Rolling Stone's Top 100 Singers

ElGuapo · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:05 pm

They have this list posted.

Feel Free to comment.

Here is mine. Ronnie Van Zant is not on it. Pitiful.

But there is a lovely essay by Billie Joe of Green Day about how great Bono is.

Blah !

thrillhouse · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:06 pm

i can't believe you expect me to type shit into my browser

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

it's a pretty good list, way more women and black people than your normal rolling stone list.

Kerre Li (xix) · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:32 pm

Aretha is the obvious #1 but how the hell is Freddie Mercury not in the top 10?

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

yeah, someone post this list here, so I can mock it without having to leave the precious confines of Obner.

jewels santana Wrote:

it's a pretty good list, way more women and black people than your normal rolling stone list.

so you're saying it's more accurate than your normal rolling stone list?

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2008 1:30 pm

cotton Wrote:

so you're saying it's more accurate than your normal rolling stone list?

Rolling Stone lists are no less accurate than every other publication's lists.

Elvis Fu · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:48 pm

Hooray, Excel!

1 Aretha Franklin
2 Ray Charles
3 Elvis Presley
4 Sam Cooke
5 John Lennon
6 Marvin Gaye
7 Bob Dylan
8 Otis Redding
9 Stevie Wonder
10 James Brown
11 Paul McCartney
12 Little Richard
13 Roy Orbison
14 Al Green
15 Robert Plant
16 Mick Jagger
17 Tina Turner
18 Freddie Mercury
19 Bob Marley
20 Smokey Robinson
21 Johnny Cash
22 Etta James
23 David Bowie
24 Van Morrison
25 Michael Jackson
26 Jackie Wilson
27 Hank Williams
28 Janis Joplin
29 Nina Simone
30 Prince
31 Howlin' Wolf
32 Bono
33 Steve Winwood
34 Whitney Houston
35 Dusty Sprinfield
36 Bruce Springsteen
37 Neil Young
38 Elton John
39 Jeff Buckley
40 Curtis Mayfield
41 Chuck Berry
42 Joni Mitchell
43 George Jones
44 Bobby Blue Bland
45 Kurt Cobain
46 Patsy Cline
47 Jim Morrison
48 Buddy Holly
49 Donny Hathaway
50 Bonnie Raitt
51 Gladys Knight
52 Brian Wilson
53 Muddy Waters
54 Luther Vandross
55 Paul Rodgers
56 Mavis Staples
57 Eric Bourdon
58 Christina Aguilera
59 Rod Stewart
60 BjÃ¶rk
61 Roger Daltrey
62 Lou Reed
63 Dion
64 Axl Rose
65 David Ruffin
66 Thom Yorke
67 Jerry Lee Lewis
68 Wilson Pickett
69 Ronnie Spector
70 Gregg Allman
71 Toots Hibbert
72 John Fogerty
73 Dolly Parton
74 James Taylor
75 Iggy Pop
76 Steve Perry
77 Merle Haggard
78 Sly Stone
79 Mariah Carey
80 Frankie Valli
81 John Lee Hooker
82 Tom Waits
83 Patti Smith
84 Darlene Love
85 Sam Moore
86 Art Garfunkel
87 Don Henley
88 Willie Nelson
89 Solomon Burke
90 The Everly Brothers
91 Levon Helm
92 Morrissey
93 Annie Lennox
94 Karen Carpenter
95 Patti LaBelle
96 B.B. King
97 Joe Cocker
98 Stevie Nicks
99 Steven Tyler
100 Mary J. Blige

shiv · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:53 pm

the inclusion of mariah carey and steven tyler negates that whole list.

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

Yail Bloor Wrote:

cotton Wrote:

so you're saying it's more accurate than your normal rolling stone list?

Rolling Stone lists are no less accurate than every other publication's lists.

This is true, but accuracy is a moot point, but I think their lists tend to be the ones that set the standard, regardless of how fucking retarded they are.

That said, this list is completely absurd. It's like they have a list of 60 artists that they have on the office wall and they have an autoshuffler to compile this stuff.

This list is strictly for singing, right? No songwriting or anything like that factored in? Because John Lennon at number 5 is fucking ridiculous. Bob Dylan, Neil Young, KURT COBAIN? I'm a fan of these people, but I don't think anyone would list them as good singers. Seeing Janis Joplin ranked above Nina Simone makes me want to dig up Joplin's grave and take a dump on her casket.

Mariah Carey at least makes sense.

ugh. You just know that this list has a ponytail.

seafoam · **Posted:** Fri Dec 05, 2008 1:12 am

cotton Wrote:

This list is strictly for singing, right? No songwriting or anything like that factored in? Because John Lennon at number 5 is fucking ridiculous. Bob Dylan, Neil Young, KURT COBAIN? I'm a fan of these people, but I don't think anyone would list them as good singers. Seeing Janis Joplin ranked above Nina Simone makes me want to dig up Joplin's grave and take a dump on her casket.

Mariah Carey at least makes sense.

ugh. You just know that this list has a ponytail. . .

Quote:

. . . with no wink, no nod.

I agree, pretty one off thoughtlessness.

cybin · **Posted:** Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:11 am

Screw the list; the handwritten ballots are a riot.

shiv · **Posted:** Fri Dec 05, 2008 3:37 am

cybin Wrote:

Screw the list; the handwritten ballots are a riot.

it's funny that you could tell courtney love's list just by glancing at it.

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

I mean, who puts Keef on a best singers list?

berliner · **Joined:** Fri May 09, 2008 7:00 pm **Posts:** 1516

cotton Wrote:

Yail Bloor Wrote:

cotton Wrote:

so you're saying it's more accurate than your normal rolling stone list?

Rolling Stone lists are no less accurate than every other publication's lists.

This is true, but accuracy is a moot point, but I think their lists tend to be the ones that set the standard, regardless of how fucking retarded they are.

That said, this list is completely absurd. It's like they have a list of 60 artists that they have on the office wall and they have an autoshuffler to compile this stuff.

This list is strictly for singing, right? No songwriting or anything like that factored in? Because John Lennon at number 5 is fucking ridiculous. Bob Dylan, Neil Young, KURT COBAIN? I'm a fan of these people, but I don't think anyone would list them as good singers. Seeing Janis Joplin ranked above Nina Simone makes me want to dig up Joplin's grave and take a dump on her casket.

Mariah Carey at least makes sense.

ugh. You just know that this list has a ponytail.

exactly what you describe is the reason why these kinda lists suck. officially it's the "singer", but actually it's about the somehow successful person.

Sketch · **Posted:** Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:26 am

cotton Wrote:

I mean, who puts Keef on a best singers list?

Keef can sing, he just can't talk. Pretty big distinction.

Evil Dr. K · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:51 am **Posts:** 6327

cotton Wrote:

Yail Bloor Wrote:

cotton Wrote:

so you're saying it's more accurate than your normal rolling stone list?

Rolling Stone lists are no less accurate than every other publication's lists.

This is true, but accuracy is a moot point, but I think their lists tend to be the ones that set the standard, regardless of how fucking retarded they are.

That said, this list is completely absurd. It's like they have a list of 60 artists that they have on the office wall and they have an autoshuffler to compile this stuff.

This list is strictly for singing, right? No songwriting or anything like that factored in? Because John Lennon at number 5 is fucking ridiculous. Bob Dylan, Neil Young, KURT COBAIN? I'm a fan of these people, but I don't think anyone would list them as good singers. Seeing Janis Joplin ranked above Nina Simone makes me want to dig up Joplin's grave and take a dump on her casket.

Mariah Carey at least makes sense.

ugh. You just know that this list has a ponytail.

Isn't this argument a bit like saying the great guitarists are all dickhead season musicians like Elliott Randall and someone like Roger McGuinn can go fuck himself?

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

aside from Jim McGuinn being able to go fuck himself, sure.

I'm not positive that this is what you're implying, but are you saying that Neil Young was some sort of innovator in the rock vocalist category? of that Bob Dylan revolutionized singing? Because I don't buy that shit. Neither of those guys has a great voice, and I think they'd be the first to cop to that.
I guess what it comes down to is what the qualifications used for this list are. But I have a sneaking suspicion that "who do I like to sing along with" and "who has the most Rolling Stone covers"

Sketch Wrote:

cotton Wrote:

I mean, who puts Keef on a best singers list?

Keef can sing, he just can't talk. Pretty big distinction.

listen, I'm as big a Keith fan as anyone. But to nominate him for a best vocalist list? i think he's endearing as a lead singer because he's so bad at it.

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

cotton Wrote:

but are you saying that Neil Young was some sort of innovator in the rock vocalist category? of that Bob Dylan revolutionized singing? Because I don't buy that shit. Neither of those guys has a great voice, and I think they'd be the first to cop to that.

both bob dylan and I agree that he has an incredible voice.

Promethium · **Posted:** Fri Dec 05, 2008 5:12 pm

I just think they made a mistake in listing some excellent vocalists/frontmen with some very talented artists who have truly excellent singing voices.
I don't have many issues with the list and it doesn't offend my senses in anyway. I would never have Cobain ahead of Morrissey, Bjork or Yorke, but what do I know.

ayah · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:03 pm **Posts:** 6402

dusty springfield at 35?
patsy cline at 46?

80 people on that list aren't even true vocalists.

and that should be CARL wilson, not brian.

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Fri Dec 05, 2008 5:42 pm

ayah Wrote:

80 people on that list aren't even true vocalists.

and that should be CARL wilson, not brian.

Agreed. There seems to be no distinction between lead singer and just being the front man/woman. I won't get too wrapped up in the details though. I do think someone who didn't have a incredible voice in the classic sense but made it work for them deserves inclusion.

Some I would've put on there would've been Ronnie Spector, Sting, and Michael Stipe. Pretty unique voices that still sounded great IMO.

This also reminds that I should get some Little Richard in my collection. That needs to be remedied immediately.

FT · **Posted:** Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:54 pm

Jesse Garon Fu Wrote:

44 Bobby Blue Bland

much appreciated

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

Rick Derris Wrote:

Some I would've put on there would've been Ronnie Spector, Sting, and Michael Stipe. Pretty unique voices that still sounded great IMO.

69 Ronnie Spector

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Sat Dec 06, 2008 1:11 am

FUCK YOU JEWELS!

i can't read

ShamWow! · **Posted:** Sat Dec 06, 2008 11:41 am

cybin Wrote:

Screw the list; the handwritten ballots are a riot.

Ozzy has remarkably good penmanship...unless Sharon was taking dictation.

Rolling Stone's Top 100 Singers

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