Dave and Solomon Burke Levi....don't care if he was a subset of "rock" He was great. David Ruffin Dion Warren Zevon ( hard to think of someone else doing those songs) Lou Reed ( we said distinctive) Ray Davies Ann Wilson Emmylou Harris Peter Wolf Anne Haslam Chrisse Hynde Joan Jett Dusty Springfield

Chrissy Hynde a big yes, but Bill your list leaves out Diamond David Lee Roth.

Yes.

I am a unable to appreciate him like others might. I sensed a cross between Broadway show tunes, Bill Murrays lounge act and Ethel Merman every time I saw/heard the entertainer Diamond Dave.

Hope you are well Bobby

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How about Lizzy Hale from Halestorm? Talk about range!!

Freddy Mercury
Paul Rodgers
John Wetton
Carl Wilson
Brad Delp

In comment 12968523 Bill2 said:

Quote:

Yes. I am a unable to appreciate him like others might. I sensed a cross between Broadway show tunes, Bill Murrays lounge act and Ethel Merman every time I saw/heard the entertainer Diamond Dave. Hope you are well Bobby

Bill, hope you are also well. So many questions on the markets., so little time to type them. And have you heard from Phil from WNY? I used to get his newsletter but no more.

Terrific soulful multi-octave voice, pulled off while dancing his ass off, shredding on guitar and leading the tightest band in the land.

As for women, I love Macy Gray, scratchy soul. Loved her work with Fatboy Slim.

I will let Phil know.

It's an interesting time isn't it?

Not that eight year Presidential election years are not usually time CFOs and mid market lenders pull in the horns until after the fist State of the Union tells them all those promises are not going to be funded and a few establishment cabinet faces tell them the world will not end.

But this time what we see out of China Japan Russia and Europe is pretty fascinating and not likely to last nine more months with out a leak somewhere.

but no more millering om a good thread. Not stuff I find easy to discuss here anyway...to many substantive folks don't seem to be around.

take care. I will reach out to Phil

also Mama Cass and Linda Ronstadt

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But one of the few vocalists who give me chills every time is Otis Redding. When he screams "you were tired" in I've Been Loving You Too Long, I get all fucked up

But I know for a fact that his is Mike Love

Interestingly, early versions of what we now call pop were rock back then, but by the time soul became popular, it wasn't considered rock.

If you combine rock and soul, Otis and Aretha float to the top. Otis would have been very close to the top if he didn;t die so young. Aretha is number one in the Rolling Stone "100 greatest singers of all time" list. Of course, "all time" starts in 1955, and doesn't include American Songbook singers like Sinatra or Bennett. But still...
Link - ( New Window )

Don Henley?

anneke vangiersbergen
roy orbison
freddie mercury
roger daltrey

joey ramone

But the correct answer is Freddie Mercury.

And the answer is Van Morrison.

I mentioned some honorable mentions in an earlier post but should have included Jon Anderson from Yes

O.A.R. Screw everyone who disagrees