Top 5 Rock n Roll Vocalists


My 6 year old daughter posed this question. I thought it was great. She also said that she knew her favorites were not the best. Here are my choices, which are not necessarily my favorites:

No particular order:

Robert Plant
Freddie Mercury
Axl Rose
Janis Joplin
Paul Rodgers
jtinn
1. Robert Plant
2. Brian Johnson
3. Geddy Lee
4. Eddie Vedder tie with Roger Daltry
5. Freddie Mercury
1. Brian Williams
2. Robert Plant
3. OZZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. Freddie Mercury
5. Roger daltry

Were talking rock and roll here right??
yep...the marcels wrote the book..and johnson was one of the great bass-men.
Jaybo,

How about Fred Johnnson (bass) and Cornelius Harp (lead) of The Marcels? Spin "Blue Moon" sometime. If it's been a while, you'll be surprised.

Marty
more...colin blunstone(who's your daddy?)...steve winwood (peaked in his teens)...billy stewart(if general johnson was jesus, billy was john the baptist)....russell tompkins jr (makes smokey robinson sound like a baritone)...sandi shaw/lulu(underrated always)....lou rawls(too much!)....teddy pendergrass('even the president said he's givin' it up)....paul jones(doo wah diddy-amazing career)....that guy in the statler bros who sings bass(like to see a showdown between him and the guy from the oakridge boys).....david ruffin(tragic soul but maybe the greatest of all/walk away from love)....ronnie dyson( a singer's singer)....annie golden and cathie chamberlain(new york's finest)....just calling out those who should not be missed if you love music.
The ability for a singer to produce a large variety of engaging musical sounds is really what I like hearing. I'd put the front vocalist for Yes, Beatles' Lennon & McCartney, both together and independently, Creedences' Fogerty strength and simplicity, Dylan's very involving and unique variety of vocal sounds, and Zep's Plant, minus the "sick bird syndrome" noise effects - screeching noises like a bird being strangled slowly to death. I felt it was over-used on too many live tracks, and to me, blurred or diluted Zep's great musical definition between their songs way too much.

Plant's new tracks with Cross sound very cool - much more relaxed and very musical.

There's so many - early Elton...huge musical variety and fabulous voicing. I saw him this year with Billy Joel and Elton was exceptionally good, even singing Joels' (they traded off back and forth) numbers solo.
Roger Daltry

Robert Plant

Steve Tyler

Freddie Mercury

Ann Wilson

Next 5

Pat Benatar (probably the best "voice")

Paul Rogers

Burton Cummings

Mick Jagger

Grace Slick
Please don't forget about Jeff Lynne from ELO. What a sweet voice. I was really blown away by his vocals on the DVD Concert for George (Harrison).
Jaybo picked a favorite "sleeper"of mine - "General" Johnson. Great vocals w/ Chairmen of The Board ("Give Me Just a Little More Time")and The Showmen who Allen Toussaint shepherded from doo-wop toward something like rock n roll. The General also gets bonus points for penning "Patches", a frequent resident on "Worst Song Ever" lists but a favorite of mine. Of course, if you pick Johnson, you should consider many of the great doo-wop singers who deserve mention, but there are too many to list.

Marty
I agree with the Brad Delp, but I would also add Meatloaf. His range and ability to sing songs others are not is amazing.

And the Adam Lambert addition, come on........In the top Five vocalists..........If only I could scream maybe I could get a recording contract.
So many great singers listed so far but I'm surprised that one hasn't been mentioned yet: Brad Delp (Boston). What a voice! Too bad he's no longer with us.
Freddie Mercury
Roy Orbison
Jon Anderson
Linda Ronstadt
Paul McCartney

Honorable mention-
Robert Plant for the first 4 Zep albums (his voice severely deteriorated after 1971)
Ian Gillan
blindjim's outstanding picks reminded me of two of my favorites who also had the 'imediately identifiable' thing in spades..rick nelson and gene pitney.

in order...
Roy Orbison & Elvis Presley have the greatest range
Robert Plant ... comes close
Janis Joplin for sheer emotive content.
Freddy Mercury... tone and excitement
Jim Morrison... darkly expressive and involving
... and several of the Eagles, of course.

For vocalists that will always sound great, I'd go with these:

Bon Scott (it's insane that no one mentions him!)

Freddie Mercury

Robert Plant

Phil Lynott

I'd take Freddie over any other singer...
Adam Lambert. He can mimic most of the singers mentioned and maybe sound better. If he developes his own style he may really be something. Yes, I do blow valuable listening time in front of the TV watching American Idol.
1.Steven Tyler
2.Springsteen
3.Freddy Mercury
4.Robert Plant
5.Jim Morrison
Honorable mention,John Mellencamp
I also like Theo's choice of Annie Haslam... she's awesome. David Byron was incredible when he could be serious. John Wetton is still great today, as is Paul McCartney. #5 is a toss up to me between, Ann Wilson and Robert Plant.
1. Ian Gillan (Deep Purple)
2. Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
3. Lou Gramm (Foreigner)
4. Steve Walsh (Kansas)
5. Robert Palmer
In no particular order................

Paul McCartney
Roy Orbison
Ann Wilson
Robert Plant
Freddy Mercury
Robert Plant
Jim Morrison
Paul McCartney
Eddie Vedder
John Lennon (sentimental favorite)

The list makes me feel old.
russell thompkins jr., general johnson, colin blunstone, scott morgan, elvis (not costello)
Well since we are mixing gender and looking for best musical talent I will pick living not dead:

Justin Hayward
Linda Ronstadt
Brian Ferry
Annie Haslam
Jon Anderson

Favorites is another story

Ooo Ooo one more Bob Dylan!
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Hey Jonathan,

You might be interested in this thread that got started about 5 years ago.

Best Rock Voices

My five would be:

Paul McCartney
Jim Morrison
Robert Plant
Janis Joplin
Grace Slick

PS Hope all is going well for you and your business, (and your family!).
How are your line of speakers selling for you?
Well, I hope!
All good. I'll play.

David Bowie
Brian Ferry
Nick Cave
Mick Jagger
Bruce Springsteen

Regards,