That's great...

Mavis staples is 56

a lot of great singers on that list.

I'm glad Freddy Mercury was up high on there, love his voice

BOB DYLAN IS #7???

The man's voice is amazing, he should be number 1.

I'd like to hear anyone of them scream like he does...and ON KEY!!

LizaWoman08 said:

I agree

Prince,and Bob Dylan should trade places. I don't listen to Mr.Dylan's music,but what I have heard,sounds like he is singing outta his nose.

Prince should b much higher on the list,but cool nonetheless.

I don't get how people think Dylan is a great singer. Lets see him sing The Most Beautiful Girl in the World. That's problem #1 with the list, problem #2 is that Barry Gibb is nowhere on the list.

a couple of stories about Barry's vocal work.

When George Martin produced the Bee Gees/Frampton version of Sgt Pepper, he had Barry record the same track over and over. Barry thought they were just doing another take, but Martin was recording multiple tracks to make Barry sound like multiple singers singing together. Barry's vocals were too perfect and the multiple tracks sounded like 1 singer. He had to tell Barry what he was doing for it to work.

When the Bee Gees wrote the song Immortality for Celine Dion which barry produced. Barry and Celine sang scales to warm up - Barry could go higher in the scales than she could.

Im doing this at the fact that Bjork is on there

chillichocaholic said:

purplesweat said:

AARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH

Rolling stone magazine sucks and has never been favorable towards Black entertainers.

Dayclear said:

Seven of the artists in the Top 10 are black

chillichocaholic said:

if only because the song Jóga exists, i at your

Anxiety said:

Thank you for that, Anx.

Bjork is my favourite female singer. A true artist.

I'm sorry u guys but her singing makes my ears hurt

Anxiety said:

Bob Dylan?

LizaWoman08 said:

I agree. I'm with you about the "scream like he does...and ON KEY" part.

rubymoon53 said:

bob dylan!

i know he's a legendary songwriter and he's made some classic albums and i would even go so far as to call his voice DISTINCTIVE...but GREAT?

I think they were rating more so based on delivery, emotion, heart and soul these artist put into their vocals rather than rating pure singing virtuosos.

A lot of the people at the top did not have great voices.... come on James Brown!!!??? But you just felt the pure soul of his voice when he sang.

I can think of several singers who aesthetically sound much better than Prince... but they can't or couldn't match the range of passion and feeling he gets with his vocals.

Here is the list in inverse order

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


A few people didn't make their list which surprised me. Diana Ross, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Nat King Cole and I'm not even going to mention gospel greats like Shirley Ceasar or Yolanda Adams.

I see that a lot of black singers were represented... but I'm sure no one would have questioned if singers like Mary J Blidge and Christina Aguilera got bumped for any I just mentioned.

BigDaddyHQ said:

It sucks that really great singers like Teena Marie or Donna Summer or George Michael or k.d lang didn't make the list, but Gregg Allman and Axl Rose do!? For Shame!!!!
[Edited 11/13/08 23:30pm]

Anxiety said:

He always sounds like he's just taken his tonsils out with a fork
[Edited 11/13/08 23:48pm]

I just dont get how in the bleep axl rose made that list either....he always sonds like a frog being rubbed against a cheese grater to me

chillichocaholic said:

i always thought he sounded like ethel merman dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Anxiety said:

giving an entirely new meaning to the word "sing"

Anxiety said: