Good shouts already: Chris Cornell, Robert Plant, and Freddie.
I would add Rob Halford and Glenn Danzig.
I would not call a John Lennon a rock singer at all. He gave grit to the Beatles, but the rock voice was Paul. That's why Paul sang Helter Skelter, Oh Darling and Hey Jude. Closest thing by John is arguably Yer Blues.
Honestly, I sweated my bits off in the early 90s rave scene and looking like a hobo the next morning but this guy and those two tramps he influenced need to be locked up and jet hosed at least once a month like the police used to do with vagrants.
Luckily this is a greatest rock singer thread so we can avoid all the technically superior singers. This shows you all the top singers ranges and where they hit their highest and lowest notes:
Axl is clearly out in front as a technically superior singer but is also a massive tool. I think even he would go with Freddie as The Greatest as all the members of GnR were Queen fans.
Jon Bon Jovi's an interesting one. There was a brief period in the early to mid-90s when he came very close to being a truly great rock star in a great band. They'd put the 80s big hair stuff to bed and could fill wembley and appear credible (Keep the Faith/These Days). Then it all went to shit. If you ever feel like cringing, just watch recent concert footage. It's all nasal voice and a bit tragic now. Some rock stars (Springsteen comes to mind) seem to age well, others become bad tribute acts.
Axl massively overrated. He famously introduces the GNR live version of Whole Lotta Rosie with the words “I ain’t no Bon Scott”. And then proves it. The band also prove they’re no AC/DC. Awful cover version.
Love the first four Muse albums, but Bellamy is too limited as a singer for true greatness. Falsetto, lots of pathos and a very decent scream (last one on Falling Down is amazing!), but nothing you would not get elsewhere. His guitar is where it's at. The live versions of his solo on Invincible are hard to believe.
For pure vocal ability and technique, Don Henley (Eagles). His live performances sound like perfect studio takes and he can still do it in his 70s, whilst drumming. Phenomenal!
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Freddie Mercury?
You seem to be making the schoolboy error of equating best showman with best singer.
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Robert Plant
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Serj Tankian
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Axl Rose? Jon Bon Jovi?
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Steve Perry had a great voice but Freddie Mercury for his epic songwriting combined with unique voice. John Lennon was overrated as f imo.
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Pretty sexist list so far
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Yeah that does seem a little diva like. Could say the same for Lennon's Bollinger Bolshevik crap and wife beating/son abusing antics.
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Bruce Dickinson by a mile.
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Big bruce for me clive, closely followed by JBJ and Axl
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TINA TURNER.
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Bon Scott or Ian Gillan.
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Hmmm, difficult one.
Chris Cornell, Bon Scott, Rod Stewart, Kurt Cobain
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John Lennon? Kurt Cobain?
Some of you need hearing aids.
The correct answer is Robert Plant.
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Bonnie Tyler.
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Ian Brown
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Elvis Presley for the male category. Candi Staton for the wifies.
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Elvis. Changed the entire musical landscape.
Alas his rock phase was about 2 years tops. But it was enough.
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Good choice Tom. Big Man Utd fan.
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Heh @ Tomlinorder
Springsteen has a great rock voice; maybe not the best of the century, but great nonetheless
Jeff Buckley’s tragic early demise deprived us of some brilliant vocals
Roger Daltrey on his night had, maybe still has, a huge voice
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Bon Scott also a great shout
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Some of these... I mean Ian Brown? The guy talks... Talks! A weak, pathetic voice. I thought Sting had a weak voice until I heard Brown.
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Good shouts already: Chris Cornell, Robert Plant, and Freddie.
I would add Rob Halford and Glenn Danzig.
I would not call a John Lennon a rock singer at all. He gave grit to the Beatles, but the rock voice was Paul. That's why Paul sang Helter Skelter, Oh Darling and Hey Jude. Closest thing by John is arguably Yer Blues.
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Bowie?
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Honestly, I sweated my bits off in the early 90s rave scene and looking like a hobo the next morning but this guy and those two tramps he influenced need to be locked up and jet hosed at least once a month like the police used to do with vagrants.
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Maymay- I’m joking m7
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Ooh, Janis Joplin?
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‘Good choice Tom. Big Man Utd fan.‘
Yeah now you come to mention it, I prefer Liam, Noel, the fella from the Blossoms, Johnny Marr, and Bernard Manning.
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If we throw the technical dimension out the window and focus on expression, Jack White deserves credit.
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Iggy
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Luckily this is a greatest rock singer thread so we can avoid all the technically superior singers. This shows you all the top singers ranges and where they hit their highest and lowest notes:
https://www.concerthotels.com/worlds-greatest-vocal-ranges
Axl is clearly out in front as a technically superior singer but is also a massive tool. I think even he would go with Freddie as The Greatest as all the members of GnR were Queen fans.
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Little Richard surely.
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If you go by technique, names like Mike Patton pop up, who never sang a pleasant note in his life.
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Having seen most of the above, Freddie was great, both a great singer and a great showman.
I think the best ( or the one I enjoyed the most) I ever saw was Phil Lynott.
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The Blossoms, unusually for people from Stockport, are not city fans but county fans.
Liam grew up supporting Celtic.
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Christ that's a motley crew. Get yourself a better class of celeb fan, like Mick Hucknall.
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Iggy is an interesting one, def a good singer, but I think beats Freddie hands down as a "show man"
I have seen him countless times and Iggy at the Powerhouse in Birmingham was a show second to none.
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TINA TURNER
https://youtu.be/granUJJHre0
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Jon Bon Jovi's an interesting one. There was a brief period in the early to mid-90s when he came very close to being a truly great rock star in a great band. They'd put the 80s big hair stuff to bed and could fill wembley and appear credible (Keep the Faith/These Days). Then it all went to shit. If you ever feel like cringing, just watch recent concert footage. It's all nasal voice and a bit tragic now. Some rock stars (Springsteen comes to mind) seem to age well, others become bad tribute acts.
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Some of these... I mean Ian Brown? The guy talks... Talks! A weak, pathetic voice. I thought Sting had a weak voice until I heard Brown.
The Ian Brown suggestion has to be a joke. His voice is notoriously crap.
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Axl massively overrated. He famously introduces the GNR live version of Whole Lotta Rosie with the words “I ain’t no Bon Scott”. And then proves it. The band also prove they’re no AC/DC. Awful cover version.
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'in the same genre as Vedder and nowhere near as good'
LOL, what?
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What Goose said.
I like Jack Black's spoken obituary for Chris Cornell at a Metallica concert: "Sometimes he would sing a note that doesn't exist."
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Morrisey
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Bento - so bad that ACDC picked axl to be their new front man?
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Doesn’t alter my opinion of him.
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Janis Joplin
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Christopher Cross
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Meatloaf.
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Freddie Mercury
Robert Plant
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Mercury (tbf not just a showman; astonishing vocal range and ability).
Springsteen
Elvis
Maybe Liam actually
John Lennon? No way - great song writer. But rock singer? Not even the best in his own band...
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Ooh Mick Jagger ofc
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Stevie Nicks
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Who could actually sing, in contrast to pretty much everyone else mentioned on this thread.
XX chromosomes clearly a handicap in this race, however
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Love the first four Muse albums, but Bellamy is too limited as a singer for true greatness. Falsetto, lots of pathos and a very decent scream (last one on Falling Down is amazing!), but nothing you would not get elsewhere. His guitar is where it's at. The live versions of his solo on Invincible are hard to believe.
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Nina persson
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I popped in again to see what's going on and the answer is still Robert Plant.
With a nod to whoever suggested Elvis.
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Anyone mentioned Bonnie Tyler?
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Stevie Nicks
gold dust woman
Japan tour
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The answer is in fact Ronnie James Dio. Listen to Caught in the Middle and tell me I’m wrong.
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Stevie Nicks - and I write as a Fleetwood Mac fan - is a lovely vocal stylist but not even the best female vocalist in her band.
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It was Jim Morrison
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Really? I mean, just as a singer?
BTW I'm assuming the Lennon suggestion was a joke or just to fet things going. Not rock, and he barely sings.
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Ann Wilson (Heart)?
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Meatloaf
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Oh Periclean how dare you
landslide is one of the rare songs that can make me cry
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Don't get me wrong Linda, I really like her work. But don't you think she sounds ever so slightly like a goat?
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NO
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Mercury (for his sheer experimentation)
Springsteen (for his sustainable performance across the decades)
Clapton (for crossing the spectrum and mastering all)
Turner / Houston - amazing range and variety
Axl - still as my personal favourite
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Some of you lot must be on drugs.
Many of these suggestions are pitiful.
Think before you post.
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No votes for Van Morrison?
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Clapton as a singer? Surely not.
Van Morrison is fabulous but not rock.
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A few good shouts, lots of terrible shouts. Cornell probably the best shout. Freddie Mercury is a very limited singer, technically
JC has it with Ronnie James Dio
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Cornell proponents: I'm interested to hear more of his work. Suggestions?
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Perclean, try
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Grace Slick...if in doubt, ‘go ask Alice...’
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+1 for Jim Morrison amongst the boys. Debbie Harry probs for the girls. Not a massive Blondie fan but she had a truly ace voice in her day.
Van Morrison is a great singer but its not rock!
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Oh, and make sure to give Slaves and Bulldozers and Beyond the Wheel a listen (both by Soundgarden).
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freddie or karen carpenter
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For pure vocal ability and technique, Don Henley (Eagles). His live performances sound like perfect studio takes and he can still do it in his 70s, whilst drumming. Phenomenal!
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Karen Carpenter was in no way a rock singer!
Jazzy/pop/easy listening maybe, but not rock.
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I would never describe John Lennon as a "rock singer".
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John Lennon’s singing and all of his solo work incredibly overrated IMHO.
Dio, Plant and Axl all great calls, but they can grate somewhat depending on the song.
Paul Rodgers, David Coverdale, Prince and Lou Gramm deserve mention. Perhaps not the greatest, however.
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What was he then?
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Perhaps some of our Celtic colleagues would join me in voting for the great Donnie Munro.
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John Lennon was more pop than rock, imo
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