best vocalist of all time

[johnyringo04]

maynard from tool

please give me your thoughts

[Tyrsis]

Plant. (Who turns 59 today. Happy Birthday!)

[SirAnonymous]

Yoko >_<



but seriously, Van Morrison can sing pretty well.

Gregg Allman is a pretty good singer, same with Plant...

It's too tough to choose.

[KingofQUEEN48]

freddie mercury duh!

[Saltines]

I'm a fan of Bruce Dickinson.

[stupidlikeafox]

steven tyler and freddie mercury for me.

[MrGrieves]

Cedric Bixler-Zavala

[Tyrsis]

freddie mercury duh!

Damn, forgot about him.

Okay Plant and Mercury :)

[Julio-Claudius]

Plant, Mercury, and Dickinson. :)

[LavatoryLoveMachine]

Dickinson and Halford. They started it all.

Now, besides that, Matt Barlow and Tobias Sammet are just exceptional.

[the_polite_force]

they started wut??

now this is not my vote for best vocalist but he should mos def be considered : chris cornell

also paul mccartney

[LavatoryLoveMachine]

they started wut??

now this is not my vote for best vocalist but he should mos def be considered : chris cornell

also paul mccartney

They set the standard for Metal singing, in case that escaped you.

Yes, Chris Cornell has an AMAZING voice.

[the_polite_force]

uhhhhhhhhhhh in case you haven't noticed rob halford is pretty much a metal version of robert plant, and bruce dickinson is just a higher (and better) version of paul di-anno

[LavatoryLoveMachine]

uhhhhhhhhhhh in case you haven't noticed rob halford is pretty much a metal version of robert plant, and bruce dickinson is just a higher (and better) version of paul di-anno

I was trying to be civil in this one, but after that I just cant. You are an idiot.

That aside though, nothing you said here negates that Halford and Dickinson set the basis for all Metal, even today. Just to let you know. Your post is more about throwing something at me, and critisizing me, than actually contributing to the discussion. I mean, Ive been seeing post by you, and thats all you do. I do that too, but you definitely take the crown.

Which is not necessarily a bad thing now that I think about it.

[the_polite_force]

lmao ok ya sure buddy

anyway i'd also like to nominate garm and mikael akerfeldt

[Rev0lver]

Cedric Bixler-Zavala

tru dat

also, sahaj ticotin(Ra) and mikael akerfeldt(Opeth)

[Tendoza]

Gillian (Deep Purple) in his prime was amazing, but overall Mercury.

[woobwoob]

maynard from tool

no more thought required, you nailed it IMO

[beerman]

mikael akerfeldt
Correct.
We also would have accepted King Diamond.

[Axlitis]

w. Axl Rose.

[WingsOfSteel]

Brad Delp, with Brad Delp on backup vocals.

<3 Boston

[sushi111]

Cornell before he sucked.

And Yorke.

[TheIceCreamMan]

I gotta agree with Mercury. Not many like him come around. Plant in a close second. There's more out there, those are just the two that come to mind.

[SirAnonymous]

I nearly forgot about Janis Joplin and Grace Slick.

Those two must be considered when it comes to great vocals.

[MetalManiac]

Ronnie James Dio... no contest.

[Kriller]

for me a tie between Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) and Freddie Mercury(Queen)

[senomar]

I'd have to say either Bruce Dickinson or Freddie Mercury.

[Phiromos]

id have to go with Mercury...and McCartney...both have awesome ranges

[tharshmetalUK]

Bruce Dickinson, Freddy Mercury or James Hetfield, its a 3 way tie between them for me.

[socialcrawl]

freddie mercury duh!

I approve of this...yes.

[Kutsic]

Gackt
Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth)
Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour)
John Haughm (Agalloch)
Chester Bennington (Linkin Park)

[jarhead12343]

ronnie james dio
freddie mercury
bruce dickson

[FrshChees]

Freddie Mercury
Bruce Dickinson
CRAP! i forgot the name of the dude from Rush...wow
Ozzy Osbourne
James Hetfield in his prime vocally

[JudasHendrix]

#1: Ronnie James Dio (Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio)
#2: Brad Delp (Boston)
#3: Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
Honorable Mention: Rob Halford (Judas Priest)

EDIT - To the guy above me, the lead singer of RUSH is Geddy Lee.

[jarhead12343]

Freddie Mercury
Bruce Dickinson
CRAP! i forgot the name of the dude from Rush...wow
Ozzy Osbourne
James Hetfield in his prime vocally

geddy lee plays bass and sings for rush..

[TC81190]

McCartney, Mercury, and the oddly as of yet unmentioned, Chris Martin of Coldplay.

[FrshChees]

EDIT - To the guy above me, the lead singer of RUSH is Geddy Lee.

thnx...knew it started with a G :o

[Proto_Weltall]

Rob Plant, Freddie Mercury, Thomas Erak, and Zach De La Rocha stick out to me personally.

[Rev0lver]

Thomas Erak.

lol, his high vocals in "The Dark Trail" and "Shh! If You're Quiet I'll Show You A Dinosaur" make me laugh. maybe he's not the best vocalist in the world, but it's pretty damn amazing how well he can sing while playing those guitar parts.

[bubbameister]

Jim Morrison
Ozzy Ozbourne
David Lee Roth

[KillerIsMe]

Voices that is Techically the best:
Freddy Mercury
Bruce Dickinson
Chris Cornell

Vocies that I like best:
Eddie Vedder
Daniel Johns
Jens Kidman

[battle_axe_of_doom]

jens kidman rulez \m/

haven't met the guy but he seems like a cool d00d too (as do all of meshuggah)

[Eissian]

james labrie #1, bruce dickinson #2.
coincidently labrie was the #1 choice to replace dickinson when he first left maiden.

[Phrank-E]

Has no one mentioned Klaus Mein.. He had a phenominal voice back in the day..

But on pure technical merits.....

1) F. Mercury
2) C. Cornell
3) R. Halford


others: Plant, Rodgers, Dickinson, Tate, Daltry, Dio

[Hopton]

Scott Weiland, hands down, enough said

[Raider87]

Voices that is Techically the best:
Freddy Mercury
Bruce Dickinson
Chris Cornell

Vocies that I like best:
Eddie Vedder
Daniel Johns
Jens Kidman
How could you leave Staley out of that list :eek:

[The_Lizard_King]

i go with daltrey or conform with everyone and say mercury

[xUWNx_Rayp0498]

No Competition, Freddie Mercury.

[Phiromos]

haha well it seems mercury is the most occurring constant here...id say he takes the gold...my personal taste i like McCartney's voice alot..and the fact that hes 65 and still singing as well as he did when he was 20...amazing..but i also agree with Chris Cornell..hes amazing as well

[blue_dragonzero]

Geddy Lee, Bruce Dickenson, and Eric Bloom are great.

[AVC808]

first thing that came to my mind when i saw the title of this thread was freddie mercury.

i wanted to give bradley nowell his due though. i thought he had a pretty original and diverse voice. i was hooked ever since i heard the 40 oz. to freedom album. sublime wouldve really took off if it wasnt for the drugs!

[Tender-Surrender]

I would have to say

Freddy Mercury
Robert Plant
Geddy Lee
Thom Yorke
Ozzy Osbourne
Brandon Boyd
Chris Cornell

and more that I cannot think of atm!

[Zidane]

Freddy Mercury for sure. He was perfection.

[fitzy8109]

JAMES HETFEILD hands down!

[smokeverbs]

It's Plant, without a doubt. Special mention has to go to Robert Smith, and even Janis in her own way.

[smokeverbs]

i wanted to give bradley nowell his due though. i thought he had a pretty original and diverse voice. i was hooked ever since i heard the 40 oz. to freedom album. sublime wouldve really took off if it wasnt for the drugs!

Oh no doubt, he was another one. "Marley Medley" from the Acoustic ... and friends album kills me. Dude really could sing it out, definately.

[ziggy stardust]

Morrissey has an amazing voice.

[tombrady]

freddie without a doubt

Plant
MJK

bunch of others but those 3 are my personal favorites.

[amolinam]

Ronnie James Dio

[0tj]

not my vote but Steve Perry (Journey)

[Vhayne]

Maynard James Keenan -- Tool
Sebastian Bach -- Skid Row
(not sure) -- Queensryche

[silentxlucidity]

Geoff Tate! Discussion over!!!!

[scqueenfan]

freddie mercury duh!

AMEN, brotha! :D

[TheREVALOProject]

Julian Casablancas... XD!


Joking aside, it would be either Brad Delp and Freddy Mercury, but i cant choose.

[shock]

I love the uniqueness of Doron Flake's voice from The Smyrk, by no means the best of all time though.

[BullDawg85]

I have to say Steve Perry of Journey
but Freddy Mercury and Steven Tyler would be close

[Angelassassin]

Tim McIlrath

[cuBERT]

Serj Tankian

[hobbesdream]

David Bowie

[Silent88]

The singers I like are:

Matt Bellamy from Muse

Maynard from Tool

Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode

[SkidRow666]

My Favorite:
Sebastian Bach
Axl Rose
Vince Neil
Steven Tyler
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Stanley
Gene Simmons
Freddie Mercury
David Lee Roth
Sammy Hagar
Jonathan Davis
and a few others

[Elnino]

Axl Rose
David Lee Roth
Ozzy
Robert Plant
Bruce Dickinson
Rob Halford
Joey Belladona
Steven Tyler

And who else thinks Ace Frehley is a pretty good singer?

[Mortally]

I'm a fan of Bruce Dickinson.

QFT.

I grew up on Number of the Beast and Piece of Mind. Still gives me chills. :)

[Eastern-Eagles]

I can't believe nobody has mention Roger Daltrey yet...for shame, people.

Him, Layne Staley, and Chris Cornell are my favorite singers.

[osirisbunnyfoofoo]

Definitely a tough choice...dare I say Kurt Cobain? Just listen to Where Did you Sleep Last Night. I wouldn't quite say he's the best, but the first that comes to my mind.

[enfurno]

I really dig Chad Gray (Mudvayne&Hell Yeah) his range is awesome.

I also really dig Layne Staley (RIP) he was extremely unique and helped make Alice in Chains one of the greatest bands of all time.

[Faldrok]

I'd say Steven Tyler is the greatest and my favorite. I do agree that Freddie Mercury is a very good singer (I'd probably put him second), but I'm not a huge fan of his style. Same with Plant -- not a huge Zeppelin fan, but I do agree on his technicalities.

And while Ozzy isn't the best singer (Technically), I love his style, and they flow perfectly with his songs, so he takes 2nd place in my "Favorite Singers" but since this is the *BEST* list:

1. Steven Tyler
2. Freddie Mercury
3. Robert Plant

[DACster]

Akon, his da best

[Elnino]

Akon, his da best

Second stupidest thing ever posted on the forums.

[caex12]

Some of my favourites:

Male:

Russell Allen
King Diamond
Bruce Dickinson
Kai Hansen
Hansi Kursch
Roy Khan
Damian Wilson
Lance King

Female:

Doro Pesch
Floor Jansen
Irene Jansen
Kate French

[Simba23]

Freddie Mercury followed by Roger Daltrey

Mercury is just amazing, and Daltrey kind of came into his own during Tommy.

[Hislove4ever7]

hands down, LAYNE STALEY. In my opinion, absolutely amazing range, dark, mysterious, you could seriously hear his emotion through his singing.

But other greatly notable mentions:
Chris Cornell
Eddie Vedder
Kurt Cobain
Plant
Hetfield
Mercury


Women:
Grace Slick
Stevie Nicks
Janis Joplin
Pat Benatar
Ann Wilson

(top 3 are tied)

[Jonathizzle]

Davey Havok

[unionjack]

Second stupidest thing ever posted on the forums.
what on earth could have been more stupid?

[unionjack]

Jim Morrison,
Robert Daltrey
or Kurt Cobain

[Jonathizzle]

Jim Morrison,
Robert Daltrey
or Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain?

HAH

he f***in mumbles half his words

[BhindBluEyes430]

Marvin ***e (what the hell i can't even say his name?) G A Y E
Listen to inner city blues
or heard it throught grape vine
just "aint no mountin high" is an amazing song greatest vocalist

[jacelep]

Sebastian Bach
David Coverdale.... Copycat to Plant but he is even more technical imo.
Freddie Mercury #1

[Manda]

Chris Cornell, hands down. Ohh his voice is to die for! And sexy to boot! Black Hole Sun is a great song, but I'm more partial to You Know My Name, which he did for the most recent Bond film, Casino Royale. He has a great vocal range and an original sound that makes me melt when I hear him sing. I don't mean to sound like a giggling schoolgirl, but when I heard YKMN I fell so in love with it. Which is when I discovered he was the lead for Soundgarden, which I loved as a child (I remember being 7 years old and laughing hysterically at all the people with huge grins on their faces in the Black Hole Sun music video, and rocking out to Spoonman, but thinking he was saying "stone man"... it made more sense).

[Matt&Sarah]

I'm gonna say Freddie Mercury, closely followed by Jamie Woolford.

[tombrady]

chris cornell is a good singer but he's too much of a dickwad for me to mention him.

[cuBERT]

Serj Tankian is my favorite.

Than Daron started to sing and **** things up!:mad:

[sickdaddy]

Gene Ween is the man!

[NoD]

Ed Kowalczyk - Live
Paul Rodgers - Bad Company/Free

[jedbeetle]

We talkin' best vocalist in Rock? easily Janis Joplin for me. She sang with more soul than God.

pop-
Bobby McFerrin is a current living master of the vocal art. His vocal range, his pitch, his versatility and his dexterity are unmatched.

branch out a little more - personally, i go for virtuosity and mastery of style -
John Hendricks, Kurt Elling. Lords of jazz vocals.

[neveroutnumbered]

Joakim Brodén, if you don't know him he is from my fav band SABATON

[The_White_Hendrix]

Ozzy Osbourne then Ronnie James Dio.

[shortyvs]

my vote (like many of you) is for Mercury. he could do it all.

[viru30]

No love for Jim Morrison anyone? He practically INVENTED the hard-rock vocal styling.

[battle_axe_of_doom]

^ lol

morrison is great but come on he didn't invent ****

[Slikwille]

I agree with Mercury, Daltrey, and Dickinson but another amazing vocalist that hasn't been mentioned is Ville Valo from HIM. His range is just insane!

[Micker]

Freddie Mercury, just amazing. Bruce Dickinson and Dio, awesome metal voices.

Other non rock singers(guys):

Best Tone: James Taylor
Best Range: Roy Orbison

[Wangsandsuch]

Fergie's vocal range is outstandingly amazingly awesome.

[Vengeance]

i say Danzig

[TheCorporal]

Jonas Bjerre from the band Mew

[delong212]

Vince Neil of Motley Crue, Matt Heafy of Trivium, James Hetfield of Metallica,

[TheREVALOProject]

It's between Brad Delp, Freddy Mercury and the vocalist from iron maiden.

[TheBEAST205]

Cedric Bixler-Zavala

His voice actually isn't all that impressive live, but I'm not surprised that singing that high has kind of taken a toll on his voice.

[JimmyTempest]

Freddie Mercury hands down.

[abasketfullofpuppies]

Fergie's vocal range is outstandingly amazingly awesome.

seriously? wow. i am shocked. Let this be a lesson to everyone: Stay off crack.

[StiffEdub]

1. Robert Plant
2. Ronnie James Dio
3. Morrisey

And Cannot Forget

Annie Lennox

[StiffEdub]

seriously? wow. i am shocked. Let this be a lesson to everyone: Stay off crack.

And the cheap Meth

[Parodygm]

Wow, not a single mention of Elizabeth Fraser...

[ShroominWITfurl]

im gunna have to go with Serj Tankian (lead vocals for system of a down), not only because of his AMAZING voice but because hes one of the most smartest and musicaly talented man in the music worl today.

i also like Corey Talor for his abillty to actually sing and scream both very well. especialy in songs like "wait and bleed".

[Scarlet_Fire]

BB King


nuff said

[lpunderground19]

Brad Delp. It's really a shame that hearing about his death and thinking "who's Boston? never heard of them. I need to go listen to them" is what got me into that amazing band (i don't listen to much classic rock in case you can't tell). His voice is spectacular. He can sing the fast rock songs, or slow it down for songs like Hitch a Ride and still sound just as good. I wish I was alive to hear them when they came out, and I wished I could have appreciated his work while he was alive. He is missed, and will continue to be forever.

[sickboy1138]

Elvis MFin Presley... nuff said.

[sushi111]

Pre DOTU I might have gone with Chris Cornell.

But my favorite is Thom Yorke.

[battle_axe_of_doom]

wuts DOTU??

oh just figured out :down on the upside :o

and thom yorke has a unique voice thats brilliant with the music but lbh he's nothing special

[ZosoZeppelin]

R. Plant, J. Morrisson, E. Vedder, J. Lennon, B. Scott, R. Daltrey, and M. Jagger

[ZosoZeppelin]

Seriously, I can't believe no one has said Mick Jagger until this point, that's sad : (, real sad :,(

[KillerMRK]

Bob Weir is quite awesome. :cool:

[boardumb]

My vote goes to Freddy Mercury. I'm straight but damn, just listening to him makes me all giddy j/k ;-).

[Thee Production]

You never specified rock vocalist, so......Frank Sinatra

[LED HEAD]

PLANT! i mean who else??

[Admiralwiggin]

Freddie Mercury hands down

[Rotten Possum]

Paul Simon

[whaleman]

freddie mercury

[amolinam]

Tool/Radiohead/NIN fans always put their bands in a pedestal.. ¬¬

Dickinson, Halford, Dio...

[JukeBoxHero]

Geddy Lee or Brad Delp

[th3ph3n0m36]

So what Amolinam? Blow it out your ass. I would say Maynard James Keenan all the way.

[Jhail83]

Geddy Lee, Peter Gabriel, Mike Patton, Freddie Mercury, Jon Anderson, and Chris Cornell.

[The_Edge]

David bowie best vocalist. he has an amazing range either high or low bowie sings em all

[rancifan21]

Chris Cornell HANDS DOWN, best writer in my mind would be Zack de la Rocha or Maynard from Tool though

[non-entity21]

Favourites:

Jake Snider
Trent Reznor
Stephen Brodsky
Caleb Scofield
Chuck Ragan
Chris Wollard
Henry Rollins
Nuno Pereira

Best:

Maynard James Keenan
Matt Skiba
Dan Andriano

[Destromas]

This thread is a joke, but I like Steve Perry and Eric Martin.

[ctth75]

steve perry from journey! or geddy lee from rush

[Byrddoggg]

First of all, my all-time favorite band is Rush but I would NEVER rank Geddy amongst the great vocalists ever. C'mon. LOL

My choices are:

Layne Staley - Alice in Chains
Robert Plant - Led Zeppelin
Christ Cornell - Soundgarden
Rob Halford - Judas Priest

In no particular order although I think Layne Staley would be my #1 if I had to choose. I've seen a lot of live shows in my 39 years on Earth and his was the most powerful live I have ever heard. I really miss not hearing him sing. R.I.P.

[Nasformer20]

Ok my top vocalists are....

Male
Steve Perry (I just love journey)
Danny Vaughn
Jeff Scott Soto

Female
Annie Lennox
Pat Benatar

[Crisis_Flash]

Steven Tyler from Aerosmith.
Also Chris Cornell from Soundgarden/Audioslave

[acdcfan7676]

Bon Scott(RIP) - AC/DC
Robert Plant - Led Zeppelin
Jim Morrison(RIP) - The Doors

clearly no comparison ;)

[Shredder87]

Chris Cornell!!!!
I think his voice is above an exceptional list of other talented singers.
Layne would be next up.

[BhindBluEyes430]

Marvin Gaye is definatly the greatest male vocalist ever
listen to Heard It through the grapevine or Inner city blues makes me wanna holler

[KingofQUEEN92]

I am VERY surprised that i dont see Freddie Mercury in any of these?

[Zidane]

Yeah, but people are arrogant.

[MissTeya]

My personal favorites are:

Thom Yorke - Radiohead
Jonathan Wilson
Patrick Watson
Julian Fane

The more they sound like they are from some weird distant planet, the more I like them.

[No_You]

Freddie Mercury easily

Robert Plant comes in second place for me

[Grizzl]

I can't believe that some people have said Geddy Lee. He has the most annoying singing voice on the planet. Wow.

[Highlandlassie1]

Sammy Hagar


Robert Plant


Bon Scott- ac/dc


Bret Michaels- Poison

[nflnba88]

Freddie Mercury by far

has anyone mentioned Art Garfunkel?

[HeadHunter67]

Chris Cornell, all the way. My personal runners-up would be Rob Thomas or Paul Carrack but I doubt most people would agree.

[KingofQUEEN92]

Mr. Mercury for sure!

[timfortune9]

Freddie Mercury is, was, and forever will be the greatest vocalist of all time. Only Roger Daltry, Meat Loaf, Elton John, and Billy Joel can come close.

[Michura]

I can't really say who is the very best because there have been alot of good ones.

But I would like to point out the following list in case it hasn't been posted (sorry, I am not gonna check the entire thread).

http://www.hearya.com/2006/12/04/hit-paraders-top-100-metal-vocalists-of-all-time/

[GodSaveTheQueen]

I have to go with the legend, Freddie Mercury.

[Totalimmortal]

weiland vedder kowalczyk cornell. dishonorable mention- stapp. (nobody said scott stapp and i expect most of you to disagree with me, but i just like a few of his songs.)

[rancifan21]

weiland vedder kowalczyk cornell. dishonorable mention- stapp. (nobody said scott stapp and i expect most of you to disagree with me, but i just like a few of his songs.)
Dude, those are like all of my favorites, finally, somewhat knows what to look for vocally.

[menace]

Chris Cornell from soundgarden has a voice that could peel paint, a personal fav of mine, also Joe Cocker needed no singing talent, he sang on raw emotion and it totally worked for him. but since we really are talkin about talent, i gotta say James Taylor, if i had to pick someone to sing me lullabies..heh

[KUJayhawk11]

Yeah, I'd say it's one thing to discuss based on sound or on pure vocal talent. On sound, I enjoy Hetfield, Cobain. Ozzy is great to listen to, but among the most vocally talent I'm not quite as sure. My top 6, who I feel are above and beyond, in no particular order:

W. Axl Rose - Part of what probably would have been the top selling rock band in American history if they hadn't split, but an undeniable *****. His vocal style is so raw though, and that's been well documented. Listen to "Since I Don't Have You" and hear him hit those notes.
Freddy Mercury - Not much explanation needed. Could be No. 1 on anyone's list, and possibly the most talented singer period. Craziest thing about Queen was all of them could sing, really, part of what made them so musically exceptional.
Robert Plant - Most people have heard of this guy I think, ha. I think "Dazed and Confused" is one of his personal best.
Paul McCartney - Beyond the Beatles, some of his stuff with the Wings is great too. Lennon could have been the better songwriter, but musically I find McCartney's to be hands down better.
Elton John - His music is better than his style is strange. But either way, a great voice.
Billy Joel - I haven't filtered through to see if he was mentioned, but the guy, like Elton, is a great piano player and a better singer. "New York State of Mind" is a good one that shows it off.

If anyone else should be in this list, I feel it could possibly be Tom Delp of Boston. But hey, just my opinion.

[TobyD81]

Best ever was Freddie Mercury. The range on that dude was godly.

[nirvanarush2112]

i'll have to go with Geddy Lee, Robert Plant, Ville Valo, Scott Weiland, and Chris Cornell.

[HeadHunter67]

nobody said scott stapp and i expect most of you to disagree with me, but i just like a few of his songs.
Stop me if you've heard this one...

"Scott Stapp walks into a club!" :D

I can't stand Creed. I loathe them so badly that I will change the station when they come on. But to each his own I guess. ;)

I do agree that Freddy Mercury had a lot of raw power and talent - probably due to his operatic training. I'd rank him up near the top of my list.

[CML207]

Freddie Mercury!
R.I.P!

[CML207]

Honorable mention to Steven Tyler and Robert Plant also

[OldFogey]

First off -- anyone who has to resort to octave swapping after a few years is out for me (so long Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury, Sting). It means you were blowing your cords out early on.

But even if it weren't for that -- look this is the guy who sang "Gimme Some Lovin'" with Spencer Davis when he was 16 years old!!! Then Traffic, Blind Faith, some really great solo stuff in the 80's (Arc of a Diver, Higher Love, Roll With It).

And he can still sing all this stuff without octave swapping 40 years later.

If I had to pick one highlight -- how about "Can't Find My Way Home" with Blind Faith.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ib9I7vW0Ko

At the 2:55 mark he goes from head voice to full voice in the same range -- that's technique only a very small handful of singers from Rock come close to.

Honorable Mention -- Paul Carrack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUA7F9j_xzs

[OldFogey]

Best ever was Freddie Mercury. The range on that dude was godly.

I love Freddie. His voice really cut through the wall of sound that was Queen -- as great as Paul Rodgers is, you really miss that quality when you hear him sing with the group.

But you can't credit Freddie for a great range if he blew his voice out so early in his career. Just check out concert footage of him dropping down (octave swapping) on song after song. You can catch him doing it in the very first minute of this footage from Bohemian Rhapsody.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veTm1sZz2eo

[Zidane]

This looks like live at Wembley Stadium. Which was a long set-list and this song came near the end of the show, he's allowed the octave swap. Not just that, but by that concert he had been singing for well over two decades.

[OldFogey]

This looks like live at Wembley Stadium. Which was a long set-list and this song came near the end of the show, he's allowed the octave swap. Not just that, but by that concert he had been singing for well over two decades.

The wear was audible in the voice way before this, both in years and in the concert. I tried to find more concert footage. Sorry this was the best I could come up with -- didn't want to spend all day sorting through youtube videos.

Bottom line -- the guys who didn't push their voices over the edge sing for hours more than two decades into their careers without octave swapping. Even Paul Rodgers is proof of this.

Maybe this is just a thing with me -- I've been voice training for 30+ years, a lot to overcome of the same bad habits I developed singing in rock bands in my teens (also because I happen to love opera, oratorio, and lieder). I give major props, for example, to James Hetfield for going to voice training to save his voice -- I'm sure he's lengthened his career by years if not decades. And he still sounds great.

[anya]

But you can't credit Freddie for a great range if he blew his voice out so early in his career. Just check out concert footage of him dropping down (octave swapping) on song after song. You can catch him doing it in the very first minute of this footage from Bohemian Rhapsody.

i don't think that's quite fair, is it's possible he had an off night, was resting his chords, etc.

i've heard bernadette peters do that on occassion (though rarely), and she's probably one of the best singers on broadway. hell, pavarroti was infamous for it as he got older and had less stamina.

i've got 8+ years of classical vocal training, and i've had to do it on occasion, and, i'm sure you have. there's just some times when you can't hit the high notes, and you know if you try, it's gonna sound like crap.

[OldFogey]

i don't think that's quite fair, is it's possible he had an off night, was resting his chords, etc.

i've heard bernadette peters do that on occassion (though rarely), and she's probably one of the best singers on broadway. hell, pavarroti was infamous for it as he got older and had less stamina.

i've got 8+ years of classical vocal training, and i've had to do it on occasion, and, i'm sure you have. there's just some times when you can't hit the high notes, and you know if you try, it's gonna sound like crap.

I'm trying hard to be fair, but I also want to be accurate. I've had 30+ years of classical voice training. Freddy was a belter (like I lot of Broadway stars, by the way). He pushed his chest voice beyond its normal register. He did not blend his chest and head voice. That and other things are symptoms of pushing the voice too hard. Those notes are not even particularly high. (I think it goes up Ab -- but I'm figuring that by ear. I could be wrong.)

Compare Steve Winwood. I'm not sure he's even trained, but he naturally does the right things (I've met some folks like this in classical training as well, and boy am I jealous). Check out the tessitura (the range where most of the notes are) on Had to Cry Today (song he did with Blind Faith). It starts at D# above middle C and goes right up high B. His tone quality and production are consistent across his range. Stevie is still singing that. Does he have off nights? Sure. (BTW, Pavarotti was over 60 and way out of shape when he started having problems.)

[anya]

Compare Steve Winwood.

i think steve winwood always sings with a head voice, frankly. it has that whispering quality that most males can't always get rid of. i can sing from C4 to an E6, like in mozart's queen of night aria, in my head voice. i'm a coluratura soprano, but i have a pressagio from hell that i've been trying to smooth out for years. most people with natural chest ranges around the alto/tenor range have breaks around high C, but have extensive ranges in both the head and chest range. so, like me, if you want to belt, you use your cheset voice; if you know whatever you're singing is going to be all in the higher range, you stay with your head voice. think he sings in his head voice from that C to B5. that way, there's no real noticeable change in quality of sound. either that, or he's got a very clean pressagio.

and, he's likely trained, as back in the old days of the record industry they always made singers get training so they wouldn't shoot their voices in 2 years.

[Insane3]

Answering to that is kinda impossible since singing is an extremely old "instrument" and that renaissance opera singers practiced all their lives for that. My favourite singers are:
Jim Morrison
Ian Gillan
David Bowie
Freddy Mercury


Btw: I find extremely stupid that the word g a y is banned from this forum. It means homosexual and it aint no swearing even though some primitive people use it as an insult. It can also mean happy but I guess nobody says I'm soooo gaaay today!

[Dogbite]

for pure vocal that has got to be mike patton of faith no more, mr. bungle and a few other side projects, the problem with him is he likes to screw around with his voice and gets bored easily just singing straight up. but when he does its amazing

he has actually done some opera work so I hear.

but like I said its hard to hear him just sing straight without him messing it up and trying to amuse himself.

[Dogbite]

oh, of course there is also the guy that drowned in the river. he sang hallejuah and last goodbye... what was his name?

[OldFogey]

i think steve winwood always sings with a head voice, frankly. it has that whispering quality that most males can't always get rid of. i can sing from C4 to an E6, like in mozart's queen of night aria, in my head voice. i'm a coluratura soprano, but i have a pressagio from hell that i've been trying to smooth out for years. most people with natural chest ranges around the alto/tenor range have breaks around high C, but have extensive ranges in both the head and chest range. so, like me, if you want to belt, you use your cheset voice; if you know whatever you're singing is going to be all in the higher range, you stay with your head voice. think he sings in his head voice from that C to B5. that way, there's no real noticeable change in quality of sound. either that, or he's got a very clean pressagio.

and, he's likely trained, as back in the old days of the record industry they always made singers get training so they wouldn't shoot their voices in 2 years.

Great to see this discussion turn to some real discussion of vocal technique.

Steve definitely does not sing in pure head voice. You can't sing in a head voice and go from piano to forte like he does at the end of Can't Find My Way Home.

I've linked a video of a live performance of an old Traffic tune that's probably from the last couple of years, I don't know the exact date. It looks like the band he was touring with last summer. The top note here is a high A -- higher than the note Freddie octave swapped on the other video. There are other songs that have a higher range -- just want you to notice the ease with which he produces these notes. No need to belt. This is not a "whispering quality." This is powerful singing with consistent tone across the vocal range.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl-ovxn1Ycs

I'm not saying Steve is in the same class with great opera singers when it comes to pressagio -- he tends to push too much on top. But, he was still singing Had to Cry Today in the same key, without octave swaps, at Clapton's Crossroads Festival this past summer, almost 40 (!!!!) years after they originally recorded the tune together. Awesome pipes. Phenomenal range. Tremendous longevity.

Apparently Steve and Eric are doing a 3 night stand at Madison Square Garden in February. Boy am I jealous of anyone who has tickets for that.

[Dogbite]

OH.... JEFF BUCKLEY. What an insane voice on that guy

[Aztek_Mperer]

There are many great vocalists out there.

I think Ozzy had a unique voice, which was perfect for sabbath, but i dont think he was that great of a singer overall.

anyways

Bruce Dickinson
Klaus Mein
Freddy Mercury

and of course Ronnie James Dio!

[OldFogey]

OH.... JEFF BUCKLEY. What an insane voice on that guy

I hadn't listened to Jeff. Thanks to your referral I did. Lot of R&B influence in that voice. Very nice.

Thanks again for sharing.

[jaguy19]

In no particular order, my fav's are:
Freddy Mercury
Chris Cornell
Paul Rogers
Michael McDonald
Jeff Lynne

Although I don't care for his music too much, but that Adam Levine from Maroon 5 has an awesome voice

[josh3111]

Robert Plant

[KingofQUEEN92]

Im sorry im not being mean but this is one of my big pet peeves. Its FreddIE Mercury not Freddy Mercury its not your fault everyone does it...

[TRCfactory]

Brian Molko(Placebo), David Gahan(Depeche Mode). Those two sounds almost better in concert than in studio.
Ever really listen to Bjork? Incredible range. Sinead O'Conner doing Troy?

[cdylan13]

Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant are the two best IMO.

[HeadHunter67]

Im sorry im not being mean but this is one of my big pet peeves. Its FreddIE Mercury not Freddy Mercury its not your fault everyone does it...

Actually... it's Farouk. Freddie is a made up name. :p

[ibender]

Morrissey
Morrissey
Morrissey

[KingofQUEEN92]

and his real last name is Bulsara i know!;)

[phatpenguin411]

Ed Kowalczyk - Live


...hell yeah

[OldFogey]

(And I include myself in that categorization.)

I heard of this guy name of ELVIS (and no, not Costello). Sounds like he could go places.

[OldFogey]

This looks like live at Wembley Stadium. Which was a long set-list and this song came near the end of the show, he's allowed the octave swap. Not just that, but by that concert he had been singing for well over two decades.

Hi Zidane,

I tried to find you more substantiation about Freddie's octave switching and vocal wear. Didn't do an exhaustive search, but I didn't need to because the very first place I looked turned up exactly the point I was making. Found this on Wikipedia: "... he would often lower the highest notes during live performances. Mercury also claimed never to have had any formal training and suffered from vocal nodules." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mercury

The reference there was to an interview from a 1977 Circus Magazine article that says "Never having had a singing lesson, Freddie has the rawest vocal-cord nodules this side of Stevie Nicks. " http://queenarchives.com/viewtopic.php?t=32

Please don't think I'm ragging on Freddie -- I really do like him. I just wish he had had some training, so he could have performed at his best on a more consistent basis and for a longer period of time. And I think the guys who used sound technique but still got that rock and roll sound across deserve their props.

Cheers,
Fogey

[Jhail83]

Geddy Lee, Peter Gabriel, Mike Patton, Freddie Mercury, Jon Anderson, and Chris Cornell.

I'd also like to add Klaus Meine and David Bowie,

[OldFogey]

and Little Richard .....

[SheratonII]

Yoko >_<



but seriously, Van Morrison can sing pretty well.

Gregg Allman is a pretty good singer, same with Plant...

It's too tough to choose.

Van Morrison ftw.

[Mikey]

My list of the best vocalist of all time (No particular order):
Bruce Dickinson
Phil Anselmo
Paul Dianno
Jimi Hendrix
Dave Mustaine
James Hetfield
Rob Halford
Ronni James Dio
Ozzy Osbourne
Robert Plant
Freddie Mercury

But if I had to pick one it would be Bruce Dickinson.

[GlassPrisoner]

I'd have to say Brad Delp or Russell Allen.

[BhindBluEyes430]

I still think some of the best vocals ever were recorded on this song
(WARNING THIS IS NOT A MUSIC VIDEO AND MAY CONTAIN DISTURBING OR OFENSIVE IMAGES AND VIDEO)
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qDckI2P_DPA&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qDckI2P_DPA&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

the vid shows images of war and stuff you don;t have to watch is just listen to the song. Marvin Gaye is the greatest vocalist of all time

[m00p]

John Lennon + Paul McCarney, Ozzy Osbourne (born to sing by the way, who ever doesnt like em u can shove it) Axl rose, Bruce Dickinson.


EDIT : Frank Sinatra anyone? xP

[Thallis]

Bruce Dickinson. 'Nuff said.

[MrMan5217]

Robert Plant....I have every known song....has covered every type of music imaginable at one point or another and done it with honesty and passion.

Others I like: Steven Tyler, Freddie Mercury, Geoff Tate, the guy from Symphony X, Maynard, Ozzy, Ray Charles, Ian Gillan, Mike Patton (a God), Bob Schneider, Perry Farrell, Scott Weiland and Layne Staley. I'm sure a lot of others I've forgotten.

[oomkasa]

Bon Scot rocked your FACE, and Jim Morrison had sweet lyrics.

[McCleveland]

Thom Yorke
Mike Patton
Ian Curtis

[ninjabassist]

ville valo x2389529385203409235201109284582109408248291023.7: D

[Pancreas]

Freddy Mercury, Aretha Franklin, Pavarotti.

[JMcQ77]

I'm not even that big of a Queen fan and still:

Freddie Mercury.

With honorable mentions to:

Rob Halford
Paul Simon
Robert Plant
Steve Perry
David Bowie
Thom Yorke
Van Morrison

My personal favorites:

Mark Lanegan
Bono
Layne Staley

[xanofar]

Tool isn't THAT great vocal-wise.

Bruce has a good voice, but he dies out WAY too much live. Halford isn't for everyone, but he does have INCREDIBLE pitch control. I envy both of them though, personally, especially Halford. I prefer Iron Maiden to Judas Priest, but Halford to Dickinson. And the guy from The Sweet, because, while I don't think he's that great a singer, I admire his work on vocals in Ballroom Blitz.

Michael Kiske from Helloween had great pitch, but his voice was a bit annoying, and you could never understand what he was saying. Hahaha

Oh yeah, Joey Tempest from Europe - he has a good voice and control as well.

Lemmy isn't that great, but he's one of the only singers I know who can sound gravely and good at the same time. I remember when I first heard him, I thought I was going to hate his voice, but I actually kind of liked it, and I usually don't go for voices like that. I don't know, I guess it's just sort of unique like that.

Whoever the guy from the Beach Boys is pretty awesome though, too.

By the way, does anyone else think it's only a matter of time before some emo ****** puts something like Atreyu or Avenged Sevenfold into this thread? Freakin' emos and their ignorance of 1st and 2nd generation metal. Tsk.

[fighting69th]

Greg Graffin-Bad Religion

Angelical voice that punk rock has never seen

[08mjones1]

Axl rose check out the vocal range on Knockin on Heavens Door
Stever Perry,Journey

[usandthem]

My personal faves

David Gilmour - Pink Floyd
Steve Perry - Journey
Brad Delp - Boston
Jim Morrison

females

Ann Willson (Heart)
Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane)
Pat Benetar
Annie Lennox

[kev500]

There are a lot of great vocalists but if I had to choose just one,it would be a guy who a lot of others have said already...

Freddie Mercury

[drand]

Tim McIlrath

agree 100%