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Rolling Stone List of Greatest 200 Singers of All Time

Born in 1980, so my taste is a bit different:
1) Whitney Houston
2) Adele (If only she sang more uplifting songs however imagine she singing ”Set Fire to the Rain” to the English service men as they parachute, fly and/or sail into battle)
(Imagine them doing a duet … after that, everything else will sound like a jackhammer)
3) Diana Krall

7) Kylie Minogue
8) Mariah Carey
9) Nat King Cole
10) Beyoncé
11) Glenn Danzig (I don’t know how he managed to restrain himself)
12) Jim Morrison
13) Eddie Vedder
12) Michael Bublé
13) James Hetfield (Lead singer of the greatest band)
14) Pharrell Williams

Personally, the top 3 can only be enjoyed alone. Either with black tea with milk or single malt scotch. And unfortunately I can only do EDM and salsa dancing so anything else has to be done privately or l will lose all respect from mankind.
 
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musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
But if you're looking for a few of my favorite singers, try these out.
Bess Smith
Archie Fisher
Sara Bareilles
Rachael Price
Rebekkah Nilsson
Stan Rogers
Sara Bareilles is a huge talent. She was no longer in it, but I really enjoyed Waitress on Broadway. I love her version of the Elton John song. Lake Street Dive was recently introduced to me through my son-in-law, who is a pretty amazing tenor soloist - great stuff. Archie Fisher is new to me, so thanks for that.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
Sara Bareilles is a huge talent. She was no longer in it, but I really enjoyed Waitress on Broadway. I love her version of the Elton John song. Lake Street Dive was recently introduced to me through my son-in-law, who is a pretty amazing tenor soloist - great stuff. Archie Fisher is new to me, so thanks for that.
Archie is probably 80 now. He comes from a famous Scottish musical family. His youngest sister Cilla Fisher might have the best voice in the family. She's best known in the UK for The Singing Kettle, a kids' tv show she hosted for many years. Archie is also a brilliant guitarist. Jimmy Page credits Archie with teaching him how to play an acoustic guitar.

Another great young voice is Aoife O'Donovan. A Boston girl, her dad is an old friend of mine. She's growing in popularity each week, it seems.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
Dylan should get points for often having the worst diction of any singer while trying to sing long consonants - the "L" in deal is my favorite (in Like a Rolling Stone). His voice is great for much of his stuff, as Randy Neuman is for his.

This list is, of course, ridiculous. It would be difficult enough for just rock and roll singers, but all singers? They have jazz singers - where are the Broadway singers. Audra McDonald would be at the top of my list. These lists are always short on criterion, which makes it impossible for them to be anything but ridiculous. But it's still fun to look.
Dylan's live performance of Idiot Wind from the Rolling Thunder/Hard Rain tour in 75-76 is chilling. Like hearing a prophet like Isaiah or John the Baptist with an electric guitar.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
Linda Rondstat at 47 is a crying shame. She should be closer to top 20.


Rolling Stone is still publishing? ;)

Apparently so. ...

In any event, I do not think RS has been very important or good since the mid-70s.

Kind of like The Simpsons ... they keep going and going long after they were good or relevant.

This list is, of course, ridiculous. It would be difficult enough for just rock and roll singers, but all singers? They have jazz singers - where are the Broadway singers.

Where are the classical/opera singers? Oops ... there goes the whole list!
 
I am glad this thread seemed to have inspired some interest! I like many of the names that are coming up. I thought of Diana Krall, too.

I guess I should have read the RS descriptive materials more closely. A You Tube video pointed out that RS stated it was excluding opera, and, I guess, classical singers, which certainly makes sense. Apparently without saying they did they seemed to exclude Broadway singers who did not have also have a substantial popular music career. Elaine Page and Nicole Scherzinger for Evita, if for nothing else, spring to mind. Tear my heart out:

I sure would like to see a defense by RS of the complete elimination from the list of 200 of certain individuals included in the earlier list of 100. Don Henley, for instance. Certainly Stevie Winwood, as FarmerTan notes. I suppose for Joe Cocker RS might say that tastes inevitably change. (Like the background of the title of the Love album, which is said to be a woman telling a man breaking up with her "But you told me you would love me forever!" and he responding "but forever changes, Baby.") Absolutely, Jim Morrison. I really do not understand how Jim Morrison cannot appear on a list of the greatest 200 singers.

I think some individuals appear on the list of 200 as representatives of certain types of singers. That explains why Ella and not Bessie. Patty Loveless, but not Lucinda Williams. Arguably, Joni Mitchell, but not Judy Collins. Neil Young but no one else from CSN&Y. Sandy Denny, but not Kirsty McColl, perhaps. I wonder if Shane McGowan should be on the list under the RS criteria.

I think Eva Cassidy should be on the list. Pure vocal chops and ability to deliver emotionally have to count for something in a list of the greatest singers.

 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I hope Neal Young will remember, CS&N don't need him around anyhow. They harmonized fine without him. It's good to see Patty Loveless made the list. I watched a performance of hers on Austin City Limits from about the time she had out two albums out. She did/does have a great voice.

I know RS was trying to do the impossible, but some of those selections had to be made by REALLY young folks.....or folks that haven't heard a lot of old stuff.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Born in 1980, so my taste is a bit different:
1) Whitney Houston
2) Adele (If only she sang more uplifting songs however imagine she singing ”Set Fire to the Rain” to the English service men as they parachute, fly and/or sail into battle)
(Imagine them doing a duet … after that, everything else will sound like a jackhammer)
3) Diana Krall

7) Kylie Minogue
8) Mariah Carey
9) Nat King Cole
10) Beyoncé
11) Glenn Danzig (I don’t know how he managed to restrain himself)
12) Jim Morrison
13) Eddie Vedder
12) Michael Bublé
13) James Hetfield (Lead singer of the greatest band)
14) Pharrell Williams

Personally, the top 3 can only be enjoyed alone. Either with black tea with milk or single malt scotch. And unfortunately I can only do EDM and salsa dancing so anything else has to be done privately or l will lose all respect from mankind.
I could easily go with your top two. Especially Whitney. What a once in a generation voice. I only wish she'd kept better company, or habits.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I do not know about this Rolling Stones Thing.

All I know is that I believe it to be some kind of hotbed of arty subversion since at least from the 1890's from what I have read.

If Englebert Humperdinck is not on that list then I will be forced to take action, viz some kind of hunger strike.

One of the greatest singers ever to come out of Chennai.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I am glad this thread seemed to have inspired some interest! I like many of the names that are coming up. I thought of Diana Krall, too.

I guess I should have read the RS descriptive materials more closely. A You Tube video pointed out that RS stated it was excluding opera, and, I guess, classical singers, which certainly makes sense. Apparently without saying they did they seemed to exclude Broadway singers who did not have also have a substantial popular music career. Elaine Page and Nicole Scherzinger for Evita, if for nothing else, spring to mind. Tear my heart out:

I sure would like to see a defense by RS of the complete elimination from the list of 200 of certain individuals included in the earlier list of 100. Don Henley, for instance. Certainly Stevie Winwood, as FarmerTan notes. I suppose for Joe Cocker RS might say that tastes inevitably change. (Like the background of the title of the Love album, which is said to be a woman telling a man breaking up with her "But you told me you would love me forever!" and he responding "but forever changes, Baby.") Absolutely, Jim Morrison. I really do not understand how Jim Morrison cannot appear on a list of the greatest 200 singers.

I think some individuals appear on the list of 200 as representatives of certain types of singers. That explains why Ella and not Bessie. Patty Loveless, but not Lucinda Williams. Arguably, Joni Mitchell, but not Judy Collins. Neil Young but no one else from CSN&Y. Sandy Denny, but not Kirsty McColl, perhaps. I wonder if Shane McGowan should be on the list under the RS criteria.

I think Eva Cassidy should be on the list. Pure vocal chops and ability to deliver emotionally have to count for something in a list of the greatest singers.

Your thoughtful comments on the list are the best thing about the whole enterprise. Thank you.

I haven't seen the entire list. Is Maddy Prior included, or is she also supposed to be represented by Sandy Denny?
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I do not know about this Rolling Stones Thing.

All I know is that I believe it to be some kind of hotbed of arty subversion since at least from the 1890's from what I have read.

If Englebert Humperdinck is not on that list then I will be forced to take action, viz some kind of hunger strike.

And Tom Jones! Isn't he still at it? Talk about pipes! AND a good man from all I've ever heard.
 
The problem with lists are that they are never long enough to include every person's favorites.

I'm a boomer that favors Motown (I was not disappointed to see David Ruffin, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye) and classic rock, but was surprised by the omission of the crooners and classical singers.

Surely any list of the "Greatest 200 Singers" of all time could manage to squeeze in the likes of Andea Boccelli or Tom Jones or Dean Martin or Lou Rawls...and did I miss Bing?...and Celine? I don't listen to them but appreciate and acknowledge their singing ability

I don't begrudge the fact that many of the singers on the list have their fans and a measure of success but is either Cobain or his wife really a better singer than any of those I mentioned? I know it is subjective to an extent, but we are talking about singing ability, not genre or popularity, right?

And I'm not buying the argument that the choices are a generational thing when some singers on the list were from an era so long ago that RS couldn't even find a color picture of them.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Deano could sing. Lou Rawls could rattle the walls, whispering. Both should be on it. Did I already ask, but please tell me Tony Bennett is in the top 15 or 20.
 
Deano could sing. Lou Rawls could rattle the walls, whispering. Both should be on it. Did I already ask, but please tell me Tony Bennett is in the top 15 or 20.

I didn't see Tony either, but my tablet was jumping around while scrolling, so I may have missed him.

I'm going with, no, he's not on the list.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I didn't see Tony either, but my tablet was jumping around while scrolling, so I may have missed him.

I'm going with, no, he's not on the list.
Who else sounds like Tony Bennett? I'm glad I don't subscribe to RS anymore. I stopped in the early 90's. They had a guy on the cover once that I read his name as sounding like "Two Pack Shaker".......my niece still teases me about that.

I never, to my knowledge, heard anything he ever sang. But I was fairly newly married at the time, and money was tight, and I was into playing the drums in C&W bands and a little of the old Rock and Roll and Rockabilly, and my wife hated most anything I liked, so I just let music slip away from my life by the time I hit 30.

But I will tell you one thing: if you are playing the drums everyday you ain't fat like I am now. Best cardio you can get while having fun. Or close to the best, lol.
 
Only 1 of these guys made it....but I have to post it anyways because it's so freaking awesome.

It's always been one of my favorite duets.

 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Only 1 of these guys made it....but I have to post it anyways because it's so freaking awesome.

It's always been one of my favorite duets.

Had to be Stevie. But Bobby was no slacker.

They just need to break this list down by genres and be done with it. How do you compare Elvis with anyone? Or Robert Plant? PUHLEESE tell me he made the list? And that Phil Collins didn't? If he did, and I was Don Henley, I'd be givin' him an invisible touch doggone!
 
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