Dear Rolling Stone, Here Are The Singers You Missed!

Hey Rolling Stone – you missed some!

Rolling Stone published their list of the “200 Best Singers of All Time”  over the new years weekend, and the Twitterverse was definitely sounding off!

Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain – really? And Carrie Underwood higher than Kelly Clarkson? BARBRA STREISAND AT 147 – lower than Courtney Love???..

Rolling Stone  gave an explanation, which is understandable but at the same time, I definitely question:

“…this is the Greatest Singers list, not the Greatest Voices List. Talent is impressive; genius is transcendent. Sure, many of the people here were born with massive pipes, perfect pitch, and boundless range. Others have rougher, stranger, or more delicate instruments. As our write-up for the man who ended up at Number 112 notes, “Ozzy Osbourne doesn’t have what most people would call a good voice, but boy does he have a great one.” That could apply to more than a few people here. 

In all cases, what mattered most to us was originality, influence, the depth of an artist’s catalog, and the breadth of their musical legacy. A voice can be gorgeous like Mariah Carey’s, rugged like Toots Hibbert’s, understated like Willie Nelson’s, slippery and sumptuous like D’Angelo’s, or bracing like Bob Dylan’s. But in the end, the singers behind it are here for one reason: They can remake the world just by opening their mouths.”

Even with the above explanation, and “best voices” aside, I think Rolling Stone left out several artists who I believe absolutely belong on this list. They may not have remade the world, but they were, and still are making a huge impact on it musically.

You can listen to the segment from this morning as The Mike & Carla Morning Show dissect the list and take calls by listeners who had some objections as well…

 

You certainly don’t have to like these artists, or own anything by them, but I think you’ll agree that they probably belong somewhere on this list. Their voices are amazing, and they impacted music in many ways.

So I now give you “The Singers Rolling Stone Missed”- in a big way – in no particular order.

Feel free to tell me to shut up. You too, Rolling Stone.

-Carla Rea

• Celine Dion

  I’m not even a big fan of Celine’s but there is NO DOUBT Rolling Stone missed the boat on this one. She has an incredible voice, a huge catalog, and was a huge influence on so many –  and that’s pretty evident to all.

   

• Carly Simon

  An incredible songwriter with a beautifully warm,  smoky, smoothly husky, and sexy voice. Carly Simon had paralyzing stage fright, but worked through it as best she could. Personally I think she’s one of the most talented female artists ever.

   

   

• Peggy Lee

  I don’t care how old or young you are – two words: Seductive and sultry.

• Ann Wilson

  Ann Wilson of Heart has one of the most powerful, and defining voices in music. The song “Alone” gives you Ann Wilson’s voice at its finest!

• Joan Armatrading

  Eternally cool, with a unique voice and attitude. “Love and Affection” will give you an idea of her range. She can also sing in a very low range, which gives her music a very intimate feel.

• Pat Benatar

  Pat Benatar was just recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her voice is so pure – being as she IS a trained opera singer. He Tiny Desk Concert is one of my favorites, and you can watch it right here. Par Benatar is a little powerhouse with a giant voice and her name should definitely at the top of the list when mentioning SINGERS!

   

   

• Carole King

  Carole King was not only the voice of a generation, but also the songwriter – and she wrote for many along with herself. Listen to her live back in the day. Some would say she did not have a great voice, but it was a beautiful voice, full of emotion, and heart, that even the listener felt deeply.

• Annie Lennox

  How, how, HOW does any “singers” list not include Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics??

• Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries

  Literally a one of a kind voice that goes so deep.Aand she sang with her Irish brogue intact – which made her phrasing, and sound just a little rough.

• Nat King Cole

  One of the most beautiful voices of his generation! And if you know anything about Nat King Cole, you know just how he impacted not only music, but TV as well. His voice was liquid, soothing, and his pitch was impeccable. Relaxed, and hypnotizing.

   

• Al Jarreau

  A very different voice, and a Jo Cocker like performance style, but smooth, and every word has feeling.

• Madonna

  Probably one of the most influential artists of the last 40 years! Like her or not – she should have made the list