Who are/were the best male lead singers in a rock band?

[newyawker99]

My picks:

1. Lennon/McCartney
2. Mick Jagger
3. Robert Plant
4. Chuck Negron (3 Dog Night)
5. Levi Stubbs (4 Tops)

I have other picks but I will keep it to
these 5 men.

[GumboYaYa]

1. Aaron Neville, if the Neville Brothers are considered a rock band.

He has one of the purest voices I have ever heard.

[chaska]

84. No, Cyril Neville kicks major butt.

[qb]

2. Prince

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Chuck Negron?!?!?!?

Come on, Chuck wasn't even the best singer in 3 Dog Night. Danny Hutton was!

And, you have to include Mickey Thomas, even if just for "Fooled Around and Fell In Love".

Also, Paul Carrick (sp?) for "How Long?" and "Tempted".

But, the Negron thing is bugging me. I challenge you to a duel over that statement. Shotputs at 400 paces!
The Professor

[newyawker99]

27. LOL!

OK...I will substitute Rod Stewart when he
was in the band Faces.


Sheeesh! We have a tough audience today.

[terrya]

4. Mine:

In no order:

Paul McCartney

Smokey Robinson

Burton Cummings

Roger Daltrey

[newyawker99]

61. I love Roger!

[Amerpie]

5. None of the Above

Levon Helm - The Band
Neil Young - Crazy Horse
Bruce Springsteen - E Street Band
Roger Daughtry - The Who
James Brown - Famous Flames

[swag]

6. Mark E. Smith of the Fall

[mitchum]

81. Well, don't go see their current "Let's Go Soak The States Tour"

I subjected myself to that a couple of weeks ago. I would say that he was just going through the motions, but there was very little motion.

[swag]

83. Thanks, I won't

I try to avoid going to shows any more when I can. Saw Brix and the best of the old lot in 1983 on the "Middle Class Revolt" tour, but wouldn't bother with going since Mark has sunk them.

Have enjoyed a few albums since then, though.

[loftycity]

7. Scott Weiland -Stone Temple Pilots

David Lee Roth--best sense of humor
Chris Cornell- Soundgarden
Robert Plant

[livetohike]

8. Jim Morrison is my #1 pick

then

2. Mick Jagger
3. Michael Macdonald
4. Chuck Negron
5. Robert Plant

[newyawker99]

62. Sheeesh! I miss this one!

I love Jim Morrision and the Doors.

[phillybri]

9. Freddie Mercury...case closed...

Good night...

[newyawker99]

63. Argh! I forgot him too.

Love him!

[Bunny]

10. Burton Cummings - Guess Who.

That is all.

[darkstar]

28. Seconding Mr. Cummings

I might hesitate to say "best," but definately most often underrated, underlooked. And he is phenomenal. Have a listen to "Live at the Paramount."

In addition, several names listed above have called BC one their favorites across the years. Plante, IIRC, flat out called him the best.

[11 Bravo]

51. Hands down!

n/t

[Dan-W]

53. Thumbs up!

[BiggJawn]

11. Meatloaf.

Or Freddie.

[Kazak]

12. Mike Patton

of Mr. Bungle/Faith No More fame.

[XNASA]

13. Thom Yorke

John Lennon
James Brown
Andy Partridge
Ray Davies

[newyawker99]

64. I have to agree with Ray Davies.

[NuckinFutz]

14. Don Henley..........nt

[SEAburb]

15. John Kay, Layne Staley, and Buddy Miles

<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>

[southpaw]

16. Geoff Tate - Queensryche

Ronnie James Dio - Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio
Aaron Neville - Neville Brothers
Jon Anderson - Yes
Robin Zander - Cheap Trick
Eddie Vedder - Pearl Jam
Chris Cornell -Soundgarden, Audioslave
Sebastian Bach - Skid Row

[RandomKoolzip]

17. Here's a list:

Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy)
Captain Beefheart
Phil May (Pretty Things)
Mark E Smith (the Fall)
David Thomas (Pere Ubu)
Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead)
Bon Scott (AC DC)
Glenn Danzig (Misfits, Danzig)
Chris Bailey (the Saints)
John Lennon
Ike Willis (Zappa)
Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices)
Peter Gabriel (Genesis)
Craig Wedren (Shudder to Think)

[Philostopher]

20. Woo hoo! You don't disappoint.

Ike Willis is one of my favorites.

I'd add Glenn Hughes (British blues-based rock singer, he's been all over; he's my brother's favorite singer of all time) ... Ian Gillain (Deep Purple) ... Todd Rundgren ... and one of my favorites of all time, Graham Bonnet.

[rucky]

48. another Pere Ubu fan

Dave Thomas is dynamic. solo stuff & spoken word good too.

[Whitacre D_WI]

49. Don't forget...

...before Pere Ubu, he was in Rocket From the Tombs -- Cleveland's FIRST punk rock band.

[Whitacre D_WI]

18. Bruce Dickinson.

Phillip Lynott.

Reg Presley.

Black Francis.

Ronnie James Dio.



I love Levi, but the Tops were a vocal group, not a rock band.

[RandomKoolzip]

19. You forgot Stephen Pearcy.

And if you need me to name HIS band for you, we must end our friendship right now.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Whitacre D_WI]

33. Uh. That was a joke. RKZ and I are buddies.

[RandomKoolzip]

35. Woah, what happened?!

I took a break to make some phone calls, and I come back and there's a deleted reply to a post! Double-you tee eff, man?

I guess I'll never be able to reveal that Pearcy was the lead singer of Ratt. Damn!

[Whitacre D_WI]

37. Well...

I called you a "sick fuck."

Of course, you know full well that I call you a sick fuck all the time. And worse. Of course, you give as good as you get.

Crossed wires somewhere, I suppose.

[RandomKoolzip]

39. I may be a "sick fuck" but right now I'm "fuck sick."

I'm SO tired of having sex!

[Whitacre D_WI]

40. You are a dynamo!

[arwalden]

21. Darius Rucker

(and everybody mumbles "who's Darius Rucker... where have I heard that name before??")

-- Allen

[southpaw]

74. HOOTIE!

[NuckinFutz]

22. Bono from U2

How could we forget him?

[kcwayne]

24. Jack Bruce - Cream

[MsMagnificent]

25. & where is Roger Daltry???

IMO MUCH more worthy than Chuck Negron!

[bif]

29. Yes. Roger!

I second that!

[Redleg]

32. I'll third that.

EOM

[newyawker99]

41. Yikes!! I love him and I also forgot

Freddie Mercury!

[XNASA]

44. I love the Who. And I love Roger.......

But damn, he sure is flat. I know it's his style, so we're all used to it......but really,.....he's great but....

He's flat.

[MsMagnificent]

52. *chuckle* What adjective to use for Mick Jagger then?

:^D

[XNASA]

70. Sporadic.

[regularguy]

26. Paul Rogers, esp. w/ Free...

.

[Atlas Mugged]

30. Mick Jagger

And, vocally, he's getting better than ever. Now, if only someone would lock him in a room and withold supermodels until he writes something worth recording. But, still, as a performer, he's amazing.

[Redleg]

31. Roger Daltrey.

The classic tough rock voice.

[FarLeftRage]

34. I like The Clash's

Joe Strummer / Mick Jones combo....

[sendero]

36. I'll define "rock" my way :)

John Wetton - King Crimson and others.
Hugh Cornwell - The Stranglers
Stan Ridgeway - Wall of Voodoo
David Bowie - David Bowie
Horace Andy - Massive Attack

[RandomKoolzip]

43. Ach! I can't beleive I forgot John Wetton!

Great choice. I love his voice, even with Asia.

[southpaw]

45. I never thought Asia was inherently bad...

It was just difficult to listen to Steve Howe, John Wetton, Carl Palmer and, to a lesser extent, Geoff Downes taking such a musically safe route. Their prog-rock heritage seemed disrespected by the obviously commercial slant of Asia...

on edit... don't forget, Wetton was in Uriah Heep for a time... so much for 'prog-rock heritage'

[Whitacre D_WI]

46. Yeah.

Uriah Heep was cool.

[sendero]

47. Exactly...

.... trying to produce poppy love songs they were fish-out-of-water incarnate

[Blue-Jay]

38. Corey Glover from Living Color.

Most underrated band EVER. And Vernon Reid kicks more ass than almost any other guitarist.

[southpaw]

42. The thing about Vernon Reid is...

you never know what note he's gonna play next...

and neither does he!

[rucky]

50. Thom Yorke

Chris Cornell
Tjinder Singh
Isaac Brock
Stephen Malkmus
Michael Stipe

[Commendatori]

54. Dio, Bruce Dickinson, Geoff Tate (n/t)

[southpaw]

55. What... No Eric Bloom? No Buck Dharma?

[Commendatori]

56. Hey, I'm honest. BOC is my favorite band, but

Bloom isn't in the league of those I mentioned, and Buck Dharma is too nasal to be considered a great singer.

[southpaw]

57. Of the two, I always preferred Dharma-Roeser...

Smooth vocals, smooth guitar chops...

B.O.C. are a great, great band...

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

69. "Imaginos"...a strange, lost classic

The original band's "final" 1988 album featuring "I Am The One You Warned Me Of" (one of the best all-time Pearlman-Roeser-Bouchard tracks) and "The Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle At Weisseria" (with a couple of howlers named Jon Rogers and Joey Cerisano on lead vocals and the memorable chant of "Carpe Diem" followed by big, chunky guitar blasts).

More info:

http://www.rockdetector.com/artist,1243.sm

"BLUE OYSTER CULT returned in 1988 with the ambitious 'Imaginos' outing. The album displayed some of the dexterity and majesty of earlier works but this renaissance was marred by Bouchard, who had once more been ejected, claiming that the entire inspiration for the record was his alone and merely a revamp of his projected solo album. Bouchard sued the band and the record company."

[Kat45]

73. Urgh! The three voices I absolutely can't stand!

Yes, they have singing talent; technically, they have good voice. BUT, I can't stand that bombastic singing style! I heard a Bruce Dickinson post-Maiden disc on which he did not use that style, and he sounded good. Man, lay off the bomast, guys.

[Servo300]

58. probably not a popular choice, but

I would say Bob Seger. His voice may be just a bit on the rough side, but I think he conveys a lot of emotion.

[southpaw]

59. Welcome, servo...

Hey, Seger is cool with me...

There are some around here who will trash your opinions, so be wary...

[Servo300]

60. Silver Bullet Band was much better

when Drew Abbot was lead guitarist. Live Bullet is a great album.

[southpaw]

65. Rick Vito's slide guitar work on "Like a Rock"...

Is among my favorite recorded slide solos.

[Servo300]

67. it IS definitely an awesome slide solo

but I still like Drew Abbot better overall.

Who played slide guitar on Blackfoot's "Train, Train"? Not a huge slide guitar buff, but I've always kinda enjoyed it also, probably second only to "Like a Truck" (er.. 'scuse, me "Like a Rock").

[southpaw]

68. I'm not sure...

never was a big Blackfoot fan... but the solo does rock.

Probably my favorite slide player is David Lindley, best known for his work with Jackson Browne...

Of course... The Beloved David Gilmour plays a mean slide when he takes a notion to... usually lap steel, though.

[Beaverhausen]

66. Sting, Neil Finn and Roger Daltry

Sting- The Police
Neil Finn - Crowded House
Roger Daltry - The Who

[smirkymonkey]

89. Oh - I love Neil Finn

and Roger Daltry. I would also add Jim Kerr from Simple Minds.

[wyldwolf]

71. A few controversial picks here...

...and I'm basing them not necessarily on how good the band is/was but rather how good I feel the singers are:

Mickey Thomas (Jefferson Starship)
Brad Delp (Boston)

[trackfan]

72. I'm glad someone said Brad Delp - great voice n/t

[kaiden]

75. Steven Page

Barenaked Ladies

[Westegg]

76. 5 only? OK. Plant, Mercury, Daltrey, Jagger, Ferry. In that order. (n/t)

[4_Legs_Good]

77. Peter Gabriel

Sorry, gotta go with Pete!

david

[malachibk]

78. Billy Corgan

I mean it.

[kcwayne]

79. Don't leave out Joe Cocker!

[cedahlia]

80. well...Eddie Vedder

rocks my world, as do...

Mike Patton (faith no more)
Trent Reznor (nine inch nails)
Keith Caputo (life of agony)
Chris Cornell (soundgarden)
Bruce Dickinson (iron maiden)
Greg Dulli (afghan whigs)
Billy Corgan (smashing pumpkins)
Robert Plant (duh)

[newyawker99]

82. I like Joe too!

[chaska]

85. Bob Tench of the Jeff Beck Group

[chaska]

86. The late great Steve Mariot of Humble Pie

[chaska]

87. David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple, etc.

[chaska]

88. Ronn Goedert of the far too little known White Witch.