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

[Animal]

Reading through this thread, I realize that many of my 'favorite' singers are far from what you'd call talented...yet, they completely move me as artists.

Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Kip Winger would've all made my top 20, and other than Kip, I'll be the first to say that those are some pretty pedestrian vocalists when it comes to talent.

Calling Dylan pedestrian is an understatement. Excellent songwriter, but if we apply common standards by which people usually judge singing voices, he might be the only vocalist giving Yoko-Ono run for her money as the worst singer ever. But I totally get why someone would rank him - in the context of his songs, his voice just works.
   Stipe was my n. 8. I actually think he is quite talented, but not in terms of power/range.

Did someone say "Yoko"?

https://youtu.be/ZbGuxGGOIV0

The look on Chuck's face is worth gold.

  I should walk back my Dylan-Yoko comparison. There is no place in the universe for even one more Yoko-Ono-level-of quality singer....

[Stadler]

Good call with Darryl Hall; he should've been on my list too. Another miss.

Have I ever heard Steve Lukather sing?

I'll Be Over You.
I Will Remember
How Many Times
Georgy Porgy
99
I Won't You Back


Also the verses in Rosanna.

I did NOT know that!   Thank you.

[Stadler]

Mogg/Lynott/Kiske!!!!

Manson, Hughes, and Tony Martin!!! 

[TAC]

I just finished reading Glenn Hughes' autobiography a couple of weeks ago.

[DTwwbwMP]

Love the band, but JLB didn't sniff my list

Sounds like you need to see your ear, nose and throat doctor.

 

[Animal]

James Labrie. N. 5 for me. His early performances of The Killing Hand give me the same sense of awe as listening to young Luciano Pavarotti singing Ingemisco. Very, very few voices with this level of beauty and richness in harmonics - a bit like Stradivari violin compared to a normal instrument. His Awake performance is my favorite metal singing ever. Sadly, his potential as a vocalist was never fully realized. Too much touring, pushing his voice in the heat of a moment, suboptimal coaching and the bandmates who couldn't write more singer-friendly material to save their lives. JLB gets some flak for having short prime and being inconsistent live but what he had to do was more demanding than anything any other singer in the Top 25 had to sing. And he joined DT at the age when many sigers already have a couple of records and tours under their belt.

Freddie Mercury. N.3. I didn't think anyone would defeat JLB in this countdown - after all, this was his home turf -  but when I thought of Freddie, I wasn't so confident in my prediction. Like for, I guess, most people here, Queen are just a mild favorite for me but Freddie Mercury is... simply the greatest rock singer ever. I believe he will be remembered as one of the greatest singers of 20th century across the genres, along with Pavarotti, Sinatra, Elvis and a handful of others.

My list:

25.James Hetfield
24.David Bowie
23.Steve Walsh
22.Jon Oliva
21.Zachary Stevens
20.Ian Anderson
19.Jon Anderson
18.Greg Lake
17.Mikael Akerfeldt
16.Hansi Kursch
15.Myles Kennedy
14.Peter Gabriel
13.Annie Haslam
12.Cat Stevens
11.Fish
10.David Gilmour
9.Art Garfunkel
8.Michael Stipe
7.Loreena McKennit
6.Geoff Tate
5.James Labrie
4.Dolores O'Riordan
3.Freddie Mercury
2.Einar Solberg
1.Daniel Gildenlöw

Some singers I was surprised didn't make the countdown: Myles Kennedy, Fish, James Hetfield, David Gilmour
Some singers I was happy to see ranked by others: Jon Oliva, Greg Lake, Michael Stipe

[Zoom E]

Mogg/Lynott/Kiske!!!!

Manson, Hughes, and Tony Martin!!! 

Yay, me 

[Glasser]

Mogg/Lynott/Kiske!!!!

Manson, Hughes, and Tony Martin!!! 

Love his tone, so smooth.

[devieira73]

My list:
25. Michael Kiske
24. Rob Halford
23. Myles Kennedy
22. Phil Mogg
21. James LaBrie
20. Robert Plant
19. Steve Walsh
18. Ann Wilson
17. Klaus Meine
16. Matt Bellamy
15. Björn Strid
14. Lzzy Hale
13. Ian Gillan
12. Glenn Hughes
11. Russel Allen
10. Ray Alder
9. Daniel Gildenlöw
8. Paul Stanley
7. Dio
6. David Coverdale
5. Corey Glover
4. Bruce Dickinson
3. Fred Mercury
2. Steve Perry
1. Geoff Tate
I really think everyone here is great. Kiske and Rob I placed in the last spots just because, although both are amazing in what they do, I wish I could hear more diversity in their style.

[bosk1]

Also had Matt Heafy

You probably missed it, but I had him at #15 on mine.  And my list is VERY light on screamers and growlers.  But Matt has SUCH a wide palette of techniques he uses, and I think he sounds really good on most of them.  I also give him a lot of credit for how much work he has put into learning how to sing correctly after discovering that the way he was singing was doing damage, even to the point of temporarily deciding not to do that style of singing at all and to eliminate songs that used it from the band's repertoire if that's what it took.  He takes his craft VERY seriously, and he takes his commitment to the fans very seriously, and I just love that.  Very thankful I discovered him as a singer and his band when they opened for DT so many years ago.

[TAC]

I really think everyone here is great. Kiske and Rob I placed in the last spots just because, although both are amazing in what they do, I wish I could hear more diversity in their style.

Have you heard the Supared album with Kiske? Readiness For Sacrifice?

[Glasser]

My list:
25. Michael Kiske
24. Rob Halford
23. Myles Kennedy
22. Phil Mogg
21. James LaBrie
20. Robert Plant
19. Steve Walsh
18. Ann Wilson
17. Klaus Meine
16. Matt Bellamy
15. Björn Strid
14. Lzzy Hale
13. Ian Gillan
12. Glenn Hughes
11. Russel Allen
10. Ray Alder
9. Daniel Gildenlöw
8. Paul Stanley
7. Dio
6. David Coverdale
5. Corey Glover
4. Bruce Dickinson
3. Fred Mercury
2. Steve Perry
1. Geoff Tate
I really think everyone here is great. Kiske and Rob I placed in the last spots just because, although both are amazing in what they do, I wish I could hear more diversity in their style.

Niiiiice!!!! 

[Glasser]

Why no Lou Gramm love? He's one of the best ever. 

[TAC]

Yeah, he's even hot blooded.

[KevShmev]

We've been waiting for a joke like that.

[TAC]

Well, I'm a joke box hero.

[Glasser]

We've been waiting for a joke like that.

You're As Cold As Ice! 

[T-ski]

Enough of these head games.

[Glasser]

Enough of these head games.

I was just going to post exactly what you did! 

[Glasser]

We've been waiting for a joke like that.

But kev, does it feel like the first time you dirty white boy! 

[HOF]

Glasser beat me to the last Foreigner songs that anyone knows.

[Glasser]

Glasser beat me to the last Foreigner songs that anyone knows.

Really? I may have Double vision But I wanna know what love is.

[HOF]

Glasser beat me to the last Foreigner songs that anyone knows.

Really? I may have Double vision But I wanna know what love is.

OK, now you've drained the tank!

[KevShmev]

This thread is a long, long way from where it began.

[Glasser]

 

[HOF]

This thread is a long, long way from where it began.

Now is that a Foreigner reference, or are you just cracking the whip to get us back on topic? 

Nothing against Lou Gramm or Foreigner BTW, I was just mad that I couldn't think of any other songs to keep the puns flowing.

[Glasser]

Nope its Still going ..... Long, long way from home!   

https://youtu.be/vMbP5woz7S8

[HOF]

Nope its Still going ..... Long, long way from home!   

https://youtu.be/vMbP5woz7S8

Oh, I actually do know that song!

[coz]

Here's mine.  Top two finishers were no surprise.  One thing that did surprise me is that Art Garfunkel got vote(s) while Paul Simon (who almost made my list) got none.  Thanks for puttin' this on, Kev!

25 Belinda Carlisle
24 Richie Kotzen
23 Sting
22 John Lennon
21 Dug Pinnick
20 Steve Perry
19 Tommy Giles Rogers
18 James LaBrie
17 Bruce Dickinson
16 Nick D'Virgilio
15 Randy Blythe
14 Sammy Hagar
13 Michael Jackson
12 Les Claypool
11 "Weird Al" Yankovic
10 Freddie Mercury
9 Troy Sanders
8 Geddy Lee
7 Eric Martin
6 Robert Plant
5 Chris Cornell
4 Dave Pirner
3 Mike Patton
2 Layne Staley
1 Corey Glover

Looks like I was the unique voter for NINE artists.  Pirner (Soul Asylum), Sanders (Mastodon), Yankovic, Claypool, Blythe (Lamb of God), Giles-Rogers, Pinnick (Really surprised with that one), Kotzen, Carlisle.

Yes I have an odd taste in music.

[coz]

My list:
4. Corey Glover

Cool to see more appreciation for Corey.  LC's back in the studio!  Hope this one doesn't get stalled out like Shade did.

[Dave_Manchester]

My list:

25. Tori Amos
24. Freddie Mercury
23. Shirley Manson
22. Grace Slick
21. Leonard Cohen
20. Dusty Springfield
19. Noel Gallagher
18. Floor Jansen
17. Madonna
16. Lindsey Buckingham
15. Paul McCartney
14. Meat Loaf
13. Bono
12. Roger Daltry
11. David Gilmour
10. Debbie Harry
9. Kate Bush
8. Morrissey
7. Peter Gabriel
6. Maynard James Keenan
5. Michael Stipe
4. Stevie Knicks
3. Phil Collins
2. Elliott Smith
1. Mark Knopfler

[coz]

11. Eric Martin
8. Nick D’Virgilio
3. Kip Winger

Nice list, HOF.  Also good points re: focusing on the singer's peak.  Were you the only to vote for Kip?  He almost made mine.

[Dave_Manchester]

16   Eric Gillette

Very nice to see him get some representation. His vocal performance on Long Day Reprise at the end of Similitude of a Dream is spine-chilling. Such an all-round talented musician.

[Dream Team]

My list:

25. Tori Amos
24. Freddie Mercury
23. Shirley Manson
22. Grace Slick
21. Leonard Cohen
20. Dusty Springfield
19. Noel Gallagher
18. Floor Jansen
17. Madonna
16. Lindsey Buckingham
15. Paul McCartney
14. Meat Loaf
13. Bono
12. Roger Daltry
11. David Gilmour
10. Debbie Harry
9. Kate Bush
8. Morrissey
7. Peter Gabriel
6. Maynard James Keenan
5. Michael Stipe
4. Stevie Knicks
3. Phil Collins
2. Elliott Smith
1. Mark Knopfler

Awesome, another Debbie Harry vote.

[HOF]

11. Eric Martin
8. Nick D’Virgilio
3. Kip Winger

Nice list, HOF.  Also good points re: focusing on the singer's peak.  Were you the only to vote for Kip?  He almost made mine.

He was on at least one other. Think he had a point total in the 30s. Also think Eric Martin got more support than just me. And Nick tied with Michael Jackson, so that’s cool!