Best and Worst rock/pop vocalists

[JeffS]

I thought it would be fun, since there are so many other threads talking about favorites/worst/etc, to list who everyone thinks are the best vocalists and the worst vocalists.

My "best" list:

Peter Gabriel - powerful voice, good range, good emotive singing

Geoff Tate - Opera trained before joining Queensryche. He probably has the best range I've heard in any rock singer.

Roger Daltry - Powerful, intense singer

Kate Bush - 4 octave range, unique ethereal sound to her voice.

Robert Plant - Not the greatest voice in the world, but he sure could belt out the soulful, bluesy style.

Sinead O'Connor - I only marginally like her music (the very early stuff), but man, what a powerful voice.

The Beatles - individually they were competent singers if not spectacular. But together, nobody did harmonies better.

Ann Wilson - what a spectacular voice. Awesome range. Great stage presence.

Bono - On this list for the charisma/stage presence factor. Good voice too.

Joe Strummer - described his own voice as a barking seal, but he was majorly intense.

Elizibeth Fraser - clear, beautiful, ethereal voice.


My "worst" list:

Geddy Lee - I'm a huge, huge, Rush fan. But Lee's helium induced wail grates on peoples nerves. He makes decent use of his voice, but I only tolerate it because I like Rush's music so much.

Neil Young - Sounds like Aunt Bea (from Andy Griffith show), with constipation

Bob Dylan - horrible, absolutely horrible. I've never understood the fuss about this guy. His songs suck. His lyrics suck. He's uglier than sin. And his voice is a nightmare.

Axel Rose - sounds like the gate keeper from Tales From the Crypt. Sorry imitation of Robert Plant. And an @ssh0le to boot. You can to this any singer from any of the stupid '80's hair bands.

Roger Watters - a pure genius songwriter, but I always liked best the PF songs where Gilmour sang. Watters' voice tends to grate on me.

Robert Smith - I like The Cure, but Smith's singing is soooooo whiney.

Phillip Anselmo - Pantera singer sounds like the cookie monster from Sesame Street, while trying to be super macho. The irony is hilarious, unintentional comedy at it's best.

and finally ... any singer that lip syncs during "live" concerts. This holds true with many, many, many pop divas and boy bands. But this listing is obvious.

[bojendyk]

The best vocalists to have ever graced a stage:

Mark E. Smith -- There is no better singer than this man
Calvin Johnson -- Sort of an American Mark E. Smith. Think Jeff Buckley, but with twice the range.
Mark Arm
Kathleen Hanna
The guy who sang for Cat Butt
Bono
David Yow
Jonathan Richman
Lou Reed
Tad Doyle

[SirManchester]

I thought it would be fun, since there are so many other threads talking about favorites/worst/etc, to list who everyone thinks are the best vocalists and the worst vocalists.

My "best" list:

Peter Gabriel - powerful voice, good range, good emotive singing

Geoff Tate - Opera trained before joining Queensryche. He probably has the best range I've heard in any rock singer.

Roger Daltry - Powerful, intense singer

Kate Bush - 4 octave range, unique ethereal sound to her voice.

Robert Plant - Not the greatest voice in the world, but he sure could belt out the soulful, bluesy style.

Sinead O'Connor - I only marginally like her music (the very early stuff), but man, what a powerful voice.

The Beatles - individually they were competent singers if not spectacular. But together, nobody did harmonies better.

Ann Wilson - what a spectacular voice. Awesome range. Great stage presence.

Bono - On this list for the charisma/stage presence factor. Good voice too.

Joe Strummer - described his own voice as a barking seal, but he was majorly intense.

Elizibeth Fraser - clear, beautiful, ethereal voice.


My "worst" list:

Geddy Lee - I'm a huge, huge, Rush fan. But Lee's helium induced wail grates on peoples nerves. He makes decent use of his voice, but I only tolerate it because I like Rush's music so much.

Neil Young - Sounds like Aunt Bea (from Andy Griffith show), with constipation

Bob Dylan - horrible, absolutely horrible. I've never understood the fuss about this guy. His songs suck. His lyrics suck. He's uglier than sin. And his voice is a nightmare.

Axel Rose - sounds like the gate keeper from Tales From the Crypt. Sorry imitation of Robert Plant. And an @ssh0le to boot. You can to this any singer from any of the stupid '80's hair bands.

Roger Watters - a pure genius songwriter, but I always liked best the PF songs where Gilmour sang. Watters' voice tends to grate on me.

Robert Smith - I like The Cure, but Smith's singing is soooooo whiney.

Phillip Anselmo - Pantera singer sounds like the cookie monster from Sesame Street, while trying to be super macho. The irony is hilarious, unintentional comedy at it's best.

and finally ... any singer that lip syncs during "live" concerts. This holds true with many, many, many pop divas and boy bands. But this listing is obvious.

Hey man, Phil Anselmo used to be a great singer, Ever listened to Cowboyd from Hell? Amazing stuff, kudos to your inclusion of Geoff Tate, I saw Queensryche three times and he's just so powerfull.

By the way, great thread idae, I always make lists like this when I'm bored, in fact I made a top 200 best singers list which I'm looking for now, I'll post sometime later.
Some of the worst singers have to be from today's bands, all that EMO, pop/punk, and nu metal crap is an amazing example of awful singing. Even Robert Smith, Bob Dylan, Geddy Lee, and Axl Rose had some technique behind their singing.

[royalstilton]

The best vocalists to have ever graced a stage:

Mark E. Smith -- There is no better singer than this man
Calvin Johnson -- Sort of an American Mark E. Smith. Think Jeff Buckley, but with twice the range.
Mark Arm
Kathleen Hanna
The guy who sang for Cat Butt
Bono
David Yow
Jonathan Richman
Lou Reed
Tad Doyle
---
ouch!

for the first time, you're wrong.

male: Paul Rodgers
female: Elizabeth Fraser

[Claymore]

best female: Annie Lennox
best male: Sam Cooke

worst female: Britney/Ashlee/Christina and their clones
worst male: Bob Dylan

[Motterman]

Adding...

Best:

Freddy Mercury

Worst:

Macy Gray

[JeffS]

Hey man, Phil Anselmo used to be a great singer, Ever listened to Cowboyd from Hell? Amazing stuff, kudos to your inclusion of Geoff Tate, I saw Queensryche three times and he's just so powerfull.

By the way, great thread idae, I always make lists like this when I'm bored, in fact I made a top 200 best singers list which I'm looking for now, I'll post sometime later.
Some of the worst singers have to be from today's bands, all that EMO, pop/punk, and nu metal crap is an amazing example of awful singing. Even Robert Smith, Bob Dylan, Geddy Lee, and Axl Rose had some technique behind their singing.

Actually Phil Anselmo isn't that bad, as far as thrash metal singers go (it's not really singing, it's growling/screaming, but it works). But whenever I hear him, I think cookie monster, particularily since I'm the father of a 3 year old.

Yes, the likes of Geddy Lee and Robert Smith have technique in their favour. I even included Geddy Lee, being that Rush is one of my all time favorite bands. But their voices can really grate.

[minorthreat]

Dave Mustaine should be pretty high up in any list of bad vocalists.

[SirManchester]

One bad singer that came to mind instantly for me as I was writing about modern day bands was the singer from The Bravery, if any of you have ever seen this guy live on tv or something, you would burst out in laughter, its absolutely ridiculous.

[minorthreat]

One bad singer that came to mind instantly for me as I was writing about modern day bands was the singer from The Bravery, if any of you have ever seen this guy live on tv or something, you would burst out in laughter, its absolutely ridiculous.That reminds me - the Killers' frontman is terrible.

Also, Ian Brown and Anthony Kiedis are both notorious for not being able to stay in key.

[Ringo]

I always thought Sammy Hagar had a great voice ... he used it to sing a lot of bad songs, but I think he has a great voice.

worst vocalists are the Blilnk 182 frat-boy clones ... gawd awful.

and here's a vote for Axl being bad-a$$. the guy could bring it.

[servotron]

Dave Mustaine should be pretty high up in any list of bad vocalists.

HAhahaha YES!

Great Male voices: Freddy Mercury, Lindsey Buckingham
Great Female voices: KD Lang, Pat Benetar

Bad Male voices (but great regardless) : David Lee Roth, Rob Halford, Dennis DeYoung
Bad Female voices (but great regardless) : Nico, both singers of Heart

[SirManchester]

That reminds me - the Killers' frontman is terrible.

Also, Ian Brown and Anthony Kiedis are both notorious for not being able to stay in key.

I actually think the Killers' Brandon Flowers ain't too bad, especially when you compare him to a lot of other new singers in that scene, he has a knack for fusing the right melody with lyrics, so he's ok in my book, I also like Kiedis, he isn't the best but he isn't one that aims to outsinge the greats you know.

Anyway, these EMO bands' singers are horrible, I just heard something from this new band called Hawthorne Heights, not only is the singer's voice so whiny and bitchy but the band's lyrics can literally bedesribed as the same thing.

[SirManchester]

HAhahaha YES!

Great Male voices: Freddy Mercury, Lindsey Buckingham
Great Female voices: KD Lang, Pat Benetar

Bad Male voices (but great regardless) : David Lee Roth, Rob Halford, Dennis DeYoung
Bad Female voices (but great regardless) : Nico, both singers of Heart


Rob Halford bad??!?!?!? He only revolutionized heavy metal singing, the guy is in his sixties and can still pull of falsettos like no one else. If anything he's one of the best singers not only in metal history but in rock.

[servotron]

Rob Halford bad??!?!?!? He only revolutionized heavy metal (#) singing, the guy is in his sixties and can still pull of falsettos like no one else. If anything he's one of the best singers not only in metal history but in rock.

His voice is so cheesy you could spread it on crackers. Deal with it!

[CHICO13]

Best: another vote for Freddie Mercury
Rod Stewart despite selling out like a big dog.
Jim Morrison
Roy Orbison

Worst: Tom Petty and Bob Dylan (are they the same person?)

[kopiteinkc]

No need to repeat those mentioned already but I will add:

Best male
Paul Simon
Van Morrison
Jim James

Best female
PJ Harvey
Lucinda Williams

[Mr. Bee]

I can't stand Robert Plant

[Brainodo]

The Beatles - individually they were competent singers if not spectacular. But together, nobody did harmonies better.

The Beach Boys beg to differ.

Good (on record): Ian Astbury.
Bad (live): Ian Astbury.

The lead git (in a band of gits) from Papa Roach. Jebus. Just stop. Please. Yelling 'life's not fair' repeatedly does not make you edgy or insightful. I'm surprised they don't have a song decrying the injustice of 'being made to go clean their room'.

Good: Bruce Dickinson

[Motterman]

Best:

Mark Knopfler

Worst:

Eric Clapton