The Rolling Stone list of the top 100 singers of the Rock era. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstor...161972/page/103

 

The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time

 

1 | Aretha Franklin

2 | Ray Charles

3 | Elvis Presley

4 | Sam Cooke

5 | John Lennon

6 | Marvin Gaye

7 | Bob Dylan

8 | Otis Redding

9 | Stevie Wonder

10 | James Brown

 

11 | Paul McCartney

12 | Little Richard

13 | Roy Orbison

14 | Al Green

15 | Robert Plant

16 | Mick Jagger

17 | Tina Turner

18 | Freddie Mercury

19 | Bob Marley

20 | Smokey Robinson

 

21 | Johnny Cash

22 | Etta James

23 | David Bowie

24 | Van Morrison

25 | Michael Jackson

26 | Jackie Wilson

27 | Hank Williams

28 | Janis Joplin

29 | Nina Simone

30 | Prince

 

31 | Howlin' Wolf

32 | Bono

33 | Steve Winwood

34 | Whitney Houston

35 | Dusty Springfield

36 | Bruce Springsteen

37 | Neil Young

38 | Elton John

39 | Jeff Buckley

40 | Curtis Mayfield

 

41 | Chuck Berry

42 | Joni Mitchell

43 | George Jones

44 | Bobby "Blue" Bland

45 | Kurt Cobain

46 | Patsy Cline

47 | Jim Morrison

48 | Buddy Holly

49 | Donny Hathaway

50 | Bonnie Raitt

 

51 | Gladys Knight

52 | Brian Wilson

53 | Muddy Waters

54 | Luther Vandross

55 | Paul Rodgers

56 | Mavis Staples

57 | Eric Burdon

58 | Christina Aguilera

59 | Rod Stewart

60 | Björk

 

61 | Roger Daltrey

62 | Lou Reed

63 | Dion

64 | Axl Rose

65 | David Ruffin

66 | Thom Yorke

67 | Jerry Lee Lewis

68 | Wilson Pickett

69 | Ronnie Spector

70 | Gregg Allman

 

71 | Toots HIbbert

72 | John Fogerty

73 | Dolly Parton

74 | James Taylor

75 | Iggy Pop

76 | Steve Perry

77 | Merle Haggard

78 | Sly Stone

79 | Mariah Carey

80 | Frankie Valli

 

81 | John Lee Hooker

82 | Tom Waits

83 | Patti Smith

84 | Darlene Love

85 | Sam Moore

86 | Art Garfunkel

87 | Don Henley

88 | Willie Nelson

89 | Solomon Burke

90 | The Everly Brothers

 

91 | Levon Helm

92 | Morrissey

93 | Annie Lennox

94 | Karen Carpenter

95 | Patti LaBelle

96 | B.B. King

97 | Joe Cocker

98 | Stevie Nicks

99 | Steven Tyler

100 | Mary J. Blige

 

Not how I would have them, but not bad.

Bob Dylan was not a good singer.One of the greatest songwriters but not a good singer.

Bob Dylan was not a good singer.One of the greatest songwriters but not a good singer.

But you've got to agree you can apply the word "Unique" to his voice.

Bob Dylan was not a good singer.One of the greatest songwriters but not a good singer.

He's not the only one on the list that fits the discription of "not a good singer." Now, I wouldn't want the list to be all pure vocalists, and Dylan should probably be on the list somewhere for his unique voice, but it should be much lower on the list. Guys like Iggy Popp and Lou Reed are questionable, too.

 

 

He's not the only one on the list that fits the discription of "not a good singer." Now, I wouldn't want the list to be all pure vocalists, and Dylan should probably be on the list somewhere for his unique voice, but it should be much lower on the list. Guys like Iggy Popp and Lou Reed are questionable, too.

 

Singer and vocalist are two very different things. R & R has had few good singers.

As a pure singer, I can't imagine Karen Carpenter being so low. If you are going to have her on a "rock" list, then she is too low. I would be morer willing to accept her not being on the list because she is "pop" not rock. And did I miss Carol King?

I don't get too bent out of shape over these lists, but yeah, the ranking on some of these is crazy.

 

I'm not a huge Journey fan (White Sox-related soft spot for them aside), but from a technical standpoint Steve Perry should be weay the hell higher than #76. Paul Rodgers should be moved up as well, and Freddie Mercury should have cracked the top 10.

 

Also not the biggest Van Halen fan, but David Lee Roth doesn't even make the top 100?!?

 

Mary J is gonna be pissed when she sees that she is 100.She is a DIVA how dare they!

I don't get too bent out of shape over these lists, but yeah, the ranking on some of these is crazy.

 

I'm not a huge Journey fan (White Sox-related soft spot for them aside), but from a technical standpoint Steve Perry should be weay the hell higher than #76. Paul Rodgers should be moved up as well, and Freddie Mercury should have cracked the top 10.

 

Also not the biggest Van Halen fan, but David Lee Roth doesn't even make the top 100?!?

 

 

 

RS puts out one of these lists every 6 months it seems, just to generate discussion and interest in their mag. Agree on Perry and where are all the cheesy late 70's early 80's bands? Back then bands had singers, sometimes two or three of them in the same band.

Bob Dylan at #7? Yeah, I stopped reading right there. Artist? Sure. Songwriter, hell yeah. Singer? Not a chance.

And I am trying to think of a criteria that would place Lennon ahead of McCartney in singing??

And I am trying to think of a criteria that would place Lennon ahead of McCartney in singing??

 

Mostly, that's Rolling Stone throwing in behind the badboy Beatle rrather than the cutesy Beatle.

rolling stone makes the most terribly boring lists.

rolling stone makes the most terribly boring lists.

 

If they made exciting dead on lists then no one would talk about them and then they would really be boring.

 

 

BTW how the f*** can they put Patti Labelle on this list after that travesty with the WS National anthem.

Edited November 18, 200817 yr by shipps

no that's the opposite of what my point was.

And I am trying to think of a criteria that would place Lennon ahead of McCartney in singing??

 

I'm not a huge Beatles fan, but didn't Lennon sing all the harmony parts on their early stuff? Vocally, that stuff is amazing.

 

Bruce Springsteen even making the list is a joke.

 

The man sounds like he's constantly straining while taking a s*** and singing at the same time for almost every song he sings.

 

Bob Dylan was not a good singer.One of the greatest songwriters but not a good singer.

Damn you.

I'm not a huge Beatles fan, but didn't Lennon sing all the harmony parts on their early stuff? Vocally, that stuff is amazing.

 

No, of the Lennon/McCartney compositions from the early days, it's about 50/50 who sang lead and who sang harmony. And some of the best/most intricate harmony parts were George's close harmonies.

 

Not disagreeing with you at all about that stuff being amazing vocally, mind you. I grew up loving the later-era Beatles stuff most and not giving the early recordings much credit. Now I absolutely love the old stuff and think it best encapsulates the magic of the band.

Two birds with one stone.

Two of the top 100 singers of all time.

 

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

How does Garfunkel get on the list, but not Simon! Yeah, we're talking singing, but Garfunkel was the poet, and Simon the ONE MAN BAND! God, i'm such a nerd.

Bruce Springsteen even making the list is a joke.

 

The man sounds like he's constantly straining while taking a s*** and singing at the same time for almost every song he sings.

 

His voice fits his music. I'd keep him on the list before some of the others on there.

Bob Dylan at #7? Yeah, I stopped reading right there. Artist? Sure. Songwriter, hell yeah. Singer? Not a chance.

 

Well, to be fair, there are quite a few artists on there that aren't great singers by any means. Ray Charles at #2 is the bigger tragedy.

Edited November 18, 200817 yr by BobDylan

His voice fits his music. I'd keep him on the list before some of the others on there.

Now that I agree with... like I said, a man sitting on the toilet, straining, while taking a s***... all the while a studio mike is hanging above his toilet stall...

 

BOOOOOOOORN IN THE USAAAA I was BORRRRRRRRRN IN THE USAAAAAA (ahhhhhhhh)...