Top Ten Rock Vocalists


Ok, for this thtead we are talking about Rock, Hard Rock, Metal and Progressive rock. (male or female)
 Try not to think too hard, it can hurt your brain!
I will post mine later today😎
128x128arcam88
Progressive rock list:

1. Kate Bush
2. Peter Hammill
3. Peter Gabriel
4. Fish

Most of progressive rock vocals are poor by the nature of the bands and music though

Rock/Hard Rock/Metal

1. Freddie Mercury
2. Nina Hagen
3. Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode)
4. Klaus Maine (Scorpions)
5. Billy Joel
6. Elvis Costello
Top ten is difficult....So many to choose...perhaps 25?
1.   Roger Daltrey 
2.   Nancy Wilson
3.   Freddy Mercury 
4.   Sammy Hagar
5.   Dennis D'Young
7.   Davey Pattison
8.   Ronnie James Dio
9.   Rob Halford
10. Stevie Nicks
11. Beth Hart
12. Paul Rodgers 
13. Robert Plant 
14. Steve Walsh
15. David Pack
16. Ozzy
17. David Coverdale
18. Glenn Hughes 
19. Bobby Kimble
20. Chris Cornell
21. Steve Perry
22. Jessee James Dupree
23. Axl Rose
24. Geoff Tate
 
N

Ok slaw, here you go
Freddie Mercury, Robert Halford, Geoff Tate, Greg Lake, Robert Plant, Paul Rodgers, Glenn Hughes, Ronnie James Dio, Dennis DeYoung, Steve Walsh and Ann Wilson makes 11-oops😎
You are right nutty! About 10 being tough but I thought 25 might be too cumbersome for some.
czarivey, I disagree about progressive rock singers being poor by Nature! There are many great singers in prog rock.( I could go on and on) also it is not only vocal ability that makes a great singer butt the presentation and emotion they put into it
The following offered mainly in addition to the usual suspects already listed like Daltrey, Mercury, Page & Rodgers):
Gary Brooker
Jay Buchanan
Eric Burdon
Jack Bruce
Glenn Hughes (thanks to Nutty)
Janis Joplin
John Kay
Steve Marriott (+1 to Tooblue)
Chris Robinson 
Steven Tyler


A few missing names:
Jim Morrison
David Bowie (duh)
Stevie Nicks
Elton John (yes)
Tina Turner
Bono
Eric Clapton

You guys have it covered.
I’ll just add:
John Lennon
Captain Beefheart
Fred McDowell
B.B. King
Bjork
Bill Quateman

Youngblood award: Kala Rose
Ok nutty, I couldn't stand it so here is 15 more. It seems we agree on many😎
Lou Gramm
Steven Tyler
John Arch and Jim matheos( Fates warning)
Chris Cornell
David Peck
Elton John
David Byron
Davey PartialSteve Perry
Rick Emmit(-Triumph)
Tommy Shaw
Roger Daltrey
Jack Bruce
Bon Scott
no Mick Jagger yet? I'll also add Warren Zevon, Lowell George, LeVon Helm.
Post removed 
Bon Scott for me. But if Rock can include Rock ’n’ Roll and it’s Father Rhythm & Blues, Howlin’ Wolf and Big Joe Turner, then Johnny Burnette (the best "screamer" I’ve ever heard) and 1950's Elvis Presley.
No mention of Bruce Dickison, Dio, James LaBrie and Mike Reno, all great lead vocalist. 
Post removed 
Arthur Wax
Arnold Grove
El Mysterioso
George Harrysong
George O'Hara-Smith
Hari Georgeson
L'Angelo Misterioso
Jack Lumber
P. Roducer
Spike Wilbury



Post removed 
Dekay - had to look those up...all pseudonyms for George Harrison, I take it.  Very clever.  

At the risk of offending...George, Billy Joel, Elton John and Mark Knopfler as candidates for a top 10 list of rock, hard rock, metal & prog vocalists have me scratching my head.  Each to his own, I guess.  
ghosthouse, the artists you just mentioned definitely are not hard rock/metal or prog.! But I think at least some of their music could be considered Rock.😎
This list mentions a lot of the usual suspects. If you want to focus on rock, it is worth mentioning the Seattle crowd:
Chris Cornell- Soundgarden
Eddie Vedder- Pearl Jam
Layne Staley- Alice in Chains
Mark Lanegan- Screaming Trees

I particularly enjoy Lanegan's whiskey soaked baritone on his solo albums.
Arcam - I think you put your finger on what was jamming me up...the difference between a characteristic style and belting out the occasional rocker.
maxnewid, Chris Cornell is on nutty's 'list and also on my list. Great singer!😎
I have never been a huge Eddie Vedder fan but that is a matter of personal taste and that's cool.
Layne Stanley is a good choice, very unique voice.
As for Mark Lanegan I am not familiar with the Screaming Trees but I will look into them.
On my unwanted rock vocal list
Steve Tyler and Axl Rose leading followed by Bruce Springsteen. I won't stand even few min listening to those...

I'm so dismayed that AC/DC, one of my favorite bands, is having AR be their new "singer". Damn it!
arcam88 OP57 posts05-31-2016 2:39pmThe real AC/DC was with Bon Scott!😎

...till he choked in his own puke just like Jimmy Morrison(too bad I didn't mention that name among the best rock vocalists!).

 We also for some reason love first members and care less about next ones.

 Nevertheless, the real Pink Floyd for me was with Syd Barrett.
czarivey
2,802 posts
05-31-2016 4:18pm
arcam88 OP57 posts05-31-2016 2:39pmThe real AC/DC was with Bon Scott!😎

"...till he choked in his own puke just like Jimmy Morrison(too bad I didn’t mention that name among the best rock vocalists!)."

Too much information. Besides I’m pretty sure he (Bon Scott) froze to death anyway.  The official death certificate mentions acute alcohol poisoning and death by misadventure. Too bad they didn’t clone him, though. As for Morrison, he had more or less reached the end of the rope as a rock star.

My brain hurts!!  I'll add:

1. Frank Zappa (what a voice!)
2. St. Vincent
3. David Byrne
4. Joni Mitchell (albums like "Wild Things Run Free")
5. Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo
How about...

Don Van Vliet (Capt. Beefheart)
Kurt Cobain
Arthur Brown
Roky Erickson
More...

Doug Ingle (Iron Butterfly)
Steve Winwood
Dr. John
Leon Russell
Dennis Keller (Fever Tree)
Marc Bolan
Joe Cocker
czarivey,  Yes Bon Scott died a horrible death from alcohol. Unfortunately this seems to be a side effect of Fame and Fortune! ie - Elvis, Hendrix, Joplin, Phil Lynott, David Byron, Tommy Bolin and countless others.
Also many others who nearly died ie - Ozzy, Eric Clapton, Iggy Pop, 'Slash, Steven Tyler, Keith Richards( who also by the way snorted his father's ashes)😠... but while Bon Scott was with AC/ DC his personality, the raw energy and emotion that he contributed to the band made him one of the greatest to me,😎
Brian Johnson was good and Back in Black was probably one of the best selling albums of all time!( A very good album that I have heard hundreds of times) but for me I prefer Bon Scott!
They would be well advised to replace Angus with Slash while they're at it.
Come to think of it,, now that Rundgren’s name is in the ring, how about Meat Loaf? As long as you don’t need your vocals understated (that also applies to about 3/4 of the names already mentioned), I’d argue that Mr Loaf delivers his songs with great impact.
As a collector of rare concert footage, I have seen a fair amount of Guns 'n' Roses live footage, and it is pretty clear that there must have been a lot of studio takes to get an on-key performance.  He appears to be pretty tone-deaf live.  Similar with David Lee Roth although he seems to be able to sing on key but just was never sober when Van Halen was at their peak.  I never realized how much of Van Halen's actual vocals were backing vocals by Eddie and Michael Anthony.  

Because of the amount of live footage I've viewed, I tend to value the ability to hit notes in live performances over a studio scream like Steven Tyler's in Dream On.  Have to hit the notes live to count for me.  So these guys seem to really be able to belt it.  Trying not to let the song-writing part affect this list.

My list:

Freddie Mercury
David Bowie
Bono
Morrissey
Nancy Wilson
John Lennon
Chuck D. (yeah not singing and not rock.  But such Authority)
Ian McCullough
Geddy Lee back in the day
Ozzy

There really are too many to name.  I always include 15 in my top 10, at least...
 

Paul Rogers - embarrassingly poor lyricist but one hell of a singer. 
Nancy and Ann Wilson
Robert Palmer
Mick Jagger
Roger Daltrey
Joni
Janis
Tom Waits
Steve Marriot

I’ve seen many I like in these lists, but I would add Terry Reid, aka Superlungs. On the harder side, Phil Anselmo from Pantera and the singer from System of a Down, Serj Tankian. Sorry if I repeated any but I didn’t think I saw any of these 3.
I'll go with

Robert Plant
Mick Jagger
Iggy Pop
Joey Ramone
Morrissey
Steven Tyler
Johnny Rotten
Jimi Hendrix
Axl Rose
Rod Stewart

Here's a couple not mentioned.  Jim Dewar from Robin Trower and Bob Mosely from Moby Grape!