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

[TAC]

Unfortunately he didn't make the list.

[Glasser]

Unfortunately he didn't make the list.

its crazy! I'm surprised Erik AK didn't, or am I? The entire thing is "Knutson" 

[Animal]

I don't think you can really say any of the top 10 singers thus far are "overrated."  It's one thing not to like them (I'm not crazy about Dio).  But they are all rated so highly for a reason.  They are crazy talented and crazy popular.  Hard to call someone overrated when the over-rating is solidly earned.

But isn't that what overrated means?  That the general consensus rate the person/thing significantly higher than you do (and vice versa for underrated)?

I think the reason why many react negatively to others using "overated" that this term implies more than just "I don't like X as much as others do".  To me, it sounds like the speaker is saying that X is rated higher than it objectively deserves and all these people who rate it so highly are somehow deficient in taste, incapable to realize that X is not that good, while the speaker alone can discern the true rating. It sound as if the speaker is taking the position of superiority - "you might like it but you are wrong".  I know, not everyone saying "overated" means it that way but this is how it often comes off.

[wolfking]

I don't think you can really say any of the top 10 singers thus far are "overrated."  It's one thing not to like them (I'm not crazy about Dio).  But they are all rated so highly for a reason.  They are crazy talented and crazy popular.  Hard to call someone overrated when the over-rating is solidly earned.

But isn't that what overrated means?  That the general consensus rate the person/thing significantly higher than you do (and vice versa for underrated)?

No.  To me overrated connotes that they are rated higher than they deserve--not simply higher than I think they should be.  Those are two different standards.

I'm with the boss on this one.

[Animal]

Curious about how many number 1 finishes on individual lists will singers in the top 4 get. So far, if I am not mistaken, we haven't seen more than 3 for one singer (Daniel Gildenlow). And most singer who have appeared so far had just one or no top spots on anyone's list.
   Also wondering if the 4 singers who I thought were locked to appear in top 8 are the ones that actually placed in the top 4. At one point, I was fairly confident about guessing 7 out of 8 remaining singers but I have been dead wrong about 3 of them already.
   

[Tomislav95]

25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Devin Townsend
16
15
14
13
12 Ronnie James Dio
11
10
9 Einar Solberg
8 Chris Cornell
7
6
5 Anneke van Giersbergen
4 Daniel Gildenlöw
3 Russell Allen
2 Mikael Åkerfeldt
1 Ray Alder

Dio, obviously a legend. His best stuff is imo with Rainbow. Black Sabbath stuff is iconic. Love some of his solo stuff as well. The thing with him for me is that he always sounded good, even if I wasn't fan of the song. One of the voices that got me into metal.

Steve Perry - didn't expect him this high tbh. His name crossed my mind while putting together a list. Escape is the sound of the 80s for me. Sadly, didn't explore more Journey yet so he left unranked.

[KevShmev]

Let's do this...

04 Geoff Tate

Appeared on 19 of 36 lists
Highest Finish: 1 (WardySI, Samsara, devieira73, Zoom E, bosk1)
9 Top 10 Finishes

Tate at his peak was pretty absurd.  He could do it all vocally, and had a warmth and emotion in his voice that many who sing in that style either do not have or didn't to his level.  It's a bummer that his peak wasn't very long (his vocals were rapidly declining by his late 30s), but what a peak it was.  I ranked him 11th.


03 Bruce Dickinson

Appeared on 23 of 36 lists
Highest Finish: 1 (wolfking, The Realm, Cool Chris)
12 Top 10 Finishes

Bruce is a tough one for me.  I finally became an Iron Maiden fan in the last year and change, and he is a great singer for sure, but his vocals rarely touch me the way those of many others do.  I think of him more as a technical bad ass than a singer whose voice is like a warm blanket, if that makes sense. Unranked for me, but I totally get why he ranks so high for many.

[lonestar]

Honestly, never was a Queensryche fan. As for Maiden, I never enjoyed them for Bruce's vocals, even though I have mad respect for him as a person.

Neither made my list, but both were in my prediction for the final four, and I'm pretty sure the top two are on spot as well.

[T-ski]

Tate would have made my top 5.

Bruce is great but I’m not a big Maiden fan. Not surprised he’s this high.

[TAC]

I had Bruce at #8. Is big of an Iron Maiden fan that I am, I recognize him for his talent and longevity. He's also quite creative as his solo albums bear.

I had Tater at #14. To me, he had such a short run. It was at the highest level possible though. Still, that run gave me Warning and O:M (and the EP). Rage and Empire are both extremely casual albums for me.

25   Mike Howe
24   
23   Daniel Heiman
22   Joacim Cans
21   Rhett Forrester
20   Rob Halford
19   Biff Byford
18   Ray Alder
17   Eric Knutson
16   
15
14   Geoff Tate
13   Geddy Lee
12   Matt Smith
11   Paul Stanley
10   
9   
8   Bruce Dickinson
7   
6   
5   
4   
3   
2   Ronnie James Dio
1   Michael Kiske

both were in my prediction for the final four, and I'm pretty sure the top two are on spot as well.

Yes, I also thought they were locks for the Final Four.
I'm pretty sure I know the other two, though I could see one being bumped by a Wild Card, though I would be quite surprised if that happened.
Only one of those three made my list though.

[twosuitsluke]

These two weren't even in the same solar system as my list, but I know they're loved around here.

I haven't really got much of an opinion of Tate, I'm not familiar with much of his work.

As for Brucie boy, he's literally the reason I can't get into Iron Maiden! I'm ready to get flamed but I find him too over the top. OK, I guess it's not all Bruce, I suppose I also see Iron Maiden as like the Star Trek of the metal world (as in, lacking in cool factor, the sort whose fans tuck their t-shirt into their jeans).

[SwedishGoose]

I had neither in my ranking.

Maybe I should have had Geoff Tate. Was soo into QR up to and including Promised Land. And yeah bsck then he was definiteley a favorite. I might have let the later years cloud his ranking.

Bruce Dickinson is great but I am not a big fn of IM and don't listen to him that much.

[jingle.boy]

yeah, that solidifies the Top 2 for sure.

I barely rated Bruce (#24).  80s Bruce was amazing.  I'm not much a fan of his solo work, so can't really appreciate him for that decade.  Reunion Maiden was pretty damned good, but he's still a shell of what he once was.  Time has not been kind to his voice (imo).  And the lyrics/melodies of IM these days are just too repetitive and/or ordinary for me to re1993ally love his current stuff.

Tater ... for a decade, he was at the top of the prog-metal world vocally - maybe he became 1b in 1993.  But still, up to that point, he reigned.  Then QR went to shit in the late 90s, and he was a top shelf douche.  If not for his revival with Avantasia the past few years, he would've also barely rated for me.  I put him at 14 as it is, because for 20ish years from the late 90s to '19, he sucked ass.

[Dream Team]

I had Tate at 13, could have been higher but for the douche factor and lack of longevity. Bruce was 6. I originally predicted I would have 7 from my list make the cut; so far so good but it might be 8 after tomorrow:

22 Plant
  9 Dio
  7 McCartney
  6 Dickinson
  5 Halford
  4 Allen
  1 Wilson

[hefdaddy42]

Catching up a little.

6. Ronnie James Dio
5. Steve Perry
4. Geoff Tate
3. Bruce Dickinson

I had Perry at # 3 on my list.  Just an incredible voice, singing incredible songs.

I've never cared for Dio, Queensryche, or Iron Maiden, so the other 3 were unranked by me, but no surprise whatsoever they landed this high on the list.

[Metro]

Bruce was #10 for me, and in hindsight should have been much higher.

Geoff Tate did not make my list. QR never did much for me. I like Operation: Mindcrime and a few other songs from the early days, but not much else. Talented vocalist in his prime but he always seemed like a dickhead.

I saw QR live once, at the one show they played on the Progressive Nation 2009 tour in Columbia, MD. I remember they had a cheesy drill sergeant/hype man dude backing up Tate on the American Solider songs, their then-new album.
A few rows ahead of me there was a a guy wearing a sleeveless O:M shirt with fishnet sleeves underneath who was dancing and singing along loudly to every song, new or old. To date this is still how I picture the average Queensrÿche fan.

[Adami]

Neither on my list but not at all shocked.

[SeRoX]

Rated Bruce Dickinson at #18

I lost all my interest for Iron Maiden over the years but gotta admit Bruce's 80' and early 90's vocals are amazing. He is still a great frontman but I'm not sure about his voice. And to be honest last 5-6 years of his live performances I can't understand what he is singing. It's like someone tries to choke him. The man running, jumping, posing on the stage but not singing anymore.

Rated Geoff Tate at #17

I still love early QR albums and the reason is mostly Geoff Tate. But his prime time was quite short and sadly while his live performance went bad his studio recording went bad too. But I still name him as an iconic singer for metal.

[jingle.boy]

Everything anyone needs to know about 2000s Tater can be summed up in one of my favorite posts of all time.  Geez, almost 10 years old for this one.

[twosuitsluke]

Everything anyone needs to know about 2000s Tater can be summed up in one of my favorite posts of all time.  Geez, almost 10 years old for this one.

That was a laugh out loud post! Kade, bring back this fire dude 

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Love Steve Perry.  Just don't listen to them often enough on my own anymore, but top 100 is quite likely.  A bit surprised he was quite this high though, his work with them was never really metal or prog. 

Lots of respect for Dio, heard various work of his and enjoyed it, but nothing I've totally fallen head over heels in love with. 

Tate is excellent, but I need to branch out more in their discography, I've heard O:M way more than anything else. 

Dickinson is likewise great, like most metal fans, I had a Maiden obsession period, but mine didn't seem to last nearly as long as most.  Still like them, just not a regular listen these days. 

For the life of me I can't figure out who #2 is.  #1 should be incredibly obvious.

[Metro]

Number one is obvious




i searched high and low and could not find the original

[SeRoX]

Anyone surprised not to see  Phil Anselmo till now? Obviously can't be number 2 or 1.

[Adami]

Anyone surprised not to see  Phil Anselmo till now? Obviously can't be number 2 or 1.

Nah. The forum tends to (with some exception) sway classic rock/metal/prog. So that's the bulk of what's here. Phil is classic but mostly meh metal singer (outside of his brief prime). So I'm not shocked.

I'm a little sad there's been no singers that didn't fall into the rock/metal/prog camp, but such is life.

[Lethean]

I had Bruce Dickinson at #15 and didn't include Geoff Tate.  I should have, because his voice was awesome, but just couldn't.

Everything anyone needs to know about 2000s Tater can be summed up in one of my favorite posts of all time.  Geez, almost 10 years old for this one.

That was great.

[Stadler]

I don't think you can really say any of the top 10 singers thus far are "overrated."  It's one thing not to like them (I'm not crazy about Dio).  But they are all rated so highly for a reason.  They are crazy talented and crazy popular.  Hard to call someone overrated when the over-rating is solidly earned.

But isn't that what overrated means?  That the general consensus rate the person/thing significantly higher than you do (and vice versa for underrated)?

No.  To me overrated connotes that they are rated higher than they deserve--not simply higher than I think they should be.  Those are two different standards.

Even on that standard, Russell Allen is over-rated!

(I kid! I kid!)

[Stadler]

There is a personal taste factor that plays a huge part here. What truly makes a singer great?

Some might say their vocal range, their ability to convey appropriate emotion, their stylistic diversity, or their ability to compliment the music.


Me? I'd say their haircut.

Exactly. Less hair = Better singer. Hence why Devin Townsend was my #1.

Phil begs to differ. 

But he's not a good singer, so....

(Again, I kid! I kid!)

[Stadler]

So, for perhaps the shocker of the entire thing, Geoff was #28 on my list and Bruce was #43.

Yes, I love Iron Maiden; top three band for me, and I see them every tour, just because.  The first hard rock/heavy metal singer I ever saw was Bruce Dickinson, back in 1982 as an opening act on the Beast On The Road tour.   I think the new album is one of their best and largely due to Bruce's input.  He's a metal God, and my all time number one FRONT MAN.   I just... I like what Kev said.  He's clearly a technically great singer, but that's not what I listen to Maiden for (though I strongly disagree that he's a shell of what he once was; maybe it's all the showmanship, but I saw him in October and he was on fire, and the show before that, just before COVID, was the best Maiden show I've ever seen). 

Tater could have been higher.  I LOVE the warmth of his voice (Empire is his high-water mark, if you ask me).  I'm not sure why he's at #28 except that there are singers who capture me emotionally more.  But he's well and truly one of the best ever at his prime.  I saw him on The Warning tour opening for Kiss and was blown away that someone could actually do that with their voice.

[HOF]

Tate was one of the remaining 4 who I thought would make it but was the least sure about. No doubt his drop off vocally after Promised Land and subsequent shenanigans have knocked him off the pedestal many of us had him on in the 80s and early 90s. But when he was at the top of his game, he had one of the most incredible voices in rock, almost as much for his lower register as for his higher register, but the combo of both was what really made him special. For me, he peaked on Mindcrime, Empire, and Promised Land, though certainly he was amazing on the earlier material as well even if I don’t really care for some of it. That relatively short peak meant he only finished 17th for me. But there was certainly a time growing up when I viewed him as the epitome of a hard rock/metal singer.

Much like the early QR material, Iron Maiden is just not my cup of tea. Never got into them on any level other than thinking they had some comedic value.

[cramx3]

Bruce was my #2, just an all time great and the singer of my favorite band.  I actually thought he would land #1 here, but I guess not although a pretty solid finish. 

Tate is fine, but nothing special in my eyes.  I guess because I didn't live through the classic QR era, but when I listen to it, it's all meh to me.  QR is very average in my book so Tate never was a consideration for me.  I understand people here love him though so it's not a shock to see him ranked this high, but I just don't understand the love personally (similar to Russell Allen, another good singer, but I just don't get the high level of love).  I did give him a fist bump at his solo show I went to a few years ago.

[lonestar]

For the life of me I can't figure out who #2 is.  #1 should be incredibly obvious.

It's funny, pretty sure who you're alluding to for #1, and I'd bet Jingle's annual salary who the other vocalist is(as would he). I'm just waiting for some younger members to pipe in "who?" when he's named.

[Adami]

For the life of me I can't figure out who #2 is.  #1 should be incredibly obvious.

It's funny, pretty sure who you're alluding to for #1, and I'd bet Jingle's annual salary who the other vocalist is(as would he). I'm just waiting for some younger members to pipe in "who?" when he's named.

I mean, we all know who Elvis is.

[Animal]

I were a betting man, Tate and Dickinson would have been two singers I would bet on being revealed today. But not too much, as I got the n.5-8 totally wrong.

Geoff Tate - Had him at 6. Just an incredible singer in his prime - I don't know any other singer who can - or rather could -  combine such warm baritone of great depth and beautiful timbre with so brilliant a high register. Also, a technically most sound singer in rock/metal, with the possible exception of Einar Solberg. One reason I rated him only at 6th is his narrower palette of tones compared to my other favorites - he would never really add any grit or rasp to his voice or use super-soft tone.

Bruce Dickinson - just a bit outside of my top 25. A legendary singer, but a bit one-dimensional (maybe I haven't heard the right stuff? - I know only his 80's albums with Maiden). There is one thing he can do better than anyone else - belting in his high register in this unmistakable tone of his, which is both husky, gritty and somehow still has enough harmonics to cut through the mix. But he does it almost all the time and it gets tiring to my ears. It is actually the reason why I have trouble listening to a whole Maiden album in one sitting, as much as I like the music. It is a bit as if JLB employed his heavy Awake-style vocals at pretty much all DT albums and for overwhelming majority of his vocal parts. I mean, it would be incredibly cool, badass - just the fact he could sustain it - but it would get old quickly.

[Animal]

For the life of me I can't figure out who #2 is.  #1 should be incredibly obvious.

It's funny, pretty sure who you're alluding to for #1, and I'd bet Jingle's annual salary who the other vocalist is(as would he). I'm just waiting for some younger members to pipe in "who?" when he's named.

Come on, everyone is gonna know who the remaining two are. I am really,positively and absolutely sure. I mean, I would bet anyone's annual salary but mine on that.

[HOF]

For the life of me I can't figure out who #2 is.  #1 should be incredibly obvious.

It's funny, pretty sure who you're alluding to for #1, and I'd bet Jingle's annual salary who the other vocalist is(as would he). I'm just waiting for some younger members to pipe in "who?" when he's named.

John Arch