Best Vocalist

[LMITOUT]

So I'm listening to the radio last night and hear Ronnie James Dio belting out Rainbow in the Dark and was thinking, man, what a great rock voice.

What are your top three great hard rock, heavy metal, or hair metal vocalists? These are guys (or gals) that can really unload standing beside an electric guitar. Some may not hit every note or be pitch perfect, yet are right in the pocket when it comes to rockin' out.

RJD is one of my top 3 and I've got my other two in mind, but I'll wait to see what others say to see if they can sway my picks.

[cbrooks]

The Cult lead singer comes to mind right away and Danzig

[caseymcq]

.. What are your top three great hard rock, heavy metal, or hair metal vocalists? ...

Just three... that's going to be tough

Brian Johnson from AC/DC is one of my favorites. I like that it sounds like he is singing with a mouth full of glass. Definitely a hard rock voice.

James Hetfield is another one that is towards the top of the list for me.

After that it is kind of tough to narrow it down. Sully Erna is pretty good. Chad Kroeger is another good one. Layne Staley was a good one. Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, Steven Tyler ...

[LMITOUT]

Dang....I may have to rethink my top three after that listing. Brian Johnson is definitely a candidate. Not sure if it makes my top three, but for sure an iconic rock voice.

Full disclosure, I'm Metallica fan #1 but don't consider James as a candidate.

Eddie Vedder....one of my favs and a superb voice. dang it. now I'm reconsidering....

[Jack Peterson]

Brad Delp - Boston...holy high notes.

Bruce Dickinson - Iron Maiden...

Chester Bennington - Linkin Park - this guy has a rockin voice!

[bigbad401]

James Hetfield, Bruce Dickenson, Maynard James Keenan. I love Metallica and Tool. But you could put Robert Plant in there along with Axel Rose, Bon Scott, Chris Cornell, and ... I will probably think of more later.

[LMITOUT]

Eddie Vedder....one of my favs and a superb voice. dang it. now I'm reconsidering....

Love this part of "Black"

[DTro]

Robert Plant

[cbrooks]

My third would be the leadsinger from Tool also.

[Sherpa]

Chino Moreno of the deftones and team sleep. Probably not going to be the most popular answer but he is in a league of his own IMO. To see this man perform with his band is really something amazing. He can hit the notes and scream his A#$ off. I have only missed them once since 1997. (anyone else going to see them at First Ave. in April?)

Maynard from Tool and APC is way up there for me too.

Phil Anselmo(Pantera)

caseymcq, +1 for Layne Staley. R.I.P.

Gotta love Axel Rose.

I will stop here but there are many more.

[motley man]

PLANT, JOPLIN, MERCURY

[LOWBill]

Rob Halford from Judas Priest/Halford/Fight.

Geoff Tate/Queensryche

Julie Westlake/Hydrogyn--GREAT voice and pretty easy on the eyes

[DTro]

PLANT, JOPLIN, MERCURY

I had listed Mercury too, but then wasn't sure if you would consider him "Heavy Metal/Hair Band" so I deleted it.

[Double D]

Lemmy Kilmeister from Motorhead

I like Brian Johnson a lot, Bon Scott back in the day had a top notch stage presence and looked and lived like a rock star.

Have to include Mick Jagger too

DD

[caseymcq]

I know... I know... you said three but the topic got me going. I just got done working out and I listen to "motivational music" while I am doing that. I forgot a few

Corey Taylor from Slipknot and Stone Sour is up towards the top for me also.

Billy Corgan is another one of my favorites.

Lemmy Kilmister, like Brian Johnson, there is something about singing like you have a mouth full of glass that is fitting for hard rock / heavy metal.

LIMTOUT, I understand what you are saying about Hetfield. IMO, his voice fits the music, though. It is rough/coarse and actually somewhat unpleasant most of the time. But then, there is No Leaf Clover off S&M... wow!. I got a lot of sore necks from Enter Sandman when I was a freshman in highschool (I have since come to realize that headbanging has to be one of the most pointless activities ) That along with I Disapear, Wherever I May Roam, Fuel, Whiskey in the Jar, etc. sounds like a sawzall singing...

While he may not be at the top of the list, Josh Todd (Buckcherry is another good one.

[PEATMOSS]

Rainbow in the dark ain't even RJD's best song. Man on the Silver Mountain literally gives me goosebumps.

I got RJD #2 after Freddy Mercury. My #3 is Meatloaf. My picks are based purely on vocals.

As far as frontmen, I would take David Lee Roth, Steven Tyler and Brian Johnson.

[rushing]

Layne Staley - AIC

Ian Astbury - The Cult

John Garcia - Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida

Spice - Spiritual Beggars

[LOWBill]

Here's one that ALWAYS gets me fired up

[zamboni]

#3 Michael Sweet- Stryper. I know he had a really really high voice, but the song "Honestly" featured his voice- and it was a very good one at that. I think that video was #1 on dial MTV back in the day for over 6 months

#2 Geoff Tate- "Silent Lucidity" remains one of my favorite metal songs to this day

#1 Not a single person named Ray Gillen? Seriously- best voice in metal until his death.

[Farley]

Best Rock voices (not saying these guys are the best singers, but as far as sound goes, these guys are the best frontmen of all time)

1. Robert Plant

2. Axl Rose

3. Bon Scott\Brian Johnson (similar sound between the 2)

Something about that high pitched voice I think works great for rock.

[Jarrod32]

3. Axl Rose

2. Ronnie James Dio

But #1, and no one else is even close: Roger Daltrey.

[PurpleFloyd]

I agree with RJD and if you are talking vocal ability I would throw the following out there:

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Bruce Dickinson of Iron maiden

Freddie Mercury of Queen

Honorable mention

Paul Stanley of Kiss

Sammy Haggar

David Gilmour ( Big Floyd fan)

[Nick Kuhn]

I can't put numbers on them, but my favs -

Brent Smith - Shinedown (songs: I Dare You, 45)

Maynard - Tool (songs: Push-it (live), Eulogy) Had to hyphenate the name cuz the filter caught it...

Phil Anselmo - Pantera (songs: Cemetary Gates, Hollow)

Bruce Dickinson - Iron Maiden (songs: Hallowed Be Thy Name, Rime of the Ancient Mariner)

James LaBrie - Dream Theater (songs: A Change of Seasons, 6:00)

Cedric Bixler-Zavala - At the Drive In/The Mars Volta (songs: Televators, With Twilight As My Guide)

Russell Allen - Symphony X - (songs: The Sacrifice, The Edge of Forever)

The other frontmen, Dio (btw Russell Allen has a very Dio-esque voice), Ozzy, Hetfield, Axl all are great frontmen. They just lack the little extra in vocals (be it range and dynamics, or emotional emphasis) that really can pull a song together.

[WalleyeGod]

Not in any order.

1. Miljenko Matijevic

2. Klaus Meine

3. Rik Emmett

Probably could have listed easily 3 for each category you mentioned. There are lots of good/great ones. Forget more than I like to admit too.

RIP RJD.

I like Sammy Hagar with Ronnie Montrose on Space Station #5. I also like his new stuff with Chickenfoot. I remembered some more. ;

WG

[curtistodd]

Chris Cornell is mine. Soundgarden, his solo stuff, and audioslave.

Check out is accoustic stuff on utube. Does a mean version of Billy Jean.