Rolling Stone Magazine just released their list of 200 Best Singers Of All Time. And people are all up in arms about the results. And I’m not just talking about the snub Celine Dion got. There are other people not on the list. I mean, Barbra Streisand? Pat Benatar? Come on…While we are focusing on classic rock artists, their list encompasses all genres
It makes you wonder what this list is based on. It doesn’t seemed based on the singer’s skill or range of vocals. Is it based on relevancy? Bribes given to the list makers? And maybe the snubs are about more than just an authentic grading system. Pat Benatar kept getting snubbed from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for years. It was rumored she ticked off the powers-that-be and was omitted for that reason. Maybe that’s part of what’s in play here.
In any case, a list that sandwiches Bob Dylan between Prince and Freddie Mercury, isn’t celebrating vocal range. In Rolling Stone Magazine‘s defense, they didn’t say they were. They specifically said their list was celebrating something very different: the “deep, empathetic bond between artist and listener” (Rolling Stone Magazine).
And when it comes to vocal quality of some people on this specific list, Rolling Stone Magazine wasn’t focused on that either. They were more interested in the people that have “je ne sais quoi”. The “it factor” in their voice. That explains the likes of Dylan, Ozzy Osbourne and Stevie Nicks. Great singers? No. Great artists? Hell, yes.
Rolling Stone‘s list is a far cry from the “100 Greatest Singers Of All Time” list they did in 2008. That one had a vocal grading system with input from panel experts. This newest list focuses instead on “originality, influence, the depth of an artist’s catalog, and the breadth of their musical legacy” (Rolling Stone Magazine). Okay, we can see where they’re going with this then.
Since we like all things classic, we’re focusing on the list of classic rock artists that landed higher than one of our favorites, Steve Perry, who came in at #82. –Wendy Rush
