If you aren't aware that Reza Mills from Clean Sheets and Sleeping Shaman has been breaking down the decades with me to uncover our top 5 songs in pivotal anniversaries for these years, then you uare missing out. You should check out our insights here...
Here I am taking my top 5 choices and expanding them into the top 10 albums of 1985, and also ranking them in order of their impact and staying power, so here are my top 10 albums of 1985. Be sure to check out the episode above for a more in-depth look at the top 5 here.
10-Megadeth- "Killing is my Business and Business is Good."
The debut of Mustaine's post-Metallica project feels like he picked up where "Kill'em All " left off.
9-Anthrax -' Spreading the Disease"
They were beginning to hit their stride when it came to blending thrash with hooky classic metal songwriting
8-Ratt- "Invasion of Your Privacy."
One of the most endearing albums from the hair metal era, which stands the test of time.
7-Sting -" Dream of the Blue Turtles."
His solo debut is wonderfully bleak in its lyrical outlet and jazz overlay.
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6-Slayer - "Hell Awaits"
Their most underrated album, considering that it opened the doors for a darker, heavier style of music to be born.
5-Dio-"Sacred Heart."
He peaked in the 80s with this magical album, setting himself apart from metal trends.
4-the Cure "Head On the Door."
Not their darkest album, but Smith's songwriting continued t o explore new colors of sound.
3-Tom Waits - "Rain Dogs."
Not sure he even knew the 80s were even going on a this album sounds like it came from a dive bar at the edge of time.
2-Kate Bush-"Hounds of Love"
She did new wave on her terms and retained all the ethereal magic that she was known for.
1-The Smiths -"Meat is Murder."
Lyrically brilliant and perfectly written, this iconic album still stands alone.
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Inspired to right the wrongs of Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 200 Singers list, which included pop artists with no singing skills beyond Autotune along with a lack of metal / rock singers. I took on the ambitious task of making my own. As a singer myself, I key in on vocals first and foremost when listening to songs. In making this list I not only judged them according to their technical vocal ability when it comes to things like range and power, but also other dynamics brought to the table regarding phrasing and the character of their voice. Other important factors include their ability to emote from different places and how well their voice holds up on stage. If you are just making magic in the studio alone, then you might not fare so well on this list.
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 also not keen on singers who are derivative of other singers. The bulk of these have to be doing their own thing, though a couple are basically tribute acts to other artists but still make 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.
With that said do not expect to see a great deal of technically proficient power and progressive metal singers on here, so it cannot be said I am giving metal more of a priority, though there are some singers who might be otherwise ignored by mainstream media. 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.
200-Neil Young
He is a better guitarist than singer, though his high reedy tenor is very emotive with the song below serving as an example of why he belongs on this list.
199-Gordan Gano
The lead singer of the Violent Femmes took what punk singers did before him and added a country twang along with a Gospel like passion with which is delivers his hymns praising the glory of murder and masturbation.
198-Gared O' Donnell
The main man of Planes Mistaken for Stars died by the same anguish that he emoted each raspy note from,
197- Marilyn Manson
The shock rocker's image overshadows his pipes, but he can sing when he feels like it.
196 John Vanderslice
This underground icon of 2000's indie rock carries right blend of apathy and tormented self-reflection in his often-plaintive tenor.
195-Rozz Williams
The iconic front man of Christian Death is the king of mournfully creepy phrasing which pretty much birthed the death rock genre. A prime example of while he is one of my favorite singers, as the best at what he does, I acknowledge his limitations.
194- Tom Waits
There are singers who draw influence from Waits, but none who Waits sounds like. Even with his rasp he can sing when he sets his mind to it.
193- Iggy Pop
He might be a king of early punk rock, but his true vocal ability was not heard until a decade later.
192-King Dude
Spoiler Alert... Johnny Cash , is not going to be on this list, he talks more than he sings, and if I am in the mood for that sort of thing, I want it coming from less Christian influence, so this guy fills that void for me.
191-Bruce Springsteen
Of the first ten entries on this list, I listen to Bruce the least, most of the time his voice sounds like a New Jersey cab driver who smokes a pack a day, then he his capable of delivering a croon on a song like the one below that earns his place here.
Kids these days will never know of the lost art of mix tapes. I am not sure you could find a blank tape to mix, much less the boom box to do it on these days without scouring antique stores . Saying that makes me feel like a relic from another time. Do kids leave notes in each other's lockers? Or do they just send selfies, and love Facebook or Instagram posts? Since there are no blank cds readily available much less cassettes the format has to suffice. In the days of cyber detachment sharing music is one of the most soul baring things to share these days as it says here are the songs that make me when I am expressing certain themes or concepts . So here is some of the more indie, folk themed things I lsiten to that are not among the darkest stuff I am into but probably darker than what they average person listens to in this respect, hope it provides a good soundtrack on the cloudy days going into the fall. Bon Iver - "iMi"
