About 6 months ago, I uploaded a list of my Top 10 favorite singers of all time. Well, Rolling Stone outdid me, I suppose. They now have a list of the 200 best singers of all time! Of course, it's a revised list, and one that is more "reflective" than their old list. They wanted less of a focus on Western classic rock, and diversified their options. As a result, there's a whole lot of singers on this list who I have no idea about. However, I can tell you what I think about the singers I do know about. There's some I believe that were straight-up snubbed, some who were ranked too low, and some I was very happy to even see be recognized. Then at the very end of this post, we'll go over some of the top names on the list. I include key quotes from the Rolling Stone article for each entry. Let the debates begin!
Singers That Were Ranked Too Low
#174: Buddy Holly: "Buddy Holly's singing style was as unpredictable and exciting as the young form of rock 'n roll itself." That's an accurate summary of Buddy Holly's contribution to the great genre of rock 'n roll. There were few artists more influential, and with his distinctive and hiccuping voice, few voices that sounded greater. Being buried at #174 is simply too disrespectful to Holly's legacy... especially when you consider he was ranked #48 on the original list.
#85: Johnny Cash: "Cash's mile-wide, wondrously fluid baritone is the sound of country music at its best." Indeed, Cash is country music to me. Singers like Dolly Parton and Hank Williams were rightfully put on this list, but well ahead of the Man in Black. You can't just put the greatest country singer ever only at #85... you can't do it. After all, he was ranked #21 on the original list.
 |
| #21 is a much more appropriate ranking for Cash. I had him as my 6th favorite singer. |
#57: Brian Wilson: "He is so renowned for his producing and songwriting skills that his gifts as a vocalist are often overlooked". Case in point, this ranking! The article continues, "Check out 'The Warmth of the Sun', where he hits impossibly high notes." He sure does! I put Brian at #10 on my original list of my favorite singers, and I stand by that. His voice at its peak is honestly his most impressive musical quality.
#26: Paul McCartney: "He can approach a ballad so tenderly he brings so-so lyrics to brilliant life". Only a true Beatles fan would take issue with #26 being too low... considering it's pretty freaking high. But then again, I am a true Beatles fan. A voice as fantastically versatile as Paul's should not be outside the Top 25... he was #3 for me on my original list.
Singers I Was Happy To See Recognized
#154: Dion: "We first heard him as a doo wop singer ("A Teenager in Love"), but his love of blues, R&B, and folk music added depth to his repertoire and his voice." Dion may not be my favorite doo wop singer, but I sure am glad that the man behind "I Wonder Why" is rightfully recognized.
 |
| Of course, I would put Dion on the list with the Belmonts. |
#123: Karen Carpenter: "Karen Carpenter is the ultimate easy-listening thrush-queen." Indeed, you could almost put her in the "ranked too low category". But Karen was a credit to her now-infamous name, and had the smoothest alto voice I may have ever heard.
#99: Clyde McPhatter: "Clyde McPhatter was a thrill a minute, a shot in the arm for R&B right at the dawn of rock & roll." Indeed, "Money Honey" and "White Christmas" are what has made Clyde famous and a legend to this day. But do yourself a favor and listen to "The Bells". Just do it!
#88: Jimmie Rodgers: "Even through the crackle of aged shellac, he comes on like the sharpest, hippest guy in the room". Bravo for the respect to early country, RS! Jimmie really did come off like the coolest dude the 20s/30s had to offer. Through a Great Depression and a battle with TB-infested lungs, he made sure we knew the women still desired him.
 |
| There was no entry I was happier with than this pioneer getting his well-earned respect. |
#66: David Ruffin: "'I know you wanna leave me,' he sang, with a singular rasp that guaranteed we never would." This legendary voice of The Temptations is behind "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", and that alone gets him a rightful spot on the list.
#30: Hank Williams: "As a singer, Hank Williams could yodel, moan, croon, shake, quiver, whine, shout, or in the case of his Luke the Drifter records, preach". That summary of Hank covers all the bases, and shows the incredible versatility of his country voice. A legend gone too young.
Singers That Were Snubbed!
I should clarify that with this group of 4 singers, I think each would've had a reasonable shot at making this list. So there's no Persuasions, no Johnny Maestro, no Willie Winfield, and since the critics seem to hate her, no Meghan Trainor. All the news outlets are freaking out about Celine Dion not being on the list, but here's the people Rolling Stone truly forgot about.
George Harrison: Surely George would get respect, right? Even if you set aside his fantastic career peak with the late Beatles and early solo career material, he was a fantastic harmony vocalist on many earlier Beatles songs. But like I said, the list snubs people like George in an effort to diversify the list with artists that I've never heard of.
 |
| I swear, it's not just my bias as a Beatles fan! Okay, maybe it is... |
Billy Joel: I've done an article before on this blog about how cheesy 80s Billy Joel is, and how 70s Billy Joel is far superior in spite of far less chart success. If Rolling Stone acknowledged Joel's wonderful career peak in the 70s, with songs like "Miami 2017" and "Just The Way You Are", he would've been on their list. No, he's not just a talented songwriter and piano player, his singing is indeed vastly underrated
Bon Scott: I suppose there's hardly a chance the legendary AC/DC frontman makes it, in a list that explicitly states in the beginning that rock music has to take a back seat. But Bon's unique snarl made him a fantastic singer... even if he doesn't fit the traditional definition of a fantastic singer. Hell, if Ozzy Osbourne makes the list, then why not Bon?
Conway Twitty: No, Conway is not just a Family Guy meme. He's a bona fide country legend, as he topped the Billboard Country Charts forty times! No one sang about redneck love-making quite like Conway, whether it was on "Hello Darling" or "I See The Want To In Your Eyes". Give him a spot on your list, RS. He deserves it!
 |
| Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Conway Twitty. |
A Look at the Top
I'm not going to comment on any of these singers, aside from the one I took strong exception to. The rest, I'm just going to let the key quotes from the Rolling Stone article do the talking.
#19: Frank Sinatra: "Sinatra was a titan behind the microphone before he was anything".
#17: Elvis Presley: "1969's Suspicious Minds might be the ultimate Elvis moment. From the controlled opening to the explosive chorus, Elvis drives this juggernaut with swagger to spare."
#14: Freddie Mercury: "'Somebody to Love' floats on air as Mercury soars through octaves and moods effortlessly."
 |
| Even at #14, you could argue that Freddie is too low on this list. |
#12: John Lennon: "John Lennon's voice was like his mind - agile, bright as a bell, startlingly alive."
#8: Beyoncé: Okay, here's the one I'm upset about. I don't want to seem like the "Old Man Yells at Cloud" meme... but take one listen to the aggravating "Break My Soul" and tell me she deserves to be up here. No, no she doesn't.
#6: Ray Charles: "The man could make anything soulful".
#3: Sam Cooke: "His tenor seduced on 1957's 'You Send Me', and it enchanted on 'Wonderful World', a song that in lesser hands might've sounded corny."
#1: Aretha Franklin: "A force of nature. A work of genius. A gift from the heavens."
 |
| I remember seeing Don Lemon weep on the air the day she died. Aretha was a true icon. |
As you can see, there was a clear focus on R&B/soul singers in The Top 10. And that's not even mentioning some of the other singers that were up there. Anyway, what do you think of the Rolling Stone list? Who are some of your favorite singers of all time? Feel free to let me know in the comments.
