chris cornell
robert plant
freddie mercury

Freddie Mercury. Fo’ Shizz.

maynard james keenan

Something’s wrong with the top five.

Yorke out. Mercury in.

There, fixed.

thom yorke? i love radiohead and his solo album was solid, but i dont think he’s anywhere close to the best singer out there… there are better

McCartney
Elton John
Maynard Keenan
freddie mercury in my opinion are all ahead of yorke

I love Thom Yorke, but I wouldn’t put him even in the top 30. Robert Plant and Freddie Mercury need to be up there.

Aretha Franklin

Ray Charles

Elvis Presley

Tina Turner

Freddie Mercury

TOM WAITS!

NUFF SAID!

Tom Yorke? Come on.

Barry White fo sho

Sam Cooke. There is no one else like him.

chris cornell
jeff buckley
eddie vedder

no, thom yorke shouldn’t be there. Billy Corgan should be there instead

Where the hell is Otis Redding?

Yorke out…Elvis Costello in.
EC has the best pipes in the music biz today, hands down.

How can you possibly leave out Wesley Willis??

ha

Thom Yorke, Numero Uno Bay-Bee!

[That's that!]

thom yorke definitely not!!!

teddy pendergrass
al green
prince
luther vandross
eddie levert

getting the message? you said “singers”, not “whiners”.

Bono and Jeff Buckley should be on there.

thome yorke?!?!?! hahaha, don’t get me wrong, i like radiohead, but one of the best singers? come on! SINATRA IS THE GREATEST!

radiohead is probably my favorite band out there today, but claiming that thom yorke is the best male vocalist of the last forty years (sinatra had peaked by the mid-sixties) is pretty crazy.

you should probably replace him mccartney or mercury (although yorke would still make my top ten, if only for ‘how to disappear completely…’).

i’d take holiday off there, too. maybe put janis joplin in her place. or kurt cobain. both of them share that raspy howl that spews out from the gut. a welcome contrast to all the smooth singers already on the list.

McCartney, Lennon?
Mercury

eddie vedder
chris cornell
maynard keenan

where is freddie mercury and bono?

yorke?! lol

thom yorke?! you’re kidding. as bobgeorge said, it’s singers, not whiners. who was number 6 on your list RS, fergie?

replace him with somebody like janis joplin, otis redding, marvin gaye or sam cooke. somebody who could actually SING.

I think Yorke is an awesome singer. He makes the most of his voice and he definitely has one of the most recognizable vocals in Rock.

HOWEVER, by professional standards, he has a very nasal voice. He does not sing from his diaphragm.

Alan Dubin of Khanate oh, and of course Sinatra

Maynard James Keenan should be on there. Except, oh wait, he’s metal. I forgot this was an MOR Rollingstone list. Thom Yorke is obviously a bad choice as almost everyone has said already.

Stevie Wonder….
Marvin Gaye….

BEST OF ALL…GINO VANNELLI

Marvin Gaye
Al Green
Teddy Pendergrass
Donny Hathaway
Curtis Mayfield
Stevie Wonder
Aretha Franklin
Diana Ross
Chaka Khan
Keith Sweat
Babyface
Freddie Jackson
R. Kelly
D’Angelo
Musiq
Maxwel l
Pharrell Williams
Whitney Houston
Mariah Carey
Stephanie Mills
Anita Baker
Sade
Aaliyah
Mary J. Blige
Beyonce
Keyshia Cole
Erykah Badu
India.Arie
Alicia Keys
Jill Scott
Jimi Hendrix
Beck
Lenny Kravitz
Kurt Cobain
Eddie Vedder
Scott Weiland
Billie Joe Armstrong
Layne Staley
Nick Hexum
Ben Folds
John McCrea
Liam Gallegher
Noel Gallegher
Gregg Alexander
Brandon Urie
Janis Joplin
Sheryl Crow
Alanis Morissette
Courtney Love
Ninja
Beth Ditto

1a. freddie mercury
1b. aretha franklin
2a. jackie wilson
2b. etta jones
3a. Jeff buckley
3b. Ruth Brown
4a. Sam Cooke
4b. Janis Joplin
5a. Robert Plant
5b. Glace Slick

Plant? Mercury? Joplin?

I love Radiohead, but it’s all about being in a state of mood, not best vocal abilities.

brian wilson (in his day)

Roy Orbison has sadly not been mentioned. This post shall rectify that.

Chris Cornell
Robert Plant
Stevie Wonder
Mel Torme

The Unforgettable Fire album proves why Bono should be on any top ten list. His range was incredible, and that wasn’t even him at his peak.

Otis Redding
Marvin Gaye
Aretha Franklin
Prince
Van Morrison

I’m sorry Freddie Mercury’s dead, but I’d put Robert Plant in front of him anyday. Thom Yorke is great (he saves “This Mess We’re In” for me) but he’s hardly the best rock singer of his time. I’d put Bono, Chris Cornell, and Maynard in front of him.

yorke? psh. sinatra? overrated.

plant
aretha
otis
chris cornell
jeff buckley
mercury
lanegan
lennon
mccartney (or little richard)

Nat King Cole
Marvin Gaye
Jeffrey Osborne

Kurt Cobain mantioned… mmmm… not quite the best singer. No one cared about Johnny Rotten he has as many reasons as Cobain to be considered one of the best ever. Also Joey Ramone could be even better than Cobain…

Aretha out. Ounsworth in.

Maynard James Keenan
EDDIE VEDDER

Jeffrey indeed.One of the best baritones in r&b ever(no homo).”If you WOO,WOO,WOO(laughs)!”

The best five singers in my opinion, are:

Freddie Mercury
Jeff Buckley
Marvin Gaye
Dinah Washington
Minnie Riperton

looking at your list – you picked unique voices, not only good voices. so thom yorke does belong there. but the idea that there are top 5. a top 50 maybe….. in any random order……

Anthony Kiedis
Chris Cornell
Eddie Vedder
Robert Plant
Snoop Dogg

axl rose
freddie mercury
paul mcartney
marvin gaye

LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER LIZ FRASER

A lot of good names have been mentioned, but NEVER should Kurt Cobain be on the Top 5 Best Singers list. Seriously, he sucks.

Goodness…… um, Layne Staley?

Freddie Mercury
Jeff Buckley
Gerard Way

Elvis! He taught us how to be black. Freddie Mercury put a little opera in R&R. Robert Plant made us listen to the sound instead of the lyrics, but Old Blue Eyes could make a girl drop her panties faster than any of them..

Ed Vedder. Nothing else needs to be said.

roger daltrey.
brian wilson.
otis redding.
van morrison.
chris cornell (in soundgarden)

Eddie Vedder
Jeff Buckley
Whitney Houston
Bono
Aretha Franklin
Celine Dion
Kurt Cobain
Chris Cornell
Marvin Gaye
Sade

that list is beautiful. especially the thom york part, but add jeff buckley, because that man had pipes, and beautiful ones too

“Elvis taught us how to be Black.”

NO…YOU…DIDN’T .

BONO…ROBERT PLANT…MICK JAGGER…PRINCE….DAVID BOWIE….IGGY POP….THE BEACH BOYS (as a whole)….

Mike Patton
Fiona Apple
Etta James
Jim Morrison
Dave Grohl has the best scream in music

I don’t think that Holiday should be in the top 5. She was interesting but not that good

thom yorke? Cmon rollingstone you always favor Radiohead, they are amazing musicians bu every time you have one of these lists it seems a radiohead subject is on it.

Plant or Mercury definately should be on here.

Axl Rose
Jim Morrison
Elvis
John Lennon
Brandon Flowers
Bono
Chris Cornell
Freddie Mercury

Frank Sinatra
Elvis
Freddie Mercury
Bruce Springsteen
Axl Rose

lol at whoever said anthony keidis

to be honest, Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy. he’s definately got amazing range.

comparable voices battle for vocal supremacy!!! Here it is:
D’Angelo/Prince
David Bowie/Freddie Mercury
Aretha Franklin/ Mary J. Blige
Otis Redding/Al Green
Sam Cooke/Marvin Gaye

Freddie Mercury
Bono
George Strait
Frank Sinatra
Mick Hucknall (Simply Red)
David Gilmour (voice always gives me chills)
Elton John
Robert Plant
Bing Crosby
Nat King Cole
Hank Williams
Steve Perry (Journey)
George Michael
Robbie Williams
Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust)
Jeff Scott Soto
Ryan Adams
Phil Collins
Peter Gabriel
Garth Brooks
Martina McBride
Reba McEntire
Paul McCartney
John Lennon
Simon LeBon (Duran Duran)
Eddie Vedder
Selena
Radney Foster
Jimmy LaFave (Texas artist)

Thom Yorke? RS you guys are nucking futts!!
Surprised you Dylan loving nuts didn’t blow him again and put him on there.

Enrico Caruso
Maria Callas
Sam Cooke
Harry Nilsson
Sarah Vaughan
Freddie Mercury
Bobby McFerrin
Art Garfunkel
Mike Love

wow, i have nothing against radiohead, but thom does not belong with the likes of aretha franlin. others that should be on their…

marvin gaye
stevie wonder
freddie mercury
al green
michael jackson (black phase)
robert plant
whitney houston
ED VED
sam cooke

1. Sam Cooke
2. Sam Cooke
3. Eddie Vedder
4. Sam Cooke
5. Ray Lamontagne

Honorable Mention – Sam Cooke

gotta add a few i forgot

chris cornell
fiona apple (her voice gives me the goosebumps)
ray charles

Nobody’s got shit on ROY ORBISON. He is easily the best singer ever! That voice. You sucked it again on another list, Rolling Stone. How could leave ROY off your list? And you left #2 Freddy Mercury off as well? WTF!?

Robert Plant
Sting
Paul Rodgers
Bono

Mark Lanegan

Fall Out Boy? Please tell me you are kidding. Those pussies don’t deserve to be listed as musicians in comparison to these singers.

I’d give honourable mentions to Shannon Hoon and Brad Nowell…

hank williams
tim buckley
van morrison
marvin gaye
leonard cohen

jerry garcia
robert plant
mick jagger(bash me, but its so unique)
jim morrison
paul mccartney
lennon
gregg allman

Lanegan = tru dat

Linda Ronstadt – Pepe Aguilar – Silvana Di Lorenzo – Frank Sinatra – Karen Carpenter – Gary Stewart – Lee Ann Womack – Jim Morrison – Billie Holiday – Dean Martin – Dusty Springfield – Tim Buckley – Perry Como – Esther Phillips – Louis Armstrong – Marilyn McCoo – Neil Diamond – Lulu – Mel Torme…are the elite to me – living & departed.

Freddie Mercury
Maynard Keenan
Ann Wilson
Tina Turner
Bono

the singer for steel dragon…

Jack White.
Rocco Deluca.
Very underestimated.

michael mcdonald got robbed!!!

Jack White
Rocco Deluca

Ian Gillan! Aren’t there any Deep Purple fans here.

Leonard Nimoy

Roy Orbison, end of list. If Roy had been born in NYC instead of Wink, TX, he would have been an Opera singer.

Shannon Hoon. Underrated.

Jeff Buckley
Marvin Gaye
Levon Helm/Rick Danko/Richard Manuel
Mavis Staples
Roger Daltry

patsy cline

Bee Gees
Paula Abdul
Clay Aiken
Fabian
Culture Club

Colleen,,,,pull your ass off of your head. Culture Club….Number 5…..I would have put them at 3 at least.

I have an orgasm whenever I hear that hunky Chris Kirkpatrick. He made that group…..FUCK YOU TIMBERLAKE!

Eddie Vedder
Van Morrison
Neil Young
Rick Danko/Levon Helm/Richard Manuel
David Bowie
Liam Gallagher

Listen to Long Tall Sally and Twist and Shout and tell me how in God’s name you left Paul Mccartney and John Lennon off of the list!

1.Barry Manilow
2. Oscar De La Hoya
3. Yanni
4. Criss Angel
5. Cris Rock
6. Kid Rock & Roll
7. Samuel L. Jakson
8. Michael Jackson
9. Mike Tyson
10. Bard Michaels of Poison
11. Pamela Anderson
12. Bryan Adams
13. Ryan Adams
14. Heidi Klum
15. Jay Leno

sam cooke
ben e king
otis redding
nina simone

So you’ll pick Beck or one of the Gallagher boys …

But NOT Maynard James Keenan?!?! One the most versatile and gifted singers out there. He can sing like an angel if he wants to or scream with the best death metalhead.

Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Plant
I can go on…how
can you leave the golden voice out of the list, how?

EDDIE VEDDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Top 5 Random Order-
Steve Winwood
Chris Haus
John Lennon
Richard Manuel
Leon Russell

Um…Jeff Buckley anyone?

Chris Robinson
Otis Redding
Susan Tedeschi
Freddie Mercury
Janis Joplin
Steve Winwood
Levon Helm/Richard Manuel/Rick Danko
Van Morrison
Stevie Wonder
Crosby Stills and Nash
Greg Allman
Lowell George
Chris Cornell
Warren Haynes

PRINCE
Janis Joplin
Robert Plant
Stevie Nicks
Aretha Franklin

1. Jeff Buckley (duh)
2. Freddie Mercury
3. Thom Yorke
4. Elvis OR Stevie Wonder
5. Chris Cornell

ELVIS PRESLEY
THOM YORKE
JUSTINE TIMBERLAKE
MARVIN GAYE
FREDDY MERCURY

ARE YOU F’N KIDDING!?!?! FRANK SINATRA!! HE WASN’T A GREAT SINGER!! HE WAS AN ENTERTAINER! A GLORIFIED LOUNGE ACT!

Mick. FUCKIN. Jagger.

Runner Ups in no particular order:
Liam Gallagher

John Lennon

Noel Gallagher-criminallyunderrated

Paul McCartney

Basically the Stones, the Beatles and Oasis are the greatest bands ever.

THOM YORK IS THE NEW FRANK SINATRA YOU FOOLS! I WOULD LIKE TO ADD LENNON/MCCARNEY

yea, man! where’s maynard james keenan? what about freddie mercury? fuck sinatra man.

First of all, DEFINITELY NOT either of the Buckleys… good singing is more about GOOD TASTE than sheer firepower, and both of them (I used to be a hardcore fan) were self-indulgent drama queens to the extreme.

That being said, they’re not even comparable to the worthless shitheads from Fall Out Boy, Tool, etc. and the rest of the sad sacks on contemporary rock radio. Gerard Way is a little bitch, too… trust me, on more than one occasion I’ve gotten stuff on the band’s rider and carried some of their equipment, and I can say definitively that he’s a sack of shit.

The two best singers (in terms of enunciation and expressiveness as opposed to unnecessary and tasteless vocal acrobatics) are Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra, behind whom we need to include (in no particular order) Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson, Elvis Presley, and perhaps Woody Guthrie. In recent memory the top contenders are No Code-era Eddie Vedder and Richard Ashcroft (”Nature Is The Law,” anyone?). There are plenty of other names to debate, but a lot of the ones below are utterly ridiculous.

Stevie Winwood
Howlin Wolf, one of a kind
Ledbelly, An American original
Bob Marley
Sly Stone

bob dylan
rob zombie
lou reed
james hetfield
jim morrison
ringo starr
yoko ono
udo dirkschneider

Paul Stanley

Anything after computers were introduced doesn’t count. You can manipulate anybody’s voice to make it perfect. Lennon singing Twist and Shout, and Stevie on Signed Sealed Delivered don’t need no PC to make you cream your jeans.

otis redding
roger daltrey
paul macartney
eric clapton
sam cooke
marvin gaye
carole king
robert plant

Chris Robinson
Jeff Buckley
Levon Helm
Steve Winwood
Robert Plant (obviously)
Freddie Mercury
Rod Stewart (Faces era)
Eddie Vedder
Thom Yorke
Jack White

Chris Cornell
Thom Yorke
Maynard James Keenan
John Lennon

Eddie Vedder.

the end.

Eddie Vedder? WHY?

After awhile his voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Painful.

Thom Yorke is the best. Lennon and McCartney can’t even lick his jockstrap. Shane MacGowan gets the silver metal. Bob Dylan and Wesley Willis tie for the bronze. John Lydon gets an honorable mention.

FUCK!!!! only two other people have said Layne Staley, while a ton of you have said Vedder, and even Cobain. What the hell is wrong with you? Not to say that those guys were bad singers, but Staley (often accompanied by Jerry Cantrell in harmony)has one of the greatest voices in the history of recorded music.

Axl W. Rose
Layne Staley
Chris Cornell
Stephen Pearcy
Jeff Keith
Lou Graham
Dave Mustaine

shannon hoon and roy orbison for sure. everytime i hear orbisons voice it just makes me wanna cry. sooo beautiful.

Best 5(no specific order)
1. Robert Plant
2. David Gilmour
3. Tom Petty
4. John Fogerty
5. Scott Weiland
honarble mention:Jonathan Davis
Worst 5
1. Prince
2. any “Emo” singer
3. Bruce Dickinson
4. Billy Idol
5 Billy Joe Armstrong
dishonarable mention:Bono

Worst 5.
1. Any Emo Singer
2. Fred Durst
3. Any Super Death Metal Singer
4.

my two favorite bands are guns n roses and pink floyd

so my votes are

axl rose
roger waters and david gilmore

1Freddie Mercury-widest range and still retaining strength
2Steve Winwood-Greatest white Blues Singer w/ the versatitlity black blues singers lack
3Aretha Franklin-Soul’s defining voice
4Van Morrison-his voice is like hot tea, soothing to ones soul, his voice hits w/ a relaxed power no one else can compare to
5whitney houston-combines freddie mercury’s wide range w/ aretha’s soulfulness to make one of pops greatest voices.
hon. mention-Eddy Vedder, Billy Holiday, Elvis

In order:

Robert Plant
Thom Yorke
Jeff Buckley
John Lennon

Nick Drake?
Waylon?
Ella?
Johnny Hartmann?

Modern Divas

I know you hate the music, but as far as “actual singing”, Whitney Houston has perfect tone, pitch, is the most consistant belting it out or softening it up.

Barbra/Celine are very nasal

Gwen/Madonna are too nasal with pitch probs

Mariah either shouts or whispers

Beyonce/Christina are all over the place bobblehead voices

You can’t even hear Janet anymore

Thom Yorke
Maynard James Keenan
David Gilmour

i assume this a misprint, and this list is the best singers who aren’t bjork. that’s the only reason i can think of why she wasn’t in your list.

Frank Sinatra
Elvis Presley
Paul Rodgers
Muddy Waters
Van Morrison
Rockin’ Rod Stewart
George Jones
Merle Haggard
Stevie Nicks
Patsy Cline
Aretha Franklin
Patti LaBelle
Ella Fitzgerald
Sam Cooke
Pat Benetar
Louis Armstrong
James Taylor
John Fogerty
Chris Cornell
Eddie Vedder
Tony Bennett
Otis Redding

In no particular order:

Robert Plant
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
Harry Nilsson
Tom Waits
Bruce Springsteen
Nick Cave – on 6″ Gold Blade
Danny Whitten
John Lydon – Sex Pistols only, not PIL

I like how people think that if they put more than 5, that others are going to check out their choices. It’s asking for five, put five. Here are THE five you should put:

1. Jeff Buckley
2. Whitney Houston
3. Christina Aguilera
4. Thom Yorke
5. Maynard James Keenan

Here’s a response to the moron who put his number one choice as “any emo singer.” As you may or may not know, emo used to stand for something instead of synthetic emotion. Sunny Day Real Estate was a pioneer in that genre, whether you acknowledge that or not, it is fact. Jeremy Enigk has an incredible voice. Before you discount emo, you might want to make sure you are talking about the right genre. Nowadays, emo is more Fake-oh than anything. check it.

Christina Aguilera has to be on that list.

But #1 should definitely be Henry Rollins…haha.

MIKE PATTON
FREDDIE MERCURY
MAYNARD
STEVIE WONDER
EDDIE VEDDER

MARIAH CAREY – That woman has the greatest range & one of the most unique voices of alltime.

are you idiots FREDDY MECURY

Maynard James Keenan.

I agree about Mariah Carey. She has an increbible range and power in her voice.

joe williams
david ruffin
gladys knight
philippe wynn (spinners)
angela bofill
teddy pendergrass

van morrison…hands down.
no one has a voice like his. when you hear it, you know exactly who it is.

John Lennon
Bob Dylan
Paul McCartney
Eva Cassidy
Aretha
Marvin Gaye
Smoky Robinson
Roy Orbison
Mick Jagger
Aimee Mann

Tim Buckley
Solomon Burke
Billie Holliday
Tom Waits
Linda Thompson

I have to agree with van fan, Van Morrison is, hands down, the greatest singer.

He knows how to write a song too!

my top 5: (not in order)
-Freddie Mercury, he had it all!
-Chris Cornell (only he has no charisma, but still a great singer)
-Tom Jones (i love his power, and have you heard him sing blues?)
-Annie Lennox! I love her!
-Sinead O’connor
also id like to mention fiona apple, tracy chapman, the guy from stereophonics,sting, and i was suprised not to see him anywhere in the list: STEVEN TYLER!!!

robert plant… an angel giving GOD the finger

Thom York
that guy has some fucking rang, he can do just about anything with this voice, its incredable
Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth
23 years and still able to hit the same notes that he wrote that long ago. And he can do just about anything, screm, or sing softly.
Those are my two cents.

and screw those poppy singers, this should only include people who have the natural ability to sing, not people who’ve gotten lessons, and all that.

how old is your readership demographic? 12? Thom Yorke?

Sarah Vaughn
Lena Horne
ELLA FITZGERALD

Billy Corgan

Bono (Joshua Tree era)
Thom Yorke
Jeff Buckley
John Lennon
Paul Robeson

Chris Cornell
Nic Cester (Jet)
Liam Gallagher
John Davis(Superdrag)
Lennon/McCart ney
Dave Grohl

Robert Plant
Aretha Franklin
Steven Tyler
Freddie Mercury
Ray Charles

a nice list but…
Serj Tankian
Paul McCartney

soul/r&b

aretha franklin
billie holliday
ray charles
sam cooke
otis redding
marvin gaye
stevie wonder

classic rock

elvis
roy orbison
john lennon
david bowie
freddie mercury
janis

more recent artists

bono
michael stipe
jeff buckley
lisa gerrard
kate bush
peter gabriel

PATSY CLINE

1. Maynard James Keenan
2. Robert Plant
3. Scott Weiland
4. Josh Homme
5. Nate Dogg (makes any rap song 100% more legit)

Aretha Franklin
Lata Mangeshkar
Yma Sumac
Roy Orbison
Billie Holiday

Sam Cooke
Ray Charles
B.B. King
and how has WILLIE NELSON been forgotten

Little Richard
Morrissey
Damo Suzuki (Can)
Sly Stone
Kurt Cobain
Captain Beefheart
Iggy Pop
Aretha Franklin
Nico
Mick Jagger

You can’t talk about expressive singers (putting technical graces aside for a moment) without these guys:

Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones)
David Bowie
Michael Stipe (REM)
Marc Bolan (T.Rex)

and these girls:

Arethe Franklin
Kate Pierson (B-52’s)
Miho Hattori (Cibo Matto)

James Brown
Robert Plant
Perry Farrell
Janis Joplin
Maynard James Keenan

Ray Charles
Elton John
Kurt Cobain
Chris Cornell
Thom Yorke
Matthew Bellamy
Eddie Vedder
Bono
Celine Dion
Freddie Mercury
Aretha Franklin

Radiohead is in my all-time top 5 and I wouldn’t put Thom up there. I mean Jesus Christ. Still Thom is a better choice than when Q chose Kurt Cobain….that’s just offensive. Nirvana was a good band but even Kurt wouldn’t call himself a “singer”…also, any list of the 10 best singers of all time that has 2 entries whose caption begins with “Not technically that good of a singer…” is automatically ridiculous. No Van Morrison? No Freddy Mercury? No Levon Helm OR Richard Manuel OR Rick Danko? Or that really thin British freaky guy, what’s his name….

Oh yeah DAVID BOWIE. Actually I guess I could’ve meant Robert Plant too, they both fit. Well the main bullet point here is Rolling Stone is just a waste of my (our) time, I’m not coming back here again.

It’s good to see Rolling Stone finally taking a risk, and pissing off their conservative, brain washed by the sixties, reader base. Come on dinosaurs, wake up from your slumber. Thom Yorke destroys all of your precious little idols. The UK and Irish music media have been in front of the curve for at least 30 years in comparison to the US music media, that has been dominated by baby boomer propagnada. Long live Radiohead and Gen X.

thom yorke
Stipe
Macca
Bono
Mer cury

Many great singers have already been mentioned, so I think I’ll list a few that I didn’t see (or were wrongfully underrepresented.)

Male vocalists: Adam Duritz, Marvin Gaye, Tony Bennett

Female vocalists: Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, Tracey Thorn

I thoroughly agree with Tim & Jeff Buckley, Van Morrison, Vedder, and Sinatra.

I disagree with Corgan. Granted, the guy has an interesting voice, but listen to him sing “Landslide.” It’s painful, no offense. He is a hell of a songwriter and guitarist, though.

Eddie Vedder
Kurt Cobain
Rick James
Michael Jackson

scott weiland is a JOKE!!!!

Yeah,that’s right!He’s a shit!AXL ROSE IS THE BEST!!!

Sam Cooke, hands down. “Send Me”, “Lovable”, “Change Gonna Come”, that yodel he had can’t be duplicated. The way he could extend a word and make a two syllable word seem like two lines of a song. Simply amazing.

Van Morrison
Johnny Cash
Chris Cornell
T. Graham Brown

John Lennon doing “Twist and Shout” is fooking God-like.

Thom Yorke
Bjork
P.J. Harvey
Stipe

Look, I am a big Radiohead fan…but Thom Yorke should not be on that list.

I’d replace him with Freddy Mercury..or whatever his real name was..

Thank yew very much.

Pat Boone is the only person who deserves to be on such a list.

Everyone else should be on a list for people who would sound a little bit okay if they sounded a lot more like Pat Boone.

In no Particular Order
1. Chad Kroeger..Highly Underrated.
2. Fred Durst..Amazing Range.
3. Wes Scantlin…rip your face off.
4. Chris Carrabba..Puts Manyard to
Shame….

5. Your mom.

Having the same problem as everyone else – too many to get into a list under 5

Morrissey
Bono
Chris Cornell
Seal
Freddie Mercury
Aretha Franklin
Sara Brightman
Tina Turner
Whiteney Houston

Harry Nilsson
David Ruffin (The Temptations)
Roy Orbison
Marc Almond (Soft Cell)
Will Sheff (Okkervil River)

Yorke is a hell of a musician, not a singer.
Jeff Bukley must be there.

Van Morrison
Tom Waits
John Lennon
Nick Drake
Bill Withers

And what about Mariah Carey: we are talking about “Voice” and not songs. For sure she will be on tomorrow’s list. Shame!

Here my favorites:
Mariah Carey
Tori Amos
Kate Bush
Joni Mitchell
Ricky Lee Jones
Eddie Vedder

Stevie Wonder
and
Layne Staley

Morrissey
Sam Cooke
Ray Charles
All those Rastas on Dub compilations (like Horace Andy)
Biggie Smalls (not a singer but best rap voice)
Roger Daltrey
James Brown
Bob Dylan

Sammy Davis Jr
Greg Dulli
Murray Lightburn (The Dears)

Remember the Stevie Wonder Tribute at VH1? Look at the Mariah Careys “You and I”. Perfect!

Uhh Marvin Gaye

Where is Jeff Buckley???

I love Thom Yorke, but best singer over Buckley?

Oh yeah I forgot, add Jeff Buckley, Prince and David Johanssen to mine

Oh yeah and all the Beach Boys, especially the Wilson brothers and also Gram Parsons

Judy Garland
Ella Fitzgerald
Barbra Streisand
Annie Lennox
Nat King Cole

trent reznor

Well I, think that these people should have bben included, but it is hard to compress it down to just 5:

Tina Turner

Rod Stewart

Bonnie Tyler

Paul Rodgers

Dusty Springfield

Smokey Robinson

Marvin Gaye

Martha Reeves

Mark Cohn

Celine Dion

Whitney Houston

Aretha Franklin

Elkie Brooks

Dean Martin

Nat King Cole

Matt Monro

Patsy Cline

Dolly Parton

Robert Palmer

Janis Joplin

Cass Eliot

Roger Daltrey

Eagle Eye Cherry

Lenny Kravitz

KT Tunstall

Paolo Nutini

John Denver

Glen Campbell

Kiki Dee

and Jon Bon Jovi

Oh, and I forgot, Annie Lennox. Sorry!

I sang on a couple of Who songs…does that count?

Hey don’t forget how great Robin Zanders voice is!

Freddie Mercury
Richie Havens
Bruce Dickinson
Rachelle Ferrell
Ray Charles

Good list, but how could you pick Thom Yorke over Maynard James Keenan? Bjork and Tori Amos also belong on the list, as well as Freddie Mercury. David Bowie as well.

in my humble opinion i offer thee my highly subjective list of V:

I Mike Patton – ie Mr Versatility
II Robert Plant – thundering sexual swagger and subtle earnest pleas
III Bjork – original in a time when pitch correcting software makes ‘divas’ sound like mannequins
IV Maynard James Keenan – did you read the name?
V Tom Waits – smoking has had some positive effects here!

1. Sting
2. Annie Lennox
3. Freddie Mercury
4. Ella Fitzgerald
5. Bjork
6. Prince

When you listen to a song by them you can recognize their voices, their unique.

thom york thom york thom york

should it not be better to “poll” the 5 most distinctive voices = singers?

roger daltrey. no questions asked. although freddie mercury is certainly in the top 5 too. he’s awesome!

1. freddie mercury
2. terence trent darby
3. ted hawkins (soul)
4. elvis
5. barry manilow

Chris Martin…. nah only kidding

i think yorke is better then mercury

Ian Anderson

1. Marvin Gaye
2. Stevie Wonder
3. Van Morrison
4. Stevie Nicks
5. Maynard James Keenan

I’d say Karen Carpenter has to be up there on the list.

-Ray Charles
-Frank Sinatra
-Aretha Franklin
-Freddie Mercury
-Robert Plant

Honorable Mentions: Bonnie Raitt, Michael Jackson, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Roger Daltrey, Otis Redding, Bono, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Sting, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Vedder, Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole.

Jagger or Bowie, case closed.

David Lee Roth !!!!

There can be only one (hmm… actually two):
Milli Vanilli.

1. Ella Fitzgerald
2.Dr. Nina Simone
3. Stevie Wonder
4.BJork
5.Freddie Mercury

Bjork
Thom York
Sara Brightman
Maynard Keenan
Eddie Vedder

all of the Beatles
Patrick Dawdy (the jonnies)
Marvin Gaye
Levon Helm
Jeff Buckley

Well now, people do have opinions on their favorite voice. Lots of opinions! Over 200 in one day! After reading everybody’s faves I need to put Lennon in mine. Listen to Money or Twist and Shout. Now that’s a R&R voice! Stevie Wonder does it to me too. Several songs like Just Enough for the City. So Plant, Mercury, Presley, Wonder and Johnny and the Moondogs in no particular order!

Levon Helm
Aretha
Dusty
Van Morrison
Marvin Gaye

And coming in from behind:
Lennon
LeAnn Rimes (If she ever stops this “I wanna be hot like the rest of the girls who are super-popular” stuff, girl you are that good, now just start singing)
Joss Stone (If she ever stops this “I wanna be hot like the rest of the girls who are super-popular” stuff, girl you are that good, now just start singing)

Neil Diamond
Jeff Buckley
Frank Sinatra
Bruce Springsteen
Waylon Jennings

I think this is one of the first lists RS has done that I can at least respect, but I don’t agree with Tom Yorke– I like him but he’s not one of the top five singers of our time…sorry…where is Freddy Mercury on this list. You get props though for Dusty Springfield, I agree with that hands down. You played it safe though with Aretha….she has an amazing voice but she’s a safe choice, but you get props for choosing Dusty as so many people don’t even appreciate her that you took a risk.

Richard Ashcroft

Freddie Mercury
Matthew Bellamy
Roger Daltrey
Lennon
McCartney
Rober t Plant
Jack White
Ryan Adams

Gerardo-Rico Suave!!!

In no particular order and within their genre…

Aretha Franklin
Billie Holiday
Sarah Vaughn
Janis Joplin
Mavis Staples
Koko Taylor
Otis Redding
Donnie Hathaway
Sabastian Bach (I know, I’m sorry)
Freddie Mercury

here they are…
Freddie Mercury
Robert Plant
Aretha f.
frank sinatra..
withney houston

In no order:

Freddy Mercury, Eliott Smith (Over Thom Yourke), Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Buckley, Robert Plant, Chan “Cat Power” Marshall, Bono & Prince.

Who mentioned the overly effusive putz from Fall Out Boy (has anyone seen his fake performance on the new video? Contort that face a bit more, chump)? Add Johnny Rotten

Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison

William Hung

Can’t believe no one has mentioned Jim James of My Morning Jacket.

Like the choices, but no Freddy???

Throw in:
Dean Martin (smoothest)
Sam Cooke
kd lang
Etta James
Elvis Costello (simply for his ability to master a thousand different styles)
Tony Bennett
Sammy Hagar (OK, look – this guy’s pipes are the most unappreciated thing in the history of Rock music! Ahead of Plant and Paul Rodgers in my book, and leagues ahead for maintaining his voice in the live arena and over the years – he’s 60 now and can still carry it better than anyone in that genre!!)

Oh, and agreed…

Roy Orbison (and Chris Isaak too)

maynard james keenan
chaka khan
smokey robinson
joni mitchell
stevie wonder
eddie vedder
marvin gaye
al green

Geddy Lee! Let the hate begin…

OK -so I rated this not just based on range, but on uniqueness.

Freddy Mercury
Robert Plant
Jeff Buckley (of course)
Aretha Franklin (I’ll agree with that one)
Jeff Tate (not a big Queensryche fan, but the guy’s got pipes)
Roger Daultry
Thom Yorke
Chris Cornell
Bono
Jimmy Gnecco
Dean Martin
Johnny Cash
Frank Black
Will Sheff (Okervil)
Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel)
Oh yeah, and that cat fro Sigur Ros
OK thats enough for now.

Axl Rose
Jim Morrison
Robert Plant
Freddie Mercury
Marvin Gaye
Bon Scott
Al Green
Beach Boys
Bob Marley
Otis Redding
Dusty Springfield

Here’s where I stand:

1. James Brown
2. Aretha Franklin
3. Billie Holliday
4. Robert Palmer
5. Anita Baker
6. Steven Tyler
7. Stevie Wonder
8. Prince
9. Mick Jagger
10. Luther Vandross

The Metal God, Rob Halford is the best singer of all time!

MeatLoaf!!! of course!! and what about Bob Seger???!?!

How about Odetta and Lauryn Hill

gott have stevie wonder, robert plant and freddie mercury on the list. aretha is a given……who else….not sure…..maybe wesley willis.

Uh Robert Plant should be ontop of that list! Plus they left out Freddy Mercury & Eddie Vedder

MARIAH CAREY – She has one of the most incredible voices of all time. Very versatile & one of a kind. I’m shocked that she is not being listed more frequently. I think people are thinking more about the “diva” image than the vocal ability.

Frank Sinatra
Tony Bennett
Aretha Franklin
Bing Crosby
Judy Garland
Prince
…A very distant last, Bryan Adams!!:)

DEFINITELY:
-Liam Gallagher of Oasis
-Doug Martsch of Built To Spill
-John Lennon
-Jim James of My Morning Jacket
-Paul Banks of Interpol

Frank Sinatra is way over rated

I never thought I’d say this, but Aguilera tore it up at the Grammys with her dedication to James Brown. It’s worth youtubing. Chris Cornell on the other hand is a great studio singer, but terrible live. (see the Audioslave DVD for one example)
- Jeff Buckley
- Van Morrison
- Sting
- Otis Redding
- Freddie Mercury
- Morrisey
- Amos Lee

Thom Yorke
Bjork
P.J. Harvey
Stipe

How bout some of the more unique singers??
Kurt Cobain
Jeff Buckley
Dave Matthews
Otherwise you could just line up 20 or so “divas” who grip the mic with one hand while the other goes through some sort of seizure.

janis joplin?

MASTER P

“make em say uhhhhhhhhhhhh”

Micheal Bolton fo shizzle!

lots of great choices in here.
but i can’t believe no one has mentioned robert pollard (gbv)yet, so i will nominate him.
mark e. smith is a true original.
and liam gallagher was pretty awesome back in the day.
in the end, an impossible list, really.

Sinatra? That meatball cant sing.

BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG!!!

Etta James!! As in the much-loved “At Last.” The woman sounds like a goddess, an angel, or some other entity that’s too good to be human.

lyke omgz! JESSE MCCARTNEY. AND HILARY DUFF!

okay. i didn’t see anyone else put that and i had to. hm.

Freddie Mercury
Chris Carraba
Jim Morrison

HOW ABOUT SOME JACK WHITE?

david thomas of pere ubu.
isaac brock.
the dude from the zombies.
so many more…

Best Rock Singers – Active

1. Chris Cornell
2. Caleb Followill – Kings of Leon
3. Jim James – My Morning Jacket
4. Dan Arbauch – The Black Keys
5. Bob Schneider

why are people slagging off thom yorke, he is the best singer of his generation. Watch the performance of their new song videotape on Nigel Godrich’s net only show ‘from the basement’ (i cried). Add to that list Nick Drake and i think RS have done a good job! Credits for not feeling compelled to include a Beatle.

NEKO CASE!

i cannot believe noone else mentioned her! shes almost universally acknowledged to be one of the greatest singers of our generation, cause her voice is absolutely stunning.

on a purely subjective note, I’m absolutely obsessed with Paul Smith’s (from Maximo Park) voice

Thom Yorke
Kurt Cobain
Robert Plant
Billy Corgan
Brian Molko

Best Active Singers – Rock

Serj Tankian – System of a Down
Pete Loeffler – Chevelle
Chris Cornell – (Audioslave)
Patrick Stump – Fall Out Boy
Amy Lee – Evanescence

“Patrick Stump – Fall Out Boy”are you absolutly kidding me?ew.
well anyways,
frank sinatra obviously-gotta love that man.
also, robert plant, jim morrison, and freddie mercury.

Hey Ray,

I think you need to be able to hear in order to judge the best singers in rock:

Serj Tankian – System of a Down
Pete Loeffler – Chevelle
Chris Cornell – (Audioslave)
Patrick Stump – Fall Out Boy
Amy Lee – Evanescence

Are you serious?

1. Paul Heaton
2. Frank Sinatra
3. Ian McCulloch
4. Morrissey
5. Kristy MacColl
6. Dean Martin
7. Bono

Chris Cornell was amazing when he was with Soundgarden, particularly on the two last albums, Superunknown and Down on the Upside. He still has a great voice when he tones it down (that’s why I’m looking forward to his new solo album), but with age he’s lost the ability to belt them out the way he used to, at least live anyway. I’d put him at or near the top of my list.

eddie vedder, john lennon

I think two of the most versatile and talented singers of all time are Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Hands down! You all may not love their material, but you have to give credit to their unbelievable voices.

Some of you are confusing great singers–i.e, great vocal ability–with great front men–i.e., charisma, stage-presence, antics.

As a lover of music, I appreciate both, but greatest rock singers? How about:

Robert Plant
Bono
Rob Halford
Geoff Tate
David Lee Roth

There a lot of female singers too, particularly Joss Stone and Natalie Merchant. Also, you can’t deny that Celine Dion has an awesome voice too.

How could I forget Eddie Vedder? He’s right there at the top.

Liam Gallagher!
Dusty Springfield
Roy Orbison
David Bowie

JOAN BAEZ!

1)MARIAH CAREY
2)WHITNEY HOUSTON
3)CELINE DION
4)MARY J. BLIGE
5)CHRISTINA AGUILERA

and MORRISSEY (how could I forget?!), Janis Joplin, and Paul McCartney..and Bono.

ok my top three:

Steve Winwood
Joan Baez
Liam Gallagher

cant have a list without:
Roy Orbison
Van Morrison
Michael Stipe
Norah Jones
Jim Morrison
Sinatra
Ryan Adams (people hate him but he has an amazing voice)
Paul McCartney

(in no particular order)

Ben Harper
Otis Redding
Michael Stipe
Wyclef
Paul McCartney
Joe Cocker
Janis Joplin

Paul Rodger is an interesting choice. He is a good singer, but the bands he was in were terrible.

Thom Yorke
Bjork
Jón Birgisson – Sigur Rós
P.J. Harvey
Eddie Wedder
and e.t.c

Freddie Mercury
Robert Plant
Thom Yorke
Roger Daltry
David Gilmour
Matt Bellamy
Liam Gallagher before the coke took him over

jeff buckley
Josh Homme
PJ Harvey
tom waits
Beck

UNOPPORTUNISTIC MENTIONS
(a.k.a. Singers I never got the chance to mention as well):

Prince
Smokey Robinson
Ray Charles
John Legend
Raheem DeVaughn
Andre 3000
Cee Lo
Faith Evans
Mya
Amerie
Lauryn Hill
Corrine Bailey Rae
Teena Marie(happy belated birthday Lady T!)
Bob Marley
Ziggy Marley
Damien Marley
Hell…ALL THE MARLEYS!
Lily Allen
Justin Timberlake(can’t knock that-mad talent)
Christina Aguilera(you still knockin’?be real!the mini phenom)
Paul McCartney
John Lennon
Jim Morrison
Lindsay Buckingham
Stevie Nicks
Freddie Mercury
Ronie Van Zant
John Fogerty
Chester Bennington
Andrew McMahon
Gwen Stefani
Stephanie Moraille

Big ups to Jeff Buckley-nonetheless.

My faves:

Paul McCartney
Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Andrea Corr
Bono

Barry White
Gerald LeVert
Luther Vandross
Phyllis Hyman
Minnie Riperton
David Ruffin
Eddie Kendricks
Eddie LeVert
Walter Williams
Maurice White
Phillip Bailey
James “JT” Taylor
Charlie Wilson
Frankie Beverly
Raphael Saddiq
Johnny Gill
Coko
Floetry
Jazzyfatn astees
Kindred The Family Soul
AAries
Chuck Brown
BeBe & CeCe Winans
Tremaine Hawkins
Yolanda Adams
Mary Mary

Top 5 no particular order
1.Eddie Vedder
2.Louie Armstrong
3.Josh Groban sorry to say but he does
4.Chris Cornell
5.The lead singer from the Watchmen

#1 Thom Yorke
#2 Thom Yorke
#3 Thom Yorke
#4 Thom Yorke
#5 Thom Yorke

jeff buckley
bjork
thom yorke
lauryn hill

MARIAH CAREY – She has one of the most versatile & incredible voices to come out onto the pop scene. Most people would pray to have a voice half as good as hers.

As most of my faves have already
been mentioned,I’ll throw in a
couple who haven’t-
Joe Strummer
Paul Westerberg
Maria McKee
Andy Partridge
David Byrne

I once saw a documentary that had an excerpt of silent star Rudolph Valentino singing. He actually wasn’t that bad. We seem to be throwing everyone in the mix, soo….

Axl Rose
Elton John
Paul McCartney
Jim Morrison
Robert Plant

Oops!Left out Chrissie Hynde,
Deborah Harry and Susannah Hoffs.

Sinatra
Whitney Houston
Mariah Carey

Paul McCartney
Tina Turner
Annie Lennox
Kate Bush
David Bowie
Emmylou Harris
Sarah McLachlan
Frank Sinatra
Aretha
Morrissey
Rolan d Orzabal (Tears for Fears)
Bjork
Rob Dickinson
Neil Finn
Robert Plant
Bono
Neko Case
Ryan Adams
Jeff Buckley
Freddie Mercury
George Michael
Marvin Gaye
Stevie Wonder
David Gahan
Janis Joplin
Linda Rondstat
Patsy Cline
Johnny Cash

To me the inclusion of Thom Yorke on this list tells me that Rolling Stone is more interested in name-dropping than accuracy. I love Thom Yorke/Radiohead, and he’s a good frontman, but it’s hardly their strongest quality. Pick Chris Cornell, Freddie Mercury, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen or Bono. Not Thom Yorke.

In no particular order:
Layne Staley
Chris Cornell
Bruce Dickinson
Perry Farrell
David Guilmour
Roger Waters
Paul McCartney
Freddie Mercury

Thom Yorke
Jeff Buckley
Freddy Mercury
Bjork
Janis Joplin
Aretha Franklin
Robert Plant
It has to be more than just five… Who says that Thom Yorke is not a great singer, probably has a stone ear!!!

Liam Gallagher
Liz Fraser
Bjork
Stipe

Gerard Way!

1.thom yorke.
2.your mother
3.your mother’s mother
4.enya

hahahaha if that makes sense. people really shouldn’t take this stuff so seriously. its just opinion. cheese.

I like Thom Yorke, but he emulates Jeff Buckley, and does it really bad.

I couldn’t care less about some list, because music cannot possibly be put into a scheme.
But the fact that David Gahan, and Depeche mode, in general, always gets left behind is simply frustrating.
Now, I’m sure most of you, if not all of you, love DM, but they have always been the most underrated band in the world.

This is a fact, David is absolutely incredible in every singing way imaginable.

And, yes, I am aware of the fact that you are, after all, Americans, but don’t forget Matthew Bellamy [if you dare talking about musical perfection, that is]

Maynard James Keenan
Thom Yorke
Bjork
Eddie Vedder
Chris Cornell

That guy from Sigur Ros is good. And Chris Cornell just because you can recognize his voice anywhere.

I hope people don’t seriously think Kurt Cobain and Billy Corgan are good singers >_

Thom Yorke (duh)
Tori Amos
Chris Cornell
Jeff Buckley
Jarvis Cocker

Any Conversation about the greatest singers ever begins and ends with Freddie Mercury. That’s really the only glaring ommission from the RS list. In contrast, the Q list made me gag on numerous counts. For what it’s worth:

Freddie Mercury
Aretha Franklin
Thom Yorke
Otis Redding
Lennon/McCartney

Thom Yorke (Obviously)
Maynard James Keenan
Eddie Vedder
Micheal Stipe
Dave Matthews
Alanis Morissette

1.: Sinatra
2.-infinity: the rest

To the ignoramus who called Frank a glorified lounge act: put down the crack pipe and take a refresher on Music History 101. Like him or not, Sinatra is regarded as the greatest vocalist and interpreter of popular song in the twentieth century. Even his peers agreed.

I wouldn’t consider kurt kobain a good singer at all. And whoever said thom yorke emulates jeff buckley, well that just doesn’t make sense. Radiohead is my favorite band, however i wouldn’t exactly put thom yorke in my top ten. How about Damien Rice, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury, Norah Jones. I maybe would consider Kurt Kobain, Thom Yorke, Eddie Vedder, Maynard James Keenan, and Bjork if we were talking about some of the most memorable voices. However, we are talking about the best singers. So I wouldn’t consider them. Billie Joe Armstrong hahaha. Green Day sucks. Bono hes ok but U2 is so overrated. OH Yea Fall Out Boy SUCKS!!! what has music come to these days.

Thom Yorke
The three singing Beatles
Robert Plant
Jon Anderson (Best Ever)
Ian Anderson
Morrisey
David Gilmour
Neil Young

Tori Amos
Billie Holiday
Stevie Nicks
Marvin Gaye
Freddie Mercury

Paul Mcartney
John Lennon
Thom Yorke
Fred Murcury
James Brown
Ray Charles

this list is so white, and i mean white in “the least imaginative, boring way possible”. also, to the brilliant mind above who said sunny day real estate are the totes emo, try husker du, k?

i’ll give you thom yorke and i am very glad that he’s included here but WTF about people like:

kate bush–come on, are you joking me?
sarah vaughan
dinah washington
bjork, for the love of god, srsly
PJ HARVEY
freddie mercury a thousand times over, yes
peggy lee
mel torme
otis redding
john lydon/rotten
maurice white, FFS

there are so many more that i can’t even stand it. also, all you cobain lovers, give it up please. if you want to stick him in there then i’m putting mister dick valentine in there, good god.

1)Thom Yorke
2)John Lennon
3)Frank Sinatra
4)Julian Cassablanca
5)Michael Stipe

wierd al yancovich
richard cheese
andrew w.k.
jim gaffigan
toast

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Catie Couric, Accountability, (hand slap) rock and roll

Wow, this task of naming top singers is quite a problematic one. First of all, to be fair one must separate top singers by category because Thom Yorke may be a top 5 alternative rock singer, but no crooner like Frank Sinatra. Then there is the issue of hyper-produced singers versus natural ones, and who really knows who these are…Sinead O’Connor versus nearly any top 40 singer. Then there are those singers having a style so uniquely their own that they cannot truly be compared to others, Tom Waits as an example. So, when it is all said and done, I’d say there aren’t any defined top singers but rather a slew of very talented individuals throughout various ages and genres. Bono, Robert Plant, Bjork, Natalie Merchant, Chris Cornell, Jeff Buckley, Norah Jones, Etta James, James Cotton, Leonard Cohen, Sarah Vaughn….and the list goes on and on

louis armstrong
Eugene Hütz, gogol bordello
bob marley
mike skinner (a.k.a. the streets)
dexter holland, offspring

Thom Yorke deserves a spot on the top of this list. There are a million choir boys and girls who can sign like Sinatra or Springfield.

What is this? American Idol?

And some of the suggestions that I’m reading here are mind-boggling. I’ll give you Freddie Mercury and Jeff Buckley, but Liam Gallagher and Billy Corgan? Puh-leeze! It’s high time someone invented laser surgery for tone-deafness, so that you clowns suggesting these hacks may finally cure your afflictions.

And I see no mention of Whitney Houston (although, I admit, I skimmed through the last part of the comments).

I mean, I don’t like her music, but she’s got a singing voice to be reckoned with.

Freddie Mercury – No.
Keidis – He can’t even sing.

Frank Sinatra
Ella Fiztgerald
Billy Holiday
Stevie Wonder
Thom Yorke
Joni Mitchell
Nat King Cole

oops *Fitzgerald

and *Billie…………..in too much of a hurry

Gandy,how can you ridicule Maurice White?This is a man who masterfully crafted a band that ignited r&b,soul,funk,and jazz(eventually from when Maurice started out drumming in Ramsey Lewis’s jazz band)and became a nonstop,everlasting musical train conducting service that raveled from time to time,universe to universe.That band,is EARTH,WIND,& FIRE.Needless to say,Mr. White has another one of the best baritones in r&b.

Haven’t witnessed the experience?You do not know what you’re missing!

Jeff Buckley
Thom Yorke
Kurt Cobain
Layne Staley
PJ HARVEY
Tom Waits
Ruth Dolores Weiss

In my limited perspective:

1. Thom Yorke
2. Cpt. Beefheart
3. Robert Wyatt
4. Tim Buckley
5. Bono (before 1996)
6. Tom Waits
7. Joni Mitchell
8. Marianne Faithfull
9. Nina Simone
10.Bjork

and Elvis Costello, Michael Stipe, Andrew Belew, Brian Ferry, Fiona Apple… and… please stop me! for it’s impossible… there are so many fabulous and differenti voices

Nina Simone, Roy Orbison, Edith Piaf, Oum Kalthoum, Thom Yorke, Robert Wyatt, Cab Calloway, Mahalia Jackson, Björk, Bessie Smith, Paul Robeson, Ruth Etting, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Scott Walker, Otis Redding, Judy Garland, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Joan Baez, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Elvis Costello, Morrissey, Tom Waits, Francoise Hardy, Nick Drake, Beth Gibbons, Bing Crosby, Sam Cooke, Vashti Bunyan, Damo Suzuki, Lisa Gerrard, Sarah Vaughn, Sinead O’Connor, Neko Case, Patsy Cline, Dusty Springfield, Al Green, Shirley Bassey, Liz Fraser, Minnie Riperton, Sandy Denny, Jeff Buckley, Janis Joplin, David Byrne, Annette Hanshaw, Mark Hollis, Diamanda Galás, Joan La Barbara, Stuart Staples, Astrud Gilberto, Suzy Mangion, PJ Harvey

1)Thom Yorke
2)Bono
3)Robert Plant
4)Etta James
5)Yourmotherspus

axl rose is the best
elvis presley is a close 2nd
and all the rest are a dime a dozen

wayne gretzky, if he ever sung, was the best singer ever. period.

Not in ranked order:
1)Sam Cooke
2)Prince
3)Jeff Buckley
4)Thom Yorke (Live & solo recordings have convinced me)
5) Aretha Franklin (Atlantic Era)
6) Al Green

Ian Curtis : just thought id add him to the mix as noone has mentioned him yet. i would pick another 4, but its too difficult. Morrissey would be in there though.

bless ya jonmarck! I love Radiohead, and my first musical love was Queen (and it sticks as a first love) But! I don´t really love their voices. Never understood people loving such bands for the voices of their frontmen. Both voices (Freddie and Thom)are unique and remarkable, Freddie is a way better singer then Thom, technically (I don´t think he had to practice), but great singers are more the likes of Jeff Buckley, Stevie Wonder (oh yeah), Ella of course and say… yes, Robbie Williams! (though I didn´t like his music in the beginning). To me the music of Radiohead or Queen fall with their band-characterisics, that would have never been so good without the other parts of the band.

to tyler: Bill Withers, yes !!!
Beatles of course (maybe except of Ringo)…

1 Eddie Vedder
2 John Lennon
4 Jeff Buckley
3 Thom Yorke
5 Damien Rice

1. Thom Yorke
2. Tori Amos
3. Jonsi (From Sigur Ros)
4. Antony
5. Joni Mitchell

Thom Yorke’s singing always make you cry, not only for his own song but also for covers. Listen to Nobody Does It Better, I think he sang even better than Carly Simon’s version.

1. David Byrne
2. Jon Fishman through a vacuum
3. Thom Yorke

thom yorke
cedric bixler zavala
jonsi
chris cornell
freddie mercury

Anthony Kiedis- Chili Peppers
Eddie Veder- Pearl Jam
Chris Cornell- Audioslave.Soundgarden
Dave Grohl- Foo Fighters
Robert Plant- Led Zepplin

Very Niiiiiice!!!

Did you not here my rendition of wading in the velvet sea from coventry?

Not one Brad Delp fan in the whole lot of ya-

1) Thom Yorke
2) Dave Matthews
3) Eddie Vedder
4) Jeff Buckley
5) Karen Peris (from Innocence Mission)

all five can give me spontaneous chills and goosebumps

Awww, look, dissenting comments get deleted! How very American of you.

Easy:

-Axle Rose
-Thom Yorke
-Steven Tyler
-Elvis Presley
-Aretha Franklin

Honorable mention:
Frank Sinatra
Johnny Cash
John Lennon

I tried to be as unbiased as possible, as I don’t like some of these artists all too well… SOME.

THOM YORKE!! undoubtedly

1. Thom Yorke
2. BjÖrk
3. Simone Simons
4. Morten Harket
5. Simon Le Bon

not in order, they’re all amazing.
By the way, this was a tough one but I think I’d have to say:

-Thom Yorke
-Joni Mitchell
-Cat Stevens
-Dan Bern
-Feist
-Stevie Wonder

i must agree with thom yorke. whoever put down billy corgan – yes he does sound like crap live, but he sounds amazing on his albums, so give him credit where credit is due. i can’t believe someone put dave matthews. and eddie vedder? yuck. his voice is annoying.

Thom Yorke and Radiohead are undoubtedly one of the best bands of the past 20 years. They are, at least, my favorite band. However, I think Thom would be near the bottom of my list of five though. He is very passionate and emotional, just like the rest of my pics.
1- Freddy Mercury-”The Show Must Go On” That note he hits at 3:20 I have never heard anybody hit a note like that before. It gives me goose bumps.
2- Bjork – “Play Dead” Again hitting notes nody else can reproduce. You can’t say she’s a bad singer because she’s a little strange. She has the voice of an angel. And personally, I think she’s sexy as hell.
3 – Morten Harket – “Los Angles” Mrs. Molko Nailed it. Best underated singer of all time. He does, perhaps, lack just a bit of passion, and not the greatest songwriter, still a fantastic singer. He is my personal favorite voice of all time.
4 – Thom Yorke – “I Will” While not technically perfect he is the most passionate, emotional singers of all time. He doesn’t sing a song, he is the song.
5 – I have alot of number 5’s. Michael Stipe, Rob Halford, Dallas Green, Kurt Cobain, Stevie Wonder, and so on.

Karen Carpenter
Thom Yorke
Bono Pre-1996
Bono Post 1996
Ike Turner

thom yorke
bjork
jeff buckley
robert plant
freddie mercury

freddie mercury
kurt cobain
jim morrison
thom yorke
john lennon

Thom Yorke
Anthony Kiedis
John Wozniak
Michael Stipe
John Frusciante

Wow, Thom Yorke is good but no way he is top 5.

Leaving Stevie Wonder out is a sin. Freddie Mercury should be up there too.

Robert Plant
Freddie Mercury
Bruce Dickinson
Klaus Meine
Janis Joplin
Tina Turner

my personal favorites:
thom york
jimmy hendrix
maynard james keenan
elliot smith
john frusciante

why not Aerosmith!

Elvis, and that guy from Bush. REM.

Maynard sounds like the singer from the Gin Blossoms doing epic grunge.

jeff buckley
robert plant
maynard james keenan
thom yorke
matt bellamy

I agree many of you about Freddie Mercury. Quite an oversight.
The rest of the list seems sound to me.
and for those who put John Lennon
down? Lennon’s awesome but a top 5 singer he was not.

Eric Burden
Howlin Wolf
Robert Plant
Pigpen
David Bowie
Bob Dylan
Paul Rodgers

Lemmy

Roger daltry

1.THOM YORKE
2.DAVE GAHAN
3.BJORK
4.ROBERT SMITH

radiohead the best band in the world and this is not a secret.

1)Sam Cooke
2)Elvis Presley
3)Aretha Franklin
4)Freddie Mercury
5)James Carr

Sam Cooke greatest ever singer!!!

Top 5 greatest Virtually Unknown Singers of all time.
1. JEFF BUCKLEY (while not really unknown definitely underapreciated)
2. Travis Morrison (All Hail The Plan)
3. Eleni Mandell (a Thrill Every time)
4. Tom Waits (same as buckley)
5. Joel Dalton (www.thegoodideas.com)

Thom Yorke definately deserves that spot buuut i really think Chris Martin would be one to be argued about.

Any list that does not begin with Ella does not have a clue!!!!! No other voice has the depth of tone or perfection of pitch married to an unparalleled interpretive clarity!!!

what a stupid list to make. there are too many wonderfully true singers to make a list of 5.

Some very good suggestions on this (and an alarming amount of people uttering the words ‘anthony kleidis, come on…) and tho im not saying anyone new for me its (in no order)
- Thom Yorke
- Cedric Bixler Zavala (Mars Volta)
- Bjork
- PJ Harvey
- Jonsi (Sigur Ros)

mostly based on the fact that they can all do much more than just sing along to a song, they all command every song they are involved in, especially jonsi whos voice is like nothing else in the world -sounds like another instrument

Minus a few, everyone’s nominees are pretty much the same as in the worst singers category. Funny how that works.

freddie should have been there too.its a shame.

freddie mercury
thom yorke
björk
bruce dickinson
frank sinatra

There have been a ton of good voices out there so it is preety darn hard to pick a few, some are technically great but their music sucks or vice versa.

Best voices as I see it based on vocal ability combined with suiting their music style perfectly and ability to immerse you into their music

Roy Orbison
Johnny Cash
Patsy Cline
Jim Morrison
Freddie Mercury
Thom Yorke
Nick Drake
Elvis Presley

Thom Yorke – He is so passionate and it shines through on songs like Let Down, yet he could make a grown man cry with his voice on Fake PLastic Trees, great range.

Morrissey – Suprised not a lot of people have mentioned him, his voice is out of this world. It’s so unique and distinctive I can’t even describe it.

Paul McCartney – The voice of the greatest band ever.

I could throw in a few names for the last 2 spots, like, Redding, Simone, Sam Cooke, Sinatra, Lennon, Elliot Smith, etc.

Neil Young has a great voice, not even top 10, but great in it’s own right.

And I imagine Conor Oberst will go down as having a great voice.

Some good voices:
- Robert Plant
- Karen O
- Kate Bush
- Billie Holliday
- Al Green
- Tina Turner
- Thom Yorke

layne staley.rob haltford.

layne staley,maynard,haltford,anselm o,

layne staley,maynard,haltford,a nselmo

Maynard James Keenan
Thom Yorke
Freddie Mercury
Bjork
Sinatra

Freddie Mercury!

In no particular order:
1)Bob Dylan
2)Kurt Cobain
3)Chris Cornell
4)Freddie Mercury
5)Johnny Cash

How the hell could they leave out Janis Joplin?

Y’all must be really kiddin me, I am fully disgraced by all of you and your utter ignorance, and the very true FACT of whom is the all time greatest, most talented and most successful entertainer,dancer,singer,voca list,songwriter,albumselling, ARTIST of the history of the planet we walk on. There ain no one greater or musically more talented and sings better than the ultimate, true King of Pop, the emperor of music:
Michael Jackson. I am really surprised nobody cared to mention, I mean even though his insignificantly supperiosity of awards, accomplishments and record setting goes unseen at least someone cuold have put his name on the charts….very dissapointed.

1)Matt Bellamy
2)Jeff Buckley
3)Thom Yorke
4)Freddie Mercury
5)Paul McCartney

I know that Muse isn’t that popular here in the U.S., but Matt Bellamy is too incredible to be left off this many lists.

where is jim morrison?

f*** all
scott weiland’s d best ever

Mike Patton.
Why is everybody forgetting him? He could sing perfectly in the style of any of the singers written on this page, and has. He gave opera a crack too, but his best are his easy listening or really heavy stuff.

Right it has to be said that nobody is on the same level as a man who has been too ignored on these lists. The voice, literally, of an angel only 1 studio album 2 his name but many etheral performances on the thankfully many live albums out there. 5 1/2 octave range. Could sing any type of Song as his studio ablbum shows. Technically, he was better than any opera singer and moved from notes so gracefully and beautifully it is without any shadow of a doubt that the greatest singer ever is

Jeff Buckley

P.S if any doubt check out

Corpus Christi Carol(untouchable)
So Real
Eternal Life
Mojo Pin
(All from his studio album GRACE)

And Live A l’Olympia

his edith piaf cover is etheral

OMG….you are all crazy! how about ..ummm…MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!! from the jackson 5 days, to the Jacksons, to Off The Wall, Thriller, all the way until today. Michaels vocals are by far flawless. you gotta listen to know. I would kill to have gone to one of his concerts, the Bad, Victory, or Triumph tours. There’s a reason why he’s sold more records than anyone on any of these lists- because he is honestly the best singer alive. He could nail it acapella, with a live band, or in the studio. He’s got a BEAUTIFUL voice. Go listen to Off the Wall(album), Thriller(album), The demo of Love never felt so good, The demo of P.Y.T., break of dawn, Heartbreak Hotel(This place Hotel), Can you Feel It, She’s out of my life, and, well, any of his songs!!!! The best will always be
MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!!!!!!

-Thom Yorke
-Rufus Wainwright
-Freddie Mercury
-Aretha Franklin
-Janis Joplin
-Julian Casablancas
-Jon Crosby (VAST)

Wanya Morris Of Boyz II Men is no doubt the greatest

The King Of Kings:1)Bob Dylan
Then:
2)Elton John
3)Thom Yorke
4)Elvis Presley
5)Freddie Mercury
6)Frank Sinatra
7)Bjork
8)Jimmy Hendrix
9)Janis Joplin
10)John Lennon

I am quite upset. The best singer, by far, isn’t on your list.

ROY ORBISON

What a crappy website.
Time to close up shop.

some that were mentioned above i love, opera, jazz, new age, and even soul among other types are great, but some unmentioned in rock greats are jeff lynn(e l o), 10cc, king crimson, procol harum, brian eno, carlos santana. Also, nobody mentioned avril lavigne. isn’t she hot?
Now for some of the worst;
snow patrol
hinder
john meyer
five for fighting
all american rejects
the fray
lifehouse
most of REM(how dare they get their greet paws’n'jaws on lennon’s #9dream considering he’s not alive to disaprove.

Wow…these lists all have great people, but they’re all wrong still. It should be like this, with no particular order:

Freddie Mercury
Ian Gillan
Jeff Buckley
Chris Cornell
Rob Halford

If we’re going by range, skill, and sheer ability and competence, these are the top five singers. Huge ranges, highly influential, all powerful voices.

this is the list, whether you like it or not, its the real deal!

1. Steven Tyler (no one like him, range, listen to Crazy, songwriting, and sheer uniqueness)
2. Freddie Mercury (come on, the total package)
3. Steve Perry (have you ever heard anyone with so much clarity in his voice?)
4. Jimi Jameson (just listen to songs like The Search is Over)
5. Sammy Hagar (difficult to choose 5th, but VH is the greatest band of all time and his singing talents are absolutely exceptional)

there you go, as a vocalist, this is my real deal list!

Cedric Bixler from The Mars Volta the man has abnormal range

Maynard James Keenan is No1…

The list continues from 50 cuz Maynard tooks place form 1 till 50… Hi don’t know the what is to
has revales… damn! he is good…
i’m i always dreamed to have voice like him…

Robert Plant hands down!!

Layne staley!
Robert smith
David bowie
Elvis
Janis joplin
Enrique bunbury
Nino bravo
Sinatra
thom yorke?? no way, not the best.

Whitney Houston is the voice, the best ever

Whitney Houston is the voice, the best ever

ok ok ok……….first of all…… Billie Joe is the best singer ever, you all dont understand……”oh green day is emo” you may say…….THEY WERE AROUND BEFORE GUNS AND ROSES, SKID ROW AND HEAPS OF ‘old skool classic bands’……..so MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAH!

well here is my top 5 list anywho…….

Billie Joe Armstrong

Maynard James Keenan

Chester Bennington

David Draiman

Axl Rose

:]

lets face it Elvis WAS the BIGGEST gimmick EVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

robert johnson
kurt cobain
layne staley
son house
eddie vedder

Robert Plant
Ronnie James Dio
Bruce Dickinson
David Gilmour
Joacim Cans
Axl Rose
Peter Gabriel

1.George Harrison, from Beatles
2.Roger Daltrey, from The Who
3.Klaus Meine, from Scorpions
4.Barry Gibb, from Bee Gees
5.Kurt Cobain, from Nirvana

1. Donna Summer
2. Aretha Franklin
3. Luther Vandros
4. Dinah Washington
5. Barbra Streisand

1. Donna Summer
2. Aretha Franklin
3. Luther Vandros
4. Dinah Washington
5. Barbra Streisand

1. Donna Summer
2. Aretha Franklin
3. Luther Vandross
4. Dinah Washington
5. Barbra Streisand

Nice to see RS going for unorthadox with Thom Yorke.

Sure, he ain’t got a pretty voice. But the way he adjusts his voice and creates mood is phenomenal. He’s essentially another instrument in a band, rather than someone stating lyrics. His voice can be beautiful, can be haunting, frightening, anthemic, forceful, dreamy… basically everything.

For that, he deserves to be on the list.

definitely thom yorke..the best singer in the world who also is in the best band in the world at the time..radiohead is the best

Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder
Shirley Bassey
Barbra Streisand
Ray Charles
Mahalia Jackson
Ella Fitzgerald
Freddie Mercury
The list is endless, and havn’t included Operatic voices.Aretha for me is the Queen and justifiably so, just look at what she’s acheived. Her voice is forever changing, and she has to be one of the most versatile ever singers, and influential musicians that has ever been on the planet. Long live Aretha Franklin for being such an inspiration to all genres of music.

Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder
Shirley Bassey
Barbra Streisand
Ray Charles
Mahalia Jackson
Ella Fitzgerald
Freddie Mercury
The list is endless, and havn’t included Operatic voices.Aretha for me is the Queen and justifiably so, just look at what she’s acheived. Her voice is forever changing, and she has to be one of the most versatile ever singers, and influential musicians that has ever been on the planet. Long live Aretha Franklin for being such an inspiration to all genres of music.

Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder
Shirley Bassey
Barbra Streisand
Ray Charles
Mahalia Jackson
Ella Fitzgerald
Freddie Mercury
The list is endless, and havn’t included Operatic voices.Aretha for me is the Queen and justifiably so, just look at what she’s acheived. Her voice is forever changing, and she has to be one of the most versatile ever singers, and influential musicians that has ever been on the planet. Long live Aretha Franklin for being such an inspiration to all genres of music.

Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder
Shirley Bassey
Barbra Streisand
Ray Charles
Mahalia Jackson
Ella Fitzgerald
Freddie Mercury
The list is endless, and havn’t included Operatic voices.Aretha for me is the Queen and justifiably so, just look at what she’s acheived. Her voice is forever changing, and she has to be one of the most versatile ever singers, and influential musicians that has ever been on the planet. Long live Aretha Franklin for being such an inspiration to all genres of music.

Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder
Shirley Bassey
Barbra Streisand
Ray Charles
Mahalia Jackson
Ella Fitzgerald
Freddie Mercury
The list is endless, and havn’t included Operatic voices.Aretha for me is the Queen and justifiably so, just look at what she’s acheived. Her voice is forever changing, and she has to be one of the most versatile ever singers, and influential musicians that has ever been on the planet. Long live Aretha Franklin for being such an inspiration to all genres of music.

Aretha Franklin
Stevie Wonder
Shirley Bassey
Barbra Streisand
Ray Charles
Mahalia Jackson
Ella Fitzgerald
Freddie Mercury
The list is endless, and havn’t included Operatic voices.Aretha for me is the Queen and justifiably so, just look at what she’s acheived. Her voice is forever changing, and she has to be one of the most versatile ever singers, and influential musicians that has ever been on the planet. Long live Aretha Franklin for being such an inspiration to all genres of music.

- JIM MORRISON!
- Nino Bravo
- Freddie Mercury
- Robert Plant
- Louis Armstrong

JIM MORRISON
Freddie Mercury
Steven Tyler
Nino Bravo
Louis Armstrong

aretha
axel rose
frank sinatra
robert plant
al green
billie holiday
sarah vaughn
bono

These are the BEST

1. Gerard Way-My Chemical Romance
2. Bert Mckraken-The Used
3. Maynard Keenan-Tool & Perfect Circle
4.Kurt Cobain-Nirvana

barbra streisand
mariah carey
stevie wonder
barry manilow
whitney houston

barbra streisand
mariah carey
stevie wonder
barry manilow
whitney houston

Whats with all the new bands, let them put there time in first before we start shouting their names all over rolling stone.But anyway back to the subject I cant think of anyone but the best.
1. Freddie Mercury
If you disagree then you should reeducate yourself by watching Queens Live Aid or Queen Live at Wembley 86′.
Id like to see another vocalist today with a rock opera like voice, just incredible.

Freddie Mercury.
Watch his 8 minute rendition of “Somebody to Love” from Queen Live at the Bowl.
This guy was a phenomenon.

freddy mercury
aretha franklin
sarah brightman
axl rose
elton john

I like this list but theres one person missing FREDDIE MERCURY! Aretha deserves too be there!

No order:

1.- Mikael Akerfeldt
2.- Daniel Gildenlöw
3.- Jeff Buckley
4.- Robert Plant
5.- Ian Gillan

This list is “Best singers ever” not most popular.

Otis Redding
Sam Cooke
Bobby Darin
Frank Sinatra
Robert Plant
Steve Perry
Paul Rogers

Roy Orbison has the best voice in Rock N Roll.

Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison

Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Why? Because he is #1 when it comes to expressiveness, tone, vocal range and versatility as a singer. However, I guess that “Rolling Stone” is still pissed at Queen for the some South Africa controversy back in the 1980s having to do with something that I don’t even recall. Time to move on, folks.

where’s bessie smith?

Ady antonie from the dirrty cousins

Best vocalists ever
1- Chris Cornell (unbelievable range, great song writer, brings emotion to anything he sings, the best voice in studio or live)- sidenotes: 1- listen to his stuff from Temple of the Dog

2- Freddie Mercury (hits notes I thought never existed)
3- Robert Plant (amazing voice, but alot of his solo stuff sucks)
4- Jeff Buckley (amazing voice, died to young, gotta mention him as a legend)
5- Tie between John Lennon, Ronnie Van Zant and Paul Rodgers

Honorable mention: Brent Smith from Shinedown
rediculous range, better live than on disc, can sing anything
(look for his cover of U2’s One on you tube)

People seem to be naming whom the like, not nescessarily the best singers. If this is at alle possible to determine objectively (which it is not) – then it can only be in terms of tehnique and tone-register.
SO, here is my list of voices I like

1) Eva Cassidy (so pure and unstrained)
2) Jeff Buckeley (also pure, impressive register)
3) Anita Franklin (of course)
4) Freddy Mercury (louder!)
5) George Michael (funky, rhytmic)
6) Myself (objectivity proven)

i agree with anyone who says chris cornell…

in soundgarden, chris cornell hit amazing notes and had great range. even if you don’t like his high-hitting voice in soundgarden, you have to admit that his voice in temple of the dog was amazing. his voice is unique and it has a style that no one can ever come close to.
go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =0NUtbT8ecLA
his voice sounds amazing.

LEONA LEWIS!
START HEARIN A REAL VOICE!

BEST-lead singer of keane
Kurt Cobain
Enya
Norah Jones
Chris Cornell
lead singer of Journey
Vince Neill
Elton John
Lennon
Mccartney
Chris Martin
Christina Aguilera,Mariah, Whitney,Celine, Carrie Underwood,(cant stand the music, but have amazing voices)
Radiohead
Amy Lee
Aretha Franklin
Regina Spektor
Eddie Vedder
Lindsay Buckingham
Phil Collins
Don Henley
Johnny Cash

WORST-
Avril Lavigne by far
Britney Spears
Hillary Duff
Lindsay Lohan
Ashlee or Jessica Simpson
luv him, but Tom Petty, sorry Tom!
lead singer to Korn
Rammstein

HONORABLE MENTIONS-
Gwen Stefani, sorry gwen
Pink
Billy Corgan, luv him
Stevie Nicks, also luv her!

Damien Rice
Bjork
Tori Amos
Kate Bush
George Michael
Sarah McLachlan
Annie Lennox
Mary J Blige
Bono
Maxwell
Alsion Moyet
Mick Hucknall (Simply Red)
Aretha Franklin
Marvin Gaye
Sinead O’Connor
Janis Joplin
Jewel
Lisa Stansfield
Billie Holiday
Ella Fitzgerald
Andrea Boccelli

Brandon Boyd of Incubus !!

LAYNE STALEY is the best of the grunge era, i dont see why everyone i so hung up on Kurt Cobain, i think its just because he’s in Nirvana but there is no way he could touch Staley’s range or use vibrato like he did.

Actually, for me, Nirvana had nothing to do with why I love Kurt Cobain. I started liking his music first time I heard them BECAUSE of him…when alot of other girls my age were listening to mariah,etc. I loved his voice, although I agree…I dont think he has the same kind of range of eg: chris cornell, or another strong voice like that.. it is a different voice..a bit rougher sounding, but yet he could still sing well…. mostly though it was the music he sang, and the words put into it. He wrote all of his music, played instruments, and made it to the top on his own. He had bands before Nirvana, and i think they were the perfect mix together.

1) Bono (By far the best and very underrated. Listen to The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree)
2) David Gilmour
3) John Lennon
4) Sting
5)

1) Bono (Easily the best. Listen to the song “One” live, the albums “The Unforgettable Fire”, and “The Joshua Tree”)
2) John Lennon
3) David Gilmour
4) Sting (Mentioned little on this site)
5) Paul McCartney
6) Elvis Costello
7) Roger Waters
Donald Fagen
9)Chris Martin
10)Dave Matthews

no-one can touch freddie mercury

Thom Yorke tops my list…listen to how to disappear before arguing with me!
hmm….bjork is pretty amazing too…michael stipe…patti smith…al green…jim morrisson?

i guess most have gone with the music rather than the singer…
according to me keith urban is the best…atleast he is the best today if not all-time…

Rob Halford easily the greatest vocalist of all time, try checking out Judas Priest before considering any other singer, seems like allot of really old timers here.. cough

BEST SINGERS
COURTNEY LOVE,HEATHER NOVA,BJORK,NIRVANA,EMILINA TORRI,ALICE IN CHAINS,SARAH MCLACHLAN,MADONNA,MARIAH CARY
WORST SINGERS:BRITNEY,AVRIL,JENEFER LOPEZ,BEYONCE,SHAKIRA,NELLY

BEST SINGERS:MARLYIN MANSON,ALICE IN CHAINS,NIRVANA,COURTNEY LOVE,HEATHER NOVA,BJORK,EMILINA TORRI,

AXL ROSE: most talented vocalist ever, hands down!
-robert plant
-roger daltrey
-steven tyler
-david lee roth
-freddy mercury

Anyone who puts Kurt Cobain is obviously slow in the head. If we’re going for the best singer to fit their genre, then Robert Plant scores WAAAAY more points than Kurt Cobain. Just because they’re your favorite band doesn’t mean they’re great at everything, honey. In singing merit, these people make the list (in no particular order):

Bing Crosby
Celine Dion
Andrea Bocelli
Luciano Pavarotti
Billy Joel (arguable)
Lionel Richie
Al Green
B.B. King
Michael McDonald
Whitney Houston
Garth Brooks
Jason MRAZ
John Mayer
James Taylor
Keane
Keb’ Mo’
Zach Dimond
David Gilmour
Enya
Nat King Cole
Phil Collins
Sting
Freddie Mercury
Ray Charles
Stevie Wonder
Donald Fagen
Tom Petty
Bono
Colm Wilkinson (as Jean Valjean)

I agree with the Jake’s list below, as far as encompassing people with great voices who have done the most to further the state of “music” during their time. Getting into musical theater, there are several singers that I would pick equal or above Wilkinson as far as pure voice is concerned, but I can see why you picked him. Personally I would leave Enya out and include Julie Andrews, Judy Garland, and Mario Lanza. These three, among many more, changed the way people viewed music during their day, and their accomplishments definitely play into what we have today.

Favorite singers:
Avril Lavigne
Amy lee
Kelly Clarkson
Shania Twain
Carrie Underwood
Kellie Pickler
Martina McBride
Christina Aguilera
Chris Daughtry
Chris Cornell
Red Jumpsuit
30 seconds to mars
All-American Rejects
Linkin Park
Red hot chili peppers
Josh Groban
Kurt Cobain
The Beatles

Ashley, you ROCK!! You like mostly all the singers I like.
Avril Lavigne
Amy Lee
Carrie Underwood
Shania Twain
Chris Daughtry
Josh Groban
Linkin Park
Nirvana
Red Jumpsuit
& Christina Aguilera

Sorry, the others I don’t like that much.

the person below who said avril lavigne must be tone deaf, she is most mediocre singer out there if even that…but ya,Kurt Cobain rocked. Others I would say…
Annie Lennox
Sarah McLachlan
Enya
Keane
Thom Borke
lead singer of journey
Chris Cornell
Norah Jones
Bono
Chris Martin
Elton John
Vince Neill
Amy Lee
Lindsay Buckingham
Robert Plant
Phil Collins
Glen Frey

whoever below that said avril lavigne must be tone deaf…but ya Kurt Cobain rocks…Others I would say….
Enya
Annie Lennox
Sarah McLachlan
McCartney
Glen Frey
Phil Collins
Chris Cornell
lead singer of journey
Vince Neill
Keane
Radiohead Thom Borke
Lindsay Buckingham
Don Henley
Chris Martin
Amy Lee
Elton John

Best American singers right now:Mariah Carey, Beyonce Knowles, Christina Aguilera and Whitney Houston!!!!!!!!

wake up people … the best singer ever ..it as to be someone who changed our mind perception towards music …like:
JIM MORRISON ( best charismatic live performer.. ever)

ROBERT PLANT … (amazing entertainer with the conection with the other instruments..just perfect)

FRANK SINATRA (influenced everyone in one time or another … the gentleman ..the voice )

NICK CAVE
LEONARD COHEN
FREDDY MERCURY
EDDIE VEDDER
KURT COBAIN
BOB DYLAN
JOHN LENNON
MICK JAGGER
JIMI HENDERIX
PATTI SMITH
LOU REED
DAVID GILMOUR
ROGER WATERS
JAMES BROWN

(…)

Axel rose
Robert plant
Bon Scott
Brian johnson
Jimmy hendrix

Oh wait #1 Is me bitch so u can all fuck ur selves Mother fuckers

Luther Vandross,
David Phelps,
Elton John,
Peabo Bryson.

roy orbinson
whitney houston
sarah brightman
freddie mercury
michael jackson
luciano pavarotti
great voices

You guys are all retarded.

1.Robert Plant
2.Roger Daltrey
3.Freddie Mecury
4.Roy Orbison
5.Elton John

others are

6.Jim Morrison
7.Don Henley
8.Van Morrison
9.Jon Bon Jovi
10.David Lee Roth

Hey, are you guys stupid, have you may forgot Rob Halford of Judas Priest? He is the metal god and the best singer ever. No one can beat he’s screams. Before making this stupid lists, listen to som Judas Priest songs.

THE ONE AND ONLY ELVIS PRESSLY!!! HANDS DOWN

I have a large list
1 Axl Rose
2 Axl Rose
3 Axl Rose
…
1000000 Axl Rose
no doubt about it

Elvis Presley

Phil Collins

Elton John

Luther Vandross

1)Layne Staley
2)Jim Morrison
3)Robert Plant
4)James Hetfield
5)Eddie Vedder

1)Layne Staley
2)Jim Morrison
3)Robert Plant
4)James Hetfield
5)Eddie Vedder

No list is technically “wrong,” but I think it would be wrong to limit ourselves to a certain genre of music. I’m not an expert, like others claim to be, but I do listen to a wide variety of music. I tried to pick out the 5 voices I wish I had – this had nothing to do with what kind of music I prefer. So, here is my list:

1.) Freddy Mercury – I am a young, straight male, and I don’t listen to a lot of Queen, but his voice is a symphony in itself.

2.) Mariah Carey – I hate this woman, but to deny that she has an amazing voice is simply stupid. I don’t even like her music, but the range is ridiculous.

3.) Marvin Gaye – He died before I was born and I only know his popular songs, but if you look up “Marvin Gaye + Grapevine” on YouTube, and find his a capella version, you will be amazed.

4.) Bjork – I can’t name a single song she sings or an album she put out, but I heard a song once that sounded like a tidal wave of pure music erupting from her tiny body.

5.) Steve Perry – I have to admit here that I do listen to quite a bit of Journey, so this was my only truly biased pick. He could get away with singing “Happy Birthday” and people would buy it.

THOM YORKE?! P*ss off. And Jim Morrison was just about the most talentless, boozed up prick on the face of the Earth. What a waster. ‘Authoratitive voice’ my bollox.

Demetrio stratos
Devin townsend
Freddy Mercury
Chris Cornell(only with Soundgarden)

DEMETRIO STRATOS was born in Alessandria d’Egitto, here studies just 12een piano at Conservatory, after he went in Milano , where, in 1966 starts to play piano and voice in a italian group: “The Rebels”; after that in 1971 he stats with AREA , Rock porgressive and jazz fusion band; Why Demetrio Stratos is considered the Best male voice lf 20th century? He likes to study and to prove and to search wIth his voice; He teached in italian university story of etno-music and east-music. In his best exibition played 7.000 Hz (a normal tenor 523 Hz, a female ’soprano’ 1046 Hz)!!!

Paul Stanely of Kiss,,,Just listen and you will undestand

Matt Bellamy.

the best singer of today. he pushes his voice to the max. it’s powerful, and he can reach higher notes than most singers. and the music he creates is one of the most beautiful things i’ve ever heard in my life. the way he creates his melodies is awe inspiring… if you really listen to him, you’ll see that his voice is 100% perfect. a million times better than thom yorke… cause thom doesn’t have as much control, and he sounds like he’s drunk most of the time.

JEFF BUCKLEY

imagine what he would have done if he were alive today. He only made one studio album and he drowned at 30. Grace is the most dynamic and epic album of all time. Listen to Mojo Pin, Grace, Last Goodbye, So Real, Eternal Life, and Dream Brother are all great songs.

But the greatest Buckley song ever is “What Will You Say?”, which was recorded only live and is about his father Tim. It is on Mystery White Boy. EPIC!!!!

frank sinatra
whitney houston
mariah carey
leona lewis
beyonce
christina aguilera
jennifer hudson
George Michael
Aretha Franklin
Anita Baker
Toni Braxton
Celine Dion
Sam Cooke!!!

ohh and josh groban and andrea bocelli cant forget them

BEST-lead singer of keane
Kurt Cobain
Enya
Norah Jones
Chris Cornell
Steve Perry of Journey
Vince Neill
Elton John
Lennon
Mccartney
Chris Martin
Christina Aguilera,Mariah, Whitney,Celine, Carrie Underwood,(cant stand the music, but have amazing voices)
Thom Bhorne of Radiohead
Amy Lee
Aretha Franklin
Regina Spektor
Eddie Vedder
Lindsay Buckingham
Phil Collins
Don Henley
Johnny Cash
Axl Rose can scream like a crazy son of a gun

WORST-
Avril Lavigne by far
Britney Spears
Hillary Duff
Lindsay Lohan
Ashlee or Jessica Simpson
luv him, but Tom Petty, sorry Tom!
lead singer to Korn
Rammstein

HONORABLE MENTIONS-
Gwen Stefani, sorry gwen
Pink
Billy Corgan, luv him
Stevie Nicks, also luv her!

No one like opera?

Danme Nellie Melba
Maria Callas

Roy Orbison is my vote for best singer ever. The man’s vocal range was absolutely remarkable. He sang low and high notes with such ease and could send anyone to musical heaven with his voice.

He is a legend, but is still under-appreciated. Elvis himself called Roy Orbison the greatest singer in the world during one of his performances, and he was right.

1- Jim James (My Morning Jacket)
2- John Lennon
3- Ryan Adams – Go see this man live and listen to his voice.
4- Richard Manuel (The Band)- Apparently I’m the only person to hear the song Whispering Pines?
5- Paul Westerberg – The best rock voice ever.
6- Otis Redding
7- Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star)
8- Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses, Carissa’s Wierd)
9- Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips)-one of the most imitated singers ever.
10- Leslie Feist
11- Jeremy Enigk -freakish range in his voice.
12- Thom Yorke (Radiohead)
13- Van Morrison
14- Gary Louris (Jayhawks)
15- Roy Orbison

I’m sure I missed some, but damn, does anyone on here listen to anything that isn’t constantly force fed to you. Seriously, go get some headphones, listen to My Morning Jacket’s ‘At Dawn’ and then ask yourself how he wouldn’t be in any top 10 list.

Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Carlos Gardel
Julio Iglesias
Michael Jackson

1) Freddie Mercury – absolutely the best – he gonna “outsing” everybody.

2) Elvis Presley – amazing voice, amazing style.

3) George Michael

4) Elton John

5) David Bowie

6) Mick Jagger

in no particular order:

thom yorke

stevie wonder

demis roussos

celine dion

patti labelle

BEST SINGERS EVER!!!!!

In no particular Order

Freddy Mercury/Robert Plant/Anne Wilson

The lack of Ronnie James Dio in people’s comments is ridiculous. Best rock singer of all time.

Also, Mariah Carey is NOT a good singer. She can make impressive noises, but that doesn’t necessarily make one a good singer.

WTF.

Freddie Mercury should be up there!

This is so easy. The number one male singer of all time is Freddie Mercury. That is undeniable. The top five male singers are rounded out by:
2) Elvis Presley
3) Frank Sinatra
4) Elton John (before surgery)
5) Ray Charles

Female singers is not close either, as it is undisputably Sarah Mclachlan. While Mariah Carey might have a slightlly higher voice it is not nearly as rich. Rounding out the top 5 for females in no particular order is:
2) Whitney Houston
3) Minnie Riperton
4) Celine Dion
5) Petula Clark

While you might debate the top five, that is fine they are debateable, however, the top male is clearly Freddie Mercury and top female Sarah Mclachlan, these are not up for debate.

Van Morrison. That’s it.

1.FREDDIE MERCURY !
2.Robert Plant
3.John Lennon
4.Elvis Presley
5.Axl Rose

If you would ask me Freddie Mercury is very far the best of all… When he singed with Luciano Pavarotti he singed just like him… And he can sing even the hardest rock songs so … His voice was like WOW. He was just the best singer of all the times!

1) Freddy Mercury
2) Robert Plant
3) Roger Waters
4) Axl Rose
5) Mick Jager

Some of thhe best male singers are the most obscure and underrated:
1. Michael Metijevic of Steelheart
2. Freddy Curri of Sheriff (”When I’m With You”)
3. David Coverdale of Whitesnake
4. Steve Perry of Journey
5. Little Richard

ummm…. Steven Tyler anybody??? somebody(everyone) obviously hasn’t seen Aerosmith live!!

Hey, they were in the same group! Marty Balin and Grace Slick. If you don’t believe me, just listen to “Bless It’s Pointed Little Head.”

best singer by far is Geddy Lee no doubt or Robert Plant

1. GREGG ALLMAN (God)
2. Robert Plant
3. Aretha Franklin
4. Freddie Mercury (even tho i dont lke quenn i have to give credit)
5. Otis Redding

I dont see any gregg allman wats up with that
1. GREGG ALLMAN (God)
2. Robert Plant
3. Aretha Franklin
4. Freddie Mercury (even tho i dont lke queen i have to give credit)
5. Otis Redding

1. Freddie Mercury-the greates ever!!!! NO doubt
2. Klaus Meine
3. David Bowie
4. Elvis Presly
5. John Lennon

MAYNARD KEENAN
MAYNARD KEENAN
MAYNARD KEENAN
CHINO MARENO
FREDDY MERCURY
CLAUDIO SANCHEZ

york couldnt hold a candle to any of these guys

Bruce Bruce

Whoever said Anthony K. and the lead singer from Fall Out Boy is out of there mind. I love the Chili Peppers just as much as the next person, but it’s about the whole band.
TOP FIVE (no particular order)
-Freddy Mercury
-Robert Plant
-Eddie Vedder
-Billie Holliday (not a big fan of her music, but she can sing)
-Chris Cornell

Roger Daultry
Morrisey
Michael Stipe
Elvis
Hank Williams Sr
Bob Dylan
Jim Morrison
John Lennon
Freddie Mercury
John Lennon

Let me start by stating that I am 37, not 107. I think too many people are picking their “idols” and not really the best singer. Look, my favorite band of all time is KISS, but Paul Stanley is not the greatest singer in the world. Don’t get me wrong…he is a GOD in rock n roll, but some singers can sing EVERY genre. So, here I go….

1. Elvis Presley: Hands down the best singer ever. Hate his clothing, his movies, whatever, but the the man could sing. He could sing EVERY type of music…..rock n roll, gospel, country western, easy listening. He was simply amazing. His vocal range was incredible for a man. I have never heard another human convey so much emotion through his voice.
2. Freddy Mercury: Another man with amazing vocal range. Sometimes his voice leaves me speechless. I have him a close second to the King.
3. Nat King Cole: Like Roy Orbison, his voice was haunting. I still get goose bumps when I hear him sing.
4. Bing Crosby: Like the great ones, he could sing ANYTHING. His music was not really my cup of tea, but his voice is undeniable.
5 (Tie). Robert Plant: Another who could sing about every type of music, if he wanted to. Though he didn’t experiment with diverse forms of music, you can tell that he could have handled about anything.
5. (Tie): Once again, not my cup of tea. However, his talent is obvious. Frank was cool and hip too. But, his voice was his legacy.

There are soooo many great singers, that it is hard to pick 5. But, please, remember…don’t pick your favorites. I love my favorites, but none of them made the grade. They are great in their own right. They may even be GREATER as a whole, but not as a singer alone.

In my humble opinion, ELVIS PRESLEY stands alone as the greatest singer I have ever heard.

the best singers ever are…
1. Carly Smithson (the amazing irish from american idol, look her up on You Tube!)
2. Amy Lee from Evanescence
3. Ann Wilson from Heart

this is a fukins site

HILARY DUFF IS DAMN GOOD SINGER

NOT THE WORST

byork sucks

people are naming bands which clearly means they are not basing this on singing talent but i would have to agree with ryan the gregg allman is the best

hey people what about Buddy Holly??

here are what i think are the best in just singing talent.
1.Freddy Mercury(total legend)
2.Elvis Presley
3.Frank Sinatra(beautiful voice)
4.George Michael
5.John Lennon
6.Robert Plant
7.Elton John
8.Paul Mcartney

here are what i think are the best in just singing talent.
1.Freddy Mercury(total legend)
2.Elvis Presley
3.Frank Sinatra(beautiful voice)
4.George Michael
5.John Lennon
6.Robert Plant
7.Elton John
8.Paul Mcartney

here are what i think are the best in just singing talent.
1.Freddy Mercury(total legend)
2.Elvis Presley
3.Frank Sinatra(beautiful voice)
4.George Michael
5.John Lennon
6.Robert Plant
7.Elton John
8.Paul Mcartney

Freddie Mercury
Rob Halford
Robert Plant
Ozzy Osbourne
Jim Morrison
Enrique Bunbury
Axl Rose
Danni Filth

1. John Lennon
2. Freddie Mercury
3. Paul Mcartney
4. Elvis Presley
5. George Harrison

Freddie Mercury je naravno najbolji,nema potrebe nista da pricam. . .cujte slusajte i dalje!Pozdrav za sve.. . .

Steve Marriott, period!

One of my favorites may not be for hear but I give him creadit for adapting

Phill Anselmo Pantera, Down

The legend that is Freddie Mercury!!!

1.freddie mercury(no doubt)
2.elvis presley
3.celin dion

thom yorke
robert plant
bjork
freddy mercuri

Top 3 Men:
Chris Cornell
Roger Daltrey
Scott Weiland

Top 3 Women:
Ann Wilson
Amy Lee
Annie Lennox

1. Freddy Mercury
2. Mama Cass
3. Otis Redding
4. Luciano Pavorati
5. Michael Jackson
6. Aretha Franklin
7. Robert Plant
8. Frank Sinatra
9. Bing Crosby
10. Whitney Houstin

Jeff Buckley – without doubt, he is one of the most overlooked best voices ever. I name him better than freddy mercury, his singing has never impressed me much.
Jim Morrison – great voice and charisma.
Janis Joplin
Robert Plant

FREDDIE MERCURY – NO ONE CAN TOUCH HIM – PERIOD.

Just going on vocal precision and range, it is hard to beat this list:

1) Steve Perry
2) Freddie Mercury
3) Barry Manilow (there’s a reason he can makes cd of other people’s songs and they hit top ten lists)
4) Luciano Pavarotti
5) Frank Sinatra (or Dean Martin)

It’s hard to pinpoint the best, because there are many different ways to sing. It’s like comparing Mick Jagger with Pavarotti. Agreeing with the majority, though, the most incredible voices would include Jeff Buckley and Freddie Mercury. There are many other great voices that haven’t been mentioned much, like Josh Groban or John Mayer.

My favorite Singers
1) John Lennon
2) Paul McCartney
3) George Harrison
4) Ringo Star
5) Mick Jagger

My favorite Singers
1) John Lennon
2) Paul McCartney
3) George Harrison
4) Ringo Star
5) Mick Jagger

My favorite Singers
1) John Lennon
2) Paul McCartney
3) George Harrison
4) Ringo Star
5) Mick Jagger

My favorite Singers
1) John Lennon
2) Paul McCartney
3) George Harrison
4) Ringo Star
5) Mick Jagger

My favorite Singers
1) John Lennon
2) Paul McCartney
3) George Harrison
4) Ringo Star
5) Mick Jagger

Bruce Dickinson-simply the best
Kurt Cobain
Hansi Kurch
Claus Maine
Sebastian Bach

Mike Patton. I can’t believe I didn’t see him anywhere even on the comments. Just because they’re old and classic doesn’t make any of those artists half as gifted as Patton.

1) Jeff Buckley
2) Layne Staley
3) Jim Morrison
4) Bono Vox
5) Thom Yorke

1.Frank Sinatra (my way,New York New York,Come Fly With Me, Thats life)
2.Elvis Presley (30 number 1 hits, 68 comeback special, aloha from hawaii)
3.Michael Jackson (great dancer and singer)
4.Robbie Williams (great entertainer, live at knebworth, live at the royal albert hall)
5.Sam Cook (great singer,another saturday night,am in a sad mood tonight)

Doesn’t ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ apply here? I mean for one person Freddie Mercury cannot but for another Arethra Franklin is. See were I’m going with this?

No one can ever top Freddie Mercury. I can’t believe that he is not on Rolling Stone’s list.

John Lennon
Liam Gallagher
Damon Albarn
Freddie Mercury
Ray Davies
Kurt Cobain
Paul Mccartney
Ozzy Osbourne
Bono
Marc Bolan
Richard Ashcroft
Axl Rose

1 – Elvis Presley

2 – Steve Perry

3 – Michael Jackson

As a singer I must strongly disagree with Frank Sinatra being in your number two slot for greatest vocalist of all-time. Sinatra seemed to be a bit more of a speaker then a singer. No, there is no denying that he let out a few a powerful notes, but as far as reality is concerned he was vocally no match for Bobby Darin.

There were a few great responses to this topic. There is however, little or no mention of other outstanding artists. Take Prince for example. Ok, he is a bit of an oddball, and I probably wouldn’t purchase an ounce of the music he is producing today, but still have to give credit where it’s due. His highs were so powerful that planes had to reroute their courses while he was performing. This should drop Thom York’s ranking down a notch, even if you are a die hard Radio Head fan.

Those of you who had mentioned Elvis most likely misinterpreted the question. Elvis’ primary talent wasn’t even singing. Yes he has had a history with various forms of music, but I would hardly say that he had a wide range at all. In case you forgot, it was his dancing that got him discovered and not his singing abilities.

I think the harder listeners should have been more apt to consider someone like Perry Farrell of Janes Addiction, while the softer listeners should have chosen someone like Roy Orbison. Sure, The Big O was nothing pretty to look at, but his operatic qualities are worth a listen.

As far as female vocalists are concerned I don’t think you should forget Barbara Striesand. We all know that she’s a bit disliked due to her bitter personality, but she is/was unquestionably gifted.

Also, despite the fact that I personally am not very religious, I have noticed my entire body to quiver at just the thought of Celine Dions’ “Oh, Holy Night”. Now I am not quite sure if that you could compare her to Aretha Franklin, but I might suggest another slot on the list for her.

Next time please cast your votes more carefully. There is so much more talent out there.

Everyone has classic rocks, but i wanna mention modern
1.Chris Martin (Coldplay)
2.Matthew bellamy (Muse)
3.Chino (Deftones)
4.Chester Bennington (Linkin Park)
5.Serj Tankian (SOAD)
These are out of order but i think bellamy and tankian are very skilled and different which catch my eye.

1 – LeAnn Rimes

2 – Michael Buble

3 – Frank Sinatra

Come on, where are all the Eva Cassidy posts? I mean, Ozzy Osborne got a mention, and Cassidy is going virtually unnoticed.

i will list 20, in no particular order..

aretha franklin
minnie riperton
patti labelle
chaka khan
whitney houston
mariah carey
celine dion
luther vandross
michael bolton
georgia brown
jennifer holliday
brian mcknight
steven tyler
adam lopez
vanessa amorosi
leona lewis
kelly clarkson
josh groban
mary j. blige
regine velasquez

freddie mercury

1) Liam Gallagher
2) John Lennon
3) Noel Gallagher
4) Jon Bon Jovi
5) Paul McCartney
6) John Lydon
7) Mike Jager
Ian Brown

There my top 8 and there all amazing.

You listed Tom Yorke in the top five singers of all time? He would be top of my list of monotone, emotionless singers with no range. This is a reminder why I canceled my Rolling Stone subscription when I graduated years ago.

james hetfield
ian gillan
dio
bruce dickenson
ozzy
zakk wylde

Im young but i’ve listen to young to old singers and im going to be completely honest hands down Sam Cooke! He sings from his soul and his voice can never be duplicated!!!!!!!!!

Lata Mangeshkar (India)
Robert Plant (UK)
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Pakistan)
Maria Callas (Greece)
Janis Joplin (US)
Mahalia Jackson (US)
Oum Khulsum (Egypt)

Rob halford is an amazing singer, and while he doesnt deserve #1 he deserves a mention, so thats why im here.
1. Robert Plant
2. Ronnie James Dio
3. Rob Halford
4. Roger Waters
(i just realized all their names start with r’s)

1. Paul Mc.Cartney
2. Carl Wilson
3. Brian Wilson
4. Freddy Mercury
5. Elvis Presley

1. Paul McCartney
2. Carl Wilson
3. Brian Wilson
4. Freddy Mercury
5. Elvis Presley

Freddie Mercury has to be up there – Ever try singing a Queen song in the correct key? Hitting those notes? With that tone, that loud, with that much expression, phrasing, rhythm? All while drinking copious amounts of vodka?Try it. I Dare you.

CLAUDIO F**CKIN’ SANCHEZ

Why was he only mentioned once?!
Seriously, Fall Out Boy have appeared on this more than him?
Christ.

If you don’t know who he is, I HIGHLY recommend you listen to some Coheed And Cambria…
Like Now.
“The Light And The Glass” and “In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3″ are just incredible

im sorry but heres the REAL list

BEST
1)Steve Perry (Journey)
2)Freddie Mercury (Queen)
3)Stevie Wonder
4)Elton John
5)Phil Collins (not a big fan of his music, in fact i hate his music, but damn this man can sing)

WORST
1)Bruce Springsteen
2)Jon Bon Jovi
3)Axl Rose (but i do love GnR)
4)Bob Dylan
5)Serj Tenkian (i love SOAD though)

Thank you anon. guess im not the only one who thinks Claudio Sanchez is a badass vocalist

in alphabetical order:

Aretha Franklin
Morten Harket
Freddie Mercury
Van Morrison
Nina Simone
Frank Sinatra

…

Best singers and frontmen

1 – Freddie Mercury – Queen

2 – Bruce Dickinson – Iron Maiden

3 – Klaus Meine – Scorpions

4 – Ronnio James Dio – Rainbow/B. Sabbath/ Solo

5 – Bon Scott – ACDC

6 – Jim Morrinson – The Doors

7 – Robert Plant – Led Zepellin

My list would have been the following:

Björk
Maria Callas
Freddie Mercury
Pavarotti
Angela Gheorghiu

Ok old rock is overrated. These days singers have more heart and emotion in their singing and I agree with the magazine thom yorke is definitely the best singer around today and one the best of all time. If you dont know, hes the singer for radiohead, an awesome band, and if you want to hear his singing listen to fake plastic trees or house of cards or nude or reckoner or karma police or any of their songs they will blow your mind. Also chris martin is incredible (Coldplay). The scientist is one of my favorite songs of all time.

As a singer, I can’t believe how many talentless singers have been mentioned. Here are the best singers:

1: FREDDIE MERCURY
The fact that he could hit those high notes even though he was a baritone is astonishing (he had a range of three octaves plus a very powerful falsetto making it effectively four); he also had maybe the purest, most versatile and most beautiful voice in the history of music.
2: GEOFF TATE (Queensryche)
I’m no Queensryche fan, but Geoff Tate is one of the best singers, with a four octave range in full voice, amazingly powerful and clean operatic vocals. He was originally trained as an opera singer. However, lacks Freddie’s versatility and lost his voice pretty quick.
3: ROBERT PLANT (Led Zeppelin)
Lacks the control of Freddie, but Robert Plant had easily the biggest vocal range of any famous singer, as well as an amazingly powerful and expressive voice. Listen to “Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You”: four F5s and a G5, which are high soprano notes, in full voice. He could sing melody lines well above high C, which no other singer could do. He was also surprisingly versatile. During “Kashmir” live at Knebworth he sounds almost operatic. Easily the best metal screamer.
4: CHRIS CORNELL (Soundgarden)
Essentially Robert Plant as a baritone. He could go almost as high, and though he often sounded like Robert Plant, his voice had a stronger, darker timbre. Listen to Jesus Christ Pose – one of the most amazing vocal performances in history. Sadly, his voice declined pretty early on – hitting A5s in mix voice isn’t exactly good for the vocal cords.
5: IAN GILLAN (Deep Purple)
Another baritone, Ian Gillan never sang melody lines above A4. He is the famous singer I sound most like. However, unlike me, Ian Gillan had the best falsetto in human history. Almost indistinguishable from his full voice, though he never sang melody lines in falsetto. Listen to his wild, primal screams in Child in Time, Strange Kind Of Woman, Highway Star… nobody does falsetto screams better.
6: JIM MORRISON (The Doors)
Not one you’d expect to be here, since he is remembered more for his looks and charisma than for his skill as a singer. However, he was a bass and, surprisingly, had the same range as Freddie Mercury in full voice (F2 – F5, 3 octaves) – the reason he sounds so different is because he focused more on his lower register for the sake of a dark, sexy sound, which complements the music and image of the Doors perfectly. Listen to “When the Music’s Over” and you’ll understand why he’s on this list.

WORST SINGERS WHO HAVE APPEARED HERE (in no particular order)
Bob Dylan
Ozzy Osbourne
Mick Jagger
Brian Jones
Eddie Vedder (bad Jim Morrison imitator)
Frank Sinatra (Nice timbre. No talent – could never sing unamplified)

r u f***in serious i saw steve perry like twice.. i dont give a sh** wat ne1 say steve perry’s voice is wat i think the voice of GOD would sound like

Other great singers I forgot to add:
ARETHA FRANKLIN – the one really great singer Rolling Stone included
GRACE SLICK (Jefferson Airplane)
STEVE PERRY (Journey)
JEFF BUCKLEY
ELVIS
ROB HALFORD (Judas Priest)
RONNIE JAMES DIO
BRUCE DICKINSON (Iron Maiden)
AXL ROSE (Guns n’ Roses)
LITTLE RICHARD

More Dreadful Singers:
George Thorogood
John Lennon
Geddy Lee (actually, very talented, just uses his talent in the wrong way)
Matt Bellamy (no breath control – sounds like he is having his lungs stolen on stage – but I still like Muse and he’s quite some guitarist)
Chester “who the hell is that?” Bennington

their are many realy good singers who’re not or almost not mentioned in all these lists, singers like:

Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica)
MIKA
ZP Theart (DragonForce)
Bryan Adams
Warren Zevon

My Favorite singers are btw:
Bruce Dickinson
Tony Kakko
Freddy Mercurie
Robert Plant
Ian Gillan
Bono
David Bowie
Bon Scott
Micheal Stipe
Warren Zevon

and wtf why is Axl Rose mentioned about 20 times???? live he sings realy out of tune.

I take back what I said about Eddie Vedder – yes, he’s a copy of Jim Morrison, but he’s still a talented singer. I just recently heard “Release” by Pearl Jam, proving he really can sing. However, he still definitely doesn’t deserve to be in the top 50.

And to Jef Peeters:
Axl Rose is mentioned because in spite of having a deep bass voice he can still sing really high, though I prefer his lower register, which has a really nice, semi-operatic sound. He has a lot of skill as a singer, though I really don’t like GnR.
Tony Kakko? Not too bad, but uses way too much falsetto and doesn’t really have much range – the reason he can hit those really high notes is because his voice is really high naturally (he would qualify not as a tenor but as an alto).

More great singers:
DAVID BOWIE
ROGER DALTREY (The Who)
LAYNE STALEY (Alice in Chains)
GREG LAKE (ELP)
ANN WILSON (Heart)
ROY ORBISON
TIM BUCKLEY (not quite Jeff, but still damn good)
BURTON CUMMINGS (of The Guess Who – the band that sang “American Woman”)
MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN (Tool)
DAVID COVERDALE (Ian Gillan’s successor in Deep Purple – he really is underrated, though he tries to copy Robert Plant too much and nobody liked Coverdale/Page)

More Bad Singers:
Kurt Cobain (love Nirvana though)
Steven Tyler (probably quite skilled, but terrible performer, practically eats the microphone, and waaay too screamy.)
Bruce Springsteen
Leslie West, the guy from Mountain (”Theme from an Imaginary Western” which features impressive quasi-operatic vocals, is sung by Jack Bruce, who is good)

Without Mariah Carey here, this list has no veracity…

clint boge: the butterfly effect

damn right, FM. ;D
Mister Sanchez is crazily talented
and this list just goes to show he doesn’t get anywhere near enough recognition
>.

I’d have to say:

Freddie Mercury
Thom Yorke
Tom Chaplin (keane). surprised he hasn’t been mentioned yet.
and Bobby Darin

1.- Freddie Mercury
2.- Meat Loaf

Freddie Mercury – hands down.

STEVEN TYLER, hands down!!!

ELVIS
Elton John
Paul Stanley
Robert Plant
Freddie Mercury
Roger Daltry
Tom Jones

It’s so difficult to sum up just top 5 singers or even top 20. You have the most powerful voices and then there are the most beautiful voices.

Any lost should include people like

1. Freddie Mercury

2. Andrea Bocelli

3. Julio Iglesias (the father … not his son)

4. Whitney Houston

5. Mariah Carey

and maybe 40 others I don’t have time to mention here.

By the way … John Lenon (judging by one of the songs “Imagine” was not a GREAT singer. The song was great but vocals or uniqueness of the voice was not there)

This is amazingly disappointing. The best pure singer in the Rock era was and is still Ann Wilson (and a hell of a songwriter as well). I saw her
included in about 4 other lists and I can only figure all the rest of you have a collective blind spot. All of you now remember how goddamn powerful and emotive that voice is and are slapping your foreheads – “wow, I could have had Heart!”

This list is pretty off.
And new rock is just better than the older classics.
Chris Martin should be on the list.
(Coldplay)

1. Frank Sinatra
2. John Lennon
3. Joe Strummer
4. Johnny Cash
5. Bruce Dickenson
6. David Bowie
7. Joey Ramone
8. Neil Young
9. Nina Simone
10. Freddie Murcury
11. Eddie Vedder
12. James Brown
13. Jimi Hendrix
14. Bono
15. Ian Curtis

Steve Perry
Brad Delp
Freddie Mercury
Paul Rodgers
Tommy Shaw
Lou Gramm
Steve Walsh
Daryl Hall
Mickey Thomas

chris cornell

Freddie and Perry.

When I think of Rock ‘n Roll singers, the first name that comes to mind is Robert Plant. Sure there are better voices, and lots of great ones who even sing great have been mentioned. Just watch any video of ’70s Zep!

GLADYS KNIGHT IS THE MOST UNDER RATED VOCALIST OF ALL TIME!!!! GLADYS IS AWESOME!!!!

luther vandross…….then whoever……greatest voice ever

luther vandross…….then whoever……greatest voice ever

No order
Elvis
Don Henely
Roger Daltry
Paul McCartney
Bono
Otis Redding
Robert Plant
Ann wison
Roy Orbison

Taking into account the way in which they pour their hearts when they sing, how meaningful their message is and how they transfer that to the audience, I’ll have to pick Freddie Mercury and Eddie Vedder.

Chris Cornell
Jeff buckley
Maynard james keenan
Grace Slick
lajon Witherspoon
Aretha Franklin
Seal
Elvis
Ed kowalczyk
eddie vedder
Robert plant
Al greene
Otis Redding

this list is not a true reflections of music lovers , it’s more like a popualrity contest this list is a joke without freddy mercury he sounds better from the grave then alot of other so called great singers please….

lol.

1.) Maria Callas
2.) Luciano Pavarotti
3.) Geoff Tate (From Queensryche)
4.) Freddie Mercury

What about “Little Willie John”? Stevie Wonder,and James Brown list him as influences on their careers.

Stevie inducted John into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Many list Little Willie John among the most influential singers of his time!

Even greats Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Levi Stubbs called John a Singer’s singer. Even the Beatles how covered his songs!

How could he not be listed?

Kajun58

Who the hell came up with this stuff!!!!!!

I respect Aretha….but she is a soul singer and will always be a soul singer…SHE IS NOT A ROCK SINGER…

I think that the same people that came up with this list are the ones that make you want to think that Madonna belongs in the RRHOF…

Anybody that knows anything about Rock & roll will tell you that Freddie Mercury was definately one of the best rock voices EVER!!!!!

I think that Rolling Stone has forgotten what Rock & Roll is…

one and only mr Stevie Wonder
greates isnge ever!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Stevie Wonder of course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frank Black
Chris Cornell
Thom Yorke
Freddy Mercury
John Lennon
Mike Patton
David Bowie
Kurt Cobain
Al Jourgensen
Wayne Coyne
Neil Young
Robert Plant
Maynard James Keenan
Layne Staley
Prince
Roger Daltrey
Eric Burden
Jim Morrison
Tom Waits
Henry Rollins
Little Richard
Iggy Pop
John Lydon
Ozzy
John Fogerty
Gregg Allman

the best singer of all time is GEORGE MICHAEL!!! I say again,GEORGE MICHAEL!!!Than Freddie Mercury,Frank Sinatra,Elton John,Luciano Pavarotti(diferent sort)

Freddie mercury
nobody is even close.

When God sings he uses Freddie Mercury’s voice.

This list lost all credibility to me when Barbra Streisand (among others) wasn’t mentioned among the top 100 greatest singers of all time–TOP 100!!! That is a total and complete JOKE and it reflects very badly on Rolling Stone magazine as a valid, credible, and upstanding piece of literature in its genre.

top worst singers:
1. MADONNA
2. LEON JACKSON
3. JOHN LENNON
4. BRITNEY SPEARS
5. 50 CENT
6. 2 PACK
7. WHITNEY HUSTAN
8. SPICE GIRLS

FREDDIE MERCURY ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok this list is straight screwed up!! NO Steven Tyler?!?! are you guyas serious and no Freddie Mercury?!?! you guys are crazy!! not even Axl Rose…omg… :0

Best –
1.Aretha Frankilin
2.Ray Charles
3.Elvis Presley
4.Freddie Mercury
5.Dusty Springfield.

End Of.

Best –
1.Aretha Frankilin
2.Ray Charles
3.Elvis Presley
4.Freddie Mercury
5.Dusty Springfield.

End Of.

1. Jeff Buckley
2. Freddie Mercury
3. Jackie Gleason
4. Johnny Mathis
5. Sam Cooke
6. Chris Cornell
7. Steve Perry
8. Aretha Franklin
9. Whitney Houston
10. Tim Buckley

1. Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tre)
2. Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)
3. Till Linderman (Rammstein)
4. Freddie Mercury
5. Axel Rose (Guns N’ Roses)
6. Tarja Turunen (Ex-Nightwish)

cmon people clearly this is between aretha and freddie and the majority counts so these two are obviously the best singers of all time

I disagree with all people, who said, Avril Lavigne is the worst singer.

Frank Sinatra
Freddy Mercury
Steven Tyler
Celine Dion
Kelly Clarkson
Bruce Dickinson
Elvis Presley
Aretha Franklin

I belive the Best vocalsits are
1John Lennon
2Liam Gallagher
3Paul McCartney

here’s a list of singers that are not only what i consider to be the best but are also undoubtedly strong very powerful

1. Steve Perry (Journey)
2. Jimi Jamison (Survivor)
3. Carl J. Snare (Firehouse)
4. Sebastian Bach (Skid Row)
5. M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold)
6. Paul Stanley (Kiss)
7. Dennis DeYoung (Styx)
8. Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)
9. Michael Sweet (Stryper)
10. Tony Lewis (The Outfield)

here’s a list of singers that are not only what i consider to be the best but are also undoubtedly strong very powerful

1. Steve Perry (Journey)
2. Jimi Jamison (Survivor)
3. Carl J. Snare (Firehouse)
4. Sebastian Bach (Skid Row)
5. M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold)
6. Paul Stanley (Kiss)
7. Dennis DeYoung (Styx)
8. Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)
9. Michael Sweet (Stryper)
10. Tony Lewis (The Outfield)

Singers don’t only need powerful voices, they also need deep et emotional voices, so my list is:

1. Lhasa de Sela
2. Bjork
3. Beth Gibbons (Portishead)

In my opinion James Hetfield(metallica) has a reallyx great Voice.
Listen to tuesdays gone, turn the page or nothing else matters, and you’ll agree with me!

Nobody cares about that stupid commercial list.
Grace Slick ftw

Johnny Mathis
Ella Fitzerald
Gladys Knight

Johnny Mathis -underestimated singer but those that know,- know hes the absolute ultimate singer.

Where’s:
Mike Patton – Faith No More
Maynard James Keenan- Tool
Layne Staley – Alice in Chains
Brandon Boyd – Incubus

To name a few
Rolling Stone Sux anyway

I dont care what anyone says. All the singers that people has listed are good….but…. Brent Smith from Shinedown is the best singer in music today. Hands down!

The Best!!!! Joplin…. For god sakes!!!

I can’t rank these five because their styles are too different
but each of these are magnificent:

Greg X Volz (first lead singer for Petra) – get their “captured live” album and check out “God gave rock and roll to you”

Sam Cooke – smooth

David Phelps – totally un-doctored. In person,
only Freddie Mercury could come close to his power and control

Aretha Franklin and Freddie Mercury – sang with unbelievable intensity. Sang the absolute shit
out of everything they tried.

1. Freddie mercury/queen
2. girls aloud
3. mariah carey
4. paverotti
5. Duffy
6. beyonce
7. nickle back
8. david bowy
9. eminem
10. mikael jackson
11. russle watson
12. guns n roses
13. loui armstrong
14. elton john
15. kylie minogue
16. paul rogers
17. dusty springfeild
18. britny spears
19. rydion roberts (x factor)
20. celine dion

1) FREDDIE MERCURY
2) ELVIS PRESLEY
3) MICHAEL JACKSON
4) PAUL MCCARTNEY

Male-Freddy Mercury,Female-Mariah Carey.But Freddy was the greatest and nobody will ever be even close to him.He is the best of all times

I have just 2 names:
1. Freddie Mercury
(He’s the one & only, no-one’s like him. I’m 15 & so I’ve never seen him live, but I was in the wwry-musical in cologne in 2006 & now I’m such a great fan. I am so fascinated of this man! I can’t understand why he’s not on that list!)
2. Rober Plant (Wow! Great & varified. I like to listen to him.)

Btw I don’t think Klaus Meine has such a great voice. He’s a moderate singer but his voice is not very strong & he has a hard German accent. (I’m German, too & I think it could be better) So I disagree that he’s one of the top 5 ever.

The guy from shinedown? are you fuckin serious? i hope that was a joke.

im losing all hope for humanity

where the hell is bruce dickinson!!??

In a bygone era of great singers I would have to say Frank Sinatra, Mario Lanza, Barbara Streisand, Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Patsy Cline, Tony Bennett, Maria Callas, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald….These are but a few of the truly great ones…As far as rock and roll, the list goes on as well….Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, Greg Lake,so on and so on…All of this having to do with a list is nothing more than just another selling angle isn’t it? This is horse squeeze…….Great music and great singers are what made the music industry great….no more…………..

not in any order
Freddie (unique and powerful)
Bono (Listen to “Bad”s entirety live and then tell me to take him off my list)
Aretha (classic and huge voice)
Joplin/Cobain (for the raspy, emotional category)
McCartney (for all the popstars out there)

PLANT was terrible live he couldnt keep his voice up despite his great album singing
PERRY is good but not top 5 material( and kinda sounds girly)
same with YORKE
SINATRA didnt have the heart and talked most the time
SPRINGSTEEN reallly? he’s got the range of my grandpa
PRINCE and JACKSON are both way too homo

The greates singer ever is Freddie Mercury.

He can’t even be ranked #1 because he’s one of a kind and doesn’t belongs to mankind. He’s a sort of divinity… something supernatural… for some, he’s even more than a god

Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Roy Hamilton, Sarah Vaughan. Billie Holiday and Ray Charles for penultimate soul.

i think

my list is…

1. withney houston
2. Mariah Carey
3. Amy Winehouse
4. Celine Dion
5. Christina Aguilera
6. Mary J Blidge
7. Beyonce
8. Jessica Simpson
9. Gloria Estefan
10. Luis Miguel

WTF rollingstone?! FREDDIE MERCURY without a doubt!! the guy ruined my live, I cannot enjoy other singers after hearing him sing live.. I`m just not impressed by “the others”. It`s like he has rocket down his throat, what a range, what a power, what a techniqe!! He is easily the most godlike of all singers…

search at youtube: freddie with the high note or somebody to love at the bowl.. That is just sick, just like his other preformances!

Chad Kroeger
Scott Stapp
Jacoby Shaddix
Alanis Morrisette
Courtney Love
Darth Vader
Johnny Rotten
Ski Low

I think the better artist are:
@ Christina Aguilera
@ Alicia Keys
@ Aretha Franklin
@ Beyonce
@ Justin Timberlake
@ Amy Winehouse
@ Dido
@ Nelly Furtado
@ Leona Lewis
@ Duffy
@ Kelly Clarkson
@ Aerosmith

To all you guys who tried some serious singing by your own-only 3 Names:
PAUL RODGERS !!
Robert Hart
and
Meat Loaf-listen to his first albums and mention his powerful range!

Ella Fitzgerald/Frank Sinatra (Tie)
Sarah Vaughan
Aretha Franklin
Tony Bennett
Etta James
Judy Garland
Nancy Wilson
Johnny Hartmann
Mel Torme

Freddie Mercury, hands down

Freddie Mercury, hands down

Donny Hathaway
Marvin Gaye
Aretha Franklin
Ibrahim Ferrer
Bobby Womack

Mercury was great, but I’d give my top nod to Steve Perry. Unbelievable range, power. I’d also like to give a shout out to Brad Delp of Boston.

Two words:

Janis Joplin.

End Of.

Two words:

Janis Joplin.

End Of.

Female: Mariah Carey
Male: Freddie Mercury

5)bruce dickinson
4)steven tyler
3)robert plant
2)steve perry
1)freddie mercury!

XDXDXD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thom Yorke? Give me a break.

Pop and Rock singers with real chops from the last 50 years would include Shirley Bassey, Frank Sinatra, Kenny Rankin, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett, Freddy Mercury, Karen Carpenter, Aretha Franklin, Gino Vannelli & Engelbert. Of course Rolling Stone is too cool for Easy Listening singers but their ranks include the best singers.

Dionne Warwick
Peggy Lee
Roy Orbison
Patsy
Cline
O’Brian Eselu

Dionne Warwick
Peggy Lee
Roy Orbison
Patsy
Cline
O’Brian Eselu

Dionne Warwick
Peggy Lee
Roy Orbison
Patsy
Cline
O’Brian Eselu

FREDDIE MERCURY is #1!!!

Freddie Mercury #1
Elvis
Eddie Vedder
…..top male singers ever

you have to be kidding me
I mean Ian Gillan a fuckin legend is not there and so isnt Ronnie James Dio

Rolling Stone is the crappiest magazine ever

umm guys…. isn’t ANYONE going to mention any modern artists? at all? the list says ” all time” not “a bunch of really old people everyone who hasnt read this list doesnt recognize”.
im not going for commerciality or putting these artists down (because they are amazing) but give some love to this musical generation too! ok fine freddie mercury, bono, chris cornell, axel rose, etc, are all amazing singers but god.and (may god miss when he tries to strike me down) i. dont. like. queen. yes i said it. attack me if you wish. i just wish we had some more genre variety here. cant there be a list titled “all time best singers that arent completely obvious and are practically unknown but completely own some of the generic suggestions”? [note: if you are offended by this i apologize, but my mother taught me to be honest]

The Greatest singer of all time is Patrick Stump of fall out boy

pure vocals have to be freddy mercury and whitney houston definitely. there are plenty of great divas so whitney is debatable but no one can sing like freddy mercury

Best in Rock n’ Roll (based strictly on talent):

1. Brent Smith (Shinedown)
2. Brad Delp (Boston)
3. Freddy Mercury (Queen)
4. Elvis
5. Sammy Hagar (Van Halen, etc.)
6. Robert Plant (Led Zepplin)
7. Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath,etc.)
8. Sebastian Bach (Skid Row)
9. Brian Wilson (Beach Boys)
10. James Hetfield (Metallica)

Layne Staley
Robert Plant
Eddie Vedder

Best Males:
Jackson Browne
Colm “C. T.” Wilkinson of (Les Miserables, J.C. Superstar, more!)
James Taylor
Chris Cornell
Eddie Vedder

Best Females:
Aretha Franklin
Emmylou Harris
Lisa Fischer-Rolling Stones backup

Tom Yorke is your pick among the five best singers? You list him among Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Billie Holiday? So you must out of your mind or on Radiohead’s payola list? “Weak, montone, emotionless” is how I would describe Tom Yorke’s vocals. I’m constantly blown away by the media’s drooling love of Radiohead.

What about John Lennon? Tom Yorke is better than him? Otis Redding? Tom Yorke is better than him? Freddie Mercury? Tom Yorke is better than him?

You get the point of my rant? Tom Yorke and Radiohead are in my opinion the most overrated band since Nirvana.

Steve Perry is #1 by far then Robert Plant, and then Freddie Mercury!!!!!!

Whoever said that Axl Rose of Guns and Roses is the greatest singer is a complete idiot, i mean what about Steve Perry of Journey, what did you forget about him?

i just wannna let most of you people know that you guys are retarded.
Mariah Carey is the best singer ever.
and if anyone is next its Monica.
then Selena

Phyllis Hyman
Donny Hathaway
Stevie Wonder
Jackie Wilson
Freddie Mercury
There is no way That Stevie is left out
Tom York doesn’t even come close. we are talking three-plus-octave vocal range

Ian Gillan: One of the first to show the belting technique to the world! One of the most influencing metalvocalists ever.
Jeff Buckley: He was a fucking great singer as well but sometimes really anoying!
Freddy Murcury: Had a big range and was a sun of a bich on a stage!
Devin Townsend: In his young days he could go on screaming at the top of his lungs forever and make it melodic and varieted at the same time!
Daniel Gildenlow: Not very famous, like Devin townsend, But he´ s a metalsinger and a very good r´ n´ b singer at the same time!
Michael Akerfeld: His Growling technique are just impressing, while he has a really nice melodic deep warm singing voice at the same time! Miriah Carrey can fucking sing, but anoying as hell and make bad popmusic! Robert plant could sing too! and matt bellamy can sing too! all fucking amazing! Many says Mike Patton is a great singer! well, he´ s a crazy artist with a lot of fun and creative ideas, and made good stuff with faith no more! But i will just say that i think he has the most empty emotionless anoying voice on the face of the earth! of cause with his good sarcastic over the top edge that are somehow very cool! but again, over the top and all around but emotionless and anoying! i just wanted to get my opinion through in that fact many in many music forums apreciate him

Steve Marriott
John Lennon
Elvis Presley
Mick Jagger
Aretha Franklin

(not in order)

The Best Singer Ever Is:
Kyo
From Dir En Grey

LAYNE STALEY !!!!!!

van morisson, levon helm, bob dylan, david crosby, neil young are fabulous singers. freddie mercury, robert plant, bono,… are just effect-singers.

amy lee evanescence

Seal

Billy Idol

Elton John

Frank Sinatra

Louis Armstrong

mike patton

people kept on mentioning freddie mercury , robert plant and maynard james keenan , all of which i also like , but there just seems to be no love for patton around here.

Thom yorke? Thom Yorke? Thom Yorke?

WHAT THE HELL??!! Rollingstone is a joke.

Layne S- alice in chains
MJK- tool
Jim M- Doors
Chris c- Soundgarden/Audio/Temple Of Dog
Eddie Vedder- Pearl Jam/ Temple Of Dog
Scott W- Stone Temple P/Velvet Revolver
Plant- Zepp
Lennon
Gandi

No order… stone sucks wow so wrong

All you Thom Yorke’s haters should listen to radiohead first and define your judging parameters before giving a stupid opinion, I’ve read comments of idiots judging a good vocalist by octave range…wtf?? If you are judging technique you should put here quire girls or shit like that, but that’s not what makes a good singer!

Thom Yorke
Mike Patton
Bobby Mcferrin
Robert Plant
Freddy Mercury
Cedric Bixler-Zavala

(not by order)

And judging music it’s pretty dumb, it’s not just reliable at all, there isn’t and there will never be a “best” whatever, singer, composer, band, music it’s art, art it’s to be aprecciated, not to make competions of it -.-’

Thom Yorke
Mike Patton
Bobby Mcferrin
Robert Plant
Freddy Mercury
Cedric Bixler-Zavala

Not saying they’re the best but they’re singers that I really respect and admire
By the way judging music it’s pretty dumb, it’s not just reliable at all, there isn’t and there will never be a “best” whatever, singer, composer, band, music it’s art, art it’s to be aprecciated, not to make competions of it -.-’

The shinedown guy ? really? u smokin crack? hearing something i dont? average and thats being nice.
Maynard James Keenan. the best hands down.

Female:
Judy Garland
Aretha
Ella Fitzgerald
Janis Joplin
Dinah Washington
Sarah Vaughan
Barbra Streisand
Patti LaBelle
Edith Piaf
Minnie Riperton
Joan Baez
Gladys Knight
Patsy Cline
Chaka Khan
Dolly Parton
Nina Simone
Cass Elliott
Jennifer Holliday
Whitney Houston (pre-Bobby)
Stephanie Mills
Tina Turner
Nancy Wilson (the jazz singer)
Roberta Flack
Tammy Wynette
Peggy Lee
Teena Marie
Doris Day

Male:
Frank Sinatra
Elvis
Mick Jagger
Van Morrison
Otis Redding
Marvin Gaye
John Lennon
Ray Charles
Johnny Cash
Tony Bennett
Nat King Cole
Sam Cooke
Roy Orbison
Bruce Springsteen
Elton John
Leonard Cohen
James Brown
Freddie Mercury
Robert Plant
Smokey Robinson
Roger Daltrey
Wilson Pickett
Paul Simon
Bob Marley
David Bowie
Paul McCartney
Stevie Wonder
Donny Hathaway
Peter Gabriel
Kurt Cobain
James Hetfield

Anyone who honestly puts Kurt Cobain, Scott Weiland, Eddie Vedder, Layne Staley down as the best singers ever are retards. No grunge band have amazing singers except soundgarden who are actually a rock band that came from seattle, dont get me wrong i love Scotts voice but the other 2 can not sing with any talent. Some of the best voices in rock would be Rob Halford, Steven Tyler, Axl Rose, Phil Anselmo, Bruce Dickenson, Dio, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Janis Joplin just to start.

you think phil anselmo is a better singer than layne staley? i think your retarded.

how do I put this…

guy garvey
steven tyler
jimmy cliff

roger daltery
liam gallagher

tom yorke is balls compared to any of these

why people is so center in the all history singers wuy u dont go to the presentttt………..comeon r u telling me that u r realy living the present????……comeon.. ..whe re is madonna….britney….i don´t know….jobros…..

ashly…..MADONNA…demi lovato….there r a lot of singers in the holl world !!!!! OMG

UH STEVE TYLER!!!!THE POWER IN HIS VOICE IS AAMMAZIING!!

1: Stevie Wonder
2: Luther Vandross
3: Donny Hathaway
4: Sam Cooke
5: John Legend

what a lame list, what about my list of great male rock n roll singers would be

-Freddy Mercury, for his operatic vocals
-Robert Plant
-Steve Perry
-Bruce Dickenson (Iron Maiden), very theatrical voice
-Klaus Meine (Scorpions) great unique voice
-Chris Cornell, one of the best singers that came out of the 90’s
-Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath,Dio etc)
-Rob Halford
-Bono, not a fan, but have to admit he has a good voice

Female:
Aretha Franklin
Tina Turner
Janis Joplin
Tammy Wynette
Patsy Cline
Barbara Keith

Ian Astbury
Chris Cornell
Maynard James Keenan
Roger Daltry
Paul Rodgers

1.Mark Knopfler
2.Leonard Cohen
3.Freddi Mrecury
4.James Hetfield
5.David Gilmour

you guys dont no true rock gods.
well i know who is hot and an
amazing singer

STEVEN TYLER!

you guys dont no true rock gods.
well i know who is hot and an
amazing singer

STEVEN TYLER!

you guys dont no true rock gods.
well i know who is hot and an
amazing singer

STEVEN TYLER!

you guys dont no true rock gods.
well i know who is hot and an
amazing singer

STEVEN TYLER!

here are my favorites.
1.steven tyler
2. steven tyler
3.steven tyler
oh did i mention STEVEN TYLER!
HE IS SO HOTTTTTTTTTT!

here are my favorites.
1.steven tyler
2. steven tyler
3.steven tyler
oh did i mention STEVEN TYLER!
HE IS SO HOTTTTTTTTTT!

here are my favorites.
1.steven tyler
2. steven tyler
3.steven tyler
oh did i mention STEVEN TYLER!
HE IS SO HOTTTTTTTTTT!

STEVEN TYLER IS AMAZING!
I LOVE HIM AND IM OBSESSED!

STEVEN TYLER RULES! IF ANYONE FEELS
THE SAME WAY WRITE BACK

STEVEN TYLER RULES! IF ANYONE FEELS
THE SAME WAY WRITE BACK

STEVEN TYLER IS SO HOT AND AMAZING!
IF SOMEONE FEELS THE SAME WAY
WRITE BACK

STEVEN TYLER IS SO HOT AND AMAZING!
IF SOMEONE FEELS THE SAME WAY
WRITE BACK

STEVEN TYLER IS SO HOT AND AMAZING!
IF SOMEONE FEELS THE SAME WAY
WRITE BACK

LMM AND LAUREN M. ARE THE SAME PEOPLE.
STEVEN TYLER ROCKS

MC JAGGER? YOU GUYS LIKE A DRUNKIN OLD EVIL CLOSET MONKEY.HE CANT SING.
THEY SHOULD HAVE A SHOW STEVEN TYLERS GOT TALENT!

shows for tonight
1.steven tylers got talent
2.do you have more talent than mick jagger? of course you do even
a monkey has more talent than him!

i love steven tylers song ‘dude looks like a lady’
heres a fact
mic jagger looks like a evil troll doll

1.Elvis Presley

1-steve perry
2-freddy Mercury
3-robert Plant
4-bruce dickinson
5-peter cetera
6-bobby kimball
7-lou gramm
8-steve tyler
9-kurt kobain
10-john fogerty

1-jannis joplin
2-tina turner
3-karen carpenter
4-grace slick
5-alanis morrisete
6-sherykl crow
7-tracy chapman
8-jennifer warnes
9-roxette
10-sade

Avril is one of the best singers ever. Madonna and Chris Martin can ´t sing.

Elton John, Bono, McCartney, Jagger, Lennon, Phil Collins, Prince, Cobain??????

How can they share a list of top-singers with Mercury?

OMG, how much danger has made MTV aroung the World :S

Freddie Mercury#1
Robert Plant#1
Chris Cornell#1

Others worth a mention, layne staley, tom yorke, eddie vedder, john fogerty.

Oh and eazy-e, ice cube, dr dre, and mc ren.

Michael Jackson
Michale Graves
Elvis Presley
Freddy Mercury
Ozzy Osbourne
Tim Skold

Michael Jackson
Michale Graves
Elvis Presley
Freddy Mercury
Ozzy Osbourne
Tim Skold

no order: Lennon, Bono, Michael Jackson, Cobain, Liam Gallagher.

Maybe some of them arent the BEST. but they are pretty damn good

#1 Ian Gillan I would say was/is the best male rock singer ever (in the 70s especially) with Deep Purple and also on the stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Loyd Webber.
#2 Then Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin – excellent
#3 Roger Hodgson from Supertramp – pretty amazing

#4 Roger Daltry , from The Who, song Behind Blue Eyes incredible !
#5 David Coverdale – of Deep Purple, Whitesnake
#6 Meatloaf

I think the last 4 are fairly interchangeable depending on what you like but Ian Gillan is way above all of them at #1

Glen Hughes, when he is singing rock like when he was with Deep Purple. Up in the top 10, somewhere.

hey kurt cobain was the one who redefined the rock industry….i don say he must come in no1 poition..evryone has their own best singer…n for me he’s my no1 …

James hetfield
MichaelJackson
ElvisPresley
amylee evanescence

EDDIE VEDDER!!!!!!!tHE NUMBER ONE

(1.) Todd Rundgren
(2.) Eddie Vedder
(3.) Darryl Hall
(4.) Freddie Mercury
(5.) Stevie Wonder
(6.) Frank Sinatra

Freddie Mercury
Edwin Burton
Jimi Hendrix
Brian Johnson
Axl Rose
my fav

(i m just a averaged 16-year old hard-rock fan) ^^

Steve Marriott was the greatest rock vocalist of all time. I don’t see how it is even debatable. Robert Plant has spent his entire career desperately trying – and failing – to imitate him.

1) Elvis Presley
2) Bruce Dickinson
3) Eric Adams
4) Robert Halford
5) Ronnie James Dio
…
6) Would be Freddy Mercury

Wow, where’s Robert Plant and Ian Gillian? Can’t believe you people.

1-Elvis Presley
2-john lennon
3-michael jackson
4-freddy mercury
5-robert plant

Tony Harnell and Bruce Dickinson!

Ronnie James Dio
Engelbert Humperdinck
Aretha Franklin
Bruce Dickinson
Jimi Hendrix

WHAT THE f! Where’s MIKE PATTON???

Some of he dino’s still alive, but…no way…

Yorke is for sure in the top 3 of all time.

Darlene Love Story … He’s A Rebel

The female voice of rock & roll!

http://michaelwestfal l.tripod.com/id130.html

michaeljackson is the bom and the jackson5 I LOVE THIM

David “Fuggin” Coverdale

Freddie Mercury!