Top 25 Favorite Singers countdown thread! (Top 2 Revealed!!!)

[KevShmev]

Today's update!

06 Ronnie James Dio

Appeared on 16 of 36 lists
Highest Finish: 2 (TAC)
9 Top 10 Finishes

I recognize what a great singer Dio was, but I didn't rank him. There isn't a lot of material by him I listen to with any regularity, and I have to be honest and say that when I think of great and/or favorite singers, his name never pops into my head.  But I get why many love him.


05 Steve Perry

Appeared on 15 of 36 lists
Highest Finish: 2 (Samsara, devieira73)
9 Top 10 Finishes

I have to admit that was a little stunned to see Perry finish this high.  I figured he'd make the list, but top 5?  Wow.  I didn't rank him, but he was part of the 35-40 I put into the ranker (he just didn't make my top 25).   I know fans of the earliest Journey material didn't like how commercial their songs got once Perry joined the band, but his voice elevated the band in a way that seems more than obvious. 

[lonestar]

Didn't have either on my list. Not a massive Dio fan, and didn't even think of Perry, but both are tremendous singers.



I figured Dio would score high, I too am a bit surprised by Perry's appearance.

[WardySI]

I had RJD at #16 but as soon as I checked over my list a couple days later when the countdown began couldn't believe I had him that low 

Probably shoulda made my Top10 but anyways great to see him although I personally had him pegged top3...

Love Perry but was a ways off my 25...

[T-ski]

I know Dio is beloved in the metal community and I have a friend who has him on a very high pedestal but personally, I don’t get it.

Perry is legendary as well and I’m happy to see him ranked this high.

[jingle.boy]

I'm a bit surprised how high Perry is, considering he's been a shell of himself for like 20 years (and given Samsara's high rating, the comments re: JLB perplex me even more).  Anywho, I rated both, though relatively low - Perry at 19, Dio at 21.... largely because their output is pretty condensed.  But both are god-tier voices, and I've got no problem both being this high.

[Lethean]

Neither were on my list but I'm good with both.  I saw Dio live a few times and he was great.  I'm not as familiar with Steve Perry aside from Journey's hits but I think he has a great voice.

[SwedishGoose]

Even though I did not rank Dio I am glad to see him here. Great singer indeed.... just one I never listen to

Steve Perry on the other hand has been a favorite singer since I first heard him back in the day.

25.
24.
23.
22.
21.
20.
19. Steve Perry
18.
17. Michael Åkerfeldt   
16. Peter Gabriel   
15.
14.
13. Jon Anderson
12.
11.
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5. Daniel Gildenlöf
4.
3. Anneke van Giersbergen
2.
1.

[Animal]

The same like yesterday for me. Two singers whose greatness is immediately obvious, pretty much the moment they open their mouth. But I don't really listen to their stuff, apart from occasionally sampling a song or two.

[WilliamMunny]

I didn't submit a list (had a shit couple of weeks that left me preoccupied with other matters), but had I, Perry would've been by number 1. From a very early age, that man's voice has spoken to me in a way that no one has.

In fact, his influence is profound on my musical tastes—JLB has a bit of 'Perry' in him, and that's a huge part of why he's also in my Top 3.

[HOF]

I always thought RJD had an amazing voice, and I think songs like Rainbow in the Dark and Holy Diver are fun, but I never really got into his music or any of his associated bands. Wasn’t on my list but a worthy singer for the list.

I had Perry ranked exactly 5th, so hooray me! I was actually sweating whether he would make the list at all at this point, but I see the forum came through. Yes, he’s all about the peak, but he was just so excellent back in the 70s and 80s. The perfect blend of range, power, and soulfulness. Go watch him sing Mother, Father on the Live in Houston video (I think that’s the name - the one with the yellow leopard print shirt). Just astounding stuff. He lost a bit of his range by the end of the original Journey run, but in some ways sounded better when his voice settled a bit lower for Frontiers and Raised on Radio. And then even Trial By Fire he still had a really warm, soulful voice despite the limitations. Simply one of the best ever.

This is the Mother, Father clip:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3kx24YtwPKA

[Adami]

Both really good singers, neither on my list, totally understand why both are on this list though I don't hold Perry in terribly high regard.

[devieira73]

I absolutely love Steve Perry and Journey really found out its musical purpose after he joined the band. Unbelievable talent at its prime, so much range and emotion on his voice. This unnoficial live recording (with great quality!) surely is a proof of that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juEgvTvshNE&list=OLAK5uy_kYJquRtSZiOzpRM3BLoUYb68raDlipEL4

[twosuitsluke]

Neither made my list.

I think I've only ever listened to what I consider to be Dio's most popular albums (Rainbow - Rising, Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell, Dio - Holy Diver). Other than the odd song I don't think I've ever heard anything else by Dio.

Anyone fancy recommending a few more Dio classics to check out?

As for Journey, I can safely say I've never heard a Journey album.

[SeRoX]

I ranked Ronnie James Dio #10

He is legendary in my eyes. Love his stage energy until the time he passed away.

I ranked Steve Perry #7

Another legendary. Too bad his prime time was short on screen but it's enough to appreciate.

[Mladen]

With every single update, I get more and more worried about JLB's placement.   

[Zydar]

With every single update, I get more and more worried about JLB's placement.   

*still crosses fingers about Charlie Dominici*

[twosuitsluke]

I'm confident one other person from my list will still make the cut. As for who I have at #1, there is basically zero chance he'll make it, but I'm going to hold on to hope 

[Samsara]

I had RJD at #10, so not too far off the forum consensus. For me, his voice is that of the godfather of metal. Really just lived and breathed it. So happy I got to see him once (fronting Heaven and Hell) before he passed.

As for Steve Perry being this high and being my personal #2, I'm going to stay this again, like I said with Layne Staley - Steve Perry is an absolute master class on how to sing. If you are a singer, or know anything about it, Perry's technique was generally flawless. Incredible range, depth, control, it was the gold standard for rock singing. Period. Very few could be as consistent as him, both in-studio and on stage. There's one other one who did it the entirety of his career as well, and I think he'll be up soon, so I'll wait to say something. But if you're not really familiar with Steve Perry and his work with Journey other than the hits (and now you hear them not with Steve's voice, but with Arnel's since Journey re-recorded the vocals with Arnel and shops those tracks out to commercials, TV shows, and everything), do yourself a huge favor - go listen to the records...particularly the Live in Houston from the Escape tour. Perry didn't have to do any vocal overdubs. Then get back to me. CRAZY good.

[cramx3]

OK I guess I am surprised by the Steve Perry show up this high in the rankings.  Not surprised he made the cut because he's a fantastic singer, just that he's this high.  I guess I really didn't appreciate the fogey pull in this  Nothing against his singing, he's just been mostly irrelevant for awhile and was never a thought for my personal list.  I enjoy Journey, but I don't love Journey to even own anything besides their greatest hits album.

Dio is a fine choice for this placement.  I didn't vote for him either, solely because I've never really done a deep dive into his work and there fore there's no way he could be one of my favorites since my knowledge is fairly limited to his most well known songs.  But the guy is one of the most loved singers in all of metal history, he's earned his positioning.

[Dream Team]

I had Dio at 9; not into Perry’s style. Too Michael Boltonish for me (yes I know he predates Bolton). Of the elite trio of famous metal singers (Halford, Dio, and you-know-who coming up soon) Dio ranks a little lower than the others due to him rarely breaking out of his comfort zone and his material being a little samey.

[WilliamMunny]

I had Dio at 9; not into Perry’s style. Too Michael Boltonish for me (yes I know he predates Bolton). Of the elite trio of famous metal singers (Halford, Dio, and you-know-who coming up soon) Dio ranks a little lower than the others due to him rarely breaking out of his comfort zone and his material being a little samey.

Perry is too "Bolton-ish"?

Ouch, man. Just...ouch

(all good, of course, just teasing...sort of )

[Samsara]

I think, as expected, this forum is very partial to metal and prog. That explains why a lot of great singers, who are arguably way better than some that made our forum consensus, have gotten left off.

As for anyone who thinks Steve Perry is too "fogey influenced," (Cram! lol) that's laughable. Steve Perry may be old, and he may have been out of the spotlight as a recording artist for the last 25 years (and really, since the mid-1980s), but he's one of the best singers in the history of music. Period. He transcends any age group and you're doing yourself a disservice by rendering him as irrelevant. There wouldn't be some of the great singers that people like today without guys like Perry.

[WilliamMunny]

I think, as expected, this forum is very partial to metal and prog. That explains why a lot of great singers, who are arguably way better than some that made our forum consensus, have gotten left off.

As for anyone who thinks Steve Perry is too "fogey influenced," (Cram! lol) that's laughable. Steve Perry may be old, and he may have been out of the spotlight as a recording artist for the last 25 years (and really, since the mid-1980s), but he's one of the best singers in the history of music. Period. He transcends any age group and you're doing yourself a disservice by rendering him as irrelevant. There wouldn't be some of the great singers that people like today without guys like Perry.

I would add that there are a handful of Journey tracks on each of the seminal w/Perry releases ("Edge of the Blade," Keep on Runnin'," "Dead or Alive," "Line of Fire," etc.) that straight-up rock as hard as, well, just about anything.

Yes, the band wrote a ton of ballads, but I'd urge anyone who thinks of Michael Bolton when thinking about the band to listen to Journey's Escape (their opus IMO) — it's a pretty timeless album that sounds so much better (to my ears) that much of the modern metal that I hear these days.

[Metro]

I had Dio at #7, which in hindsight puzzles me because I’m not really that big of a fan. I like 2 of the 4 albums he did with Sabbath and only one Rainbow album. Never cared for his solo stuff. He’s certainly a legend and deserves a spot on the list, but idk about top 10.

Steve Perry didn’t cross my mind, but deserves to be on this list. Top 5 seems a bit high, but the people have spoken I guess.

[coz]

Man, you guys are some dirt diggers! Put the popcorn down.
Sorry I'm too private a person. I shouldn't have dangled that nugget though. I'm surprised that much slipped out!  Still don't know why I said that much. Maybe in another 20 years.

[WilliamMunny]

Man, you guys are some dirt diggers! Put the popcorn down.
Sorry I'm too private a person. I shouldn't have dangled that nugget though. I'm surprised that much slipped out!  Still don't know why I said that much. Maybe in another 20 years.

 

[cramx3]

Add in the fact you seem relatively new here, I'm very curious  but I won't push any further, I'll wait until 2042

[bosk1]

Dio barely made my list at 25.  If I hadn't forgotten to include Tatiana, he would have just missed.  Iconic metal voice.  There are a handful that I love.  Lots more that I don't care for, but I am familiar with and recognize his influence on.  It was hard to not rank him.

Perry was my #5.  Can't really add much more that hasn't been said.

[coz]

Moving on...1/2 today.  No grudges with either guy. Had Perry at #20 and Dio almost making my list.  After that video posted by HOF, maybe Perry should be higher.

Where the selections have placed on my list:
20. Steve Perry
8. Geddy Lee
6. Robert Plant
5. Chris Cornell
2. Layne Staley

And selections from my long list: Dio, Alder, A. Wilson, J. Anderson, Åkerfeldt, McCartney, Gabriel, Delp

[DragonAttack]

6. Ronnie James Dio  NR  If this had been a Top 25 'best rock singers', he'd be in my Top Ten.  Much admiration. 

5.  Steve Perry #7  Gawd, what pipes!    Another comment later. 

[HOF]

Moving on...1/2 today.  No grudges with either guy. Had Perry at #20 and Dio almost making my list.  After that video posted by HOF, maybe Perry should be higher.

Where the selections have placed on my list:
20. Steve Perry
8. Geddy Lee
6. Robert Plant
5. Chris Cornell
2. Layne Staley

And selections from my long list: Dio, Alder, A. Wilson, J. Anderson, Åkerfeldt, McCartney, Gabriel, Delp

 

So far, I only have 3 on my list who made the top 25. I *think* there is a chance for 2 more, but we’ll see. Mine so far are:

Geddy Lee - 15
Peter Gabriel - 7
Steve Perry - 5

There is one in my top 10 that I am kind of amazed we haven’t seen yet as I don’t think he’ll be top 4.

[jingle.boy]

There is one in my top 10 that I am kind of amazed we haven’t seen yet as I don’t think he’ll be top 4.

Just 1??

[TAC]

DIO!!!!


June 18, 1986
Providence Civic Center









I actually consider Steve Perry overrated. Not by a lot, but still.

[TAC]

To me, the bottom four are obvious.

[HOF]

There is one in my top 10 that I am kind of amazed we haven’t seen yet as I don’t think he’ll be top 4.

Just 1??

Well, there are a couple others that I thought had a chance, but this one seems to have a particularly strong forum following. Maybe he’s in the top 4 though.