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Readers’ Rock List: More of the Greatest Singers of All Time

11/24/08, 5:23 pm EST

Photo: Winter/Getty

Last week, inspired by our own 100 Greatest Singers list, we asked our readers to tell us which vocalists the experts and artists should have included. We tallied the votes and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder was deemed the man with the voice most worth hearing, followed by Vedder’s “Hunger Strike” buddy Chris Cornell. Punk rockers, soul legends and a member of Wham! all fill out your Top 20 of the greatest singers not on our list. So did Rush’s Geddy Lee make the cut? Check out the full roster below:

  1. Eddie Vedder
  2. Chris Cornell
  3. Michael Stipe
  4. Maynard James Keenan
  5. Joe Strummer
  6. Paul Westerberg
  7. Mike Patton
  8. Ian Curtis
  9. Ella Fitzgerald
  10. George Michael
  11. Harry Nilsson
  12. Frank Black
  13. Peter Gabriel
  14. H.R. (Bad Brains)
  15. Mark Lanegan
  16. Billie Holiday
  17. Liam Gallagher
  18. Joey Ramone
  19. Chris Isaak
  20. Richard Manuel

Related Stories:

The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time

Photo Gallery: Legends at Work

The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time: The Voters

The 100 Greatest Singers: The Ballots


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Comments

Matt | 11/24/2008, 6:09 pm EST

I don’t remember seeing Thom Yorke at any point in the list..

Am I going crazy or is RS?

Matt | 11/24/2008, 6:11 pm EST

Delete that. Number 66

Tom | 11/24/2008, 6:23 pm EST

Where is Jim James? Did any one else listen to “Evil Urges”?? my god.

???? | 11/24/2008, 7:22 pm EST

I still don’t get how you didn’t inclued any of those names especially Joe Strummer. Major oversight RS.

toby | 11/24/2008, 8:18 pm EST

Where the hell is Robin Zander???

J-Bird | 11/24/2008, 8:25 pm EST

Where the hell if Jeff Buckley on this list… I mean come on people.

Xyala | 11/24/2008, 8:55 pm EST

I would argue that Maynard should be #1

And where is Trent Reznor on this list??

Anna | 11/24/2008, 10:07 pm EST

I agree..no Thom Yorke..this list is a joke!

ANUS | 11/24/2008, 10:08 pm EST

WHERE IS ANOTHONY KEIDIS?!!!!?!?!?!!?!!?!?

Remedial Reading | 11/24/2008, 11:14 pm EST

Thom Yorke and Jeff Buckley are on the original 100.

HELLO | 11/24/2008, 11:18 pm EST

Tom Petty isn’t on the list beaches!

thezero | 11/24/2008, 11:22 pm EST

thom yorke was on the original list done by RS…

thezero | 11/24/2008, 11:23 pm EST

mike patton should be higher

george michael should be higher

glenn danzig should be on this list

Bruce | 11/25/2008, 7:40 am EST

Typical Rolling Stone no mention of Paul Stanley. Your bias against KISS is crap

phil | 11/25/2008, 9:24 am EST

chino moreno (deftones)

jim james (my morning jacket)

Kent | 11/25/2008, 11:13 am EST

Ehere is Richard Ashcroft!

>>>>> | 11/25/2008, 11:14 am EST

Freddy Mercury?

bicyclejoe | 11/25/2008, 11:34 am EST

It’s a shame that Jim James of My Morning Jacket isn’t on this list. I can’t believe Axl Rose made the original list with so many so much more worthy not getting a mention.

brent | 11/25/2008, 12:43 pm EST

ok people, before u bash the reader’s choices, read the damn article! freddie mercury, jeff buckley, and thom yorke were all on the list. try reading before posting!

The Seeker | 11/25/2008, 1:29 pm EST

Mark Lanegan, hell yes!

Anonymous | 11/25/2008, 2:08 pm EST

Maynard is truly NUMBER ONE!
Sorry Eddie, you can be still in the top TEN!
So, where is RICHARD ASHCROFT?

Just wrong | 11/25/2008, 2:08 pm EST

Maynard is truly NUMBER ONE!
Sorry Eddie, you can be still in the top TEN!
So, where is RICHARD ASHCROFT?

Chris | 11/25/2008, 3:22 pm EST

Finally they put Eddie! Eddie should’ve been in the original list. That list was mostly older singers, yet I am wondering why Kurt Cobain was on that list?

Marc | 11/25/2008, 4:27 pm EST

Elliott Smith can sing with the best of them

Anonymous | 11/25/2008, 10:13 pm EST

EDDIE VEDDER at the top, now it looks right

krkgak | 11/26/2008, 1:30 pm EST

Finally, Chris Cornell high on the list! He should be number one, but Eddie is great, too. CHRIS CORNELL! CHRIS CORNELL! CHRIS CORNELL!

*Di* | 11/26/2008, 8:05 pm EST

YAY for Cornell !
But still no Ann Wilson ? Boo.

LG | 11/27/2008, 10:53 am EST

Chris Cornell…Yeah!
this list is more REAL

Joe | 11/29/2008, 11:33 am EST

I can’t believe he wasn’t on the original list or this list.

Dennis DeYoung?

claudia | 11/30/2008, 9:33 pm EST

yeah eddie vedder ahould be on the list!! amazing singer!!

Austin | 12/3/2008, 8:39 pm EST

Robert Plant? Freddie Mercury? Bono? Geddy Lee? (Yes, Geddy Lee)

ddeepbblue | 12/5/2008, 11:26 pm EST

and not even a mention of the late great STEVE MARRIOTT. Unbelievable voice from a pint sized UK legend. (Small Faces, Humble Pie…). Without Steve Marriott there would be NO Robert Plant. (Don’t get me started…)

CHEP | 12/11/2008, 12:05 am EST

nobody from righteous brothers on the list.. how could that be?

Al | 12/11/2008, 11:24 am EST

Richard Manuel

His voice is absolutely essential
there is no other like it

“I Shall be released”

Eric | 12/29/2008, 1:55 am EST

Freddy and Bono were on the first list, Where is Layne Staley, He has more range than half the guys up there ( Save Patton and maybe Vedder )

atd758 | 2/16/2009, 3:37 pm EST

Richard Manuel’s singing is flawless in “Katie’s Been Gone”

atd758 | 2/16/2009, 3:46 pm EST

Richard Manuel’s singing is superior to the majority of both lists. He just didn’t sing any extremely popular songs.

Dude Man | 4/17/2009, 8:25 pm EST

Here’s a few who should have definately make this list, along with their best vocal performances:
Ian Gillian-”Child in Time”
Steve Mariott-”30 Days in a hole” and I don’t get why this magazine hates Mariott. He influenced so many people.
David Coverdale-”Burn”
Ronnie James Dio-”Stargazer”
Rod Halford-”You Got another thing comin’”
Bruce Dickinson-”Run to the Hills”
Glenn Hughes-”Burn” the high notes only. David sings the rest.
Ronnie James Dio-”Stargazer”
Klaus Meine-”Wind of Change”
Burke Shelly-”Parents” people have to liste to more Budgie. They are really underrated.
Frank Sinatra-”Strangers in the Night”
Ronnie Van Zant-”Sweet Home Alabama”
David Gilmour-”Comfortably Numb”
Joe Lynn Turner-”Street of Dreams”
Graham Bonnet-”Since You Been Gone” (Russ Ballard cover)
Amy Lee-”Bring Me to Life”
Bon Scott-”Highway to Hell”
Brian Johnson-”Back in Back”
Brad Delp-”More than a Feeling”
Geoff Tate-”Take Hold of the Flame”
Dennis DeYoung-”Come Sail Away”
Layne Staley-”Man in the Box”
Bob Seger-”Turn the Page”
Phil Lynott-”The Boys are Back in Town”
Phil Collins-”Misunderstanding”
Jo hn Kay-”Monster”
James LaBrie-”Pull me Under”
Chris Robinson-”She talks to Angels”
David Lee Roth-”Runnin’ with the Devil”
Sammy Hagar-”Right Now”

Tom | 7/21/2009, 2:25 pm EST

at least cornell should be in the original list, the guy was considered to be led zepellin frontman, how great is that
he should be in the list, as well as vedder, another amazing singer

klj | 9/24/2009, 6:59 am EST

these are all great guys and yes i understand its older rock, but why the hell isnt myles kennedy(alter bridge) and brent smith on here(shinedown)!!!!!

wooooow | 9/24/2009, 7:06 am EST

this is freaking garbage, eddie vedder number 1?!, if you had any understanding of the voice you would know eddie vedder doesnt deserve this spot. Hes alright but fails to deliver as consistently as the other singers below, total bs.

The Dude | 10/12/2009, 1:36 pm EST

Manuel should be on the top three. Normally he isn’t even listen but he really is probably the single best singer that ever lived. None of the singers listed above him can be as funky, as tragic and as enigmatic as Richard Manuel. Anyone who doesn’t know him and loves classic rock should check him out. Lead singer of The Band, died in 1986.

Eddie Vedder nr.1???

He’s a good singer, but nr.1? It’s almost like putting Elizabeth as the best movie of all time, it’s very good, but not the best.

Again, Manuel. Anyone with braincells functioning would agree with him being on the top three…

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