Mar 15, 2011

Five Great Rock Voices that totally kick ass, according to Me (and her boyfriend).

It all started because of just one song. And the fact that we had some alcohol inside us. Last Sunday we were driving home while listening to some music. Pandora decided to surprise us with an old Journey song, "Separate Ways". After the first flinch of listening to music that we haven't heard since we were 13 years old, we looked at each other and, at the same time we said: that man's voice was awesome!!!

Like the really evil character Hans Landa would say: That's a Bingo. I had another idea post for my Five week series! So we hit a detour, ordered some tequila (damn yummy) and we started arguing our way to the top five greatest rock voices of all time.

We've done many lists regarding songs, bands, concerts, frontmen. But we've never done this type, because it's sort of different. It's not what define us (well, it's sort of our own opinion, so maybe it does); it's just what we think of when we think of voices. And so because I know that this list will be highly questioned, let me give you the rules of this list before you try to change or make your own list.

The greatest rock voices of all time must have reach; they have to sing their lungs out up or down, they have to hit those notes and kick you on the ass at the same time of sheer amazement. A great voice needs to be something that no one can duplicate, can imitate. A voice that you can totally recognize until you are 80 years old, rocking in your wheelchair. A voice with sheer power, the kind that you know if you blast in your car - you maybe end up with broken windows. Rock, all awesome rock of mankind was meant to be sung with utter force and you could not even come close. You cannot do a list with your own preferences, you have to really think about who deserves the spot beyond if you like the band or not.

Deal?

Ok, let's do this. Five Greatest Rock Voices of All Human History. Aaaaaaare youuuuuu reaaaaaaadddddddyyyyyyyyyy!!!

1) Freddie Mercury - Queen
Still the man, still the legend, still one amazing voice. I can sum it up in two words: Bohemian Rhapsody. I will not argue this one. Fred was the man and you have to kneel before him. Period.

2) Steve Perry - Journey
Just try to hit that perfect song at the end of "Separate Ways" without bleeding through the nose. Try it! Steve was and is that voice that you will never forget, and that you will never be able to come close to while doing some obscure karaoke. Journey is crap without him. Life is shit without him. But we all learn to survive.

3) Robert Plant - Led  Zeppelin
Another amazing voice that holds on to sheer power over all these years. Bob's voice makes you want to do things. Ugly things. Kinky things. Nasty don't call the police things. Rock at full throttle.

4) Roger Daltrey - The Who
Rock is all about screaming and Roger does it like no other man walking this planet. All I can say is, listen to "Won't get Fooled Again". Yeah. You go cry to mommy now.

5) Chris Cornell - Soundgarden/Audioslave
During my college years (and Joker's high school years), Grunge was the thing. And as much as I'd like to include Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder in this list (Joker, you need to breathe now, it's going to be ok, I know this is hard for you), you gotta give me the fact that Cornell's voice... well he took it to eleven. This cat has some pipes there and he used them in all their glory. I'm not arguing which singer is the best, I'm just putting it out there that Chris has more range and can hit the high notes more clearly and sharply than his counterparts. Black Hole Sun is all you gotta listen to get the picture.

Honorable Mentions!
Yeah. It's impossible to not mention some key people. In this section we DO include such amazing wonders like:
• Eddie Vedder - Pearl Jam
• Paul Stanley - Kiss: which should also be included in my Five Frontmen of all time
• Sammy Hagar - Solo/Van Halen: why do people not respect him, I will never know, this man took Van Halen to another level, different from David Lee Roth (who is also a great frontman)
• Axl Rose - Guns N' Roses: We can debate if he is truly a singer, but he does have range
• Meatloaf
• Bruce Dickinson - Iron Maiden

You can add yours, revise ours... whatever you want. Abide by the rules, ya' hear?

Much love and yes, we will, we will... rock you.

3 comments:

Jeff said...

I dig your list. HEre are a few different choices:

Robin Zander- Cheap Trick
Pete Stahl- Goatsnake, Wool, Scream
Wayne Coyne- The Flaming Lips
Geddy Lee-Rush
Phil Lynott- Thin Lizzy

RestrictionsApply said...

- Joe Cocker
- John Fogerty
- David Coverdale
- Bob Seger
- Rod Stewart

Joker said...

Of course I need to ring in this list and of course I'm not going to limit myself to five and so will double to twelve, but no specific order. :D


Eddie Vedder: Simply put, if you want range, few people can go as low as Eddie and still sound convincing. He can also use falsettos and can scream his heart out.

Sting: Listen to Roxanne and you know why the fucker can't hit those notes all of the song anymore. Still a classic marquee voice though.


Maynard James Keenan: Often imitated, never equaled. Maynard sings to his own tune and then some.


Jim Morrison: Light my fire... period. End of discussion of not including him as probably the best baritone ever.


Roger Daltrey: Won't get fooled again, Baba O'Reilly and my favorite Who Song, Love Reign o'er me. Jesus Christ.


Robert Plant: Sang like a mean banshee Janis Joplin and killed it. So many songs to pick from that I won't. He was simply and is STILL simply one of the best voices in Rock and Roll.

Steven Tyler: Laugh it up all you want, but tell me who else can sing like that son of a bitch.

David Bowie: Though he didn't have a super range, marquis voices are few and far between and I just need to listen to two bars to know it's a Bowie song.


Freddie Mercury: Greatest front man of all time also had one of the best voices of all time.

Thom Yorke: Depressive music would be nothing without him.

Bono: Hate him all you want, but his voice is one in a million.

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