The Top 200 Greatest Rock Singers-110 -101

Digging deeper into our list of the top 200 greatest rock singers, inspired by the travesty that was Rolling Stone's supposed list. Where they got it wrong, this list hopes to be more effective,  not only focusing on rock singers and those adjacent to the genre. I am  placing the spotlight on the singer's technical vocal ability, in terms of range and power, as well as their dynamics, phrasing and the overall character of their voice. Can they emote from different places? How well does their voice hold up live? All factors are being considered here, lyrical content and the instruments they play do not factor in as these ranking are based on vocal merit alone. How they control a crowd or their entertainment value as performers is also not a factor; there are some great front men who are also sub-par singers.  

The same can be said of song writers which is why most Bob Dylan songs sound better covered by someone else. Needless to say, ole Robert Zimmerman is not making the cut. Most pop singers won't appear here, but there are a few country or jazz singers who crossover just enough to qualify for this list, while having a significant influence on rock music. Don't expect rappers on this list or metal vocalists who just scream or growl, but never actually sing. I am keen on singers who are derivative of other singers. The bulk of these are doing their own thing, the few paying tribute to other artists have still made enough of an impact with their music. Having a unique vocal quality is going to be one of the most important factors often trumping technical ability. If they sound too much like Steve Perry from Journey after listening to their vocal coach rather than developing their own style, it is also not going to fly. Some of these might have been ignored by mainstream music media, but by the time we get to the top 10, I am sure it will all make sense, so here are the Top 200 greatest rock singers.

110-Bradley Nowell 

 The late Sublime singer had a lot of depth and soul to his voice. Not a big reggae fan, but his delivery won me over more than most, as well as his ability to make the most of his resonate croon in his lower register when called for.

 

109-Paul DiAnno

Many of you might be surprised this guy did not make it higher since he sang for one of my favorite bands.  He has more streets smarts to his voice, but struggles in his upper register, thus the comparison is this ...Bruce can sing his songs, but he could not sing Bruce's songs to end further debate. Still, he sung for Maiden's first two albums earning his spot here.

 

 108- Phil Collins

His singing style took Genesis down a more commercial path the first few albums where he took over for peter earned him a spot here.

   

107- Joey Belladonna

The  Anthrax singer has the pipes to bridge the dramatic yodels made popular by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and grit of thrash.

   

106-Gene Simmons

Peter Criss might have the bigger hit ,but Simmons is the better singer. He might not be the best singer in Kiss, but his throaty belting gives the band a grittier edge as needed.

   

105-Debbie Harry 

Her voice helped her band navigate the tricky spot in the 70s to weave between punk and disco. She went from rapping with attitude to her head register with grace.

 

104-Jim Morrison

H He was not just a displaced beat poet who found himself in a jazz band playing rock. Morrison has a croon that held a great deal of darkness, he could unleashed a drunken blues belt or go into outright manic screaming to climax a song , before screaming was common place. He was an icon front man , so people might expect him to have placed higher, but in terms of his pipes he worked well with what he had

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 103- Daniel Gildenlow 

 Over the years his band Pain of Salvation has going from being an eclectic progressive metal band to spanning a wide scope of sounds. His range and power has been the catalyst that allows them to traverse all these sonic spaces. He covers all bases from metal screams to dramatic falsettos.

   

 102-Grace Slick

Her powerhouse voice made her a one of a kind singer in the 60s that would influence many female rock singers to come.

   

 101- Dave Byron 

 This band bridged the gap between prog and metal. Byron's falsetto yodels were commanding voice made him a bard declaring tales of demons and wizards with theatrical flare that would influence countless metal singers to follow.