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Franco Booth's avatar

If Jim Morrison and Ronnie James Dio made a baby it would be Chris Cornell. And he got his Dad’s looks!

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Corpsman999's avatar

Chris Cornell #7? Even if you don’t like his “grunge” association, in purity of tone and range alone he is in the top of the top.

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William Routhier's avatar

Well, he's great. I don't have any feelings about his grunge association, I thought Soundgarden didn't really below there, but anyway, some of the ranking is about influence too.

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Corpsman999's avatar

You need to listen to Audioslave, temple of the dog and his solo work. If that range and intensity is an influential, I don’t know what is. I’ve been a musician for 50+ years heard a lot of rock singers a lot of good ones. Chris is at the top of the stack.

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susan conner's avatar

Chris Cornell of course

Robert Plant also of course

Freddy Mercury was operatic

Whether you like him or not, I love Eddie Vedder. He is also a really great guy and multi-talented.

Paul McCartney no way

But there are many more. Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford. The best was Ronnie James Dio.

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Tom C's avatar

I have to assume you haven't listened to much Paul McCartney.

Wanderlust

Oh! Darling!

Here, There, and Everywhere

Call Me Back Again

Little Lamb Dragonfly

1985

Hi, Hi, Hi

Mumbo

Maybe I'm Amazed (studio version)

Soily

Beautiful Night

Just a few that come to mind. Lots of others, I'm sure.

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susan conner's avatar

I've listened to Paul, John, George, Ringo etc. And many many more. It has to do with like or not, sensitivity to sound, pitch levels

I am a musician -all my life. Also have perfect pitch (a gift and a curse). What I like I like. Paul no. Tom Waits.♥️

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William Routhier's avatar

Susan, Tom Waits should be there, but it's only ten. I'm not big on rock screamers like Halford and Dio, but it's personal taste. Do you have a music website or on You Tube?

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David Shaw's avatar

Spelling Nazi here: It's Daltrey and Townshend in The Who.

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William Routhier's avatar

Thanks, David

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Bill Gorman's avatar

Eh, I think you forgot someone, Paul Rogers.

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Linda Blatnik's avatar

David Gilmour, formerly of Pink Floyd

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Gus's avatar

Can't go with you on either of the Beatles I'm afraid. Substitute them with Ian Gillan and David Coverdale and you'd be on stronger ground (IMO, of course).

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Erik Heddergott's avatar

I will let you of the Hook and not.

H.R. of the Bad Brains is definitively „original“.

And I have generally a Problem with the narrowness of Top Tens. The lowest Number might be a Bakers Dozen.

I have good Friends who think the same Way about Cory Glover as you do.

Mick Jagger had proven that you don’t have to be a „good” Singer to be a Great Singer so Jimmy Hendrix and Bob Dylan sure belong. With H.R. the Bakers Dozen would be complete.

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William Routhier's avatar

I think Dylan is arguably one of the great singers, but I don't think of Bob as rock. this was a kind of specific list. But Dylan is certainly one of the most expressive singers we have, and definitely gets to the heart of a song. Check out my post on him, That Thing Only Bob Can Do

https://williamrouthier.substack.com/p/that-thing-only-bob-can-do

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Erik Heddergott's avatar

I have never heard a Voice that sounds as much as distorted Rock Guitar than the Voice of Bob Dylan.

Sometimes I need a „Rumble“ like this!

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Erik Heddergott's avatar

I sure will follow the Link.

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Erik Heddergott's avatar

Jimi Hendrix, sorry for the Typo!

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Erik Heddergott's avatar

The by far and away best Male Rock Singer I heard Live was Little Richard.

And I remember Chuck Berry was better than most of your „For Whites only“ List.

A really annoyingly disturbing List.

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William Routhier's avatar

I said at the beginning of the post that it was Rock singers, 60's on, singing for rock bands. Little Richard was pre-rock, rock and roll, same as Elvis, and if I was making a list that included rock and roll and R&B, or singers generally, it would have been mainly black singers, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Levi Stubbs, Tony Williams (Platters), Howlin' Wolf and Little Richard. Sly Stone could have been on this rock list, though. There was no intentional 'whites only' aspect to it. There were just fewer black Rock bands. Chambers Bros. Cory Glover of Living Color was good, but wasn't a unique enough voice, in my opinion. I'll have to do a Best Singers list to clear that up.

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Tim Cole's avatar

What about Richard Manuel?

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Blitzkrieg's avatar

Mercury’s constant posturing and posing, and his overwrought preening disqualify him from any and all top ten lists. Plant wouldn’t make the list either. Who would? Otis Redding, Gregg Allman, Sam Cooke, Levon Helm, Eric Burden, Levi Stubbs and a few of yours.

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William Routhier's avatar

The criteria was Rock Singers, like I said in the beginning, Otis Redding would be on a list of just plain singers. Same as Levi Stubbs, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Elvis, Roy Orbison. I have the same problem with Freddy, but, hell, he's still great. You know?

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Blitzkrieg's avatar

Okay, I guess my rock tent was a bit wider, but I get what you’re saying. I think Bowie should be on the list; maybe Ronnie Van Zant, too. An argument could be made for Bob Mould, too. Van Morrison? Graham Parker?

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William Routhier's avatar

There's only ten slots, though.

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Roy Waterman's avatar

I don't think La la love you is sung by Frank Black tbh. Oh and I think Matt Bellamy of Muse should be on the list.

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Kelly Dee's avatar

Yoko Ono didn't make the cut?

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William Routhier's avatar

That's pretty good, Kelly. That's about the funniest comment I've had yet.

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Kelly Dee's avatar

Sorry, Willy, I just realized that it said best MALE rock singers.

I'll pay better attention in future.

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William Routhier's avatar

Still a funny comment...

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Micki Colbeck's avatar

Good shit, Bill. For those guys I recognized, I agree on their loveliness.

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William Routhier's avatar

Oh, thanks. It's a fun exercise, people comment to disagree, which I can't argue much with. A lot of it's personal taste.

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Lorna Pearl's avatar

Agree for the most part, but Chris Cornell should be higher on the list

Amazing voice

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Michael DesAulniers's avatar

Sorry number one is Bryan Ferry. There can be no argument. Not just in Rock and Roll but just about any genre … except country. That’s were Orville Peck dethroned him😎

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William Routhier's avatar

Love Orville Peck

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