Axl Rose vs. David Lee Roth vs. Steven Tyler

[WildRanger]

Who is the best frontman in your book out of these three?

[Adami]

Objectively?

[Lonk]

Objectively?

Beat me to it 

[hefdaddy42]

None are among my favorites.

[MirrorMask]

None are among my favorites.

Yup. Axl is a diva and can often be a dick, I never followed Van Halen, and I don't really care for Aerosmith aside from the occasional song here and there.

Steven Tyler I assume is / was the best frontman out of the three.

[Zydar]

Perhaps David Lee Roth, in his prime.

[Elite]

I seriously do not care for any of these three.

[Adami]

The silliness that is about to ensue aside, I went with Steven Tyler. Axle Rose was a god but hasn’t been for a very long time. David Lee Roth was a god but became a dancing clown. Tyler has kept pretty damn consistent.

Though none of them are among my favorites.

[HOF]

As singers, they’re all kind of not great. As entertainers/frontmen they’re all really dynamic. I’ll say Tyler is the best singer of the three.

[Mladen]

Steven Tyler gets my vote. I've always liked his voice, and in terms of stage presence, he's always been a good frontman.

I like David's energy, but in terms of vocals, he's not particularly unique.

I've never cared about Axl at all.

[Stadler]

To answer the asked question, FRONTMAN:

1. David Lee Roth
2. Steven Tyler
3. Axl Rose

It's all relative, though; I think all three are upper eschelon.

To answer the unasked question, SINGER:

1. Steven Tyler
2. Axl Rose
3. David Lee Roth

Honestly, though, I think all three are really good singers.   I've seen Steven Tyler a number of times (they used to be a "go see whenever they came through town" band when I was married to my first wife) and even in the show where he was wasted and fell off the drum riser and needed to be carried off stage, he still sounded really good in terms of delivering what was asked of him vocally.   His voice has also deteriorated a lot less than most of his peers.

I've written already about seeing Rose twice; the first time was a visceral experience and one of the best "rock concerts" in the mythological sense of the phrase that I've ever seen.  They were DANGEROUS, and there was this real feeling of "anything can and just might happen" during the show.    The second time - on the Chinese Democracy tour, in a club - was a vocal tour de force.   Over three hours, and he sang almost the entire time, at a high level.

I also think David Lee Roth is a way better singer than he gets credit for.  Not in a Presley/Pavarotti way, but he has a fairly broad range, he has a multitude of different voices, and he brings a fair amount of variety to the table.   I've seen him twice, and while both were spectacles more about the show than the technique, he still acquitted himself well, holding his own with some of the best musicians on the planet (Vai, Sheehan, Van Halen, Van Halen).

[KevShmev]

Rose is (somewhat or largely) responsible for inciting numerous riots to his antics on stage, which is something a great frontman should not do. Therefore, he is disqualified from this conversation.

[ReaperKK]

I was going to say DLR but after seeing him at rib fest around 15 years ago he was absolute shit.

[WilliamMunny]

I'm a huge fan of all three, but for my money, Tyler is a personal, all-time top-5 frontman/singer—that dude just exudes music and attitude from every pore of his body.

(they all do, obviously, but Steve's body of work is, in my opinion, pretty unparalleled)

That being said, a GNR, Aerosmith, VH (assuming Roth stayed) bill circa 1987 would've been a dream concert for me.

[The Walrus]

Rose is (somewhat or largely) responsible for inciting numerous riots to his antics on stage, which is something a great frontman should not do. Therefore, he is disqualified from this conversation.

it's okay to point out what an asshole he has been but to say that disqualifies him from this discussion is utterly ridiculous because he is still an incredible frontman whether you like him or not, whether he beat up a fan in the crowd or not. he's still the band's singer and voice and pretty much has run the show for almost 30 years.

axl is the greatest frontman in rock and roll history imo, and honestly, part of that *is* because of the violence that erupted in gnr shows. there is a danger i want in my rock and roll frontmen and axl embodies(embodied?) that 100%, more than a lot of metal musicians even. my 2 cents

[pg1067]

Based on volume of songs that I like, it's DLR  >> Tyler >> ∞ >> Rose, but being a "frontman" involves more than just the singing.  I saw DLR solo, and it was ok (I was basically dragged to DLR and Poison by a girl I was sort of dating and who liked me more than I liked her).  I saw GNR open for the Stones, but I remember nothing at all about the GNR set.  Never seen Aerosmith live.

Still...going with DLR.

[WildRanger]

I also think David Lee Roth is a way better singer than he gets credit for.  Not in a Presley/Pavarotti way, but he has a fairly broad range, he has a multitude of different voices, and he brings a fair amount of variety to the table.   

I would say exactly the same for Geddy Lee. I think all people who call him a bad vocalist (even "one of the worst ever") are absolutely wrong. I get not digging his singing but it doesn't mean he is a bad vocalist. He has a very good and broad vocal capabilities.

[WildRanger]

axl is the greatest frontman in rock and roll history imo, and honestly, part of that *is* because of the violence that erupted in gnr shows. there is a danger i want in my rock and roll frontmen and axl embodies(embodied?) that 100%, more than a lot of metal musicians even. my 2 cents

I think the punkers are most "dangerous". Axl was influenced by Johnny Rotten.

[The Walrus]

axl is the greatest frontman in rock and roll history imo, and honestly, part of that *is* because of the violence that erupted in gnr shows. there is a danger i want in my rock and roll frontmen and axl embodies(embodied?) that 100%, more than a lot of metal musicians even. my 2 cents

I think the punkers are most "dangerous".

yeah some of the punk dudes are ridiculously wild too, to be fair

[King Postwhore]

He was only dangerous because he's show up late for the shows and piss off his fans.  Axel Blows.


Honestly all 3 tried to derail their careers unconsciously.

[The Walrus]

He was only dangerous because he's show up late for the shows and piss off his fans.  Axel Blows.


Honestly all 3 tried to derail their careers unconsciously.

well, no. he'd piss off his fans by being late, but that doesn't make him dangerous. fans throwing bottles and rioting because he's late are the dangerous things. axl was dangerous because he's a volatile hothead with a temper and a chip on his shoulder about a lot of things, and bit calvin klein's leg.

[King Postwhore]

That's my point. His actions were dangerous.   Fans wouldn't act out if he acted appropriately.

[The Walrus]

That's my point. His actions were dangerous.   Fans wouldn't act out if he acted appropriately.

But placing the dangerous label on Axl for that seems to imply that the people who made a conscious choice to be violent are absolved of blame which implies they aren't in control of their actions which is not true. The people who are violent are dangerous. You're not dangerous just cause you're an asshole.

[King Postwhore]

Actions have consequences.   His selfish actions lead to violence.   Sure he physically didn't do it but he is equally to blame.

It's not like he was hurt or sick and couldn't go.  It was a selfish move. 

[The Walrus]

Actions have consequences.   His selfish actions lead to violence.   Sure he physically didn't do it but he is equally to blame.

It's not like he was hurt or sick and couldn't go.  It was a selfish move.

Right but that doesn't justify any violence whatsoever. I guess that's where we'll have to agree to disagree because I only blame Axl for the anger and frustration but I don't see that as inherently dangerous. But those people chose to do what they did instead of being civil.

[Setlist Scotty]

I went with "least worst". Can't stand DLR's shtick - I saw him back in '91 and was NOT impressed. From the tons of crap I've read about him, having never witnessed GNR live, Axl has little respect for the audience and therefore loses my vote. Saw Aerosmith only once in 2001, and while I don't remember anything exceptional about the show other than them making their way to play a "B stage" at the back of the venue during the show (and then returning to the main stage), I don't remember anything terrible about the show or Tyler either. Tyler gets my vote.

[King Postwhore]

Actions have consequences.   His selfish actions lead to violence.   Sure he physically didn't do it but he is equally to blame.

It's not like he was hurt or sick and couldn't go.  It was a selfish move.

Right but that doesn't justify any violence whatsoever. I guess that's where we'll have to agree to disagree because I only blame Axl for the anger and frustration but I don't see that as inherently dangerous. But those people chose to do what they did instead of being civil.

Do you blame Trump for inciting the riot at Capitol?  Obviously he's not directly involved but his poor actions (I'm being generous in calling them poor) lead to idiots rioting.  I'm just pointing out his poor behavior and I think you would agree his behavior was the downfall of GnR. 

[The Walrus]

Actions have consequences.   His selfish actions lead to violence.   Sure he physically didn't do it but he is equally to blame.

It's not like he was hurt or sick and couldn't go.  It was a selfish move.

Right but that doesn't justify any violence whatsoever. I guess that's where we'll have to agree to disagree because I only blame Axl for the anger and frustration but I don't see that as inherently dangerous. But those people chose to do what they did instead of being civil.

Do you blame Trump for inciting the riot at Capitol?  Obviously he's not directly involved but his poor actions (I'm being generous in calling them poor) lead to idiots rioting.  I'm just pointing out his poor behavior and I think you would agree his behavior was the downfall of GnR.

Bro you're comparing Trump saying "take back our country" and "fight like hell" and spreading lies about democracy to Axl being late because he was taking a nap. I don't think that's dangerous. I'm not gonna absolve the crowd of blame because they're too immature to behave when things happen they don't like. Simple as that. I blame Axl for taking his sweet time but that is not 'incitement.' Incitement implies active encouragement and provocation, neither of which Axl does because he literally has no presence or involvement anywhere until he is on the stage. For the record I'm not trying to come off as argumentative, I think there's just a clear distinction with the words and context here that I find important. I mean I guess one COULD theoretically argue that not doing anything is in itself a form of provocation but meh I don't

[El Barto]

In their respective primes I'm going with Dave. He was perfect at what he did, and what he did seemed more accessible. All three bands had an image, one that involved a ridiculous amount of partying, and all three singers projected that image.  At the same time, only Dave made it seem cool. Tyler/Perry were just junkies. Axl was simply an asshole. At no point would I have ever wanted to be Tyler or Rose. Ever. Dave made his image something to be envious of. At least in the early 80s when I was a young and impressionable partying-teenager.

For people who weren't around for it, read up on or watch a video about MTV's Lost Weekend with Van Halen. They actually awarded as a prize a weekend hanging with VH during the1984 tour, and it looked like a fantastic trip. Why didn't they send people off to party with Aerosmith or GnR? Because it would have been morbidly depressing and potentially fatal.

Rose is (somewhat or largely) responsible for inciting numerous riots to his antics on stage, which is something a great frontman should not do. Therefore, he is disqualified from this conversation.

See, that was also my first thought on the subject. Yet I came to the opposite conclusion. This is rock and roll. There should be that element of danger involved. Now, as has been stated, Rose's behavior just came from being a dick, and not from a sense of Rock and Roll attitude, and that blows it for him. Not the actual riots, though.

The other night I was [once again] pondering who the first rock singer/band was. Inevitably I decide it's either Little Richard or Jerry Lee Lewis. There had been people doing the same sorts of things they were, but they brought balls, or in LR's case, attitude into their gig. Big Mama Thornton was doing her trip years before either of them, but there was nothing threatening about her. LR, certainly in part because he was black, and JLL, entirely because he was a crazy fuck, would have scared the bejeezus out of the adults at the time. I think when it's all said and done, that sort of attitude is probably the defining characteristic of R&R, and somebody dangerous like Rose deserves some props for it, even if it was for the wrong reason.

[King Postwhore]

Actions have consequences.   His selfish actions lead to violence.   Sure he physically didn't do it but he is equally to blame.

It's not like he was hurt or sick and couldn't go.  It was a selfish move.

Right but that doesn't justify any violence whatsoever. I guess that's where we'll have to agree to disagree because I only blame Axl for the anger and frustration but I don't see that as inherently dangerous. But those people chose to do what they did instead of being civil.

Do you blame Trump for inciting the riot at Capitol?  Obviously he's not directly involved but his poor actions (I'm being generous in calling them poor) lead to idiots rioting.  I'm just pointing out his poor behavior and I think you would agree his behavior was the downfall of GnR.

Bro you're comparing Trump saying "take back our country" and "fight like hell" and spreading lies about democracy to Axl being late because he was taking a nap. I don't think that's dangerous. I'm not gonna absolve the crowd of blame because they're too immature to behave when things happen they don't like. Simple as that. I blame Axl for taking his sweet time but that is not 'incitement.' Incitement implies active encouragement and provocation, neither of which Axl does because he literally has no presence or involvement anywhere until he is on the stage. For the record I'm not trying to come off as argumentative, I think there's just a clear distinction with the words and context here that I find important. I mean I guess one COULD theoretically argue that not doing anything is in itself a form of provocation but meh I don't

You are getting tied up in semantics.  His action led to people rioting.  If he shows up on time there is no riot. That's all.  no big deal.  Don't get tied up because he didn't say works to incite doesn't mean that he's off the hook.

And El Barto is right.  Alex was just being a dick. 

[The Walrus]

Actions have consequences.   His selfish actions lead to violence.   Sure he physically didn't do it but he is equally to blame.

It's not like he was hurt or sick and couldn't go.  It was a selfish move.

Right but that doesn't justify any violence whatsoever. I guess that's where we'll have to agree to disagree because I only blame Axl for the anger and frustration but I don't see that as inherently dangerous. But those people chose to do what they did instead of being civil.

Do you blame Trump for inciting the riot at Capitol?  Obviously he's not directly involved but his poor actions (I'm being generous in calling them poor) lead to idiots rioting.  I'm just pointing out his poor behavior and I think you would agree his behavior was the downfall of GnR.

Bro you're comparing Trump saying "take back our country" and "fight like hell" and spreading lies about democracy to Axl being late because he was taking a nap. I don't think that's dangerous. I'm not gonna absolve the crowd of blame because they're too immature to behave when things happen they don't like. Simple as that. I blame Axl for taking his sweet time but that is not 'incitement.' Incitement implies active encouragement and provocation, neither of which Axl does because he literally has no presence or involvement anywhere until he is on the stage. For the record I'm not trying to come off as argumentative, I think there's just a clear distinction with the words and context here that I find important. I mean I guess one COULD theoretically argue that not doing anything is in itself a form of provocation but meh I don't

You are getting tied up in semantics.  His action led to people rioting.  If he shows up on time there is no riot. That's all.  no big deal.  Don't get tied up because he didn't say works to incite doesn't mean that he's off the hook.

And El Barto is right.  Alex was just being a dick. 

You say that like it's not important, but I find semantics extremely important and actually do agonize over the correct choice of words because all words have meaning. I don't like the notion that I'm overthinking this when I think there's a lot to consider. This is an interesting topic to me and we don't just have to come to an agreement for it to be a good, thought provoking conversation. Neither of us is 'right' about this - I just believe in my perspective more.

[twosuitsluke]

I seriously do not care for any of these three.

Yea I really do not like Axl Rose and the other two have never done anything for me at all. Where's the option to vote for Bieber?

[King Postwhore]

It's ok Mike.  I understand what you are saying.  I think actions are just as important as words. 

Now if I hard to pick a singer it would be Dave until after his 2nd solo album.  He was a leading man in a movie that was a concert stage.

[KevShmev]

Axl was the one who started the riot here in STL by diving into the crowd to attack a fan.  Let's not act like they just decided to riot because Axl showed up late.

[King Postwhore]

Axl was the one who started the riot here in STL by diving into the crowd to attack a fan.  Let's not act like they just decided to riot because Axl showed up late.

I forgot about that.  Yeah, I remember him violently diving in.