The Top 200 Greatest Rock Singers-160 -151

Let's continue on 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, but not only focusing on rock singers and those adjacent to the genre but place the spotlight on judging these singers by their technical vocal ability, in terms of range and power, along with dynamics,  phrasing and the character of their voice. Can they emote from different places ? How well does their voice hold up live? All factors being considered here. 

 Things like 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 acts 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 sometimes trumping technical ability. If they sound too much like Steve Perry from Journey or that they have listened to their vocal coach too much rather than developing their own style, then that is something that 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.

 

160 John Doe

Most well known for his ground breaking punk band X where he shared vocals duties, he was always a country singer at heart who fell into punk.

 

159-Vince Neil 

 Up until their 4th album his greatest asset was his youth enthusiasm an attitude. When  compared to other metal yoodlers his falsetto screams are a joke, but even if he was judged on the merit of the first four albums they would out weight the bloated mess he has become.

 

158-Jack Black 

 Is he acting or singing? Sure he is doing a Dio impersonation half the time, but his heart is really in it which gives him the edge over the of say Jared Leto who's acting in order to jump from bandwagon to bandwagon.

 

157 -Lizzy Borden 

 If I made this list at 15 this dark glam rocker might be in the top 10, things change. when he is not busy giving his mother 40 whacks he is able to flex an impressive set of pipes.

 

156-John Joseph 

 The former Cro-mags front man does not just yell , but can throw his voice around and actually sing when he feels like it.

 

155-Cedric Toufouti

What separates France's Hangman's Chair from other doom bands is the distinctive voice of their lead singer. He brings their lyrics to chilling life with his mournful tenor.  

 

154-Emma Ruth Rundle

Former Marriages front woman's solo career has blossomed thanks to the urgency of her voice that  rivals the alt rock sirens of the 90s. She carries a controlled tension that pars well when she collaborates with metal bands like Thou 

153-Dave Matthews His brand of jammy folk jazz would not have worked with any other voice over it. The way he throws his voice around can be an aquirred taste, but there is no denying the staying power it has had. 152-Jason McMaster Known for his work with Dangerous Toys, the grit of his voice makes his attitude more convincing than the rest of the sleazed oyut hair metal bands of the day.

151 Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson He uses his voice more like an otherwordly instrument to soar over the sureal landscapes created by his band Sigur Rios.You are not going to find him sitting in with other bands, but what he does is perfact for his own project.

Sigur Ros: Kveikur

With The 2002 album ( ) being so incredible, it  defined for me what they were. They continued down another path with latter releases and I stayed enamored with that particular album in such a way it was hard for me to give the following albums a fair solid listen . So that is what I set out to do with this one.

There are no whale sound symphonies of the womb, there is a post-industrial shoe gaze sugar coating that unwraps the album that follows. The child like counter tenor vocals of Jón Þór Birgisson  hover with cherubic ease over everything. They do not sound like Bjork trying to communicate with elves and seem to follow a verse chorus pattern. Some of the angelic vibes might have to much hope in their Hopelandic delivery if you are not on your meds.

Compared to their earlier work the songs have taken on more form to the point of where they conform to  traditional pop songwriting at least in the sense the hooks are more defined . I can see how they have grown into a larger audience, as the most Kate Bush quirk and dreamy grandeur occupies the edges. Songs like "Yfirbord" keep their cinematic quality in check while holding a lucid dreaminess to provide a sound track to a hallucinogenic morning wake up.

There first album as a trio, there isn't a feeling that they are being forced to scale things back due to the departure of their Keyboardist. "Stormur" in it's breezy fairy wonderland chorus is more straight forward but   if alternative radio still exists in america , this is still to abstract.

The darker murk to sonic gateway into the title holds a post-apocalyptic weight and the band has admittedly state this was going to be their most aggressive album. Birgisson's voice keeps the tone from becoming too  ominous, though the element of  down right bliss they normally soar with is trod over by the giant robot who seems to be pounding the drums.

As the sky empties its tears outside my window, the album unfolds more with each listen though the romantic recollections of  the band I heard 11 years ago surface but followed by a more upbeat propulsion. The whole lazy post-rock label might be applied in the broadest definition but there is to much crystalline sparkle that harkens back to the Cocteau Twins for it to really fit. Shoe gazing elements are present though while the album remains as sonic or more so than the more recent album , it never loses you into a drone and uplifts more then lulls the listener into a hypnotic state.

There is little doubt in anyone's mind they are capable at their craft, the harsher electronic elements  and some hefty fuzz added to bass lines of songs like "Blapradur" have expanded their dynamic change and adds more color for them to draw from without diminishing the ethereal nature of what they do. Does it impact me as much as their 2002 album, no the emotional frequency on this one is different, but they are pretty flawless at the soundscapes they have crafted and there isn't a moment that sounds unsure of it's intentions , so as it has continues to grow on me with each listen I'll give it a 10.  


 <iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/57644101?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;color=ffffff" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/57644101">sigur rós live 2013 (brennisteinn)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/sigurros">sigur r&oacute;s</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
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