Here's a question that is SURE to generate opinions: Who is the best vocalist in rock history?
I don't care who you think is the best "front man". I want to hear about the best "vocalist" -- the guy or gal who you would think is number one even if they could NEVER be SEEN live. In other words, you'd never see Diamond Dave's kicks and antics with early Van Halen. And the prancing and preening of Mick Jagger would be relegated to the studio only. They have to make the cut solely on the quality of their pipes.
So, with that said, what say you? Here's some of my nominations. See if you agree.
(Note: Each vocalist is listed with their primary gigs, not every group they ever sang/sing with).
ROBERT PLANT, Led Zeppelin.
STEVEN TYLER, Aerosmith.
STEVE PERRY, Journey.
FREDDIE MERCURY, Queen.
PAUL RODGERS, Free, Bad Company.
RONNIE JAMES DIO, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio.
SAMMY HAGAR, Montrose, Solo, Van Halen.
CHRIS CORNELL, Soundgarden, Audioslave.
My picks? Well, i have to admit to struggling mightily with this one. And i gave a listen to a lot of these boys' material trying to decide the most worthy.
In the end, though, i came up with a tie. Steve Perry and Chris Cornell. Surprised? Frankly, so was I. And i offer those picks with apologies to the rest.
But to me, Steve Perry has the most pure rock voice ever -- his range is astounding, and he communicates serious emotion in a way that most cannot. Amazing stuff. Some people may disagree with this, but my view is that rock and roll is primarily about communicating EMOTION. It's an emotive musical medium that is best when it inspires/demands a REACTION. Tell me you can't help but sing along with "Any Want You It" on your satellite radio. And watch the chicks hit the dance floor when a bar band cranks up the piano intro to "Don't Stop Believin'" That's a reaction to an emotional song. And the tenderness of songs like Open Arms or Faithfully always melt even the hard heart of the God of Thunder.
And Chris Cornell? Damn, but the kid has Hall of Fame chops and he's proved a lasting force beyond his Seattle grunge roots. I especially like what he has done with Audioslave. He has the best tools of Robert Plant, Steven Tyler and Sammy projecting from one place. If you haven't given him a serious listen, do so. You won't be sorry (assuming you like your rock a tad on the aggressive, introspective side). I like his voice so much that i could NOT leave him as an also-ran.
Looking forward to your thoughts.
Go in peace....
God of Thunder
Steve Perry #1 for sure. Tesla's Jeff Keith, Dokken's Don Dokken and Nancy Wilson of Heart -- Their voices are my valium.
ReplyDeletenice pulls GOT. I'm impressed. You demonstrate an open mind. well done young man. npa
ReplyDeleteSteve Perry deserves to be on the list, but not as #1. I will pull the "closed minded" card and say, "Oh Sherrie" - 'nuf. said. Yes, he has an amazing range and such, but that song is so wrong that it's beyond wrong.
ReplyDeleteLove Chris Cornell and he's in my top three, but I'd have say that Freddie Mercury is my #1. He could belt them out like no other, even at the late twilight of his life. His theatrical style only added to his greatness.
Another addition is Brian Johnson of AC/DC. Sure, most of the time the untrained ear thinks his style is more about screaming than singing. However, his gritty, dirty singing voice is still as strong as ever.
TVW makes a key point. AC/DC kicks ass. 'Nuff said... but wait - a strong and compelling Madonna discussion is on its way... just wait. npa
ReplyDeleteOkay, first things first, not to be nitpicky, but yo.addy, you have your Wilson sisters mixed up.
ReplyDeleteNow, onto the question at hand. GOT, you're half right. I'm not sure, unequivocally which half is right, but I do know that Plant is it. He HAS to be in there. On pure talent alone, maybe not. And obviously much of his appeal is visual, but even without seeing him, what he delivers vocally is UNMATCHED. We're talking about a dude who has the ability to orgasm through your speakers and take your breath away. If that isn't emoting I don't know what is. I agree with all of the singers on your list, but hands down, I get way more sex from Plant.
As for my second choice, I guess it would be between Perry and Cornell. For this I'll chose CC, because I recognize his talent, for one thing, and I think that one thing that pushes him past Perry is the way his voice cuts. Half of Perry's battle was won by the words he said. Cornell could be singing the phone book and you'd get chills. So I'll avoid the trap of "classic = better" and go with Cornell, because both Cornell and Plant create a sound, in addition to the words they are singing, that conveys the picture they are painting. Much like Clapton's guitar cries for Layla, so do the voices of Cornell and Plant trigger emotion in their listeners better than any of their fellow gods of rawk ...
Ok THAT, people, is what i'm talking about. Thanks Layla. Those are opinions!!
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, i love Plant. And this stuff is all subjective. But wow. Love it. Please keep coming back!
G.O.T.
OK this is tough but I have always thought that Steven Tyler was the greatest ever. "Dream On" to me was the best vocal ever. I've got to go with Paul Rodgers next. With Free and Bad Company his vocals are just amazing and flawless. Next- my man- Sammy Hagar. I could listen to Sammy all day, all night and all week. How he can sing like that without destroying vocal chords I'll never know- I've tried it. Couldn't talk for 2 days. I can't go with Steve Perry just because he is Steve Perry and because of Journey in general. Journey music always invokes a puke reflex on me- GAG.
ReplyDeleteOthers in my top 10. ANN Wilson, David Coverdale, Chris Cornell, DLR, Billy Gibbons, Ozzy and Dio
After thinking about it there is someone else I would like to give their due credit. The WORST vocalist of all time. There is not even a discussion here for me. There is one band with an atrocious singer that I will literally drive off the road to try to change my radio when he comes on. It's like sitting in a dentist chair having your teeth drilled. I would rather stick ice picks in my ears than listen to Geddy Lee and Rush.
ReplyDeleteI thought about yesterdays comments all day and feel I have failed to mention 2 of my favorites. It was really early and my mind went blank. Brad Delp from Boston truly one of the most original voices ever. Great range. And a more obscure singer that has always been a favorite to me was Joe Lynn Turner. He was lead singer for Ritchie Blakemore's Rainbow from 80- 84 and was with Yngwie Malsteens Rising Force for a couple of albums. He also replaced Ian Gillan in 1989 with Deep Purple. Fantastic singer.
ReplyDeleteHey ThunderFish - Steve Perry? Are you kidding me? I didn't realize G.O.T stood for "CreamPuff".
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should have an affinity for Steve Perry since we played Open Arms 25 times in a row during the 7th grade dance in a pitch black classroom while an unbelievable make out session ensued. Good thing the Nuns and Priests were asleep or intoxicated.
Can't deny the chops or a few timeless cuts, but unfortunately the majority of the vocals were housed within vanilla crap.
I guess Steve Perry could be representative of the raging 7th grade boner, it's there but you just don't know what to do with it!
Ok, Turd Burgler. Call it overplayed, call it wuss-rock-lite, call it whatever. But Pery's chops ARE undeniable. Doesn't matter how much elevator strings are mixed in with the tunes, he is flat out a great vocalist. One of the best of all time. That's why i tied him with the dude who is also a monster, Cornell.
ReplyDeleteHow droppin' a nomination of your own, TB?
BRAD DELP !!!
ReplyDelete