Top 5 Power Rock Vocalists of All Time?

[Mimi]

The idea for this thread came to me last night when I went to pick up Lazzy from work, and was listening to a CD of mine in the car stereo. "Love Kills" by the Vinnie Vincent Invasion (with Mark Slaughter on vocals) came on, and it got me thinking about who I'd rank as the top rock voices.

Who would you pick? And I'm referring specifically to the rock genre, here. We all know obviously that there are fabulous vocalists in all sorts of styles of music, but for this thread I think it would be fun to focus specifically on those with the power wails, the incredible ranges, the sheer force. You know, those voices that you could pick out anywhere, at any time, fronting any band.

I'm sure I'll be back into this thread at some point to echo other members picks, or to add my own extra honorable mentions that I'll forget this first post, but after giving it some careful consideration, I came up with my own list:

In order....

5. Paul Stanley (KISS)
4. Brent Smith (Shinedown)
3. Sebastian Bach (Skid Row)
2. Michael Matijevic (Steelheart)
1. Mark Slaughter (Slaughter)


I'd also like to give honorable mentions to Ville Valo (HIM), David Draiman (Disturbed) Scott Stapp (Creed), Michael Sweet (Stryper), Josie Scott (Saliva), Janet Gardner (Vixen) and Amy Lee (Evanescence).


I honestly have to put Mark Slaughter at #1. His voice damn near set the standard for hair bands in the 80's, and to this day his voice is still so distinct, so unique, and so freaking incredible it just blows my mind. He had the ultimate wail and rock whine, yet could blow out your speakers at half crank. And all that power was hidden behind such a unassuming baby face.

It was also harder for me not to place Brent Smith higher on the list, as I am currently obsessed with his voice. Ditto for Ville Valo. That guy could melt solid rock with his deep liquid voice. But he's not one of the "Power Rock" voices this thread is about, so I opted to leave him off and just give him an honorable mention.

So what about you guys?

Mimi 😉

 

[trent]

1. Geddy Lee (Rush)
2. Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company)
3. Steve Perry (Journey)
4. Freddie Mercury (Queen)
5. Robert Plant (Led Zep)

Best? hmm... that's so subjective but these are my favs.

 

[Sacrifice]

1. Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
2. Ronnie James Dio (Dio)
3. Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)
4. Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath and solo material only with Randy Rhoads)
5. Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

Noddy Holder (Slade)
Dan McCafferty (Nazereth)
Roger Daltrey (The Who.......in their prime, 1967-1975)
Ronnie James Dio (Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio)
David Coverdale (Deep Purple, Whitesnake.....in their prime, 1978-1984, before they became a "pop band")


Drew

 

[Hiryu]

1. Axle Rose (Guns'n Roses)
2. Janis Joplin (Big Brother and The Holding Company)
3. Kevin Dubrow (Quiet Riot)
4. Jim Morrison (The Doors)
5. Dee Snider (Twisted Sister)

 

[Amnesiac]

MIMI, what kind of shallow pool are you drawing from? Can these guys sing? Yeah, they can, but that doesn't put them in the PANTHEON fer cryin' out loud! You want the best vocalists, I'll give 'em to ya!

Robert Plant (Zeppelin)
Jim Morrison (The Doors)
Maynard James Keenan (Tool; A Perfect Circle)
Chris Cornell (Soundgarden; Audioslave)
Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead)

Freddy Mercury would be the 6th one if this list had 6. Runners-up are YOUNG Steven Tyler, Janis Joplin and Grace Slick.

I DO AGREE with you about Amy Lee; she's got one fucking awesome voice...problem is she's wasting it in a shit Nu-Rock band like Evanescence when she could be putting it into some seriously dark stuff where that range would kill.

 

[MrMacphisto]

1. Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
2. Bono (U2 - up until the mid-90s, when heavy smoking started killing his range)
3. Chris Cornell (Soundgarden & Audioslave)
4. Maynard James Keenan (Tool & A Perfect Circle)*
5. Thom Yorke (Radiohead - it might not be power rock, but Yorke's voice still has some serious range)

*Kudos to Amnesiac for reminding me of Maynard in his post. I almost forgot... lol

 

[isabeau]

CHRIS CORNELL audioslave and soundgarden, his voice makes me melt...

BRENT SNOW shinedown wow that remake of simple man.

IAN GILLIAM deep purple smoke on the water , fire in the skyyy

STEVE PERRY early days of journey...

dang the singer for faith no more, cant think of his name.

and Mimi please do me a favor google a picture of brent snow, i need to know what shinedown looks like and cant find anything. thanks

isabeau

eeks two more....

BON SCOTT acdc wow what a unique voice....

the singer for cheap trick grrr cant remember his name either.

 

[Mimi]

This is the best I could find, Izzy.



Which is a shame, cause he is a real hottie, but you gotta see one of their videos to see what I mean. Especially the video for "Save Me". I was totally obsessed with his voice long before I ever knew what he looked like, though. His voice just sends chills down my spine. Unfreakingbelievable vocalist.

As for you, Clammy....read the title of this thread again. You're pulling from the entire rock music genre. I was merely looking at the power rock genre. The ones who can wail like a guitar and carry one of those off the scale high notes for 30-40 seconds straight. So yes, my list fits that bill perfectly. Half of those you mentioned are not even part of the genre I was discussing. So don't question my musical knowledge, nerdy boy. 😛 😛 😛

 

[Hiryu]

IAN GILLIAM deep purple smoke on the water , fire in the skyyy

I have that on 8 track. My bro is a big 8 track and retro rock fanatic. You should see his collection.

 

[drew70]

Neil Young
Leo Sayer
Joe Cocker
Bob Dylan
Andy Gibb

 

[isabeau]

ooo Mimi thanks hon. and yes i also loved his voice before i saw him, which was just now lol. and that picture well what can i say wowowowowowowow please santa can i have him ???under my tree???? him and Chris cornell?????

Hiryu whoohooo i loved them especially with ian. also their comeback in the eighties, perfect strangers.

isabeau

 

[Goodieluver]

Wow, props to the slaughter reference

1. Bruce dickinson-iron maiden
2. Brian Johnson- AC\DC
3. Tie between layne stayley-alice in chains and scott weiland-stp
4. Tom Araya- Slayer
5. Phil Anselmo-Pantera

 

[Luv2Tickle69]

This is something I know all too well:

1. ROB HALFORD--Judas Priest...this man has wowed MILLIONS in the last 31 years Priest have been a band....his 4 octave range seems LIMITLESS...when I saw them this past summer, the man was holding the mike a good foot or so from his mouth, and NO ONE had a hard time hearing his voice as it roared...the fact that the man can still push his vocals to the limits he does at 55 literally STUNS vocalists HALF his age....

2. TIM "RIPPER" OWENS--Judas Priest/Iced Earth/....the man who would be "prince" to King Halford in the 6 years he sang for Priest during Halford's 12 year absence. While many Priest fans worldwide just couldn't readily accept Tim's presence in the band...the man DOES have one indelibly powerful voice...for those who've wondered, but never heard, I recommend looking up a music source that has live versions of "Rapid Fire" or "Victim of Changes" to hear what I mean....

3. GEOFF TATE--Queensryche....one listen to this man's voice on tracks like "Take Hold of the Flame," "Roads To Madness," "Eyes of a Stranger," or "Queen of the Reich," and you'll understand why this man always makes my top vocalists listings....

4. FREDDIE MERCURY--Queen....do I REALLY have to explain this choice!!?
5. ROBERT PLANT-- Led Zeppelin....his influence has endured 4 decades...while he may not have quite the same roar in his voice as he did in the late' 60s and '70's....it is still very distinct...and were it not for him, these other vocalists I listed probably wouldn't have a standard to go by...

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

I would also list Chris Cornell..........but suggest going back to Soundgarden's Loud as Love and checking out the tune "Hands All Over". This is when he truely was a "power rock vocalist".


Drew

 

[Sultrybrunette]

Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull

Lead singer of the Scorpions. I can't remember his name but I love his voice and what an awesome band.

Randy Bachman - Bachman Turner Overdrive

Tom Schultz? - Boston

Kevin Cronin (sp?) - REO Speedwagon

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull

Lead singer of the Scorpions. I can't remember his name but I love his voice and what an awesome band.

Randy Bachman - Bachman Turner Overdrive

Tom Schultz? - Boston

Kevin Cronin (sp?) - REO Speedwagon

Ian?? Hmmmm...well, why not? Songs like "Hymn 43" and "Minstrel in the Gallery" had pretty intense vocals.

Lead Scorpions singer was Klaus Meine.

And Bostons singer (well, the famous one from 1, "Don't Look Back", and "Third Stage") was Brad Delp.

Drew

 

[4stringslinga]

This is obviously a touchy subject and i have to go with the classics depspite my love for newer metal. Without them there wouldn't be newer metal/hard rock.

1. Robert Plant
2. Elvis (not a fan at all but lets face it, without him rock wouldn't what is it without him.)
3. Paul McCartney (once again not a big fan but see reason above.)
The classics out of the way my personal favs. are...
4. old M. shadows of Avenged sevenfold, this is the old album "waking the fallen" i absoluety hate the new album "city of evil" and "bat country" this is back when he could scream and sing at the same time.
5. Howard Jones of Killswitch engage. This man can scream and sing beautifully at the same time. Don't believe me download "the end of heartache" by killswitch engage.

 

[leafstk]

Robert Plant (Zeppelin)
Bon Scott (AC/DC)
Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull)
The guy from Metallica
Ozzy (Sabbath days)

Btw, nice mention for Deep Purple, Isabeau 😀

(The thread is about POWER rock vocalists, folks! 😉 As much as I love and respect Sir Paul, Neil Young and the like... I don't find them in such a category IMO... if so, I'd say David Gilmour of Pink Floyd 😀)

 

[maniactickler]

Ian Gillan

 

[Mimi]

Oh yeah, I forgot about Geoff Tate. He's another unique and amazing vocalist! I'd also have to echo on Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage), and Rob Halford of Judas Priest. Two more terrific honorable mentions I'd add to my list.


And I should clear up something quick. I consider Freddy Mercury to be quite possibly the greatest vocalist ever....of all freaking time. But I don't consider him a power rock vocalist, hence why I didn't mention him on my list. I just wanted to state that quick so no one considered me to be completely off my musical rocker.

And as for Robert Plant...yeah, he does belong in the top 5 power rock vocalists list, but I was never able to stand Led Zeppelin (no, I am not mentally retarded, tyvm), and hence never able to appreciate his vocals much. Then he came out in the 80's with the Honeydrippers and...well...I won't comment any further. 😉

Mimi 😀

 

[isabeau]

yea and the guy i mentioned from faith no more, although awesome voice, probably doesnt qualify as power rock....

isabeau

 

[4stringslinga]

yea and the guy i mentioned from faith no more, although awesome voice, probably doesnt qualify as power rock....

isabeau

Mike Patton is awesome!

 

[isabeau]

Mike Patton is awesome!

thats his name thanks!! i always forget. wonder where he is now?

isabeau

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

A lot of people have listed Robert Plant on this thread. I still think "Black Dog" has to be one of the greatest "power vocal" songs of all time. Yet, Robert didn't sing all that strong live. Then when you consider fluff he did like "All My Love" and "Sea of Love"........well, you get my point.

Now someone like Lesley West of Mountain, or Lonesone Dave Peverett of Foghat, they sang with a lot of balls.


Drew