Greatest Singers of All Time -- or what?
Rolling Stone has weighed in from on high with another list to argue about -- and this one's a doozy.
The Greatest Singers of All Time, as chosen by a panel of artists, critics and industry insiders.
Here is the list:
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 Springfield
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 Burdon
58 | Christina Aguilera
59 | Rod Stewart
60 | Björk
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
Now, a few thoughts:
- Bob Dylan No. 7? Dylan? Really? With that voice? Why so low?
- Robert Plant ahead of Mick Jagger? No way. In fact, I'd have him over Lennon.
- Iggy the only punk? What about Joe Strummer? Not a pretty voice but a pretty amazing one. I would have Rotten on there, too, but that's me. Love those R sounds.
- Paul Rodgers? Never understood that. Maybe they meant Paul Westerberg?
- Toots Hibbert?
- Why is Whitney Houston all the way up there?
- Why is Axl Rose ahead of Steven Tyler?
- Art Garfunkel? Paul Simon sang most of those leads.
- Presumably, this is not 'of all time' and 'of the rock era' - which would explain the exclusion of Sinatra. I still have to read the fine print.
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