It feels comprehensive, but there are plenty of gaps (it’s a list). Still, it’s interesting, mostly because for some of the folks listed other vocalists wrote the accompanying blurbs, offering insights in both directions. Like Iggy Pop (#75) on James Brown (#10):
And there was that scream. It was like an inner voice. It sounded like an assertion of rights of primitive man: “I am alive, and I can do things.” He used to describe his dancing as “African nerve control.” He had a point … He was a terrific editor. The one that flipped me out — I still remember being in the car, hearing it — is “I Can’t Stand It.” He was down to fuck the chorus, fuck the melody. This is barely a riff. But he pushes the group along like the coxswain on a Roman galley: Stroke, motherfucker, uh!
And a hearty, etc. Michael Jackson (#25) might be less than excited — his text was written by Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump. Chris Martin weighs in on Björk (#60). One thing to note: Besides Axl Rose (and, if you want to get classic, Robert Plant and Steven Tyler), RS isn’t that into heavy metal singers. Rob Halford should be pissed. Ozzy and Dio are weeping. Dion is not. Also: No Joey Ramone? Fleet Foxes aren’t #1, so don’t get your hopes up.
100 Mary J. Blige
99 Steven Tyler
98 Stevie Nicks
97 Joe Cocker
96 B.B. King
95 Patti LaBelle
94 Karen Carpenter
93 Annie Lennox
92 Morrissey
91 Levon Helm
90 The Everly Brothers
89 Solomon Burke
88 Willie Nelson
87 Don Henley
86 Art Garfunkel
85 Sam Moore
84 Darlene Love
83 Patti Smith
82 Tom Waits
81 John Lee Hooker
80 Frankie Valli
79 Mariah Carey
78 Sly Stone
77 Merle Haggard
76 Steve Perry
75 Iggy Pop
74 James Taylor
73 Dolly Parton
72 John Fogerty
71 Toots Hibbert
70 Gregg Allman
69 Ronnie Spector
68 Wilson Pickett
67 Jerry Lee Lewis
66 Thom Yorke
65 David Ruffin
64 Axl Rose
63 Dion
62 Lou Reed
61 Roger Daltrey
60 Björk
59 Rod Stewart
58 Christina Aguilera
57 Eric Bourdon
56 Mavis Staples
55 Paul Rodgers
54 Luther Vandross
53 Muddy Waters
52 Brian Wilson
51 Gladys Knight
50 Bonnie Raitt
49 Donny Hathaway
48 Buddy Holly
47 Jim Morrison
46 Patsy Cline
45 Kurt Cobain
44 Bobby “Blue” Bland
43 George Jones
42 Joni Mitchell
41 Chuck Berry
40 Curtis Mayfield
39 Jeff Buckley
38 Elton John
37 Neil Young
36 Bruce Springsteen
35 Dusty Sprinfield
34 Whitney Houston
33 Steve Winwood
32 Bono
31 Howlin’ Wolf
30 Prince
29 Nina Simone
28 Janis Joplin
27 Hank Williams
26 Jackie Wilson
25 Michael Jackson
24 Van Morrison
23 David Bowie
22 Etta James
21 Johnny Cash
20 Smokey Robinson
19 Bob Marley
18 Freddie Mercury
17 Tina Turner
16 Mick Jagger
15 Robert Plant
14 Al Green
13 Roy Orbison
12 Little Richard
11 Paul McCartney
10 James Brown
09 Stevie Wonder
08 Otis Redding
07 Bob Dylan
06 Marvin Gaye
05 John Lennon
04 Sam Cooke
03 Elvis Presley
02 Ray Charles
01 Aretha Franklin
You can read the texts and listen to sound samples at Rolling Stone. The voters were journalists and a bunch of people who can sing. You’ll see them listed over there, too.
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Time to get relevant, Rolling Stone.
This is a pretty shitty list, paul simon should be there, and on a serious note, allah- i agree, where is the ODB>??
Wow…that was EXACTLY my first thought too? Where is Paul Simon??
well i reckon cobain should be #1, then probably freddy mercury
I agree with you fully, Steve Perry has one of the most greatest vocals of all time, speaking of great vocals where the hell is Billy Joel on this list?
i agree with you on freddie being in the top 2, i personally feel he should be first, no one can hit the notes he can, i repeat no one.
@Jackflores32:
Freddy is a great singers, one of my favorites, and an inspiration to me. But saying no one else can hit the notes he hit? That is a COMPLETE JOKE!!! thousands if not millions of other singers can hit them, including myself. You don’t have to try to disqualify other singers to prove he was a great singer, he was, and always will be one of the best, and you don’t have to knock others to make it so.
wow worst list ever steve perry 76? are you kidding me he is one of the best singers ever and cobain put so high? he is terrible also were is phil collins?
I totally agree with dan, Steve Perry should at least be in the top 10, no doubt at all! Steve Tyler at 99, are u fucking kidding me? He should be in the top 10! Freddie Mercury should be in the top 10 also! And how the fuck is Frank Sinatra not on that list or Tom Petty? Worst list I have ever seen in my life! My personal favorite top 5 singers is a better list then this load of bullshit!
1.Steve Perry
2.Steve Tyler
3.John Lennon
4.Frank Sinatra
5.Freddie Mercury
agree with you also missed other good voices like Celine Dion, Sarah Brigthman, Pavarotti, Domingo
Fucking muppet shutup who asked you for your opinion ?
agreed, although i think freddie should be first
i think the same!!! u are cool
i agree with u just that i think that freddie should be the number 1 hahaha i love queen !!! he was aswesome!!! well thats my opinion :DD
robert plant come on you unmusical idiots
don’t talk about him like that. he could sing and play guitar and drums very well. i think he shouold be put higher.
u are right cobain aint even in a 1000 list.chris cornell is a top ten i think tho
hey i like this guys opinion^ i could tell he listens to good music…..YEA RIGHT you faget steven perry couldnt like the top 15′s balls
Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, Fiona Apple, Mike Patton, Robert Plant, Jónsi Birgisson. Bjork, Trent Reznor, Thom York, Cee Lo, Cedric Bixler Zavala, Chris Cornell… C’MON Get with it! This is why this list doesn’t matter. At all. No one in this list’s music is going to make any less or more of a difference because of what number they fell into. Rolling Stone has an old school mentality, and Magazines like Alternative Press should be taken more seriously for new and interesting stuff. Every vocalist has something different to bring to the table, not just the highest note, or the best vibrato. This list simply cannot be taken seriously, it cannot exist unless you let it.
To put Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, and Robert Plant in the same category as Bjork clearly shows your ignorance.
Fully! I agree mr. murphy-best lists are outdated, maybe back in the 50s when there many fewere musical acts would it be possible to arrange such a gouping; however, with the number of talented acts that now exist in the world (both english speaking and that other 70%) it is literally impossible, borderline unethical to perform such an act: each musician, vocalist, band, what have you, is so unique in their own right that you can’t simply classify best, even with a list of criteria that would be longer than the original list itself. Best is just too vague a term; it MAY be possible to compile a list of most influential or talented artists ever, but surely not a best catalog, it’s just too subjective.
Anyway, that’s my piece, I’m going to quit before I end up writing a sequel to the Odyssey.
Totally agree! This list reads more like a “most influential list”, and even then many influential singers are left off. O.o Not too mention, they leave out many genres on this list, especially opera (Pavarotti, Maria Callas, etc) or people who sing in theater (ie Ethel Merman or Bernadette Peters to name a few), not to mention leaving off singers such Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) who has a killer range and can express so much in his voice or Dio as mentioned in this article, or hell even Ozzy.
Not to mention all the singers in other languages like Laura Fabian or Mylene Farmer or Selena or Jenni Rivera to name a few.
There are just so many great singers out there… Rating “The best” is a joke. lol Influential yes, best, not really.
God Bless ~Amy
Michael Jackson should deffinantly be #1
the fact that Frank Sinatra is not even on the list is an absolute travesty, should be in the top ten easy. rolling stone, you should be ashamed of yourselves, you have lost all credibility.
Really? I have always considered Paul McCartney’s vocals to be alot stronger than John Lennon’s.
are u kidding me? listen to macca’s voice today(crawling like a turtle).if Lennon is lucky and still living today i bet u he bests macca for sure.
jaja nadie canta igual a los 70 años, todo se va acabando, y para que paul siga llegando notas altas a esa edad es algo de lo cual admirarse, y con una prueba para que se compruebe de que paul tiene mejor voz que john es, que simplemente john lennon nunca pudo cantar bien la de oh! darling,
Where is Eddie Kendricks at
WHERE IS LAYNE STALEY????? Could hit notes that mercury couldnt touch? really? mainstream crap.
Wow… not a good list AT all. Curt Cobain but no Chris Cornell?!?! GEOFF TATE?
REDICULOUS!!!
Where the hell is Layne Staley? He Should be top 10 if not top 5. He can hit notes most the list cannot. I like Kurt but please get rid of him and put layne in his spot. He deserves a spot atleast. No one has a more chilling voice than layne.
Kurt Cobain a better singer than Christina Aguilera. Neil Young a better singer than Patti LaBelle.
The only justification for clicking on this article is Axl Rose looks like he’s doing a “Woo! Woo!” choo-choo train hand-motion whilst sucking a big black dingaling in that photo.
you mean he’s not?
hahahahahahhahahahaahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhah. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a while. Seeing how Kurt Cobain and Neil Young can’t sing AT ALL, your comment is gut wrenchingly funny.
“Kurt Cobain a better singer than Christina Aguilera.”
Yeah, in your dreams, pal. You probably also agree with Rolling Stone that Bob Dylan is indeed a better singer than Freddie Mercury, based on your logic.
LMFAO you must be high or drunk or just plain retarded.
No Molly Siegel=fuck this shit! Morrissey is also way too low.
Bono? Why? Why? Why?
Thank you Fred!! I thought it was taboo to desecrate Bono’s name!
http://www.onenotepony.com/?p=117#content
I think this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jxIc9qu3hQ&feature=related is a good reason why Bono. I know that a lot of people love to hate him, I get it, but for a bad punk band from the early 80s his vocals have come a long way. Keep in mind he is singing Pavarotti’s tenor part from that song. He’s got a lot of range from very quiet to belting it out.
unless “like a rolling stone is some” joke I don’t get, I think #97 should be joe cocker.
I agree with adrienne’s comment though, this list is pretty ancient.
you have the gall to call your list the greatest singers of all time, and then choose to narrow it to 100 people…that’s the problem here…
there are random old singers peppered throughout, but then it’s like wheres frank sinatra or billy holiday or ella fitzgerald etc who are all better than mary j blige for example
its just such a broad and endless concept with constricting it with eras or genres that its never going to please anyone because in essence its flawed , very flawed
gah
Anyway, they should have included David Byrne.
I’m never gonna buy the magazine again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KQjy02eqOk&feature=related
Uno Mas, Talking Heads, Rome, 1980
w/ Adrian Belew guitar
uhh. I mean joe cocker.
Or Jarvis? No, you’re right … fixed.
Where is David Byrne?
Wow this list has pissed off soo many people. I think that might have been the goal of the whole exercise.
drool drool drool! list list list! smash smash smash!
63 Dion
Celine Dion?
WTF?
#63 would be 1989 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dion DiMucci, you fucking idiot.
jeff buckley at #39? that’s it?
wtf rolling stone….
thom yorke is not number 66, nor is he below fucking axl rose
I hate to be the person who hates on lists, but Dylan? Anywhere near this list? Much less top ten? Fuck Rolling Stone
for someone who hates to be a person who hates lists you’ve already hated it twice…
Every list pisses a million people off.
I’m a little sad there’s no Cedric Bixler Zavala. Especially since RS loves TMV so much. Maybe it’s just Omar.
Also, I don’t see Brian Wilson, but there’s no way he couldn’t be on there so I probably just missed him.
# 52
You’re kidding, right? Brian was probably the FOURTH best singer in the Beach Boys. Even though he’s a dick, Mike Love was definitely the best vocalist in that group. And yes, Brian is on the list.
Dude, Carl was the one with the voice.
52. Brian Wilson
bono > neil young. witney houston > jeff buckley. christina aguilera > thom yorke. oh god
Oh God no, they put three great vocalists higher than three mediocre ones, whatever will we do?!
Wow it kinda sucks the only result when searching for “ved” points to “All Rights Reserved” at the bottom. …eddie vedder?
I’d add Liam Gallagher 1993-2002
agreed. liam should be there…..the list sucked when i read that axl rose was there.
Jeff Buckley is an amazing singer, his voice is out of this world!!
Jeff Buckley NY Tribute will be Monday, November 17th, 7pm at Arlene’s Grocery . It would of been his 42nd birthday.
move freddy mercury up, please
what about the guy from clap your hands say yeah!!!??!?!?!?!
just kidding but seriously, good shit that wouldnt make a list like this: jeff mangum, antony haggarty, beth gibbons to name a few…
Where is Robin Peckinhold, Jim James, or Ben Bridwell?
We all know that Bob Dylan is one of the greatest poets of all time, but he shouldn’t have even been considered to be put on this list, let alone at number 7.
A singer is not solely the musician with the best voice. thats pretty straight edge.
THANK YOU. i despise dylan for his singin but i do agree he is a good songwriter
I totally agree with this list. I’ve been telling people for years that David Bowie is the 23rd greatest singer of all time.
hahahaha
hehe you’re awesome
RollingStone should die and be buried with their countless, irrelevant lists.
cedric bixler zavala…honestly he’s one of the top frontmen of all time. at least top 100.
stevie nicks? 98? ….. maybe they mixed up her and stevie wonder …. great performer, not a great singer
Why don’t you remove the wax buildup from your ears, because it’s obviously obstructing your hearing if you don’t realize Stevie Wonder is a great singer.
Ian Gillan.. David Coverdale.. Dio …. Haldford, Dickinson… hello????
dude, I so agree with you, how the fuck do Mary J Blige and fucking Bono make it on this list of so called greatest singer, but operatic metal legends don’t?
Because operatic metal legends should be imprisoned for the crap they spew into a microphone.
It’s good to see “Smoke” Robinson on this list. I’ve always liked “Smoke” Robinson.
right up there with Dusty “Sprinfield”
Where is Micahel Stipe! He should be in the top 10! Also Where is Robert Smith. I can’t believe they think Mary J Blidge is better than Robert Smith! WTF!
is it about how your voice sounds? or your tone and how you bring it across. you don’t have to be pavarotti or whatever to be an amazing singer, so i think that’s the justification of having dylan in the top ten. it’s how he sings, not how well.
yea i don’t think most are noticing that TOM WAITS is on this list. i think its safe to say this isn’t american idol.
the list is appropriately weighted towards 60s r&b, but no diana ross? wuh?
The folks complaining about Dylan don’t really seem to understand how rock music works. It’s not about the range, but the delivery. See also: Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash.
It cracks me up that Art Garfunkel is on the list, but Paul Simon is nowhere to be seen.
Token complaint: I’ll agree that Freddie should be higher. Also, I’m not understanding the presence of Steve Perry…unless it’s ironic.
Axl ‘FUCKING’ Rose should be first
The way I see it, you’ve got to have EITHER Elvis Costello OR Daryl Hall on this list. If you want to include emotional singers able to convey raw feelings with brilliant songs (as RS seems to do on this shitlist), then EC deserves a high spot — I mean, Dylan and Lennon in the top ten aren’t known for their great singing. Now, if you want pitch-perfect singing mutants, DHall is a freak who happens to sing mostly shit.
To omit both seems odd.
i think they were talking about dion..not celine dion, but i could be wrong
There were a lot of tone deaf journalist that compiled this list.
Just a couple of thoughts:
Bob Dylan is my favorite Rock and Roll singer of all time. Nobody extracts more emotion out of a set of lyrics than Dylan. If you don’t think Dylan can sign, I challenge you to listen to “Moonshiner” of the first bootleg album, or “Forever Young,” or “Girl From the North Country,” or “Simple Twist of Faith,” or countless other examples. Seeing Lou Reed on the list does surprise me, I love the guy to death, but what song of his is best known for his vocal performance? What is the definitive Lou Reed vocal performance?
I would switch John and Paul’s position.
Ther should be more Beach Boys on the list. But no way is Mike Love a better singer than Brian Wilson, I’m sorry it is just impossible. Listen to Brian’s 1967 demo of “Surf’s Up.” I personally think Brain, Carl, and Bruce Johnston had better voices than Mike, with Dennis closely trailing.
Biggest omission on the list: Levon Helm
My argument for John and Paul staying where they are: “Mother.” I don’t care how much more pleasant and versatile Paul’s voice is. He never had the guts to express himself the way John did.
I thought the same about Paul and John- Paul’s range is vastly superior. Even John hated his own voice
How about ‘Simple Twist of Fate.’
i think kurt cobain has even more emotion in his voice than bob dylan
No Mark E. Smith, no credibility.
jim james wrote a sweet little thing for levon helm.
stop being so fucking perfect, jim james.
also, it is CRIMINAL to leave eddie vedder off this list.
my bad, 91
Yeah, I have to echo the Vedder sentiment. Aside from just his whole ridiculous awesomeness, he spawned a whole generation of shitty alt-rock imitators. Not many singers today are trying to be Axl Rose, but everyone wants to be Eddie Vedder.
Brian Wilson had the best falsetto while Carl had the best all around “voice”. Mike Love just talk-sang most of the early leads. You’re probably unfamiliar with their later albums.
try saying something about Jann and his friends…bono,Dave, etc—you can’t…thats funny…that being said, BJORK?! come on???? and don’t give me some hipster trendy bullshit about how transcending her voice is…DALTREY behind XTINA?! WTF?! Obviously RS and their legendary staff can’t get their junk out of each others mouth…JACK BRUCE? BRUCE DICKINSON? OZZY? DARYL FUCKIN HALL? JOHN OATES?…..MICHAEL MCDONALD? TOTO?
Wheres Vince Neil?
AHHHHH AND NO EDDIE VEDDER???!!! C’MON….DID PJ SAY SOMETHING BAD ABOUT ROLLING STONE? DID THEY MAKE JANN MAD? AWWWWW…..LET ME GUESS…LEONARD COHEN IS A BETTER SINGER, RIGHT? GOD I HATE ROLLING STONE AND ITS JACKS$%T HALL OF FAME….
WHERE’S STEVEN STILLS?
DAVID CROSBY?
GRAHM NASH?
NO ELVIS COSTELLO??
SHIT, NO JOHN LEGEND?
C’MON…NO WAY IS LENNON BETTER THAN MCCARTNEY…..i should really get back to work…..NO ZEVON?!? BULLSHIT!!!
NOTHING CAME OUT OF THE KINKS EITHER I GUESS…..chris cornell???? GEORGE HARRISON? ………JOE COCKER—MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN YOUNG READERS–REASON ENOUGH TO PUT HIM MUUUUUCH HIGHER….
on second thought it’s SUPER weird that eddie vedder isn’t included because he is one of Jann’s pals.
All right, in all seriousness…Where the Fuck is the Old Dirty Bastard?
I get it that a lot of people in the 1950′s pionnered music as we listen to it today, but why does every list have to put every single one of them on the top of every single list. Mick Jagger, Bowie, & Mercury should be easily in the top 10, Vedder needs to be on the list like him or not (and you should like him!). You can also easily make the argument to move up Prince, Morrisey Jim Morrison. and I understand how “uncool” it has become to be a fan of U2, but Bono deserves to be in the top 50. U2 has been on the scene for like 25 relevant years, and produced some pretty damn good stuff in that period, even if you just look at their early work.
But the biggest crime of all???
Bjork… is over Robert Daltry…. The Who, maybe the greatest rock band ever behind the Beatles and Stones, have their front man behind Bjork and her strange Yodeling? No, no no. no, no, no, no…. Bjork needs to be off the list, and Daltry into the top 50.
You should first listen both artist you are comparing and then criticize and not do what you are doing, ignorant.Bjork can hold a note for 20 seconds(probably even longer),sing in a whispering tone,scream and do diverse singing.
oh wow, i just realized that Christina Aguilera is ACTUALLY on this list, and in the 50′s no less……. this list has become completely laughable, having someone like her in the 50′s, and no Ozzy, Byrne, or Ramone
Like her music or not, Christina wipes the floor with Roger and Ozzy. Accept it, snob.
um there are not 65 singers that are better than Thom Yorke.
Um, yes there are.
oh boy. a RS list. I really shouldn’t waste time on a comment, but I have to…….
there are a lot of ridiculous mis-rankings and omissions here (and as much as I don’t care for Pearl Jam, Vedder should be on here without a doubt) but let’s get one thing clear: Roy Orbison is the greatest rock singer ever. ranking Bob Dylan ahead of him, or ANYone else on this list, is pure lunacy.
Tom Waits? Well, I can mumble, too. I guess I should be on this list.
Where is Rick Astley?!?!?
Any vocal list that doesn’t have Freddie Mercury in the top ten (I’d go as far as 5, actually) loses some credibility instantly.
Rolling Stone should hip enough to acknowledge TV on the Radio. I think Kyp and Tunde both have really powerful voices.
Also, Black Francis. I mean…c’mon. Best shout in rock and roll.
FINALLY SOMEONE I CAN AGREE WITH. FREDDIE MERCURY SHOULD BE IN THE TOP 5 AT THE VERY LEAST. FROM BALLAD TO HARD ROCK AND EVEN A HINT OF OPERA, HE HAD THE BEST VOCALS WITH AN IMMACULATE HEAR- FELT DELIVERY.
and also, if we are realistic, jim morrison’s voice was fucking rancid, not that the music was bad, but the voice? nada
mark robbins, You called Jim Morrison voice what? Do you know how good Jim Morrison sings. I not that big of a fan of The Doors, but my brother loves them. Jim Morrison was one of the best singers I have ever heard. His Baritone voice is mesmerizing. His screams are perfect. His voice is NEVER boring. From that comment I see that you haven’t heard him sing for real. Theres a lot of times where Jim doesn’t WANT to sing perfect or he is too drunk. Like the song on Five to One. His vocals are never boring. He is in my top five of best singers. Go on youtube and listen to Touch Me and tell me he can’t sing. Its either you haven’t heard Jim Morrison sing or you have no clue what good singing is.
rolling stone is sooo crappy. exhibit a: paris hilton and jessica simpson records got 3/5 stars. exhibit b: jonas brothers cover.
Steve Marriott (Small Faces)?
Ian McCulloch (Echo & the Buynnymen)?
Tracey Thorn (EBTG)?
Leonard Cohen?
Jon Anderson (Yes)?
Grant Lee Phillips?
Liz Frasier (Cocteau Twins)?
Joe Strummer?
Van, Winwood, Jeff Buckley should be 2, 3, & 4.
Finally, sacrilege to say but… a dozen better reggae singers than Marley.
Agreed on Liz.
Also Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance.
And where is Beth Gibbons, and cat power what the heck this list is wrong!!! Rolling whats your problem well respect to all the singer but i dont agree with this
Cat Stevens?
why the f**k is Cobain on here? why not Lydon (or anyone!) from the punk era?\
where the fuck is Leonard Cohen on the list? man he should have been in the Top Ten… Bjork is on the list and Leonard Cohen is not on the damn list… theres no justice in the world.
justice needs to throat slam you so you can realize that cohen wasn’t a singer. he couldn’t really sing at all . it’s called spoken word
What about that guy from Danzig? Wait, was that his name? Is it Danzig? Where’s Danzig?! Muthaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!
Bob Dylan?! seriously?
Where the FUCK is Ryan Adams?!
get a fucking rubric, y’all…
i’d like to echo two things:
a. this is not american idol. so, stop with the “bob dylan? seriously?!” crap.
b. this is a list “OF ALL TIME”. a ridiculous concept meant to cause whining amongst hipsters.
and sell magazines.
What did you expect? Any list by Rollingstone:
60s guy
60s guy
60s guy
Kurt Cobain
60s guy
60s guy
Every RS Top Ten list is as follows:
1. Anything Rolling Stones related
2. Bob Dylan
3. Anything Beatles related
4. Aretha Franklin
5. Anything Beach Boys related
6. Anything Nirvana related
7. More Rolling Stones
8. More Bob Dylan
9. More Beatles
10. Chuck Berry
Rolling Stone actually tried cheating on their top 500 greatest songs of all time by making Bob Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone #1. see what they did there? Bob Dylan AND something Rolling Stone related all worked into the top slot. clever.
i’m not knocking any of these artists by any means. i basically grew up on more than a healthy dosage of Beatles, Dylan, and Rolling Stones, but COME ON! they should start doing “top _____ of the last decade” lists if they want to make a list that at least has a bit of relevancy or interest.
Q: why do the Everly Brothers get to take over one slot but Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel can’t share?
(most shocking part about this list is that they only sucked Mick Jagger’s dick hard enough to get him up to 16! i was shocked and appalled (not actually. just shocked.) that he wasn’t top 5)
Just ignore the rankings and read the write-ups. The guest artists/writers had some insightful things to say, and many of the quotations about the singers were new to me.
Michael Stipe should absolutely be on this list. Period. The end. Totally.
Love him or hate him… Where is meatloaf?
WHERE’s BILLY CORGAN???
He’s off disdainfully peeing into the open mouths of his audience.
WTF??? CELINE DION SHOULD BE FUCKING NUMBER ONE , SHE CAN OUT SING THE WHOLE WOLRD IF HE WANTED TOO AND SHE CAN HIT THE HIGHEST NOTE IN THE WHOLE WOLRD. WHO THE FUCK IS WORKING AT ROLLING STONE ? THEY SHOULD GET FIRED !!!!
You people who dig Celine Dion and Kelly Clarkson???? Get a clue!!!!! Please shoot me if I ever have to hear or see either of them ever again! Oh yeah, that goes for Mary Bilge, Patti LaBelle, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Christina Aguilera, too….among others….
take it easy….either this is truly sarcasm or Quebec is missing an irate Celine Dion fan
Many GLARING omissions, and I’ve never heard of several of these people, but no David Clayton Thomas?? Only the most unique voice ever. Oh, and Frankie Valli at # 80 ??? That’s just sick….
I don’t know why I even dignify this list with a comment.
Concerning the Beach Boys, Carl Wilson was the best singer, hands down. Just listen to “God Only Knows” or “Long Promised Road”. In fact, he’d be in the Top 10 on my list, along with Karen Carpenter.
Even though Mike Love was considered the lead singer of the Beach Boys, and I enjoy listening to his stuff, he has the worst voice– very nasal. The guy who is really overlooked as a singer, in the group, is Al Jardine.
This list is fucking bullshit. Robert plant and mick jagger not in the top 10? I thought they would be in the top 5. I thought this list was ROCK singers, not bullshit people like aretha franklin being number 1 and elton john being 37. and wheres ann wilson and debra harris? they should be in at least the top 20.
my thoughts exactly on ann wilson and deborah harry- even throw Chrissie hynde in there for good measure
Iggy Pop and no Joe Strummer? Kurt Cobain yet no Layne Staley, Chris Cornell or Eddie Vedder. No Bruce Dickinson or even Ozzy. These are distinctive and influential voices of their genres- but RS, being the best substitute for TP that it has proven time again to be, just figured it would add another nail. This is just as bad as their guitarist list
no morrissey?
and mike patton?!!!!!!!!
what about don johnson- the dude from miami vice? he had a hot 80s hit called ‘heartbeat’ that really showed his range.
As much as I love Tom Waits (and the videos on his Evri profile page show why), putting him 15 spots above Steven Tyler is crazy. Even if Steven Tyler should be held accountable for all Aerosmith records made in the last 10 years, considering Tom Waits a “greater” singer is insane.
http://www.evri.com/person/tom-waits-0x201ba.html
Horrific Error: NO CHRIS CORNELL.
How could FRANK SINTRA not be on that list??????? There WILL NEVER be another voice like that…..
Where’s Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Tom Jones, etc.? Bob Dylan and Neil Young are legendary song writers and performers, but their singing is shit compared to voices like this. Brainless twattle. Will some on please put Jann Wenner out of my misery?
Kurt Cobain sucks.
I’ve decided to read this just as a list and ignore the ranking system. A lot (not all mind you) of these people are on the same level and ranking them just seems silly.
When it comes down to all the pop singers on the list one might not appreciate their music but their vocal range is pretty amazing.
As far as Dylan goes he deserves to be on there. He might not deserve to be as high but his voice is interesting and a lot of people like it. Also go listen to Lay Lady Lay again.
It’s clear that Rollingstone just plain forgot about BILLIE HOLIDAY…an infraction for which David Fricke should have his stupid hippie mop shaved.
lou reed admits he’s not the best singer, yet still he’s higher on the list than fucking MORRISSEY?!?!?! Oh the blasphemy…
Mike Patton is definitely the most glaring omission from this list (in my humble opinion)
Where is Zach Condon?????
He is just fantastic
Freddie Mercury belongs in the top five
Are you fucking kidding me
Bono is an amazing singer and He should be higher than #32
His music for the last 30 years have transformed lives
his great lyrics and powerful voice
he sicks the Italian part of Miss Sarajevo all by him self since Pavirotti died
Watch that live from Milan wowowowo
Björk should be in top 30.
WTF!!! michael jackson should be no.1
I totally agree :)
that Björk should be in top 30.
at least.
where ia AMY LEE. SHE SHOULD HAVE ATLEAST BEEN ON THERE.
all my favorite singers couldn’t sing.
Wheres Vedder? fools
Come on, it’s totally ludicrous to complain about every single person left off the list. They did their best to narrow it down to 100, so stop mentioning every decent singer from the last 50 years.
On that note, where the fuck is Lil’ Wayne?!
ru serious?
Where is Connie Francis, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion?
umm talking about singers . not famous people get a clue