OT: Rock and Roll lead singers

[imno1]

Mercury
Plant
Bon Scott
Steve Perry
Paul Rogers

As singers but if the question is frontman it's hard leave out Jagger, Roth, Rose and Tyler

 

[DogBoy]

A few more:

John Fogerty
Levon Helms
Jack Bruce
Tom Petty (never much liked the him in his heyday but longevity with Heartbreakers + Wilburys + Stevie Nicks + McGuinn etc his talent has grown on me alot)
Dennis Yost
Rick Derringer

 

[HuskyHawk]

As for bands with the most really good singers in one band, the Beach Boys top my list. Brian and Carl Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine all had good voices. I miss multi-vocal harmony in modern music. Queen was great at it.

 

[Horatio]

Terry Kath deserves an honorable mention
on this thread

 

[Chin Diesel]

1. Robert Plant
2. Everyone else
3a. Ray Charles
3b. Freddie Mercury
3c. Steve Winwood
3d. Mick Jaggar
3e. Greg Allman

 

[HuskyHawk]

Meatloaf isolated vocal

 

[QDOG5]

1. Van the man, the Belfast Cowboy has the best voice in rock n roll
2. Plant - he had both the voice and the front man thing
3. Eddie Vedder - the voice might not be pure but I love the way he sings
4. Mick Jagger - more for the front man aspect but he voice on the early Stones stuff is very good
5. Al Green - what a voice
6. Bob Dylan - just kidding

 

[DogBoy]

As for bands with the most really good singers in one band, the Beach Boys top my list. Brian and Carl Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine all had good voices. I miss multi-vocal harmony in modern music. Queen was great at it.

I'm a big fan of multiple voice harmonies within a band as well. Some of my favs not counting those already mentioned:

Beatles This Boy, Nowhere Man, Girl, Because, Sun King
Eagles Take it easy
Steeley Dan Reelin in the years
Doobie Bros Jesus
CSNY pick one
Hollies pick one

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'm a big fan of multiple voice harmonies within a band as well. Some of my favs not counting those already mentioned:

Beatles This Boy, Nowhere Man, Girl, Because, Sun King
Eagles Take it easy
Steeley Dan Reelin in the years
Doobie Bros Jesus
CSNY pick one
Hollies pick one

It used to be so common. All the Beach Boys tunes really. Kansas on Carry On My Wayward Son. Eagles did it all the time too (Lyin' Eyes...).

 

[DogBoy]

It used to be so common. All the Beach Boys tunes really. Kansas on Carry On My Wayward Son. Eagles did it all the time too (Lyin' Eyes...).

Doh forgot all about Kansas. Another good one was 10cc I'm not in love

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

SO many unlistenable bands.
I'd rather be locked in a room with Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Neil Young doing the CSN songbook.

Surprised nobody mentioned Sammy Hagar.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Number 1 is Freddie Mercury, it's hard to argue against that.
Plant, Daltrey has got to be up there, as well as Bono.

Among those I don't think were mentioned- Kurt Cobain, Clapton, Thom Yorke, Mark Knopfler, Billie Joe Armstrong, Anthony Kiedis.
Not necessarily vocal ability when it comes to those last 2, but unique sound and great lyricism.

 

[Chin Diesel]

1. Van the man, the Belfast Cowboy has the best voice in rock n roll
2. Plant - he had both the voice and the front man thing
3. Eddie Vedder - the voice might not be pure but I love the way he sings
4. Mick Jagger - more for the front man aspect but he voice on the early Stones stuff is very good
5. Al Green - what a voice
6. Bob Dylan - just kidding

Number 1 is Freddie Mercury, it's hard to argue against that.
Plant, Daltrey has got to be up there, as well as Bono.

Among those I don't think were mentioned- Kurt Cobain, Clapton, Thom Yorke, Mark Knopfler, Billie Joe Armstrong, Anthony Kiedis.
Not necessarily vocal ability when it comes to those last 2, but unique sound and great lyricism.

When the category is best rock band lead singer it's real difficult to separate the vocal from the performance. Stage presence of a rock band lead singer can overcome lots of mediocrity of all other areas it takes to be a great vocalist.

 

[Excalibur]

And here's where this thread inevitably devolves into the "X band/style of music sucks".

 

[QDOG5]

When the category is best rock band lead singer it's real difficult to separate the vocal from the performance. Stage presence of a rock band lead singer can overcome lots of mediocrity of all other areas it takes to be a great vocalist.

I agree Chin. I was going to do two categories. Voice and Frontman. I reread the question and it says if "I'm" starting a band. So my new list is
Plant, Jagger, Daltrey, Vedder, Springsteen.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

When the category is best rock band lead singer it's real difficult to separate the vocal from the performance. Stage presence of a rock band lead singer can overcome lots of mediocrity of all other areas it takes to be a great vocalist.

Right, I was under the assumption that best lead singer involved the whole package. Voice, stage presence, uniqueness, creativity, lyrics.

 

[boba]

All you misogynists rolleyes keep leaving out the exceptional female singers:
Grace Slick (Somebody to Love anyone?)
Ann Wilson (Everyone likes Barracuda, but I think Mistral Wind was her best)
Aretha Franklin (not really Rock and Roll, but she is in the Hall of Fame)

 

[superjohn]

Inspired by some Jeff Beck ranting, disdain for Geno's pizza choices and other fun off season topics, I present the lead singer challenge. Just guys (no Ann Wilson) and no opera singers or Bing Crosby types. You're starting a band, you need a lead singer (and have a time machine) who do you grab to front the band and why? Give me your top 5, and a reason for #1. It could be Shane McGowan from the Pogues just for the unique sound, or you could go for amazing vocal range with Sebastian Bach.

Mine:
#1 Robert Plant. He can sound like a 40's crooner, or scream with the best of them. Great combination of voice, presence and style.
#2 Rod Stewart
#3 Meatloaf. (the guy can flat out sing)
#4 Bono
#5 Paul Rogers

Shane McGowan is one of my favorites but why is Ann Wilson excluded?

 

[superjohn]

Inspired by some Jeff Beck ranting, disdain for Geno's pizza choices and other fun off season topics, I present the lead singer challenge. Just guys (no Ann Wilson) and no opera singers or Bing Crosby types. You're starting a band, you need a lead singer (and have a time machine) who do you grab to front the band and why? Give me your top 5, and a reason for #1. It could be Shane McGowan from the Pogues just for the unique sound, or you could go for amazing vocal range with Sebastian Bach.

Mine:
#1 Robert Plant. He can sound like a 40's crooner, or scream with the best of them. Great combination of voice, presence and style.
#2 Rod Stewart
#3 Meatloaf. (the guy can flat out sing)
#4 Bono
#5 Paul Rogers

There aren't a lot of musicians I can't stand but Rod Stewart is one of them. The guy totally sucks.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Shane McGowan is one of my favorites but why is Ann Wilson excluded?

Because he said the category was men only?

 

[August_West]

There aren't a lot of musicians I can't stand but Rod Stewart is one of them. The guy totally sucks.

LOL noob

 

[superjohn]

Because he said the category was men only?

I know, it just seems weird to exclude women and one of the best voices ever in rock.

 

[superjohn]

LOL noob

Makes my ears hurt, when he comes on in the car I get road rage.

 

[tdrink]

Layne Staley
Chris Cornell
Cedric Bixler-Zavala

 

[August_West]

Chad Kroeger of Nickelback