dannyshenanigan
Emperor
My top 10 list order here is not set in stone except for the first two singers. My list seems to consist of tenors with great vocal range. Not that I don't like some good baritone singers, or that great vocal range is everything. I feel a little bad that I didn't include any female vocalists amongst my favorites.
1.Jeff Buckley- He had insane vocal range, control, and power. He had the rare ability to flawlessly transition between his chest voice and head voice. He also could sing with soul and emotion. He died way before he could come close to realizing his limitless musical potential. There are numerous quotes from many incredible artists gushing over Jeff.
Jimmy Paige (Led Zepplin):
"Technically he was the best singer that appeared, that had appeared probably, I'm not being too liberal about this if I say in two decades. I started to play Grace constantly and the more I listened to the album the more I heard, the more I appreciated of Jeff and Jeff's talents and Jeff's total ability to which he was just a wizard and it was close to being my favorite album of the decade."
Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave):
"He’s one of those talents where it makes you really look at yourself and go, What’s going on here? This guy has been touched by an angel…you feel like a kindergartner when you listen to him."
*My favorite vocal performance of his are Grace, and Lover, You Should've Come Over.
2.Freddy Mercury (Queen)- Another singer with amazing 4 octave vocal range and power. He had great versatility, he could do a rock growl, croon, or sing with a soaring operatic style; sometimes within the same song. He actually has collaborated on an opera album. The epitome of the rockn'roll front man. Like Buckley he died too soon, except a lot more people are aware of him.
*Favorite vocal performances- Somebody to Love, Another One Bites the Dust, The Show Must Go On
3.Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave)- There's a bit of a drop off after the first two in my opinion. Cornell has a very unique belting style. He's able to wail out some very impressive notes with great power, while still having that distinctive grit in his voice. I think his voice has deteriorated a bit since his early days with Soundgarden.
*Favorite vocal displays- Slaves & Bulldozers, The Day I Tried to Live
4.Thom Yorke (Radiohead)- Maybe my favorite current vocalist. He has a haunting ethereal voice. Has a really nice tone and vibrato in his head voice and falsetto. I think he's really effective when he's conveying despair and desolation in certain Radiohead songs.
*How to Disappear Completely, Nude, Street Spirit (Fade Out)
5.David Bowie- He doesn't quite have the upper register of the singers above, but he can sing better in more of a baritone range than any of these singers. His really distinctive vibrato makes his voice unique. Even as a heterosexual male I think his voice oozes sex appeal.
*Chinagirl, Cat People (Putting Out Fire), Modern Love
6.Layne Staley (Alice in Chains)- The vocal melodies that he did with Jerry Cantrell were amazing. I think he was just as effective at expressing anger and angst as his contemporary Kurt Cobain, except Staley was a technically superior vocalist.
*Would?, Down in a Hole
7.Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle)- I'm not nearly as big of a Tool fan as I used to be, but I still appreciate his voice. He has no detectable vibrato in his voice, but he gets away with it because he has such a nice tone. His voice can really fit heavy music, but it also can have a beautiful side as displayed in his work with A Perfect Circle.
*Puhorsehockey, Ticks and Leeches, 3 Libras
8.Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)- I felt I had to include at least one classical metal singer.
9.Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle)- Probably the most versatile and experimental vocalist you can find.
10.Robert Plant- Just iconic, has obviously precipitously declined in his old age.
Honorable mentions: Adam Turla, Steve Perry, Brandon Boyd, Glenn Danzig, Eddie Vedder (although singers who try to emulate him are almost always terrible).
1.Jeff Buckley- He had insane vocal range, control, and power. He had the rare ability to flawlessly transition between his chest voice and head voice. He also could sing with soul and emotion. He died way before he could come close to realizing his limitless musical potential. There are numerous quotes from many incredible artists gushing over Jeff.
Jimmy Paige (Led Zepplin):
"Technically he was the best singer that appeared, that had appeared probably, I'm not being too liberal about this if I say in two decades. I started to play Grace constantly and the more I listened to the album the more I heard, the more I appreciated of Jeff and Jeff's talents and Jeff's total ability to which he was just a wizard and it was close to being my favorite album of the decade."
Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave):
"He’s one of those talents where it makes you really look at yourself and go, What’s going on here? This guy has been touched by an angel…you feel like a kindergartner when you listen to him."
*My favorite vocal performance of his are Grace, and Lover, You Should've Come Over.
2.Freddy Mercury (Queen)- Another singer with amazing 4 octave vocal range and power. He had great versatility, he could do a rock growl, croon, or sing with a soaring operatic style; sometimes within the same song. He actually has collaborated on an opera album. The epitome of the rockn'roll front man. Like Buckley he died too soon, except a lot more people are aware of him.
*Favorite vocal performances- Somebody to Love, Another One Bites the Dust, The Show Must Go On
3.Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave)- There's a bit of a drop off after the first two in my opinion. Cornell has a very unique belting style. He's able to wail out some very impressive notes with great power, while still having that distinctive grit in his voice. I think his voice has deteriorated a bit since his early days with Soundgarden.
*Favorite vocal displays- Slaves & Bulldozers, The Day I Tried to Live
4.Thom Yorke (Radiohead)- Maybe my favorite current vocalist. He has a haunting ethereal voice. Has a really nice tone and vibrato in his head voice and falsetto. I think he's really effective when he's conveying despair and desolation in certain Radiohead songs.
*How to Disappear Completely, Nude, Street Spirit (Fade Out)
5.David Bowie- He doesn't quite have the upper register of the singers above, but he can sing better in more of a baritone range than any of these singers. His really distinctive vibrato makes his voice unique. Even as a heterosexual male I think his voice oozes sex appeal.
*Chinagirl, Cat People (Putting Out Fire), Modern Love
6.Layne Staley (Alice in Chains)- The vocal melodies that he did with Jerry Cantrell were amazing. I think he was just as effective at expressing anger and angst as his contemporary Kurt Cobain, except Staley was a technically superior vocalist.
*Would?, Down in a Hole
7.Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle)- I'm not nearly as big of a Tool fan as I used to be, but I still appreciate his voice. He has no detectable vibrato in his voice, but he gets away with it because he has such a nice tone. His voice can really fit heavy music, but it also can have a beautiful side as displayed in his work with A Perfect Circle.
*Puhorsehockey, Ticks and Leeches, 3 Libras
8.Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)- I felt I had to include at least one classical metal singer.
9.Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle)- Probably the most versatile and experimental vocalist you can find.
10.Robert Plant- Just iconic, has obviously precipitously declined in his old age.
Honorable mentions: Adam Turla, Steve Perry, Brandon Boyd, Glenn Danzig, Eddie Vedder (although singers who try to emulate him are almost always terrible).
