There is a burning question in my soul, “Who is the greatest lead singer in Rock history?” I am sure it burns in yours as well. I have been trying to think through criteria to determine what would uniquely make them a great Rock lead singer. Here are some of the criteria I have chosen, feel free to add your own.
1) Stage Presence – Rock is all about the show, if you can’t entertain, you won’t be considered a candidate
2) Rock Arrogance – The best of the best know that they are the best, and it shows
3) A Uniquely Rock Voice – A great rock singer can scream, moan, talk, shout, or sing out of tune, they just have to sound Rock -n- Roll as they do it.
4) Staying Power – There are a lot of lead singers who just weren’t around long enough for the greatest to be truly measured. If you died early of an overdose or a plane crash, you can still be considered, but it may hurt your chances.
5) Great Band – The truly great ones raised up those around them to true greatness
Alright, so here is my list of top candidates and a thought or 2 about them, in no particular order.
Jim Morrison- The Doors – It is hard to think of him without picturing Val Kilmer, but the oozing sexual power of Jim Morrison and his weird, peyote driven artsiness is hard to deny
Steven Tyler – Aerosmith – What lips, what a weird face, what moves with a bandana tied mic stand, what a scream, wow
Mick Jagger – The Rolling Stones – Eerily similar to Steven Tyler, this geriatric rocker really helped define this category and even now in is 60′s he can still bring it
Roger Daltery – The Who – Well known, but slightly under the radar compared to some of these other leads, Roger Daltery has an ability to make haunting and power lyric linger through the power of his range presence “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”
Grace Slick – Jefferson Airplane – When you hear her voice singing out “Don’t you want somebody to love, don’t you need somebody to love” the only answer is yes, yes, yes
Bono – U2 – Everything you could desire in a front man, larger than life personality, powerful vocals and lyrics, helping the poor, always wears sunglasses,Bono has it all
Tom Petty- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Tom is know for his greatness, so much so that most people don’t know his band. This may actually hurt him in the long run
Axl Rose – Guns N Roses – “Shananananananana knees knees knees, I want to watch you bleed” Axl defined the meteoric rise of GNR and also their demise. Is he selling cars now?
Anthony Kiedis – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Probably the shortest entry on this list, Kiedis is a ball of energy, punk style, and destructive behavior, kind of like his band.
Steve Perry – Journey – Probably the weakest band on this list, but how can you not love the homely, spandex wearing, bad haircut beauty of Steve Perry?
Robert Plant – Led Zepplin – Everyone goes through a Zepplin stage, usually in college or high school, and we are all better for it.
Eddie Vedder – Pearl Jam – Often unintelligible, always rocking, a big Neil Young fan, what is not to love about Eddie. By the way Pearl Jam’s new album is awesome, best stuff they have done in years
David Lee Roth – Van Halen – There has never been a bigger jerk in rock, but we said that Rock arrogance was a good thing, and he has a lot of it. Plus he does all of those cool ninja kicks on stage.
Ozzie Osbourne – Black Sabbath – It has been so long since Ozzie was known for great works like the Paranoid album instead of being a bumbling, stammering, shuffling dad, but that doesn’t discount that once he knew greatness
***Freddie Mercury*** – Freddie didn’t sit on this originally because although he had an amazing voice I always found it somewhat out of place in Rock. I always liked Queen but found them too popish and strange to consider them one of the greats. A ridiculous amount of people have commented otherwise, however, so I am adding him to the list to acknowledge their thoughts and so people can stop leaving the same comment.
Editors Note: Certain people were left off the list because of mitigating factors. There are no Beatles on the list because the greatness of the group overshadowed the greatness of the individuals. Performers who are best known for solo work were not put on the list these include Neil Young, Eric Clapton,Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Janis Joplin, and others. Further, short lived bands or careers hurt people such as Kurt Cobain. Other women I considered, but left off the list, just for your knowledge are Deborah Harry of Blondie, GwenStefani of No Doubt, Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, and Ann Wilson of Heart, but I am willing to hear arguments in favor of one of these if you have a valid case.
I will express my sentiments about the greatest of the great after hearing from you…..
January 14, 2009 at 9:50 pm
How bout brad delp? You want to talk about a guy who had range and just clear cut power. I think he’s a no brainer.
January 19, 2009 at 9:59 am
Wow…interesting! But it’s like comparing apples & oranges. Never was a metal fan but there are alot of them here, & Robert Plant is clearly running away with this popularity contest. I’m thinking of VOCALISTS, and agree with Grace Slick, Freddie Mercury (hey, he paid for his sins, ok?). Some of these names I’ve never heard of. But I think there is every reason why Steve Perry is still known as “The Voice” in music today, 3 days before his 60th birthday! His range, purity, clarity, & power make his voice unique & unforgettable. Stage presence: he had it! I’ve never seen a front man who did more to interact with his bandmates and the audience, and when he was ON he was a whirling dervish! (See the “Escape: Houston 1981″ DVD, he was on fire that night!). Arrogance? I guess he loses on that one; he was shy, not at all cocky. I’ve already said that his voice was (is) unique. Staying power? He paid his dues for years on the L.A. circuit before joining Journey in 1978 and if rumors are true we’ll hear some NEW stuff before the end of 2009. A great band? There were so many different Journey lineups, who can say? I have come to regard Neal Schon as a phenomenal guitarist (personality aside!). As to raising those around him to true greatness: Perry wins! Journey made 3 albums of “fusion” rock instrumentals, long drum & guitar solos: they never made it to radio & had only a small, local (Frisco) fan base. After Perry added his vocals & songwriting skills they were radio staples, made the Top Twenty a dozen times, and it all ended with a Grammy nomination. There is no Journey without Steve Perry, I don’t care how many “soundalike” singers they try. Which “bad haircut” are you referring to? I voted his the “Shiniest Hair in Rock” until they regrouped for “Raised On Radio” and someone gave them all shag haircuts & turned them into pretty boys! Bad idea. IS Anthony Kiedis the shortest singer in rock? Perry is only 5′ 7″ or so…
The girl can’t help it, she’s in love. Steve Perry is the finest vocalist in rock history. I’m surprised at how few agree with me, but I have a feeling most of the folks adding opinions here are alot younger than I am (58!).
I do agree with one opinion: Axl Rose is a tool, a joke! And no singer.
I happened upon this site looking for something else (Steve Perry!), and it’s been a fun read.
January 31, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I think that the biggest mistake on this list is saying that journey is the weakest band on the list. Steve Perry’s voice had one of the biggest ranges of any singer at that time, combined with unforgettable hits like anyway you want it, lights, faithfully, and dont stop believing, it think journey is anything but weak.
Also, why isn’t boston on here? I think boston overall had the best harmonization ever, just curious
February 6, 2009 at 10:44 pm
you can’t have this list, and not have the greatest singer of all time on it, Freddie Mercury of Queen is the best singer to ever take the stage.
Two other great singers are the two different singers for ACDC, the late Bon Scott, and Brian Johnson.
But once more this list is undone without Freddie.
February 6, 2009 at 10:51 pm
One more thing that i forgot was that Ann Wilson of Heart has the best female voice in rock history.
February 10, 2009 at 8:17 pm
huhh FREDDIE MERCURY? come on he IS the greatest rock singer of all time. where is he?
February 12, 2009 at 3:28 pm
There is so much love for Freddie, it is impressive. His voice was absolutely amazing, I just never thought it was a great Rock voice. But obviously that opinion is not shared by many others.
I will add an editorial note to the original piece to reflect this strong opinion.
March 4, 2009 at 6:39 am
FREDDIE MERCURY IS BY FAR THE BEST EVER WITH HIS SOLID & INTERESTING RIFF PLACEMENTS , AND COMPLEX HARMONIES!! FOR CHRIST SAKE DID U GUYS HEAR THE HARMONIES ON BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY?? (JEEZ) THAT WAS 95% HIM ALL HIM!! DO U KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO DO THAT!! OMFG!! HE IS THE CHAMPION..MY FREIND…(HE SAID IT HIMSELF!!) LONG LIVE FREDDIE FOREVER!! IAM NOW THUGZMAN, BUT NOW I WILL BE KNOWN AS…THUGGIE MERCURY!! LOL
March 4, 2009 at 6:50 am
P.S.. IF U DONT BELIVE ME ABOUT FREDDIE MERCURY WATCH THIS!!!
AND THIS IS LIVE, AND HE’S PLAYING THE PIANO TOO!!! OMG!!
March 9, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Alright, I’m gonna make another case again for Brad Delp of Boston. You have your 5 criteria so we’ll go down the list. 1.) Stage Presence- Obviously you’ve never been to a Boston show or Brad Delp would automatically be on the list. 2.) Rock Arrogance- This is a little off because that wasn’t exactly Delp’s style. However, when he died, this was said about him: “We’ve just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll.” So that definitely has to count for something. Because rock isn’t just about being a dick. 3.) A Uniquely Rock Voice- Once again, definitely one of the best vocal ranges of all time if no the best. He just had so much power in his vocals which helped him to hit those insanely high notes. 4.) Staying Power- Boston debuted in 1976 with their album “Boston,” (The record ranks as the best-selling debut album in United States history). Boston was also still touring up until Delp’s death in 2007. So that right there is 30+ years. 5.) Great Band- Boston is awesome. Plain and simple. They’ve sold over 50 million albums across the world and over 31 million in the US.
So why Brad Delp isn’t on this list is beyond me.