List your top ten favorite singers

[GulDukat]

Nothing to do with being a songwriter or a musician, just in terms of vocal ability, name your top 10 personal favorite singers:


10. Bruce Dickinson, Elvis Presley, Mike Patton (tied)
9. Rob Halford
8. Paul McCartney
7. Dean Martin
6. Glenn Hughes
5. Axl Rose
4. Chris Cornell
3. John Lennon
2. Robert Plant
1. Frank Sinatra

Honorable mentions--Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, Janis Joplin, Trent Reznor, Tori Amos, Perry Como, Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, Nat King Cole, George Harrison, Steven Tyler, Layne Stanley and countless others.

[Boots]

1. Trent Reznor
2. Bruce Dickinson
3. Chris Cornell
4. Tori Amos
5. Rob Halford
6. Kate Bush
7. Amy Lee
8. Cristina Scabbia
9. Ozzy Osbourne
10. John Lennon

Honorable mentions: Sebastian Bach, Tommy Shaw, Jack Blades, Mike Tramp, Axl Rose, Alannah Myles

[burnmotherfucker!]

1. Fiona Apple
2. Fiona Apple
3. Fiona Apple
4. Fiona Apple
5. Fiona Apple
6. Fiona Apple
7. Fiona Apple
8. Fiona Apple
9. Fiona Apple
10. Fiona Apple

[r_z]

Tom Waits
David Bowie
D'Angelo
Hope Sandoval
Beth Gibbons
Eddie Vedder
Thom Yorke
Chris Cornell
Sufjan Stevens

[motionlessZombie]

In no particular order:

Trent Reznor
Marilyn Manson
Corey Taylor
Belinda Carlisle
Siouxsie Sioux
Prince
Chris Motionless
Chris Cornell
Gerard Way
Oli Sykes

[Space Suicide]

No order for these

Glenn Danzig (Misfits, Samhain, Danzig)
Rob Halford (Judas Priest, Halford, Fight, 2wo)
Nergal (Behemoth, Me and That Man)
Attila Csihar (Mayhem, Tormentor, SunO))) etc)
Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Superjoint Ritual, Down, etc)
David Bowie (Solo, Tin Machine)
Ville Valo (HIM)
Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer)
Till Lindemann (Rammstein, Lindemann)
Peter Steele (Type O Negative, Carnivore)

[BrokenSpiral]

Just on pure vocal ability? 6 off the top of my head.

Matt Bellamy
Scott Weiland
Chris Cornell
Josh Homme
MJK
Freddie Mercury

[Dr Channard]

Not necessarily my favorite vocalists or style of music, but,

Elvis Presley said it best when he said that Roy Orbison had the most perfect voice and called Roy the greatest singer.

Also, Richard Sterban, my god, when that dude opened up his pipes it sounded like a damn foghorn. I swear he made a deal with the devil to hit those lows so smooth.

[Krazy]

Not necessarily in order, but close enough since I don’t really feel like thinking right now:

1) Maynard James Keenan (probably my favorite due to an incredible mix of vocal ability and lyrics)
2) Trent Reznor (such a distinct voice, and don’t think anyone else sounds like him, which is one of the biggest reasons for my NIN fandom)
3) Phil Anselmo
4) Bruce Dickinson
5) Freddie Mercury
6) Rob Halford
7) Kurt Cobain
8) Snoop Dogg (was there a “cooler” voice to ever rap into a mic? Tupac and Eminem for honorable mentions)
9) Geoff Tate
10) Scott Weiland

[thevoid99]

1. David Bowie
2. Freddie Mercury
3. Ian Curtis
4. Robert Smith
5. Trent Reznor
6. Morrissey
7. Michael Stipe
8. Bjork
9. Prince
10. Robert Plant

Honorable Mentions: Fiona Apple, PJ Harvey, Hope Sandoval, Elizabeth Fraser, Elvis Costello, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, George Michael, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Peter Murphy, Tom Waits, Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell, Kurt Cobain, Scott Weiland, Phil Anselmo, Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan, Ozzy Osbourne, David Coverdale, Rob Halford, Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Dickinson, Paul Di'Anno, Joe Strummer, Joey Ramone, Snoop Dogg, Andre 3000, Big Boi, Marvin Gaye, Kate Bush, Elton John, and all four members of the Beatles.

[frankie teardrop]

scott walker
elizabeth fraser
david bowie
kate bush
nico
steve kilbey
dominic appleton
lisa gerrard/brendan perry
julee cruise
blixa bargeld

[GulDukat]

Love Nico. Very underrated. While the first VU album a classic, her solo catalog is excellent and overlooked.

[Vertigo]

Alison Krauss
Freddie Mercury (Queen)
Shirley Manson (Garbage)
Romy Madley Croft (xx)
Paul McCartney (Beatles)
Isaac Hayes
Michael Jackson
Lacey Sturm (Flyleaf)
Otis Redding
Black Francis (Pixies)

The Trent of Broken, Downward Spiral and maybe​ With Teeth would nab a spot on the list. He usually still does a great job, just not quite in my top 10 - but on those particular albums his voice is weak-knee-inducing, absolutely perfect.

A few other singers have voices I like more than some on the list, but don't have enough that I love, or am insufficiently familiar with. Even Alison Krauss, who may literally have a portal to an aetherial realm in her larynx, wouldn't be on there but for her song on Buffy. Not a big country fan.

[piggy]

In no order:

Michael Stipe
Trent Reznor
Eddie Vedder
Dave Gahan
Morrissey
Anna Calvi
Steve Kilbey
Nick Cave
Jeff Buckley
Hope Sandoval

Having said that, some of these singers have lost something over the years due to natural vocal decline that frequently comes with age. Stipe, Vedder, and Gahan don't sound nearly as good to me as they used to.

[acrid avid jam shred]

Dave Gahan/Martin Gore
Chris Cornell
Thom Yorke
Damon Albarn
Trent Reznor
Chino Moreno
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Kevin Shields/Bilinda Butcher
Björk
Paul Banks

[dlb]

there's one missing folks: Mark Lanegan

My other top 9:

Scott Weiland
Dave Gahan
Mike Patton
Björk
Beth Gibbons
Robert Del Naja
Liam Gallagher
George Michael
Corey Taylor

I don't consider Trent being too good of a singer while I have to agree that he has a distinctive voice that is of course a reason why I love the Nails so much.

[Swykk]

In no order:

Trent Reznor
David Bowie
Maynard James Keenan
Sarah “Chibi” Taylor
David Byrne
Freddie Mercury
Stephen Morrissey
Mike Patton
Rachel Goswell
Robert Smith

Honorable Mentions: Shirley Manson, Curt Smith, Dave Gahan, Chino Moreno, Elisabeth Fraser, and Bruce Dickinson

[Dryalex12]

Layne Staley (cant believe im the first one to mention him)
Mike Patton
Chris Cornell
Trent Reznor (I actually sound quite a bit like him funnily enough)
Maynard James Keenan
Gerard Way
Devin Townsand (this one too, took this long to mention?)
Chino Moreno
Chester Bennington
Serj Tankian

[Helpmeiaminhell (is now in hell)]

1. Mike Patton (greatest of all time)
2. Trent Reznor
3. J Mascis
4. Robert Smith
5. Kurt Cobain
6. Layne Staley
7. Chino Moreno
8. Phil Anselmo (1990-2002 era post 2002 is a shitshow)
9. Beck
10. Dave Gahan

[GulDukat]

Damn, totally forgot to mention Layne. Dude was awesome.

[Boots]

I like Rihanna too. I saw her at Easter a few years ago. Please send some luv RiRi's way today. Thanks.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...dos-boxing-day

[Substance242]

(searches for "Bono", nothing)

(feels puzzled)

However, I'll mention one name again which you don't (need to) know, Petr Muk (CZ). Forever in my heart.

[center27j]

this list is "heavy" only

1. MJK
2. Reznor
3. Axl
4. Hetfield
5. Araya
6. Ozzy
7. Tankian
8. Manson
9. Taylor
10. J. Davis

[piggy]

Layne Staley and Chris Cornell should more or less be on my list. I was a total grunge kid after all, but I guess I have to be in the mood for their styles.

(searches for "Bono", nothing)

(feels puzzled)

I wanted to put Bono in my list, but I felt almost embarrassed with how much people hate him and his band these days. Plus, I don't like U2 from about the year 2000 onward. He was still a fucking powerful and versatile singer in his prime, though. No denying that.

[onthewall2983]

Off the top of my head

Gregg Allman, Van Morrison, Roger Daltrey, David Gilmour, Steve Hogarth (Marillion), Tim Bowness (No-Man), Lee Smith (from Anathema, maybe my favorite female vocalist), Trent, Phil Collins, Don Henley

Like every other instrument I think I value how well the voice blends in with the music, more than how technically gifted you are. I guess having just written that it may seem a little silly to say since knowing how to do that requires a degree of skill obviously. I guess it's just a wordy way of saying I don't like singers who just make a living off of being all over the place. Not naming anyone but I hear a lot of that in some pop music and it kind of buries what they're doing for sake of making something palatable for that format.

[Krazy]

Like every other instrument I think I value how well the voice blends in with the music.

^^^This, thank you.

Also many of these posts are going to subjective just in terms of how the listener perceives the vocalist actually does blend in with the music. Different people hear different things.

[Dr Channard]

Peter Steele and Kenny Hickey were a great one-two punch.

Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell were another great two-piece.

Johnny Cash.

Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, these guys combined to make some of the best vocals in hip hop/rap.

[GulDukat]

Peter Steele and Kenny Hickey were a great one-two punch.

Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell were another great two-piece.

Agreed, and Cantrell has been able to reproduce the classic AIC sound with DuVall. It's not the same, obviously, but they pulled it off better than expected.

[onthewall2983]

There could be a whole other thread dedicated to back-up singers, specifically those not initially hired to do that job. Jason Newsted in Metallica is a good example, he was great as back-up to James in a way that makes me miss his presence in the band.

[renton44]

1. Axl Rose
2. Shirley Manson
3. Maynard James Keenan
4. Bono
5. Dave Gahan
6. Mike Patton
7. Roger Waters/David Gilmour
8. Raymond Watts
9. Chino Moreno
10. Trent Reznor
if I could add 11, Katy Perry, that's right. I said and admit it.