Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers

Started by crowbi_wan, November 18, 2008, 04:40:10

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crowbi_wan

This list has been popping up on blogs everywhere.

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/11/12/the-new-issue-of-rolling-stone-the-100-greatest-singers/

100 Mary J. Blige
99 Steven Tyler
98 Stevie Nicks
97 Joe Cocker
96 B.B. King
95 Patti LaBelle
94 Karen Carpenter
93 Annie Lennox
92 Morrissey
91 Levon Helm
90 The Everly Brothers
89 Solomon Burke
88 Willie Nelson
87 Don Henley
86 Art Garfunkel
85 Sam Moore
84 Darlene Love
83 Patti Smith
82 Tom Waits
81 John Lee Hooker
80 Frankie Valli
79 Mariah Carey
78 Sly Stone
77 Merle Haggard
76 Steve Perry
75 Iggy Pop
74 James Taylor
73 Dolly Parton
72 John Fogerty
71 Toots Hibbert
70 Gregg Allman
69 Ronnie Spector
68 Wilson Pickett
67 Jerry Lee Lewis
66 Thom Yorke
65 David Ruffin
64 Axl Rose
63 Dion
62 Lou Reed
61 Roger Daltrey
60 Björk
59 Rod Stewart
58 Christina Aguilera
57 Eric Bourdon
56 Mavis Staples
55 Paul Rodgers
54 Luther Vandross
53 Muddy Waters
52 Brian Wilson
51 Gladys Knight
50 Bonnie Raitt
49 Donny Hathaway
48 Buddy Holly
47 Jim Morrison
46 Patsy Cline
45 Kurt Cobain
44 Bobby "Blue" Bland
43 George Jones
42 Joni Mitchell
41 Chuck Berry
40 Curtis Mayfield
39 Jeff Buckley
38 Elton John
37 Neil Young
36 Bruce Springsteen
35 Dusty Sprinfield
34 Whitney Houston
33 Steve Winwood
32 Bono
31 Howlin' Wolf
30 Prince
29 Nina Simone
28 Janis Joplin
27 Hank Williams
26 Jackie Wilson
25 Michael Jackson
24 Van Morrison
23 David Bowie
22 Etta James
21 Johnny Cash
20 Smokey Robinson
19 Bob Marley
18 Freddie Mercury
17 Tina Turner
16 Mick Jagger
15 Robert Plant
14 Al Green
13 Roy Orbison
12 Little Richard
11 Paul McCartney
10 James Brown
09 Stevie Wonder
08 Otis Redding
07 Bob Dylan
06 Marvin Gaye
05 John Lennon
04 Sam Cooke
03 Elvis Presley
02 Ray Charles
01 Aretha Franklin

I don't quite understand what Bob Dylan is doing on this list, let alone being listed at #7  :shock:  Ask anyone if Dylan has a good voice and you'll get the same answer 100% of the time.  Dude can't sing!  Some will argue that he's a gifted songwriter (though I don't think he's anything special), which makes me wonder if this list factors in songwriting.  :smth017  Lennon at #5?  Sure he's got an alright voice (better when he was a Beatle).  Steve Perry all the way down at #76? Huh, really?  And where the hell is Sarah McLachlan?  Okay, someone is always going to have a different opinion when these lists come out, much like Maxim's most beautiful girls or whatever.  We all have different tastes.  I just couldn't believe Bob Dylan was on the list and ranked as high as he was.  There are others that stand out, but Dylan...wow.  :?     

Dillinger

This obviously isn't a list of the 100% most technically gifted singers, so I assume it's of the 100 best voices for what they do, eg Lou Reed was perfect for what the VU did etc.

If that is indeed the case, Bob certainly deserves to be there. He gets alot opf stick for his voice, but he still has/had excellent control over it and was just perfect for his songs. The mans amazing, in 150 years time, he will be seen as the most influential artist of the 20th century.

japanesebaby

sorry but i really can't take seriously anything/anyone who tries to tell me that dolly parton (#73) is supposed to be a better singer than steve perry (#76). sorry but that's just plain ridiculous.  :shock:

(and jeff buckley only at #39? come on, use your ears...)

at least they had no nerve to leave robert plant out of top 15 - but barely so...

Quote from: Dillinger on November 20, 2008, 17:56:43
This obviously isn't a list of the 100% most technically gifted singers, so I assume it's of the 100 best voices for what they do, eg Lou Reed was perfect for what the VU did etc.

yeah but even if one saw it that way it simply makes no sense to put bob dylan at #7 and then have tom waits... wait: he's #82! wow.  and right after john lee hooker... erhhmm. i mean, wt...?
that just clearly proves that people making this list didn't have any idea what they were doing there - could have been monkeys throwing darts or something.
these kind of lists are completely meaningless if they don't specify "great" a little bit. either they should make it a proper "best singers" list (which should more or less means you really pay attention whether or not those people were technically gifted or not and knew their trade, musicianship wise). or they should just call it "most memorable voices/voices with most personality" or something - then perhaps in the latter case it would make some sense to have dylan at #7 (but it doesn't make sense to have waits at #82 at the same time, no way).

(besides, i think people who make these lists also confuse "nest singers" with "best songwriters" sometimes, to add to the general confusion.)


Ay, in the very temple of Delight
Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shrine

crowbi_wan

Quote from: Dillinger on November 20, 2008, 17:56:43
This obviously isn't a list of the 100% most technically gifted singers, so I assume it's of the 100 best voices for what they do, eg Lou Reed was perfect for what the VU did etc.

If that is indeed the case, Bob certainly deserves to be there. He gets alot opf stick for his voice, but he still has/had excellent control over it and was just perfect for his songs. The mans amazing, in 150 years time, he will be seen as the most influential artist of the 20th century.

I'll agree with you that Dylan had good control over his voice (well, you said excellent and I won't go that far), but that doesn't make him a good singer.  The sound of his voice is terrible!  Besides, so many others listed below him had equal, if not better control. 

With so many singers/different styles, you might very well be right about the "best voices for what they do" part, though.  I hadn't really looked at it that way.  However, I still say songwriting is weighing in on the rankings.     

Dillinger

I agree that it is a terrible list, these kind of things always are.

japanesebaby

not perfect (no list ever is) but at least these lists make a lot more sense!:

100 greatest rock vocalists (male): http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/best_vocalists.html

100 greatest rock vocalists (female): http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/best_vocalists-fe-rr.html
Ay, in the very temple of Delight
Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shrine

fiction

Quote from: japanesebaby on November 23, 2008, 19:13:29
100 greatest rock vocalists (male): http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/best_vocalists.html

Waow! Mike Patton that high up (#14). Who would have thought that? But yeah, You´re right. These lists don´t mean shit. I would never have put on Freddie Mercury in the top 200´s and I did miss Jello Biafra (I might have sceamed the list a bit lazy).
again and again and again and again and again and...

Dillinger

Jello was/is brilliant, and Fresh Fruit is pretty much the perfect punk record.